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The Effects Of "Hurricane Agnes" On The Benthic Diversity In The Hampton Ronds, Virginia, Area, Jeffrey Hyland

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Benthic communities are normally both physically and biologically regulated: However, if an interaction of the physical environment becomes significant, then the community becomes predominantly physically regulated. The arrival of "Hurricane Agnes", presumably causing a considerable reduction in salinity in nearby estuaries, would appear to create a significant physical stress on a benthic community. According to the "theory of environmental stability" (Sanders 1968) , the less stable the environmental parameters - such as salinity, oxygen., and temperature - the fewer species present. Thus, one might expect a decrease in benthic community diversity, due to the occurrence of such a natural disaster …