. Ecology of Buzzards Bay : an estuarine profile. Estuarine ecology -- Massachusetts Buzzards Bay (Bay); Ecology -- Massachusetts Buzzards Bay Watershed. 100 BIOLOGICAL REPORT 31 the life cycle of this species, population declines have been caused by physical obstacles rather than over- fishing or chemical perturbation (see also Chapter 4). The alewife fishery is indicative of the variety of factors that may cause fish stocks to decline and underscores the need for sound biological data for ecological management. Bacterial Contamination Bacterial shellfish closures have been docu- mente
. Ecology of Buzzards Bay : an estuarine profile. Estuarine ecology -- Massachusetts Buzzards Bay (Bay); Ecology -- Massachusetts Buzzards Bay Watershed. 100 BIOLOGICAL REPORT 31 the life cycle of this species, population declines have been caused by physical obstacles rather than over- fishing or chemical perturbation (see also Chapter 4). The alewife fishery is indicative of the variety of factors that may cause fish stocks to decline and underscores the need for sound biological data for ecological management. Bacterial Contamination Bacterial shellfish closures have been docu- mented for Buzzards Bay since the early 1900*s. primarily as the result of illness linked to the dis- charge of raw sewage. Unfortunately, bacterial con- tamination of shellfish beds in the early part of the century was generally identified only after resulting public health impacts were felt, with water tested after the outbreak of illnesses. For example, only after over 500 cases of typhoid fever were identi- fied among shellfish consumers in New Bedford was it determined that substantial amounts of raw sew- erage were entering New Bedford Harbor (Germano 1992). Significant restrictions were sub- sequently placed on the shellfishery, which led to the construction of a sewage system to collect all of New Bedford's sewage and discharge it farther into Buzzards Bay, the precursor to the city's current sewerage treatment system. It was not until 1925. when nationwide outbreaks of typhoid fever led the Public Health Service to develop a program for routine monitoring of bacterial contamination in shellfish areas, that other areas in Buzzards Bay. including parts of Mattapoisett Harbor and Apponagansett Bay in Dartmouth, experienced clo- sures. By 1930 1,174 ha of shellfish beds had been closed. This figure remained relatively constant for years, increasing to approximately 1,700 ha in the 1960's, but with year-to-year variations caused by increased closures following major storms
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