Grantee Research Project Results
1998 Progress Report: Health Indicators for Salt Marsh Estuaries of the South Atlantic Bight
EPA Grant Number: R825147Title: Health Indicators for Salt Marsh Estuaries of the South Atlantic Bight
Investigators: Alberts, James J. , Wall, V. Daniel , Kneib, Ronald T. , Newell, Steven Y. , Pennings, Steven
Current Investigators: Alberts, James J. , Kneib, Ronald T. , Newell, Steven Y. , Pennings, Steven
Institution: University of Georgia
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: October 1, 1996 through September 30, 1999
Project Period Covered by this Report: October 1, 1997 through September 30, 1998
Project Amount: $786,349
RFA: Ecological Assessment (1996) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration , Aquatic Ecosystems
Objective:
The research examines development and testing of simple, inexpensive, and rapid methods for assaying and monitoring the general health of salt marsh ecosystems in the southeastern United States. It is designed to examine a suite of salt marsh indigenous organisms to:
- Evaluate methods that determine critical rates within the macrophyte community, focusing on sublethal impacts;
- Determine the efficacy of using reproductive potential of three species of estuarine crustaceans as another measure of sublethal stress; and
- Evaluate a battery of physiological bioassays using short-lived marine microorganisms as indicators of salt marsh ecosystem condition.
Progress Summary:
During the second year of the study, our study sites included: LCP Superfund site in Brunswick, GA, which is contaminated with Hg and PCB residues; Terry Creek also in Brunswick, GA, which was contaminated with toxaphene as a result of operations at the Hercules plant and is being considered for inclusion in the Superfund site listings; and twelve sites in Charleston Harbor that represent sites contaminated by a broad spectrum of chemicals. In addition, preliminary investigations of the Riceboro Paper Plant indicated a lack of sufficiently contaminated sites and sampling in this location was dropped in preference to the toxaphene site.
LCP Site (First Year Sample Collection, Second Year Data
Analyses):
Most analyses were completed at this site and further sampling
is no longer underway. The exception being the long-term studies of crustacean
reproductive potential, which will continue until the end of the third year to
allow a comprehensive two year data set for statistical analyses. The general
conclusions from the study of this site was that there was little measurable
impact of mercury and PCB sediment contamination on indicators of Spartina
alterniflora physiology, bacterial activity, or fungal biomass. Adult size,
egg size and reproductive output of grass shrimp were increased at the Brunswick
location, relative to a reference site on Sapelo Island. In addition, laboratory
studies of the effects of Cu and Hg did show reduction in physiological activity
of bacteria when salinity and natural organic matter concentrations increased.
Toxaphene Site (Second Year Sample Collection and Preliminary Data
Analyses):
Fifteen stations along approximately 1.5 mile of creek-bank
were established on Terry Creek, which is known to have high levels of
toxaphene. Sediment cores (for toxaphene concentration and Microtox? analyses);
Spartina alterniflora biomass (for chemical, biochemical and fungal
biomass analyses); and gas exchange measurements of Spartina alterniflora
plants were collected. Analyses of many of these samples have been finished
and some trends have been observed. However, the sediment concentration analyses
for toxaphene are still being completed and trend analysis must await those data
before it can be established if the trends observed are a function of
contaminant levels or environmental parameters.
Charleston Harbor Sites (Second Year Sample Collection, Third Year Data
Analyses):
Twelve sites were chosen in the Charleston Harbor area with
the aid of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources personnel. Six
sites (Shipyard, Diesel, New Market, Koppers, Dill and Orange Grove Creeks) are
contaminated by a wide variety of chemicals. Sites of low or no known
contamination were selected as reference sites (Rathall, Horlbeck, Foster,
Beresford, Battery Simpkin and Grice Cove Creeks). Sediment cores have been
collected (Microtox? analyses), as have plant biomass samples (enzymatic
activity), and gas exchange measurements have been taken. Two sites (one
impacted and one reference) have been established for crustacean reproductive
potential studies and fungal biomass collections will be undertaken in October
1998. Analyses of these data are too preliminary for inclusion or comment at
this time.
