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CLASSIFYING COASTAL WATERS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND CURRENT FOCUS ON AQUATIC STRESSORS
Citation:
Kurtz, J C., N E. Detenbeck, V D. Engle, K Ho, L M. Smith, S J. Jordan, AND J G. Campbell. CLASSIFYING COASTAL WATERS: HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE AND CURRENT FOCUS ON AQUATIC STRESSORS. Presented at ASLO 2005 Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Salt Lake City, UT, February 20 - 25, 2005.
Impact/Purpose:
Conference abstract
Description:
Coastal ecosystems are ecologically and commercially productive habitats that are experiencing significant impacts associated with accelerated population growth in coastal zones. The Clean Water Act requires identification of impaired water bodies and determination of the causes of impairment. Classification simplifies these determinations, because estuaries within a class should be more likely to respond similarly to particular stressors. We reviewed existing classification systems for their applicability to grouping coastal marine and Great Lakes water bodies based on their responses to aquatic stressors, including nutrients, toxic substances, suspended sediments, habitat alteration, and combinations of these stressors. Classification research historically addressed terrestrial and freshwater habitats rather than coastal habitats. Few efforts focused on stressor response, although some included physical factors such as freshwater inflow, residence time, and flushing rates, which affect sensitivity to stressors. We evaluated each classification system with respect to aquatic stressors and found many well-researched paradigms that provide important information for improving our capabilities for classification as an investigative and predictive management tool.