Publication Abstract

Phylum-level meta-analysis was applied to 192 samples from a variety of dredgings disposal and relocation sites around the coast of England and Wales. No consistent relationship was found between the disturbance status of macrobenthic communities within disposal sites and the nature or amount of dredgings disposed. Differences between samples within and outside disposal sites were generally smaller than differences between different sites. Different patterns of impact were detected at some sites.  It is concluded that, owing to large variability between sites in terms of the nature and amount of material disposed and each site’s ability to receive it, monitoring and management at each site has to be tailored to the prevailing conditions at that place. None of the samples examined from offshore disposal sites was grossly disturbed, and overall most samples ranged from mildly disturbed to undisturbed. The ecological impacts associated with the intertidal placement of material (beneficial use schemes) were comparable to those observed for the conventional sea disposal sites.