PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A DEVELOPMENT SITE, AND THE CONTENT DOES NOT REFLECT THE MOST CURRENT INFORMATION.
A baseline environmental characterization of the embayments and fjords on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska was conducted using a sediment quality approach based on sediment chemistry, and benthic invertebrate community structure. Sediment toxicity and resident fish body burdens were also assessed at one bay near an abandoned mine site. The study area was subdivided into seven … Read more
Salt marsh ecosystems are sensitive habitats that may be susceptible to oil and oil spill mitigation chemicals during clean up. This research project assessed the toxicity of three shoreline cleaners (SLC) in laboratory and mesocosm exposures, determined petroleum hydrocarbon distributions in water and sediment, and evaluated efficacy of each SLC in oil (Louisiana Sweet Crude; … Read more
This report presents the findings of a survey initiative conducted to gauge the social values of ecosystem services of the visitors, seasonal residents, and permanent residents of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve (Reserve). In order to gauge the perceived values of ecosystem services user groups hold for the site, a survey instrument was designed … Read more
On August 12-31, 2017 the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) led a research expedition aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster supported by NOAA’s Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program (DSCRTP) through the Southeast Deep Coral Initiative (SEDCI). The purpose of the NF-17-08 expedition was to survey, map and sample deep-sea coral ecosystems in … Read more
Since 1986, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), through its National Status and Trends (NS&T) Mussel Watch Program, has monitored our coastal waters for chemical contaminants and biological indicators of water quality. The Mussel Watch Program (MWP) is based on the collection and analysis of indigenous bivalve mollusks (oysters and mussels) and sediment. Mussels … Read more
As part of the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) jurisdictional priority gathering, local agencies in Guam identified Cocos Lagoon as an area potentially impacted by land-based sources of pollution. The US Coast Guard operated a Long Range Navigation (LORAN) station on Cocos Island at the southern end of Cocos Lagoon from 1944 to 1963. … Read more
The insular shelf south of St. Thomas and St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI) is an expansive geomorphologic feature with extensive mesophotic coral reefs occurring at 30 to 150 meter depths. These mesophotic reefs are part of a broader coral reef community in the U.S. Caribbean that provide a wide range of ecosystem … Read more
This technical memorandum describes a developing project under the direction of NOAA’s Biogeography Branch in consultation with the National Park Service and US Geological Survey to understand and quantify spatial patterns and habitat affinities of reef fishes in the US Virgin Islands. The purpose of this report is to describe and disseminate the initial results … Read more
NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)-Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment’s (CCMA) Biogeography Branch, National Park Service (NPS), US Geological Survey, and the University of Hawaii used acoustic telemetry to quantify spatial patterns and habitat affinities of reef fishes around the island of St. John, US Virgin Islands (Fig. 1). The objective of … Read more
The National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment (NEEA) is a tool for evaluating both current eutrophic condition and the effectiveness of management actions aimed at reducing eutrophic condition. Eutrophication is caused by excess nutrients and is expressed by symptoms such as increased chlorophyll a and macroalgae, and decreased dissolved oxygen. Widespread coastal eutrophication has been reported in … Read more