An Overview of Contaminant-Related Issues Identified by Monitoring in San Francisco Bay

The San Francisco Estuary Regional Monitoring Program for Trace Substances (RMP) began in 1993 and is sponsored by 74 local, state, and federal agencies and companies through their discharge or Bay use permits. The RMP monitors water, sediment, toxicity, and bivalve bioaccumulation at 25 sites in the Bay that are considered to represent "background" conditions. Several major environmental issues have been identified by the RMP. Polychlorinated biphenyls and mercury were often above water quality guidelines, and often occurred in fish tissues above U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) screening values. Concentrations do not appear to be decreasing, suggesting continuing inputs. Episodes of aquatic toxicity often occurred following runoff events that transport contaminants into the Bay from urbanized and agricultural portions of the watershed. Sediment toxicity occurred throughout the Bay, and has been correlated with concentrations of specific contaminants (chlordanes, polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons) at some locations; mixtures of contaminants were probably also important. Since the RMP does not monitor all ecosystem components, assessments of the overall condition of the Bay cannot be made. However, in terms of contamination, the RMP samples suggest that the South Bay, and North Bay sites are moderately contaminated.     

A framework for assessment and monitoring of small mammals in a lowland tropical forest

Development projects in tropical forests can impact biodiversity.Assessment and monitoring programs based on the principles of adaptive management assist managers to identify and reduce suchimpacts. The small mammal community is one important component ofa forest ecosystem that may be impacted by development projects. In 1996, a natural gas exploration project was initiated in a Peruvian rainforest. The Smithsonian Institution's Monitoring andAssessment of Biodiversity program cooperated with Shell Prospecting and Development Peru to establish an adaptive management program to protect the region's biodiversity. In thisarticle, we discuss the role of assessing and monitoring small mammals in relation to the natural gas project. We outline theconceptual issues involved in establishing an assessment andmonitoring program, including setting objectives, evaluating the results and making appropriate decisions. We also summarizethe steps taken to implement the small mammal assessment, provideresults from the assessment and discuss protocols to identifyappropriate species for monitoring.     

Benthic macrofaunal assemblages of the San Francisco Estuary and Delta, USA

The spatial and temporal distribution of macrobenthic assemblages in the San Francisco Estuary and Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis of 501 samples collected between 1994 and 2008. Five benthic assemblages were identified that were distributed primarily along the salinity gradient: (1) a polyhaline assemblage that inhabits the Central Bay, (2) a mesohaline assemblage that inhabits South Bay and San Pablo Bay, (3) a low-diversity oligohaline assemblage primarily in Suisun Bay, (4) a low-diversity sand assemblage that occurs at various locations throughout the Estuary, and (5) a tidal freshwater assemblage in the Delta. Most sites were classified within the same assemblage in different seasons and years, but a few sites switched assemblage designations in response to seasonal changes in salinity from freshwater inflows.     

Chromatium species: an emerging bioindicator of crude oil pollution of tidal mud flats in the Niger Delta mangrove ecosystem, Nigeria

Establishing microbiological indices for the monitoring of environmental decay by crude oil pollution in the Niger Delta region has been a major concern of our current researches. Chromatium species, a purple, Gram positive pleomorphic, motile, microaerophlic sulfur bacterium offers a good potential for use in the assessment of the short term effects of oil pollution of tidal mud flats in the Niger Delta mangrove ecosystem. Its response to the November 22, 2003 spillage at the Qua Iboe Estuary and the adjoining Cross River Estuary was investigated. Our results have revealed that the sulphur bacterium is easily identified and widely distributed in the epipellic sediment of the mangrove ecosystem but very sensitive to hydrocarbon pollution. The bacterium was readily detected in the tidal mud flats containing as much as 2.0 mg kg(-1) but not detected in sediment with THC level of 3.65 mg kg(-1) and above. It is thus, suggestive that the threshold and lethal limits of effect of hydrocarbons against the sulfur bacterium lies between 2.04 and 3.65 mg kg(-1). These imply that in any case of crude oil pollution that Chromatium is not detected during monitoring the THC levels of the sediment may have been raised to a level close to or above 3.65 mg kg(-1). Statistical analysis of the relationship between THC level and density of Chromatium in sediment revealed a significant (p < 0.05) negative relationship (r = -0.85) in Qua Iboe mangrove ecosystem as against an insignificant (p > 0.05) relationship (r = -0.41) recorded for the Cross River mangrove ecosystem which served as the control. The result indicates that oil pollution affect the homeostatic status of Chromatium in tidal mud flats despite its even distribution (R2 = 71.4%). The finding though not definitive may contribute to the hierarchical process of oil pollution assessment in the Niger Delta region of Nigeria. However, its effective utilization will require not only the development of a selective medium for enumeration and isolation of the bacterium but also the establishment of a defined dose-response relationship under controlled conditions which requires further research.     

