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Final Report: New Bedford Harbor Monitoring Partnership

EPA Grant Number: R829325
Title: New Bedford Harbor Monitoring Partnership
Investigators: Alfonse, Scott , Howes, Brian , Peterson, Susan , Rothschild, Brian
Institution: City of New Bedford , New Bedford Oceanarium , The School for Marine Science and Technology
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
EPA Project Officer: Stevens, Madalene
Project Period: September 1, 2001 through October 30, 2003 (Extended to May 31, 2005)
Project Amount: $351,928
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (2001)
Research Category: Environmental Statistics , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration

Description:

Objective:

The objectives were to: (1) determine the role of watershed inputs in determining estuarine nutrient-related water quality; (2) demonstrate the role of wet versus dry weather in estuarine water quality and how responses to nutrient inputs vary with season; (3) demonstrate estuarine circulation (salt wedge, stratification, etc.) within a drowned river valley estuary and how it changes over tidal and seasonal time scales; (4) demonstrate the freshwater hydrologic cycle and the role of rainfall in driving river flow and urban runoff; (5) inform the citizens of New Bedford and surrounding communities of the need for nutrient management to support the waterfront redevelopment and use of the Acushnet Estuarine System; (6) educate the citizens of New Bedford and surrounding communities as to the role of watershed inputs to estuarine water quality; (7) educate the public on the role of combined sewer outfalls (CSOs) in the health of their estuary; (8) demonstrate conditions in Clarks Cove following the City of New Bedford’s implemented management of CSOs surrounding that embayment; (9) inform the regional and national public as to the linkages between watersheds and embayment water quality via the Web; (10) use public exhibits, the informal learning environment of the New Bedford Oceanarium, direct neighborhood outreach, environmental organizations, and the media to raise public consciousness as to the future of the Acushnet Estuary and management options for its continued restoration; (11) improve the science and math education for students within the New Bedford Public Schools through the incorporation of Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) information and time-relevant data displays into their curriculum; (12) use the EMPACT project as a module within the New Bedford Summer Sea Lab Program (for advanced students); and (13) network the EMPACT information throughout the regional schools through New Bedford Oceanarium educational programs and alliances.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

The New Bedford Harbor Monitoring Partnership is an ambitious undertaking to raise public awareness about water quality issues as they affect the lives of those who live, work, or play in Southeastern Massachusetts. Water quality in the Buzzards Bay Watershed affects property values, industrial growth, agriculture, and fisheries. It affects the recreational and commercial uses of streams, rivers, ponds, lakes, the estuary, and the bay. Although New Bedford Harbor’s status as a Superfund site because of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) contamination brought national attention to our region, the harbor PCB cleanup does not address the ongoing degradation caused by nutrient overload in the system.

Our goal was to install moorings with sensors that transmit water quality data through a user-friendly interface to a Web site. Furthermore, we developed an attractive kiosk, equipped with a laptop computer and touch screen display, so that the data could be showcased in a public venue.

We created the public database that was tested by using existing data from the estuary collected by the Coalition for Buzzards Bay and the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology (SMAST). Each of the five moorings collects data (conditions) from the Acushnet River and the New Bedford Harbor. Each mooring has an instrument (YSI 6600) with sensors 0.3 meters from the bottom. At locations where the water is more than two meters deep at low tide, an additional instrument is placed near the water surface. The locations are:

The monitoring equipment required both relay antennas to capture the signal and send it to the SMAST data collection platform and permits from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) because the transceivers were subject to Part 15 of FCC regulations. We began collecting real-time data in late 2004. The Web site’s “user interface” was developed using Macromedia Flash as a delivery media. A topology contour of the surrounding land area as well as representative bathometric contours was developed through computer animation. The land area was surface mapped using MassGIS scans. The exhibit criteria were developed. An exhibit team from Providence, Rhode Island, MontegoNet, was hired to create the exhibit for public display.

Time intervals for data display reflect tidal cycles that are environmentally relevant. Hourly, daily, and weekly intervals are as expected. Monthly and annual time intervals were made coincident with 28-day lunar months and 13-month lunar years. The information in the visualizations demonstrates the following conditions: (1) salinity over tidal cycle; (2) depth (tidal range at each site) over tidal cycle; (3) light over tidal cycle; (4) chlorophyll annual cycle; (5) temperature/dissolved oxygen annual cycle; and (6) flow at the upper Acushnet River location. We hired Digication, a user interface team, to work with the New Bedford Oceanarium and SMAST. This firm reworked some of the software to accommodate the data stream the NET Framework, IIS, and Oracle 9 server that were not compatible with the original configuration.

