The unconfined open-water disposal resulting from the maintenance dredging of the Jordan Point - Windmill Point channel had an acute impact on the macrobenthic community. The fluid mud produced from the disposal operation probably had both physical and physiological effects on the fauna. Responses varied by species. Insects were the most sensitive and oligochaetes the least affected. Due to the resilience and opportunistic nature of the fauna the detectable impacts lasted less than 3 months. Fluid mud produced from disposal of fine-grained dredged material has properties and effects different than natural sediments. Its low density, instability and low oxygen concentration present severe problems of support, respiration and feeding of benthic organisms. (Author).

This book contains 36 of the papers presented at the meetings covering the many aspects of oligochaete biology from ecological through evolutionary studies, divided into the following sections: Systematics and Evolution Taxonomy and Geographic Distribution Distribution, Abundance and Habitat Types Ultrastructure Pollution Studies Population Dynamics The volume highlights the single largest contribution of Soviet oligochaete biology presented in English since 1980. Nine of the 36 papers in this collection are written by authors from the former U.S.S.R.