Linking ecosystem services to agri-environmental schemes through SEA: A case study from Northern Italy

Agri-environment schemes (AES) are major policy tools in Europe to increase the environmental performance of agriculture. However, there is evidence that AES's implementation is not achieving the intended objectives and that current monitoring and evaluation frameworks are not adequate to fully assess their environmental effects. We argue that systematic consideration of ecosystem services would greatly benefit the implementation and assessment of AES, and that SEA represents a suitable platform to do this. We illustrate a case study of an ecosystem service-inclusive SEA applied to a rural development program and related AES in Italy. Results indicated that provision and consumptions of a wide array of ecosystem service are affected by AES and that current data management systems would allow to appraise these effects with acceptable efforts. In some other cases however sample field surveys would be needed. The case also shows the importance of mutual learning and knowledge brokerage between SEA practitioners and program officers. Overall, findings suggest that integrating ecosystem service in the design and assessment of AES would provide policy-makers and stakeholders with more focused information and ultimately improve their effectiveness.     

Texas National Coastal Assessment (2000–2004): challenges, solutions, lessons learned and future directions

The Texas National Coastal Assessment (NCA) program began with the immediate challenge of integrating the NCA effort with Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s (TPWD) Coastal Fisheries Division and its existing probabilistic Fishery Independent Monitoring Program. Close coordination and detailed planning along with a novel two boat sampling operation helped to make this alliance work. Partnerships with National Estuary Programs and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) greatly improved coverage of the Texas coast over the initial fifty station design. Airboats, biobags, and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) corers were instrumental in overcoming numerous technical challenges. NCA data provide a more complete assessment of water and sediment quality than the traditional 305(b) report, with better spatial coverage and a measure of validity. There were differing patterns of PCBs, PAHs, DDTs and chlorinated pesticides, and metals such as mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) along the Texas coast. A confederation of Texas state agencies is considering ways to take advantage of probabilistic sampling designs to monitor the Texas coast. The TCEQ and TPWD are working on a joint project to redesign sediment and water quality monitoring that may serve as a springboard to a continuous monitoring program and opportunities for further improvement of ecosystem health assessment of the Texas coast.     

The need for long-term stream monitoring programs in forest ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest

Concepts, planning and design procedures are examined that are needed in the development of long-term stream monitoring programs in forested regions. A long-term stream monitoring program is viewed as the key component for bringing together management organizations, researchers and decision-makers to improve the management of natural resources. The keystones of such ecosystem monitoring are long-term data records that provide the basis for analysis of environmental assessment objectives, predictions and analysis of outcomes which in-turn can be used to modify and improve future projects. Management organizations that initiate long-term monitoring programs are urged to use monitoring actions and information to facilitate decision-making processes that pertain to conserving and allocating resources for future beneficial uses. Recommendations are provided for careful planning and definition of interactive activities of monitoring programs and that should provide information feedbacks that can be used to evaluate issues pertaining to beneficial uses of resources. Procedural requirements and literature sources are suggested for developing long-term stream monitoring programs. They include reviews of background and historical information to provide precise definitions of long-term objectives, planning considerations and monitoring methods. Examples are given of specific procedures that need to be identified during the planning process. They include the application of management standards to variable conditions encountered within natural ecosystems and the detection of the timing of recovery phases of stream ecosystem development following a disturbance. These procedures are viewed as being essential for improving applications of management standards and perceived thresholds to stream and watershed ecosystems monitoring programs.     

