![[Skip Navigation]](/images/pixel.gif){kind=tracking}
|
Coastal Storms Program
Northeast Florida > Preparing for HazardsEcological Assessment of Storm Impacts on Marine ResourcesHidden Impacts of Coastal StormsStorm water runoff from golf courses, lawns, farm operations, urbanization, and other pollution sources may intensify during coastal storms. The associated flooding may carry contaminants, adversely affecting estuarine water quality and often closing shellfish beds and tourist beaches. As part of the Coastal Storms Program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service and National Ocean Service are providing coastal communities with a tool to assess and mitigate impacts from contaminants dispersed during coastal storms. The project is identifying locations and aquatic species at risk following large coastal storms. It also is using environmental modeling to discover how contaminants move from pollution sources and change the concentrations of chemical contaminants in estuaries. After evaluating how contaminants affect natural resources, the project will identify possible mitigation strategies. More information about this project is available on-line at www.chbr.noaa.gov/easi/.Contaminant Database On-lineA land-use-based risk assessment was conducted to identify likely toxic contaminants. Approximately 170 pesticides used in agricultural, residential, and commercial applications have been identified within the watershed. A risk assessment database was developed that provides information on amounts and locations applied, known toxicology, and chemical characteristics that affect transport and fate. This contaminant database is available at www.chbr.noaa.gov/easi/data/default.aspx. Various environmental contaminant datasets have been compiled for each of the Coastal Storm pilot areas. Query Manager and MARPLOT applications can be freely downloaded to access sediment chemistry, sediment toxicity, and tissue chemistry data for the St. John’s River, as well as the Pacific Northwest (Puget Sound and Portland Harbor/ Lower Willamette) and Southern California. Query Manager allows users to select from a menu of pre-programmed queries that sort and analyze the data to produce summary output tables. The query output then can be immediately displayed in the integrated mapping program, MARPLOT, or it can be exported to a variety of formats for use with other mapping software (e.g., ArcGIS) or applications (e.g., spreadsheets, statistical software packages, and word processors). Query Manager and MARPLOT are tools designed to assist coastal resource managers by providing a rapid, convenient way to create watershed-based maps that display analyzed, sorted, and summarized data. These applications and datasets are available at: mapping2.orr.noaa.gov/website/portal/coastalstorms/sediment.html. Protection and restoration of coastal watersheds requires the synthesis of complex environmental issues. The evaluation of multiple environmental issues can be significantly improved by combining scientific data and watershed characteristics into a Geographic Information System (GIS). NOAA has developed a decision-support tool for the Coastal Storms Ecological Assessment project that combines the use of a standard database structure; data query and mapping application (Query ManagerTM/ MARPLOT); and an Internet Mapping site. Contaminant concentrations in sediment and tissues of aquatic organisms, results of sediment toxicity tests, natural resource occurrence, potential habitat restoration projects, and impacted urban streams for example can be overlaid on a watershed's features and land uses and analyzed and mapped at flexible spatial scales. This integrated approach simplifies data synthesis and communication of critical information. These internet mapping sites are available at mapping2.orr.noaa.gov/website/portal/coastalstorms/index.html. Larval Fish Impacts?Of these 170 pesticides, three chemicals were identified that pose significant hazards and that can occur at high levels in the St. Johns River and its tributaries after heavy rains. To identify the sensitivity of fish and invertebrates to these chemicals, standardized methodologies were developed for conducting toxicology tests. Because fish’s early life stages are most sensitive and because reductions in larval fish will ultimately affect adult populations, special attention was given to assessing contaminant impacts on these stages. For Additional InformationNat Scholz Michele Jacobi |
