Benthic recovery on new work dredged material in Galveston Bay, Texas

Deepening of the Houston Ship Channel, Galveston Bay, Texas, may involve open-water disposal of new work material consisting of highly cohesive Pleistocene clays. Concern has arisen about potential long-term reduction in secondary production. To address this concern, the recovery of benthos on experimental plots of dredged material was initiated in 1990. Infauna and sediments were sampled in March, June and September from 1991 to 1994. After initial depressions, most biological parameters (Taxa Richness, Abundance, Biomass, and Species Composition) had recovered to pre-disposal conditions within eighteen months