粤港澳大湾区生态环境监测发展现状与展望

"十四五"期间,粤港澳大湾区将会迎来新一轮大开发、大建设、大发展,绿色发展与山水林田湖草一体化保护将面临更大的机遇与挑战。生态环境监测作为生态环境保护的重要基础,亟需强化支撑、引领、服务作用。文章对粤港澳大湾区生态环境监测发展现状进行了梳理,从环境质量状况、生态环境管理、环境监测网络等方面将粤港澳大湾区与东京、纽约、旧金山三大世界级湾区进行系统比较,对标查找差距与不足,并对面临的机遇与挑战进行了深入剖析。在此基础上,针对生态环境监测区域布局、现代感知网络、智慧应用与"美丽湾区"综合评价、联合监测与信息发布、产学研用一体化等方面,提出了粤港澳大湾区当前及今后一个时期生态环境监测发展的相关建议。     

Economics of ground-water quality monitoring: A survey of experts

The cost of a monitoring program can be easily ascertained in terms of the expenditures incurred for such items as personnel, supplies, field visits, instrumentation and laboratory analyses. The benefits of a monitoring program, however, cannot be easily evaluated due to the diversity of objectives for which monitoring programs are initiated and operated. The case study and the results of the follow-up exploratory survey reported in this paper were intended to capture the objective as well as the subjective reasons employed by a group of experts in responding to selected socio-economic questions related to the design of monitoring programs. Ninety-seven individuals, through a formal questionnaire, participated in the survey. They showed definite preferences, although there was some variability in responses due to such factors as residential status, institutional affiliation, education, and the length of professional experience. It was clear that the respondents favored the inclusion of cost-effectiveness criteria in monitoring programs; were ambivalent to the idea of initiating a regulatory program to monitor the wells of a large number of private owners; and if such a program were to be initiated they recommended that individual well owners share the bulk of the financial burden. Preliminary results from such exploratory surveys can lead to the framing of insightful research questions or hypotheses for further evaluation. Confirmatory testing of such questions or hypotheses in real world settings is a valuable area for further research.     

PCB Levels and Trends Within the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie Basin: A Historical Perspective of Ecosystem Monitoring

An international workshop held in the spring of 2002 convened a group of technical experts to address monitoring, modeling, and management of PCBs within the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie basin. Participants shared and discussed a diverse set of research data bases pertaining to PCB levels within the region, discussed observed changes within different components of the local ecosystem, and identified several primary issues impacting future PCB management strategies. Results presented at the workshop indicate dramatic reductions in PCB contamination levels have been observed in much of study area between the late 1970s and mid-1990s. Estimates of loadings attributable to water and atmospheric sources have generally declined, as have PCB concentrations in herring gull eggs, smelt and walleye. Nevertheless, additional improvements have not been observed during recent years and elevated contamination levels remain a concern within local hot spots, particularly in the lower Detroit River and Trenton Channel. A primary recommendation broadly supported by workshop participants is the need to maintain, support, and coordinate a comprehensive ecosystem monitoring program for the Detroit River-Western Lake Erie basin, one that incorporates both near-field and far-field monitoring elements. Such a program is crucial to provide necessary data in support of understanding ecosystem trends, calculating annual mass loadings to the system, assessing impacts of remediation actions, developing improved modeling frameworks, and formulating cost-effective management strategies for the future.     

A framework for assessment and monitoring of arthropods in a lowland tropical forest

By applying principles of adaptive management, and by using the valuable information that arthropods provide from assessment and monitoring programs, managers can identify and reduce possible impacts on biodiversity in development projects. In 1996, the Smithsonian Institution's Monitoring and Assessment of Biodiversity program worked together with Shell Prospecting and Development Peru to establish an adaptive management program to protect biodiversity in a natural gas exploration project in a Peruvian rainforest. In this paper, we outlined the conceptual steps involved in establishing an assessment and monitoring program for arthropods, including setting objectives, evaluating the results and making decisions. We also present the results of the assessment using some of groups of arthropods, and summarize the steps taken to identify appropriate groups for monitoring.     

