National Status and Trends: Bioeffects Program - Biscayne Bay, Florida (1995-1996) Database

The toxicity of sediments in Biscayne Bay and many adjoining tributaries was determined as part of a bioeffects assessments program managed by NOAA's National Status and Trends Program. Biscayne Bay was selected by NOAA for this survey because data from the NSandT Mussel Watch Program and data from previous surveys of the bay had shown a potential for toxicity and other adverse biological effects. In addition, no bay-wide information had been generated on the toxicological condition of the bay sediments and several agencies had indicated a need for this type of data and a willingness to assist NOAA in collecting them. The study area was defined as extending from Dumbfoundling Bay at the north end to Little Card Sound at the south end, seaward to the barrier islands or reef, and landward to the shoreline or saltwater control structures. This area was determined to encompass a total of 484 kilometers of the sea floor. During 1995 and 1996, 226 samples were collected from randomly-chosen locations and tested for toxicity and analyzed for chemical concentrations. Data from these tests and analyses are included in the report. Samples for benthic community analyses were collected at one-third of the stations; however, data from those analyses are not included in the report but are available from NOAA's online database http://nbi.noaa.gov/data/. The survey was designed to characterize sediment quality throughout the greater Biscayne Bay area. Surficial sediment samples were collected during 1995 and 1996 from 226 randomly-chosen locations throughout nine major regions. Laboratory toxicity tests were performed as indicators of potential ecotoxicological effects in sediments. A battery of tests was performed to generate information from different phases (components) of the sediments. Tests were selected to represent a range in toxicological endpoints from acute to chronic sublethal responses. Toxicological tests were conducted to measure: reduced survival of adult amphipods exposed to solid-phase sediments; impaired fertilization success and abnormal morphological development in gametes and embryos, respectively, of sea urchins exposed to pore waters; reduced metabolic activity of a marine bioluminescent bacteria exposed to organic solvent extracts; induction of a cytochrome P-450 reporter gene system in exposures to solvent extracts; and reduced reproductive success in marine copepods exposed to solid-phase sediments. The full report is available online at http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/about/coast/nsandt/download.aspx

Specific objectives of the study were to: (1) determine the incidence and degree of toxicity of sediments throughout the study area;(2) determine the spatial patterns (or gradients) in chemical contamination and toxicity, if any, throughout the study area;(3) determine the spatial extent of chemical contamination and toxicity;(4) determine the statistical relationships between measures of toxicity and concentrationsof chemical substances in the sediments.The dataset objective is to report information about chemical residues in sediment, sediment toxicity, and benthic infauna characteristics of the system.

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PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATORS Edward R. Long, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Gail M. Sloane, Florida Department of Environmental Protection; Geoffrey I. Scott, Brian Thompson, National Marine Fisheries Service; R. Scott Carr, James Biedenbach, U. S. Geological Survey; Terry L. Wade, Bobby J. Presley, Texas AandM University; K. John Scott, Cornelia Mueller, Science Applications International Corporation; Geri Brecken-Fols, Barbara Albrecht, TRAC Laboratories, Inc.; Jack W. Anderson, Columbia Analytical Services, Inc.; G. Thomas Chandler, University of South Carolina SAMPLE COLLECTION INVESTIGATORS Edward Long, Michelle Harmon, Scott Frew, Heather Boswell, and Donna Turgeon (NOAA, National Status and Trends Program); Richard Moravic and David Meyer (Florida Department of Environmental Protection); and Ramesh Peter Buch (Dade County Florida Department of Environmental Resources Management)SAMPLE PROCESSING INVESTIGATORS - Chemical analyses of organic and inorganic contaminants in sediment:Texas AandM University, Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, College Station, TXSAMPLE PROCESSING INVESTIGATORS - Benthos: Barry A. Vittor and Associates, Inc., 8060 Cottage Hill Road, Mobile, AL 36695 Report: http://www.nbi.noaa.gov/data/ SAMPLE PROCESSING INVESTIGATORS - Toxicity and Bioassays: MicroTox Assay: Tests were run by the National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory in Charleston, SC Sea Urchin Assay: US Geological Survey, Columbia Environmental Research Center, Marine Ecotoxicology Research Station, Texas AandM University, Corpus Christi, TX 78412. Amphipod Assays: Science Applications International Corporation, Narragansett, RI. and TRAC Laboratories, Inc. in Pensacola, FL P450 Human Reporter Gene System: Columbia Analytical Services, Inc., Carlsbad, CA. Copepod life cycle assay: The University of South Carolina

The "SITES" data file reports information regarding the planned sampling locations and the actual locations. The geographical information provided for a sampling site (the estuary stratum and site) is useful when interpreting the results of other data files. Link for the SITES data http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/about/coast/nsandt/download.aspx The "INDICATOR" data file reports the results of analyses for chemical/microbial analytes, toxicity endpoints, and benthic infauna indices. Link for the INDICATOR data dictionary http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/about/coast/nsandt/download.aspx

NOAA, National Status and Trends Program

These data were prepared by an agency of the United States Government. Neither the United States Government nor any agency thereof, nor any of their employees, make any warranty, expressed or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product, or process disclosed in this report, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference therein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the United States Government or any agency thereof. Any views and opinions of authors expressed herein do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Government or any agency thereof. Although all data have been used by NOAA, no warranty, expressed or implied, is made by NOAA as to the accuracy of the data and/or related materials. The act of distribution shall not constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by NOAA in the use of these data or related materials.

