Port Curtis macrobenthic monitoring programme : Queensland Energy Resources Limited surveys: November 1995 - November 2004

Changes in benthic community structure in Port Curtis were examined from quantitative (O.lm2) grab samples collected at 16 stations surveyed between November 1995 and November 2004. A total of 10348 individuals and 362 species were collected throughout the harbour. The most common taxa collected v.ere molluscs, polychaetes, crustaceans and chordates which together accounted for more than 97% of the individuals and 87% of all species collected. A small filter-feeding bivalve mollusc, Carditella (Carditellona) torresi was the most common organism collected throughout the survey and represented more than 10% of the total infaunal abundance. This species was principally found at subtidal sampling stations.