We negotiated with the City of New Bedford and the New Bedford Harbor Commission to locate the kiosk at the State Pier’s new Fast Ferry Terminal (Figure 1). This location, in the lobby of the newly renovated building, sees hundreds of visitors per day en route to Martha’s Vineyard from New Bedford. The ferry holds 150 passengers and makes 9 round trips per day.

Figure 1. Fast Ferry Terminal and WOW Mobile in Background

Results Compared to Initial Objectives

  1. Determine the Role of Watershed Inputs in Determining Estuarine Nutrient-Related Water Quality. Most of this work is being done by SMAST under a contract with the Massachusetts Office of Environmental Affairs in a program known as the Massachusetts Estuaries Project (MEP).
  2. Demonstrate the Role of Wet Versus Dry Weather in Estuarine Water Quality and How Responses to Nutrient Inputs Vary With Season. The models being developed for the MEP estimate the nutrient contribution from groundwater and stormwater. The data collected at the five New Bedford Harbor moorings show how variable dissolved oxygen, salinity, chlorophyll, and light penetration are under seasonal conditions.
  3. Demonstrate Estuarine Circulation (Salt Wedge, Stratification, etc.) Within a Drowned River Valley Estuary and How it Changes Over Tidal and Seasonal Time Scales. These are clearly shown from the data found at http://www.newbedfordharbor.org exit EPA. Please note that there is a slight lag between 1-day and 1-week data being available on 1-lunar, 6-lunar and 13-lunar data displays. The reason for this is that the 1-day and 1-week data are not calibrated; they just appear. The longer term data go through a rigorous quality assurance/quality control process to confirm that they are as accurate as the equipment can produce.
  4. Demonstrate the Freshwater Hydrologic Cycle and the Role of Rainfall in Driving River Flow and Urban Runoff. The 28-day, 6-lunar, and 13-lunar data sets show variability in salinity and turbidity related to rainfall. The conclusions that can be drawn from the changes in conditions come from education and outreach programs underway within the public school system, via the Web pages of the partner organizations, and through participation in public and scientific meetings.
  5. Inform the Citizens of New Bedford and Surrounding Communities of the Need for Nutrient Management to Support the Waterfront Redevelopment and Use of the Acushnet Estuarine System. This is being done through the MEP and the grant participants’ presentations in public and scientific meetings. In addition, the kiosk that displays the real-time harbor monitoring data is accompanied by water quality monitoring data developed by the Coalition for Buzzards Bay and SMAST.

    6. Figure 2. The Harbor Monitoring Kiosk

  6. Educate the Citizens of New Bedford and Surrounding Communities as to the Role of Watershed Inputs to Estuarine Water Quality. Same as (5) above.
  7. Educate the Public on the Role of CSOs on the Health of the Estuary. Same as (5) above.
  8. Demonstrate Conditions in Clarks Cove Following the City of New Bedford’s Implemented Management of CSOs Surrounding That Embayment. The fact that we used Clarks Cove as the reference site for the harbor monitoring project shows the dramatic change in water quality in that embayment.
  9. Inform the Regional and National Public as to the Linkages Between Watersheds and Embayment Water Quality Via the Web. This is being done in several ways: the Harbor Monitoring Kiosk (Figure 2) is located at the Fast Ferry Terminal at State Pier in New Bedford. This site sees hundreds of visitors from all over the world each day. The kiosk gives them access to real-time data and links with other sites.
  10. Use Public Exhibits, the Informal Learning Environment of the New Bedford Oceanarium, Direct Neighborhood Outreach, Environmental Organizations, and the Media to Raise Public Consciousness as to the Future of the Acushnet Estuary and Management Options for its Continued Restoration. This is being done as described in (9) above and also by collaborations with regional environmental organizations and by outreach through the New Bedford Oceanarium’s WithOut Walls (WOW) mobile (Figure 3).

    11. The WOW Mobile is a vividly decorated vehicle that carries marine science programming to the community. We deliver summer programs at the Boys and Girls Club of New Bedford, at city and regional parks departments ( Wareham to Westport), and at special events such as the Mattapoisett Harbor Days and Summerfest. During the school year, we offer programs in the schools that complement existing programs and address statewide standards.

    Figure 3. WOW Mobile Artist Sarah Viera

  11. Improve the Science and Math Education for Students Within the New Bedford Public Schools Through the Incorporation of EMPACT Information and Time-Relevant Data Displays Into Their Curriculum. We are just beginning this process; it could not be done until the moorings were in place, reliable data were collected, and a usable format was displayed. An improvement that we need to consider is the opportunity for students to download sections of the data for direct manipulation into graphic displays.
  12. Use the EMPACT Project as a Module Within the New Bedford Summer Sea Lab Program (for advanced students). The New Bedford Oceanarium and SMAST will be working with the city on this in 2005-2006.
  13. Network EMPACT Information Throughout the Regional Schools Through New Bedford Oceanarium Educational Programs and Alliances. See (10) above and note that both SMAST and New Bedford Oceanarium staff are active in Massachusetts Marine Educators and with curriculum development programs being developed jointly with the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.

