Species point records from 1992 DWT Plym Estuary littoral survey

The first real noticeable outcome from observations of the estuary whilst sampling, is that a large percentage of the mud is made up of China Clay. This is present as a result of being emitted by plants further up the Plym. It covers large areas, usually deposited in layers or bands, and restricts the mobility of the sediment macrofauna to the extent of it being near unhabitable. Certain common estuarine species such as Corophium volutator appear to be unusually low in number. This observation is suggested to be a reason for the poor bird population found around the estuary. Species such as Hediste diversicolor and Carcinus maenas however are found in high numbers. It is recommended that the China Clay deposits in the estuary are mapped and studied in full. Also, more work is recommended on populations of particular species such as Corophium volutator, and a 12 month study conducted on the estuarine bird population.

在实地采样过程中对入海口进行观察，首次显著的结果便是大量泥土主要由中国高岭土构成。这一现象源于上游皮尔姆河植物排放的结果。中国高岭土广泛覆盖，通常呈层状或带状沉积，严重限制了沉积物宏生物的流动性，以至于接近于无法居住。某些常见的河口物种，如 Corophium volutator，数量似乎异常稀少。这一观察结果被认为是河口附近鸟类种群数量减少的原因之一。然而，如 Hediste diversicolor 和 Carcinus maenas 等物种却数量众多。建议对河口中的中国高岭土沉积进行详细的测绘和研究。此外，还建议对特定物种，如 Corophium volutator 的种群进行研究，并开展为期12个月的河口鸟类种群研究。