Coastal Services Center

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Ecological Assessment of Storm Impacts on Marine Resources

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Hidden Impacts of Coastal Storms

Storm 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/.

New Contaminant Database On-line

A 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/search.aspx.

Various environmental 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., ArcView) 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: http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/watersheddownloads

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 Information

Tom Siewicki (lead)
NOAA National Ocean Service
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Telephone: (843) 762-8508
E-mail: Tom.Siewicki@noaa.gov

Tracy K. Collier
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service
Telephone: (206) 860-3312
E-mail: Tracy.K.Collier@noaa.gov