Contaminants and Their Effects in Coastal Environments

Contaminant Exposure and Effects - Terrestrial Vertebrates (CEE-TV Database)

In 1996, a database entitled “Contaminant Exposure and Effects - Terrestrial Vertebrates” (CEE-TV) was developedthat summarized in a geo-referenced contaminant-impact information for amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals residing in Atlantic estuarine habitat.  The database contains information obtained from peer-reviewed and grey literature, reviews of existing databases, and solicitation of unpublished reports from conservation agencies, private groups and universities. It can be queried by taxonomic, chronologic, geographic, and contaminant categories. In 1999, the CEE-TV database was made available for public access. The CEE-TV database currently contains over 17,000 data records.  The geographic scope of the database was expanded to include estuarine and coastal habitat along the Gulf and Pacific coasts and Alaska, Hawaii, and the states bordering the Great Lakes.

The CEE-TV database allows the examination of spatial and temporal patterns, identification of data gaps and provides a valuable resource to help focus and interpret ecotoxicological field studies, identify areas for mitigation, restoration or special management, and rank contaminant risks.  Information in the CEE-TV database has been synthesized and has served as the basis for multiple peer-reviewed manuscripts describing the distribution of contaminants and their effects across broad geographic ranges.

In 2005 the geographic scope of the CEE-TV database was expanded to encompass a 60k river corridor (30 km on either side of the river) of select rivers of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast.  In addition to these river corridors, terrestrial contaminants effect information was also assembled for “important bird areas” (IBAs) as designated by American Bird Conservancy in the study area. Data sets collected through the extension of the CEE-TV to the river corridors and IBAs of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will be used to support interpretation of findings and augment the BEST large river network. This work will be completed in late 2006.

Species Characterization Database
In support of the assessment of terrestrial vertebrate ecotoxicological information in coastal and estuarine areas provided through the CEE-TV database, the biological characteristics (i.e. status in estuaries, abundance, range, ease of census and feeding habits) was summarized for 48 candidate species potentially useful as sentinels of contaminant impacts including amphibians, birds, mammals, reptiles associated with these habitats.

Characterization of Chemical Stressors in Estuaries of the Pacific Coast: A Collaboration with the EMAP-Western Pilot Project
The BEST Program collaborated with the Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) Region 10 in an effort to characterize the ecological condition and contaminant stressors of estuaries along the Pacific Coast. The main objective of this project is to describe the current ecological condition of estuaries in Washington, Oregon, Alaska, California, and Hawaii. Core indicators for estuarine environments include measures of water quality, whole sediment toxicity, contaminant levels in sediments and fish, abundance of macroalgae and submerged aquatic vegetation, and composition of benthic and fish communities. BEST is contributing to these efforts by conducting H4IIE bioassays on fish tissue and toxicity tests on porewater from bottom sediments.  The H4IIE bioassay is being used to screen for exposures from dioxin-like compounds and sediment porewater toxicity tests are being used to screen for compounds which disrupt fertilization and embryo development of sea urchins (Arbacia punctulata).   One toxicity test uses fertilization as the endpoint and the second toxicity test uses several developmental endpoints. Results from these assays and tests in conjunction with results from the suite of EMAP indicators will characterize the contaminant stressors in these habitats and provide a baseline to measure improvement or degradation of these habitats. BEST is also evaluating the application of this approach to habitats important to DOI (e.g. coastal habitats on or adjacent to refuges, areas important to wintering waterfowl). BEST will be intensifying sampling near DOI lands and assessing contaminant effects using terrestrial vertebrates in these habitats.

Small estuaries along the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington were sampled in 1999.  Sediment samples were obtained from nearly 98% of all sampling stations. Target fish species were obtained at approximately 50% of the sampling stations. Target species consisted of  Dover sole, English sole, California dab, sand dab and starry flounder. Results from field observations, water quality measurements, toxicity tests (of whole sediments and sediment porewater), and histological examination of external lumps and bumps have been completed.

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The following is a selection of related reports and manuscripts. Additional information and products are hosted by the Patuxent Wildlife Research Center at: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/contaminants%2Donline/pages/Products/Pintro.htm#1

Environmental Contaminant Exposure Data and Monitoring Prorities for Wild Terrestrial Vertebrates at National Parks in Coastal and Estuarine Habitat

Documentation on The CEE-TV Database isavailable at: http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/contaminants-online/pages/CEETV/CEETVdoc.htm

The Species Characterization Database and the Utility and Ranking Programs for Terrestrial Vertebrates is online at:http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/contaminants-online/

H4IIE bioassay-derived 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin equivalents (TCDD-EQ) in fish collected in 2000 from the Texas Gulf coast of the United States