Education and Outreach

We made presentations at the Massachusetts Marine Educators/University of Massachusetts Dartmouth High School Symposium, participated in Teacher Institutes, and maintained consistency with the Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) program. The GLOBE is an interagency program that works within regional school systems, organizations, and summer camps. Our goal is to improve student achievement in science and math, expose students to computer and network technology, and integrate science and math into other disciplines.

Data from the five moorings provided a foundation for detailed studies of the Acushnet Estuary by students in the graduate course “MAR 620: Case Studies in Estuarine Dynamics” offered by the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth in Spring 2004 and Spring 2005.

Conclusions:

The dataset and its Web site display show information that is accurate, geographically distributed in the estuary, and relevant to understanding water quality in the river, harbor, and estuary. The Harbor Monitoring Kiosk is in a great location, with the capacity to provide more than 2,000 people per day with access not only to harbor monitoring data, but also to other regional marine resource information. Our public education programs are expanding as the database grows; we are already providing informal science education programming regarding estuary health and the biology of near shore coastal areas with the New Bedford Oceanarium’s WOWmobile. We expect publications to follow when more data are available.

We underestimated the time requirements of installing, operating, and maintaining the moorings. We also underestimated the complexity involved in translating raw data into an easily understood format. The Web page displays the data but, in retrospect, not in as “user friendly” a fashion as the partners had hoped. The data are not easy or quick to access. We need to make the data easily accessible (downloadable), once it has been calibrated and validated, to students and faculty so that it can be easily incorporated into their studies and reports.

Finally, we need to develop funding to maintain the moorings and the database and to expand our educational programming in the schools and at the kiosk location at the New Bedford Fast Ferry Terminal.

Partnerships

We continue to work with the Coalition for Buzzards Bay, the school departments from coastal communities from Westport to Wareham, and state and city agencies on data collection and maintenance of an offshore reference buoy.

Collaborative Effort in Water Quality Monitoring of New Bedford Coastal Waters

A joint monitoring effort was initiated in 2002 between the SMAST, Coalition for Buzzards Bay and Endeco/YSI. The collaboration was initiated to monitor key nutrient related habitat quality parameters within the region of Buzzards Bay bordering the New Bedford Outer Harbor.

These data will be integrated with the New Bedford EMPACT Project (City of New Bedford, SMAST, New Bedford Oceanarium), which will add an additional four continuous monitoring sites, including the automation and telemetry of the Massachusetts Watershed Initiative gauging of the Acushnet River. The data will be processed through a numerical water quality model for the estuary integrating the effects of tidal mixing, river flow, and meteorological events and relating them to changes in estuarine circulation, nutrient related water quality, and habitat health (MEP).

Journal Articles:

No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 7 publications for this project

Supplemental Keywords:

data monitoring, public education, environmental education, environmental monitoring, public awareness, natural resources, New Bedford Harbor, water quality, Buzzards Bay watershed, Acushnet River, estuarine water quality, nutrient management, watershed, , Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Water, Geographic Area, Scientific Discipline, RFA, ECOSYSTEMS, Restoration, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, estuarine research, Ecological Risk Assessment, Terrestrial Ecosystems, Ecological Monitoring, Wet Weather Flows, Environmental Chemistry, Aquatic Ecosystems, Monitoring/Modeling, Ecology and Ecosystems, Environmental Monitoring, State, risk assessment, water quality, aquatic ecosystem, bays, coastal watershed, watershed, ecosystem health, environmental indicators, eutrophication, coastal ecosystems, monitoring, real-time monitoring, wetlands, ecosystem restoration, groundwater pollution, combined sewer overflows, conservation, recreational area, aquatic degradation, continuous monitoring, environmental stress, nutrient loading, storm drainage, downstream effects, precipitation monitoring, stormwater runoff, estuaries, nutrients, coastal zone, restoration strategies, Massachusetts (MA), environmental restoration, nutrient monitoring
Relevant Websites:

http://www.newbedfordharbor.org exit EPA
http://www.smast.umassd.edu exit EPA
http://www.nbocean.org exit EPA
http://www.ci.new-bedford.ma.us exit EPA
http://www.globe.gov exit EPA
http://www.savebuzzardsbay.org exit EPA
http://www.mass.gov/dep/smerp/smerp.htm exit EPA

Progress and Final Reports:
2002 Progress Report
2003 Progress Report
2004 Progress Report
Original Abstract

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The perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.

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