The particulate load of the Red River, St Ives Bay: Its geochemical composition and the effect of its discharge plume on the behaviour of a resident wild dolphin

Abstract

A resident wild dolphin is reported to avoid the discharge plume from the Red River which empties into the northern end of St Ives Bay. The river effluent is found to contain a high load of finely divided metalliferous particles rich in iron but also containing significant amounts of Sn, As, Cu and Zn. It is suggested that the echo-location system and/or chemosensory system of the dolphin may be affected by this discharge causing the animal to avoid the area of the effluent.