You are here: Home › News ›Weekly Items
Weekly News Items

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (CCMA)

Weekly Report – May 28, 2008

POLLUTION

New Report on Coastal Waters Show Decline in Contaminants

The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) has released a 20-year study showing that environmental laws have had a positive effect on reducing overall contaminant levels in coastal waters of the U.S.  However, the report points to continuing concerns with elevated levels of metals and organic contaminants found near urban and industrial areas of the coasts. The report, “NOAA National Status and Trends Mussel Watch Program: An Assessment of Two Decades of Contaminant Monitoring in the Nation's Coastal Zone from 1986-2005,” is the first that presents national, regional, and local findings in a quick reference format, suitable for use by policymakers, scientists, resource managers and the public. The findings are the result of monitoring efforts that analyze 140 different chemicals in U.S. coastal and estuarine areas, including the Great Lakes. The report is available online at www.nsandt.noaa.gov. For more information contact Gunnar Lauenstein at 301 713 3028 x 152 or Gunnar.Lauenstein@noaa.gov, or Kimani Kimbrough 301 713 3028 x 114 or Kimani.Kimbrough@noaa.gov [02M00019] (CCMA)

Significance: The economies of many coastal regions are dependent on healthy, productive marine resources, such as fish and shellfish. Legislation to reduce contaminants to these areas is vital to reverse the trend of declining coastal habitat health.

ECOSYSTEMS

Research Analyzes the Effects of Recreational Fishing and Marine Debris at Marine Sanctuary to Evaluate and Improvement Management Strategies

Scientists from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, Georgia Southern University, GA Department of Natural Resources, and Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) collaborated last week aboard the R/V Nancy Foster (May 12 - 20) to evaluate the socioeconomic and ecological impacts of recreational fishing on bottom fish and invertebrate communities, and evaluate the efficacy of spatially explicit management decisions at GRNMS. Scientists initiated a hook-and-line sampling study to calculate catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) for key species including red snapper, gag grouper, and scamp.  Fish caught were tagged with surgically implanted sonic transmitters enabling scientists to track their movements over the next 2 years.  Scientists also revisited marine debris monitoring transects to measure the accumulation rate, impact, and spatial distribution of marine debris in the sanctuary.  For additional information contact Matt Kendall at 301-713-3028 x144 or matt.kendall@noaa.gov, or visit http://www.sanctuaries.noaa.gov/missions/2008nancy_foster/summary.html .
 [06M00092, 07M00106] (CCMA).

Significance:  The information gained from this research will improve the management and conservation of natural resources within Grays Reef National Marine Sanctuary and may affect future boundary designations for the sanctuary.

OUTREACH
NCCOS Scientists Engage the Environmental Monitoring Community at the Sixth National Monitoring Conference and Unveil the Results of Twenty Years of Mussel Watch Monitoring.
The Mussel Watch Program demonstrated its ongoing commitment to the Integrated Ocean Observing system (IOOS) and the National Monitoring Network (NMN) in a presentation given at the Sixth National Monitoring Conference in Atlantic City.  Scientists and managers from Federal, State, and Local government as well as Canada and Europe were in attendance and provided positive feedback to the twenty-year national assessment of Mussel Watch contaminant monitoring.  Other elements of the Mussel Watch Program were highlighted such as the Specimen Banking of archived samples currently in use for a retrospective analysis of polybrominated diphenyl ethers, a new class of emerging contaminants, and the availability of a long-term mussel and oyster histopathology data set that may provide insight into global climate change. For more information, contact Ed Johnson at (301) 713-3028 or ed.johnson@noaa.gov, or Gunnar Lauenstein at (301) 713-3028 or Gunnar.Lauenstein@noaa.gov <mailto:Gunnar.Lauenstein@noaa.gov>. [02M00019] (CCMA).

Significance: The Mussel Watch Program analyzes mussels and oysters from coastal areas around the country to help determine if levels of contaminants are increasing or decreasing. This can help show if environmental management efforts are working.

MEDIA COVERAGE
The  National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science report “NOAA National Status and Trends Mussel Watch Program: An Assessment of Two Decades of Contaminant Monitoring in the Nation's Coastal Zone from 1986-2005,” has received extensive media coverage since its release on May 12. The report has been covered by major news outlets across the country including: USA Today, the Baltimore Sun, Forbes, the Seattle Times, the Houston Chronicle, the Kansas City Star, plus dozens more. The work has also been mentioned in television newscasts and radio, including WTOP in Washington, D.C.