Mussel Watch Extends Coverage of Long-term Monitoring Data for Improved Environmental Assessments
NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, in collaboration with groups such as the California Water Resources Control Board and the Southern California Coastal Water Resources Project, has increased the number of sampling sites for organic and inorganic contaminants in that state by 13 at no additional cost to the government. This has been accomplished by using the expertise of local scientists and area field teams. Mussel Watch is in its 23rd year of monitoring, with data for the 21st year recently becoming available for organic contaminants such DDT, PCBs, and anti-fouling compounds. Significance: The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science analyzes mussels and oysters from coastal areas around the country to help determine if levels of contaminants are increasing or decreasing. This can help show if environmental management efforts are working.
Related NCCOS Center(s): CCMA
Shorter web link for sharing: http://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/?p=1419