Future Activities:
During the third year of the project, sedimentary toxaphene analyses will be completed and final statistical analyses will be conducted on the toxaphene site samples. Analyses of the Charleston Harbor sites will be completed and data analyzed. Appropriate publications and presentations will be prepared for these studies. Field sampling (as appropriate) will be expanded to give a more geographical representation of salt marsh sites in Georgia and South Carolina. Crustacean reproductive studies will continue at existing sites. Laboratory studies of bacterial response to certain contaminants (PAH, etc.) as a function of salinity and natural organic matter concentrations will be concluded.
Journal Articles on this Report : 8 Displayed | Download in RIS Format
| Other project views: | All 32 publications | 14 publications in selected types | All 11 journal articles |
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Ewel KC, Cressa C, Kneib RT, Lake PS, Levin LA, Palmer MA, Snelgrove P, Wall DH. Managing critical transition zones. Ecosystems 2001;4(5):452-460. |
R825147 (1998) R825147 (1999) R825147 (2000) |
Exit Exit |
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Levin LA, Boesch DF, Covich A, Dahm C, Erseus C, Ewel KC, Kneib RT, Moldenke A, Palmer MA, Snelgrove P, Strayer D, Weslawski JM. The function of marine critical transition zones and the importance of sediment biodiversity. Ecosystems 2001;4(5):430-451. |
R825147 (1998) R825147 (1999) R825147 (2000) |
Exit Exit |
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Newell SY, Wall VD, Maruya KA. Fungal biomass in saltmarsh grass blades at two contaminated sites. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 2000;38(3):268-273. |
R825147 (1998) R825147 (1999) R825147 (2000) R825147 (Final) |
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Newell SY. Fungal biomass and productivity in standing-decaying leaves of black needlerush (Juncus roemerianus). Marine & Freshwater Research 2001;52(2):249-255. |
R825147 (1998) R825147 (1999) R825147 (2000) |
Exit |
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Newell SY. Spore-expulsion rates and extents of blade occupation by ascomycetes of the smooth-cordgrass standing-decay system. Botanica Marina 2001;44(3):277-285. |
R825147 (1998) R825147 (1999) R825147 (2000) R825147 (Final) |
Exit |
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Pennings SC, Moore DJ. Zonation of shrubs in western Atlantic salt marshes. Oecologia 2001;126(4):587-594. |
R825147 (1998) R825147 (1999) R825147 (2000) R825147 (Final) |
Exit Exit |
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Pennings SC, Wall VD, Moore DJ, Pattanayek M, Buck TL, Alberts JJ. Assessing salt marsh health: A test of the utility of five potential indicators. Wetlands 2002;22(2):406-414. |
R825147 (1998) |
Exit |
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Wall VD, Alberts JJ, Moore DJ, Newell SY, Pattanayek M, Pennings SC. The effect of mercury and PCBs on organisms from lower trophic levels of a Georgia salt marsh. Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 2001;40(1):10-17. |
R825147 (1998) R825147 (1999) R825147 (2000) |
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Supplemental Keywords:
Ecotoxicology, trace metals, anthropogenic, pollution, humic substances, RFA, Water, Geographic Area, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecosystem/Assessment/Indicators, Ecosystem Protection, exploratory research environmental biology, Chemical Mixtures - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Ecological Effects - Environmental Exposure & Risk, Monitoring/Modeling, Ecological Effects - Human Health, Southeast, Mercury, Ecological Indicators, aquatic, monitoring, health indicator, bacteria, cordgrass, biodiversity, salt marsh estuaries, estuarine ecosystems, regional scale, South Atlantic Bight, aquatic ecosystems, fishRelevant Websites:
http://www.arches.uga.edu/~rtkneib/
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.