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Coastal and urban habitat investigations
Coastal and urban habitat investigations
Problem Statement
Human activities have physically altered and chemically contaminated fish habitat in
estuaries and nearshore environments, and traditional land-use management strategies
have led to habitat fragmentation throughout the Northwest.
Critical factors
- Industrial wastes have polluted many urban estuarine and marine areas in the
Pacific Northwest.
- Mining activities have polluted some river systems with toxic metals.
- Pesticides used in agriculture and nutrients that run off the land
(e.g. from agriculture, development) also pollute rivers.
- Research has shown that contaminant levels in some areas have deleterious
effects on marine fish, marine invertebrates, and salmonids.
- Some contaminated sites lie in areas that have been designated critical
habitat for listed salmon or areas that are essential to marine fish.
- Sediment-associated species, some of which form the prey base for fishery
species, are often ex-posed to highly contaminated sediments.
- Scientists must establish threshold values for contaminant effects so that
they can predict biological effects on indigenous species.
- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) needs
site-specific assessments of contaminants' effects on marine resources in order
to develop claims for damages to natural resources and devise cost-effective
strategies for restoration.
Status of research
Sampling in Commencement Bay with otter trawl
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Scientists at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) are looking
for links between de-graded habitats and decreased fisheries productivity.
They are using both laboratory research and field monitoring to assess
contaminant effects on the reproduction, growth, development, and survival of
marine and anadromous species. NWFSC scientists are using the information
to determine thresholds for serious effects, develop models to estimate the
impacts of toxic chemicals or hazardous materials, and make sure that sediment
and water quality criteria protect the health of marine species. They are also
creating a geographic information system (GIS) to identify contaminant threats
to essential habitat for federally managed fish species.
Center scientists have also participated in several Natural Resource Damage
Assessments to deter-mine how much restoration is needed to meet legal requirements
at sites in Puget Sound. A study in Seattle's Elliott Bay led to a consent decree
between NOAA and city and county governments to restore bay resources. In other
studies, NWFSC scientists have looked at sediment capping Bainbridge Island's
Eagle Harbor, a Superfund site, and injuries to bottomfish and juvenile
salmon in Tacoma's Commencement Bay, also a Superfund site.
Future considerations
Our ability to detect the presence and biological effects of contaminants in estuarine, freshwater, and coastal marine habitats will grow increasingly important, as will our ability to determine thresholds above which contaminants produce serious biological effects. We must also develop ways to assess the cumulative effects of human activities on habitat quality and biological productivity.
Key Players
Environmental Conservation (EC) Division, NWFSC
Damage Assessment & Restoration Centers, NOAA
Office of Response & Restoration, NOAA
Office of General Counsel, NOAA
Coastal Ocean Program, NOAA
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife
Washington Department of Health
Washington Department of Ecology
Washington Department of Natural Resources
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department
Puyallup Indian Tribe
Muckleshoot Indian Tribe
Suquamish Indian Tribe
Contact: Dr. Tracy Collier, Director, EC Division (206/860-3312)
NWFSC Issue Paper EC 6502 (HQ ID 280/297/313/316)
Issue Papers Home
last modified 2002-07-29
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