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NOAA 2002-R410 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Holly Price, Bridget Hoover 4/18/02 |
NOAA News
Releases 2002 NOAA Home Page NOAA Public Affairs |
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EARTH DAY WEEKEND More than 120 trained volunteers will spend Saturday, April 20 testing the quality of stream water in 11 major watersheds that run into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary as part of the third annual "Snapshot Day" event sponsored by the Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Volunteers will test 110 streams stretching from San Mateo to San Luis Obispo counties measuring dissolved oxygen and pH levels, conductivity, turbidity, and temperature. Collected water samples will also be sent for laboratory analysis of nutrients and bacteria levels. "NOAA is the leading government science and environmental manager of our oceans and coastal areas," said Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, USN (ret.), NOAA's administrator and under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. "We appreciate and value the efforts of the many Monterey Bay Snapshot Day volunteers who help take the pulse of the coastal streams that play a role in the health of their sanctuary." The event is designed to raise public awareness about water quality issues affecting watersheds that drain into NOAA's Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. "Snapshot Day is popular and helpful. With each successive year of data we get useful information on the health of the streams that flow into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary", said Sanctuary Superintendent William J. Douros. "It provides a one-day snapshot of the quality of the water entering the sanctuary. We'll compare this year's data with previous snapshot data and other water quality information from other agencies and citizen watershed groups to help identify problem areas that need additional monitoring and attention," said Douros. For a detailed look at previous year's Snapshot Day results, check out the Snapshot Day Report on the Network's website at http://www.mbnms.nos.noaa.gov/monitoringnetwork/events.html. Snapshot Day is funded by the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary's Water Quality Protection Program, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board and the California State Parks Foundation. The event is organized by the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network, which includes 20 volunteer groups, the Coastal Watershed Council, the California Coastal Commission, and The Ocean Conservancy. The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network facilitates the work of volunteer monitoring groups by providing guidance, technical training, equipment, and database development. The Coastal Watershed Council, a regional non-profit organization, is committed to the preservation and protection of coastal watersheds through education, research and restoration. The Ocean Conservancy, a national nonprofit organization, focuses on protecting ocean ecosystems, global abundance and diversity of marine wildlife. The National Marine Sanctuary Program is managed by NOAA Ocean Service. NOAA Ocean Service is dedicated to exploring, understanding, conserving, and restoring the nation's coasts and oceans. NOAA Ocean Service balances environmental protection with economic prosperity in fulfilling its mission of promoting safe navigation, supporting coastal communities, sustaining coastal habitats and mitigating coastal hazards. To learn more about NOS, please visit http://www.nos.noaa.gov. |