Forest Health Assessment and Monitoring – Issues for Consideration

Part of this paper has been prepared for the lecture Forest Health Assessment-Criteria,Methods and Problems given by the author at the UIMPuniversity course Sanidad Forestal en el Bosques Mediterraneos yTemplados. Implicacion de la Contaminacion Atmosferica y del Cambio Global, held in Valencia, Spain, October, 1995. Assessment and monitoring of forest health representsa key point for environmental policy and for the management ofenvironmental resources. With the renewed interest in assessment andmonitoring of forest health generated by the suspected occurrence ofa widespread forest decline in Europe and North America, manyactivities have been undertaken: however, some questions should beconsidered and clarified when attempting to estimate forest health.Particularly, the objective(s) of the assessment and monitoringprogram should be carefully identified. Identification of a program‘stask has a number of implications and consequences: it implies adefinition of what concept of forest health (forest ecosystem health,forest health or forest trees health?) is assumed, what will be thetarget entity to be monitored, and therefore the identification of therelevant assessment questions and assessment endpoints.Consequences concern the definition of the spatial scale (frominternational to landscape and plot scale monitoring) and ecologicalcoverage (from single species population to population ofecosystems) of the program, which can have a considerable influenceon the choice of the proper sampling strategy and tactic, as well ason the most suitable methods, indicators and indices to be used.Although much of the work in the field of forest health and airpollution has concentrated on surveys on crown transparency anddiscoloration, there is an entire range of methods, indicators andindices developed to assess the health status of forests. The decisionas to which ones should be used will depend on the aim of theprogram and on economic and practical considerations. A furtherconsideration concerns the time span of the program, but anydecision in this field is subject to many limitations due to difficultiesin predicting future monitoring needs. All these points should becarefully considered and implemented according to a rigorousQuality Assurance procedure since any decision will influence futurework for many years.     

河流水生态环境质量评价方法研究与应用进展

河流生态质量的监测和评价是从河流生态系统健康状况的角度对河流质量进行的评价。河流生态健康的评价已经向多要素多指标综合、多种评价方法(预测模型法、生物完整性指数、多要素综合评价)、流域尺度方向发展。该文重点介绍了国外评价体系产生的背景和研究基础,分析了广泛应用的几类评价方法的特点、在不同国家和流域的应用情况以及各方法的应用前景,分析了国内开展河流生态质量评价研究的发展过程、阶段性研究进展和应用案例,并根据目前研究基础评述了我国评价体系现存问题及应用前景,为河流生态质量评价体系的建立及发展方向提供建议和参考。     

水生态分区管理国际经验与太湖流域应用研究

简述了国外水生态区的发展历程以及国外水生态区在建立生态系统数据库、制定差异化水质标准、开展河流生态监测及评价水体健康等方面进行的应用研究。通过对太湖流域水生态功能分区的研究，指出当前水环境管理存在的问题与水生态区管理的优势，提出应重点从水生态区监测、试点考核、评价、修复等具体操作层面开展应用研究，引导我国水环境管理从水化学指标逐步向水生态综合指标转变，推动建立以水生态系统健康为导向的水环境管理创新体制。     

Selecting indicator species to monitor ecological integrity: a review

We review critical issues that must be considered when selectingindicator species for a monitoring program that aims to maintainor restore ecological integrity. First, we examine the pros andcons of different management approaches on which a conservationprogram can be based and conclude that ecosystem management ismost appropriate. We then identify potential indicators ofecological integrity at various levels of the ecosystem, with aparticular emphasis on the species level. We conclude that,although the use of indicator species remains contentious, it canbe useful if (1) many species representing various taxa and lifehistories are included in the monitoring program, (2) theirselection is primarily based on a sound quantitative databasefrom the focal region, and (3) caution is applied wheninterpreting their population trends to distinguish actualsignals from variations that may be unrelated to thedeterioration of ecological integrity. Finally, we present anddiscuss different methods that have been used to select indicatorspecies.     

Collaborative Science, Policy Development and Program Implementation in the Transboundary Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Ecosystem

The transboundary Georgia Basin Puget Sound ecosystem is situated in the southwest corner of British Columbia and northwest comer of Washington State. While bountiful and beautiful, this international region is facing significant threats to its marine and freshwater resources, air quality, habitats and species. These environmental challenges are compounded by rapid population growth and attendant uiban sprawl. As ecosystem stresses amplified and partnerships formed around possible solutions, it became increasingly clear that the shared sustainability challenges in the Georgia Basin and Puget Sound required shared solutions. Federal, state and provincial institutional arrangements were made between jurisdictions, which formalized small scale interest in transboundary management of this ecosystem. Formal agreements, however, can only do so much to further management of an ecosystem that spans international boarders. A transboundary regional research meeting, the 2003 GB/PS Research Conference, opened the doors for large-scale informal cross-boarder cooperation and management. In addition to cooperation, continued efforts to stem toxic pollution, contain urban growth, and protect and restore ecosystems, require a commitment from scientists, educators and policy makers to better integrate research and science with decision-making.Former Director of Planning and of Special Projects in the British Columbia Ministry of Municipal Affairs.     

