Brackish water pond culture of fishes and their use as biological monitors of the water quality of thermal effluent from a power station

Channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus; Florida pompano, Trachinotus carolinus; spotted seatrout, Cynoscion nebulosus; spot, Leiostomus xanthurus; Atlantic croaker, Micropogon undulatus; Atlantic spadefish, Chaetodipterus faber, and striped mullet, Mugil cephalus were raised in 0.1 hectare ponds receiving water from the discharge canal at Houston Lighting and Power Company's Cedar Bayou Power Station near Baytown, Texas. Growth and survival rates, condition, length-weight, and the standard length-total length relationship were computed. Heavy metal and pesticide accumulation was measured. Two unstocked ponds received unfiltered water from the discharge canal to determine what species traveled through the plant and pumps to the ponds.