Effects of Athens pollution outfalls on marine fauna of the Saronikos Gulf

The Saronikos Gulf, on which Athens is situated, receives a considerable load of untreated waste discharges from that metropolis. A survey of ten sublittoral sites shows a marked response by the benthic fauna to the pollution. A much reduced community diversity, coupled with massive increases of certain pollution‐tolerant, suspension feeding species indicates a much stressed ecosystem in the North of the Gulf. Selective and gross mortalities of marine species, and states of anoxia which were previously confined to small areas appear to be spreading to larger and more open parts of the Gulf.