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Aquatic Stressors Research
Aquatic Stressors
Part of EPA's mission is to protect and restore the physical, chemical, and biological integrity of our Nation's lakes, rivers, streams, and estuaries. Experts in the fields of the aquatic sciences agree that the most serious threats to our Nation's waters are the following four types of stressors:
In order to prevent the loss of ecosystem function and a loss of biodiversity, EPA has an aggressive program underway to address stressor impacts to freshwater and marine systems and to develop the Diagnostics needed to determine the degree and cause of impairment in these systems.
EPA uses a unified approach to study the impact of major stressors and to develop diagnostic capabilities to protect aquatic systems. First, the current condition is assessed in order to determine the degree of impairment and second, a diagnosis of the cause(s) of impairment is made. This information can then be used to forecast the effects of changes of stressor levels that occur in the future. Subsequently, remediation and maintenance strategies are developed and implemented as part of EPA's overall water quality program. The final step is for EPA and States to use this information to develop criteria and set standards.
For a highly detailed description of EPA's aquatic stressors research plan, download the document Aquatic Stressors: Framework and Implementation Plan for Effects Research (PDF, 197 pp, 3.21 MB, About PDF).
