ABSTRACT
Since 1974, Occidental College has studied reef fish populations in marine receiving waters off an electrical generating facility and a coral site at Palos Verdes; trawl surveys in adjacent waters have been conducted since 1970. No predischarge data are available for comparison but the studies can be used to separate local short-term oscillations, and distinguish between plant vs. large scale effects. Power plant effects include both discharge and intake-related phenomena, and existing fish communities reflect the effects of both. In the receiving waters significant changes in the ichthyofauna have occurred since 1974. These reef community changes have not been mirrored at the control site. The direction of change in the receiving water population has been from a unique community towards a composition similar to other bight-wide localities. Similarly, there have been changes in the demersal fish communities, but these are bight-wide phenomena and cannot be obviously related to discharges.