Assessment of water quality along a recreational section of the Damour River in Lebanon using the water quality index

Considering that water is becoming progressively scarce, monitoring water quality of rivers is a subject of ongoing concern and research. It is very intricate to accurately express water quality as water quantity due to the various variables influencing it. A water quality index which integrates several variables in a specific value may be used as a management tool in water quality assessment. Moreover, this index may facilitate communication with the public and decision makers. The main objectives of this research project are to evaluate the water quality index along a recreational section of a relatively small Mediterranean river in Southern Lebanon and to characterize the spatial and temporal variability. Accordingly, an assessment was conducted at the end of the dry season for a period of 5 years from 2005 to 2009. The estimated water quality index classified the average water quality over a 5-year period at the various sites as good. Results revealed that water quality of the Damour River is generally affected by the anthropogenic activities taking place along its watershed. The best quality was found in the upper sites and the worst at the estuary. The presence of fecal coliform bacteria in very high levels may indicate potential health risks to swimmers. This study can be used to support the evaluation of management, regulatory, and monitoring decisions.     

Design elements of monitoring programs: The necessary ingredients for success

Natural resource managers must know the condition of resources entrusted to their steward-ship so that they can maintain unimpaired resources and know when to restore impaired ecosystems. Resource monitoring programs should be designed to provide indications of ecosystem health, define limits of normal variation, identify abnormal conditions, and suggest potential agents of abnormal changes. Development of a conceptual model that identifies all ecosystem components and their relationships is the first step in the design of such a diagnostic monitoring program. Design studies, with field testing on each selected system component, are required to determine the parameters to be measured and to establish monitoring protocols. The best approach to diagnostic monitoring appears to be based on the population dynamics of selected species relative to physical and chemical environmental factors. Both management and monitoring of natural ecosystems need to be recognized as experimental endeavors, and thus approached in an iterative fashion with the scientific method to reduce uncertainty and cost.     

An EPA program for monitoring ecological status and trends

Despite hundreds of millions of dollars spent annually in the United States on environmental monitoring, policy and decision makers seldom have ready access to monitoring data to aid in prioritizing reasearch and assessment efforts or to assess the extent to which current policies are meeting the desired objectives. EPA is currently conducting research to evaluate options for establishing an integrated, cooperative monitoring program, with participation by federal, state, and private entities, that could result in annual statistical reports and interpretive summaries on the status and trends in indicators of adverse disturbance and corresponding health of the nation's ecosystem on the regional and national scale.The research described in this article has not been subjected to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency review and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency, and no official endorsement should be inferred.     

Perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) in wildlife from an urban estuary

Previous research has documented the bioaccumulation of perfluoroalkyl compounds (PFCs) in apex predators in remote locations but few studies have evaluated urban estuaries. To assess the importance of PFCs in San Francisco Bay, two apex predators in the San Francisco Bay, double-crested cormorants (Phalacrocorax auritus) and Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii), were sampled. Prey fish (Atherinops affinis and Menidia audens) were also evaluated to better understand potential sources of PFCs to the foodweb. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the primary PFC detected in cormorant eggs, small fish and harbor seal serum. PFOS detected in San Francisco Bay seal serum was typically an order of magnitude higher than those at the reference site. PFOS concentrations were highest in seals and cormorant eggs from the highly urbanized southern portion of the Bay. PFOS in eggs from the southern part of the Bay remained relatively constant between 2006 and 2009 despite the phase-out of perfluorosulfonyl-based compounds nationally. In addition, these levels exceed the avian predicted no effects concentration of 1.0 μg mL(-1). Concentrations of the remaining PFCs measured were substantially lower than those of PFOS.