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ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE ESTUARIES OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS OF THE UNITED STATES.
Citation:
Summers, J K. ECOLOGICAL CONDITION OF THE ESTUARIES OF THE ATLANTIC AND GULF COASTS OF THE UNITED STATES. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 20(1):99-106, (2001).
Description:
Monitoring the estuaries of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines from Cape Cod, MA to Brownsville, TX was performed annually from 1990-1997 to assess ecological conditions on a regional basis for four biogeographic provinces. These province estimates - Virginian, Carolinian, West Indian and Louisianian Provinces - are combined to provide an assessment of 87% of the estuarine area of the United States and 96% of the area of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Combining information over the six years of monitoring showed 34% ? 4% of the Atlantic and Gulf estuarine sediments displayed poorer than expected biological conditions, based on benthic and finfish community conditions, and 21% ? 4% of the area was characterized by low water clarity, the presence of marine debris/noxious odors, or elevated fish tissue contaminants.