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NOAA requests that all individuals who download NOAA data acknowledge the source of these data in any reports, papers, or presentations. If you publish these data, please include a statement similar to: "Some or all of the data described in this article were produced by the "NOAA's Ocean Service through its National Status and Trends Program (NSandT)"

MEASURMENT QUALITY OBJECTIVES: SITE LOCATION - A stratified-random sampling design similar to previous surveys conducted by NOAA's National Status and Trends Program was applied in Biscayne Bay. The study area was subdivided into 74 irregular-shaped strata. Large strata were established in the open waters of the bay where toxicant concentrations were expected to be uniformly low, providing the least intense sampling effort in areas known or suspected to be relatively homogenous in sediment type, benthic communities, and water depth in regions relatively distant from contaminant sources. Relatively small strata were established in canals and urban harbors nearer suspected sources in which conditions were expected to be heterogeneous or transitional. Sampling effort was more intense in the smaller strata than large strata. Large strata were roughly equivalent in size to each other and small strata were roughly equivalent in size to each other. This approach combines the strengths of a stratified design with the random-probabilistic selection of sampling locations. Data generated within each stratum can be attributed to the stratum dimensions; these data can be used to estimate the spatial extent of toxicity with a quantifiable degree of confidence (Heimbuch, et al., 1995). Strata boundaries were established to coincide with the dimensions of major basins, bayous, waterways, etc. in which hydrographic, bathymetric and sedimentological conditions were expected to be relatively homogeneous. Within the boundaries of each stratum, all possible latitude/longitude intersections had equal probabilities of being selected as a sampling location. The locations of individual sampling stations within each strata were chosen randomly using GINPRO software developed by NOAA applied to digitized navigation charts. Three samples were collected within most strata; in a few small strata only one or two were sampled. Four samples were collected in two large strata. Usually, four alternate locations were provided for each station in a numbered sequence. The coordinates for each alternate were provided in tables and were plotted on the appropriate navigation chart. Where the coordinates provided were inaccessible by boat the locations were rejected and the vessel was moved to the next alternate. The vessel was occasionally moved out of the center of the small confined channels to avoid collisions with other boat traffic. A total of 226 samples was collected; 105 during March-May, 1995 and 121 during May-July, 1996. Each location was sampled only once. Nine sampling zones were established within the study area to aid in planning field operations. Field logistics were conducted aboard the NOAA Ship Ferrell and its launch. Vessel positioning and navigation were aided with a differential-corrected, Trimble NavGraphic XL Global Positioning System (GPS) unit and a compensated LORAN C unit. Both systems generally agreed well with each other when both were operational. Both were calibrated and their accuracy verified each morning at a known location within the study area. An acceptable tolerance goal for siting was that the sampling location be established within 0.2nm (+/- 120ft) of the given coordinates. Where the vessel could not navigate to the site (i.e., too shallow) or the bottom type was not appropriate (i.e., rock or shellfish bed) then the first alternate site was substituted. Where the first alternate could not be sampled then the second alternate site was sampled. ORGANIC AND INORGANIC CONTAMINANTS - The measurement quality objectives of the Sabine Lake Project specify accuracy and precision requirements of 30% for organic analytes and 15% for inorganic analytes in sediment samples. See Quality Assurance Project Plan WATER COLUMN MEASUREMENTS - Depth was recorded from the vessel's instrumentation to the nearest 0.1 foot. BENTHIC TAXONOMY - The minimum acceptable sorting efficiency was 95%. The minimum acceptable taxonomic efficiency was 95%.

Data are believed to be complete

All chemical contaminant values have been rounded to three significant digits. To accommodate the wide range of values, all concentration values have been formatted to the thousandth unit (0.001). The actual precision is as listed below. Metals, variable ug/g; Butlytins 0.01 ng Sn/g; PAHs 0.1 ng/g; PCBs 0.01 ng/g; Pesticides 0.01 ng/g; DATA QUALITY ASSURANCE PROCEDURES Organic and Inorganic Contaminants - QA procedures include blanks, spiked samples, and standard reference materials with each batch of samples. Any batch failing to meet the specifications presented in Section 9.1 would be reanalyzed or rejected. Benthic taxonomy - At a minimum, 10 percent of all samples were resorted and recounted on a regular basis. Ten percent of samples were randomly selected and re-identified. A voucher collection composed of representative individuals of each species encountered in the project was accumulated and retained.