Grantee Research Project Results
2002 Progress Report: New Bedford Harbor Monitoring Partnership
EPA Grant Number: R829325Title: New Bedford Harbor Monitoring Partnership
Investigators: Alfonse, Scott , Howes, Brian , Rothschild, Brian , Belknap, Cheryl
Current Investigators: Alfonse, Scott , Howes, Brian , Rothschild, Brian , Peterson, Susan
Institution: City of New Bedford , The School for Marine Science and Technology
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth , New Bedford Oceanarium
Current Institution: City of New Bedford , New Bedford Oceanarium , The School for Marine Science and Technology
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Project Period: September 1, 2001 through October 30, 2003 (Extended to May 31, 2005)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2001 through October 30, 2002
Project Amount: $351,928
RFA: Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) (2001) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Environmental Statistics , Water , Aquatic Ecosystems , Air , Ecological Indicators/Assessment/Restoration
Objective:
The objectives of this research project are to: (1) determine the role of watershed inputs in determining estuarine nutrient-related water quality; (2) demonstrate the role of wet versus dry weather in estuarine water quality and how responses to nutrient inputs vary with season; (3) demonstrate estuarine circulation (salt wedge, stratification, etc.) within a drowned river valley estuary and how it changes over tidal and seasonal time scales; (4) demonstrate the freshwater hydrologic cycle and the role of rainfall in driving river flow and urban runoff; (5) inform the citizens of New Bedford and surrounding communities of the need for nutrient management to support the waterfront redevelopment and use of the Acushnet Estuarine System; (6) educate the citizens of New Bedford and surrounding communities as to the role of watershed inputs to estuarine water quality; (7) educate the public on the role of combined sewer outfalls (CSOs) in the health of their estuary; (8) demonstrate conditions in Clarks Cove following the City of New Bedford’s implemented management of CSOs surrounding that embayment; (9) inform the regional and national public as to the linkages between watersheds and embayment water quality via the Web; (10) use public exhibits, the informal learning environment of the Oceanarium, direct neighborhood outreach, environmental organizations, and the media to raise public consciousness as to the future of the Acushnet Estuary and management options for its continued restoration; (11) improve the science and math education for students within the New Bedford Public Schools through the incorporation of Environmental Monitoring for Public Access and Community Tracking (EMPACT) information and time-relevant data displays into their curriculum; (12) use the EMPACT project as a module within the New Bedford Summer Sea Lab Program (for advanced students); and (13) network the EMPACT information throughout the regional schools through Oceanarium education programs and alliances.
The New Bedford Harbor Monitoring Partnership will meet these objectives through its Web site, exhibits, presentations to neighborhood groups, Harbor stakeholders, environmental organizations, the press, and mailings.
Progress Summary:
The accomplishments during the past year are described below.
Water Quality Monitoring. We created the public database, and it is being tested by using existing data from the estuary. Secure locations for monitoring equipment were identified, and permission to use most of these sites has been obtained. The analysis was extended to ensure that the sites selected for monitoring equipment were appropriately located. A method for identifying and verifying the timing of collecting the data points was determined: diurnal, high tide, low tide, spring tide, and neap tide.
Computer Program and Web Site Development. The Web site's "user interface" has been developed, using Macromedia Flash as a delivery media. A topology contour of the surrounding land area as well as representative bathometric contours was developed through computer animation. The land area has been surface mapped using MassGIS scans.
Education and Outreach. During the past year, we developed educational parameters and age levels for all materials, including the Web site, and developed the educational needs and requirements as generated by data. In addition, we made presentations, and wrote and edited education materials for the Web site. We sought to make the usability of the Web pages consistent with GLOBE (http://www.globe.gov Exit ).
Changes to the System. Time intervals for data display have changed to reflect tidal cycles that are environmentally relevant. Hourly, daily, and weekly intervals remain unchanged, while monthly and annual time intervals now are coincident with 28-day lunar months and 13-month lunar years. The information to be conveyed in the visualizations has been changed to demonstrate: (1) salinity over tidal cycle, (2) nitrogen annual cycle; (3) chlorophyll annual cycle; and (4) temperature/dissolved oxygen annual cycle.
Future Activities:
Water quality instruments will be deployed during late July-August 2003. As transmission of data streams begins, the final software debugging and testing will commence to ensure data fidelity and continuity. The weather animations will be created and converted for viewing on the Web. The User Interface Flash Media with textual information will be completed and tested technically with groups of formal and informal educators. The Web site, which will contain all of the navigational elements for directing people to both the visualization of School for Marine Science and Technology data as well as viewing of the animations, will be completed. The Web site also will contain Web links to the program partners’ Web sites. The exhibit criteria will be developed, and an exhibit team will be hired to develop and create the exhibit for public display. The public will be informed regarding the Web site and exhibit through press releases, presentations, and ongoing educational presentations.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 7 publications for this projectSupplemental Keywords:
real time data monitoring, public education, environmental education, environmental monitoring, public awareness, natural resources, New Bedford Harbor, estuarine nutrients, water quality, Buzzards Bay watershed, Acushnet River, Massachusetts, MA., RFA, Scientific Discipline, Geographic Area, Water, ECOSYSTEMS, Ecosystem Protection/Environmental Exposure & Risk, estuarine research, Environmental Chemistry, Restoration, State, Monitoring/Modeling, Aquatic Ecosystems, Wet Weather Flows, Environmental Monitoring, Terrestrial Ecosystems, Ecological Monitoring, Ecological Risk Assessment, Ecology and Ecosystems, Aquatic Ecosystem Restoration, eutrophication, monitoring, risk assessment, aquatic ecosystem, environmental restoration, bays, wetlands, estuaries, nutrient loading, watershed, coastal watershed, downstream effects, nutrients, precipitation monitoring, coastal zone, continuous monitoring, conservation, restoration strategies, aquatic degradation, recreational area, Massachusetts (MA), environmental stress, combined sewer overflows, coastal ecosystems, environmental indicators, ecosystem health, ecosystem restoration, nutrient monitoring , water quality, storm drainage, stormwater runoff, contaminated waterfronts, groundwater pollutionRelevant Websites:
http://www.ci.new-bedford.ma.us Exit
http://www.smast.umassd.edu Exit
http://www.nbocean.org Exit
http://www.globe.gov Exit
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.