The Brittlestar Amphiodia urtica; A Candidate Bioindicator?

Abstract. The ophiuroid Amphiiodia urtica Lyman is presently under study as a potential wastewater discharge indicator species from ocean outfalls in the Southern California Bight. On the San Pedro Shelf, the maximum abundance of A. urtica was found at depths from 30 to 100 m, and in sediment with a median grain size of 0.085 nim, 60–80% sand. 15–30% silt, 0–37% clay, and 0.2–0.5% TOC. The mean abundance of A. urtica fluctuated annually with a slight increase from 1977 through 1993.

The hypothesis was posed that the distribution and abundance of A. urtica is not influenced by an ocean outfall and its operation on the San Pedro Shelf. Based on long-term (1977–1994) and intensive (2860 samples) sampling. the hypothesis was rejected. However, the effect of the outfall is not clear because sediment bioassays from test stations and controls produced no significant differences in survivorship and growth of juveniles. Amphiodia presently occupies areas within the Zone of Initial Dilution (ZID) where it was not found during the mid-1970s and early 1980s. While recognizing that A. urtica abundance responds to proximity to the outfall, the mechanism for this response is still unclear. The application of a single species as a bioindicator is not recommended, and most certainly not without fully essing its role in community structure and function.