NOAA Technical Memorandum Archives - Page 12 of 23 - NCCOS - National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Long-term monitoring of ecological conditions in Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary: Comparison of soft-bottom benthic assemblages and contaminant levels in sediments and biota in spring 2000 and 2005

As part of an ongoing program of benthic sampling and related assessments of sediment quality at Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GRNMS) off the coast of Georgia, a survey of soft-bottom benthic habitats was conducted in spring 2005 to characterize condition of macroinfaunal assemblages and levels of chemical contaminants in sediments and biota relative to … Read more

Cruise report: Spring 2007 survey of ecological conditions along the continental shelf off Florida from Anclote Key to West Palm Beach, NOAA ship Nancy Foster Cruise NF-07-08-NCCOS (May 15 – May 28, 2007)

This cruise report is a summary of a field survey conducted in coastal-ocean waters off Florida from Anclote Key to West Palm Beach and from approximately 1 nautical mile (nm) offshore seaward to the shelf break (100 m). The survey was conducted May 15-May 28, 2007 on NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER Cruise NF-07-08-NCCOS. Multiple indicators … Read more

Analysis of sample frames and subsampling methods for reef fish surveys

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Biogeography Branch has conducted surveys of reef fish in the Caribbean since 1999. Surveys were initially undertaken to identify essential fish habitat, but later were used to characterize and monitor reef fish populations and benthic communities over time. The Branchs goals are to develop knowledge and products on the … Read more

An assessment of two decades of contaminant monitoring in the nation’s coastal zone

Information found in this report covers the years 1986 through 2005. Mussel Watch began monitoring a suite of trace metals and organic contaminants such as DDT, PCBs and PAHs. Through time additional chemicals were added, and today approximately 140 analytes are monitored. The Mussel Watch Program is the longest running estuarine and coastal pollutant monitoring … Read more

Characterizing Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico: A watershed modeling analysis and monitoring plan

Progress report on partnership between USDA and NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) established by the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) in the Jobos Bay watershed. Discusses sediment and pollutant predictions in the Jobos Bay watershed from a spatially explicit modeling approach, and describes the monitoring … Read more

Field manual for investigating coral disease outbreaks

This manual was developed as an aid to provide context for outbreak investigations and to help train coral disease outbreak response teams so that coordinated response operations can be executed. Chapter 1 provides a rationale for the need to study coral disease and respond to disease outbreaks. Chapter 2 identifies elements critical in the advanced … Read more

Mapping bottom-contact fishing intensity in the Gulf of Mexico in relation to predicted suitable habitat for deep sea corals

NCCOS has recently completed predictive habitat suitability models for 21 species and groups of deep corals in the Gulf of Mexico, including framework-forming deep corals. These models are being used to advise the Gulf of Mexico FMC on possible deep coral protection zones, and have also been used by BOEM, NOAA OR&R, and academic partners. … Read more

Priorities for Lakebed Mapping in the Proposed Wisconsin-Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary

The Wisconsin-Lake Michigan National Marine Sanctuary has been proposed along the western shore of Lake Michigan between the cities of Two-Rivers and Port Washington, Wisconsin. Much of the proposed sanctuary and rest of Lake Michigan were mapped prior to 1950 and therefore suffer from multiple deficiencies by today’s standards. New technologies can efficiently provide more accurate and finely … Read more

Assessment of Hydrocarbon Carryover Potential for Six Field Cleaning Protocols

Sample collection in the field faces many challenges including, but not limited to, the equipment and materials that can be brought safely into the field. Field teams will often reuse sample collection gear by cleaning it between sampling sites to prevent cross-contamination. Decontamination protocols for equipment used to collect samples for organic contaminant analysis range … Read more

An Assessment of Tributyltin and Metals in Sediment Cores From the St. Thomas East End Reserves

This is the sixth report in a series from a project to assess land-based sources of pollution (LBSP) and their effects, and to characterize the biological community within the St. Thomas East End Reserves (STEER) in St. Thomas, USVI. Here we summarize the results of a study to assess the distribution and depositional history of … Read more