Assessment of Ecological Condition in Coastal Waters Impacted by Hurricane Katrina.

Assessment of Ecological ConditionAssessment of Ecological Conditionin Coastal Waters Impacted by in Coastal Waters Impacted by

Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina

National Coastal Assessment (NCA)

• NCA is the coastal portion of EMAP• State-based probability survey designs

– Enable states to estimate condition of estuaries with known confidence

– EPA can assess condition of estuaries at regional or national scales with known confidence

• Common set of indicators• Standardized methods, quality controls, training, data

analysis• Provide baseline (pre-storm) ecological condition for Lake

Pontchartrain, LA and other coastal systems affected by Hurricane Katrina

Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaPre-Storm Baseline AssessmentPre-Storm Baseline Assessment

Louisiana

LA DEQ Historic Ambient Water Sites

NCA Indicators

• Water Quality– Dissolved Oxygen– Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen– Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus– Chlorophyll a

• Sediment Quality– Sediment contaminants– Total organic carbon– Sediment Toxicity Tests

• Biological Condition– Benthic Community Condition Index

• Fish & Shellfish Tissue Contaminants

Data Interpretation

• Tables of mean values and ranges for each indicator– Provide historic “normal” values– Compare new data from post-Katrina surveys– Are post-Katrina values within historic normal ranges? Are post-Katrina values within historic normal ranges?

• Bar Charts of percent of sites with values above or below guidelines– Indicator of extent of “impairment”– Compare new data from post-Katrina surveys– Is the extent of “impairment” post-Katrina different Is the extent of “impairment” post-Katrina different

than pre-Katrina?than pre-Katrina?

Lake Pontchartrain Water Chemistry

2000 2001 2002 2003

Min Max Mean

Min Max Mean

Min Max Mean

Min Max Mean

ANALYTE

1.21 2.85 2.19 1.35 12.06 4.22 0.43 7.51 3.30 2.70 11.18 6.81Chlorophyll a (μg/L)

Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen (mg/L)

0.02 0.10 0.06 0.01 0.13 0.05 0.00 0.08 0.02 0.01 0.10 0.03

Dissolved Inorganic Phosphorus (mg/L)

0.00 0.01 0.01 0.00 0.04 0.01 0.04 0.07 0.05 0.02 0.05 0.03

Ammonia (NH4 mg/L N)

0.02 0.10 0.06 0.01 0.09 0.03 0.00 0.06 0.02 0.00 0.07 0.02

Nitrate (NO2 mg/L N)

0.00 0.01 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00

Nitrate (NO3 mg/L N)

0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.05 0.02 0.00 0.03 0.01 0.00 0.04 0.01

Total Nitrogen (mg/L)

. . . . . . . . . 0.18 0.66 0.39

Total Phosphorus (mg/L)

. . . . . . . . . 0.03 0.07 0.05

Total Suspended Solids (mg/L)

4.62 12.12 8.46 2.14 36.36 11.62 2.63 15.86 7.13 3.70 12.00 7.84

Lake Pontchartrain Pre-KatrinaWater Quality Indicators

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003

Pe

rce

nt

Are

a

DIN > 0.5 mg/L

DIN 0.1-0.5 mg/L

DIN < 0.1 mg/L

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003

Pe

rce

nt

Are

a

DIP > 0.05 mg/L

DIP 0.01-0.05 mg/L

DIP < 0.01 mg/L

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Pe

rce

nt

Are

a

Missing

CHLA > 20 ug/L

CHLA 5-20 ug/L

CHLA < 5 ug/L

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

Pe

rce

nt

Are

aDO < 2 mg/L

DO 2-4 mg/L

DO > 4 mg/L

Lake PontchartrainDissolved Oxygen (Bottom-water)

2000-2004

DO < 2 mg/L

DO 2-5 mg/L

DO > 5 mg/L

Lake PontchartrainPre-Katrina Water Quality

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Dissolved Oxygen

Nitrogen

Phosphorus

Chlorophyll

Water Quality Index

Percent Area

Poor

Fair

Good

Missing

Lake Pontchartrain Pre-Katrina Sediment Quality

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003

Pe

rce

nt

Are

a

Missing

Cd > 9.6

Cd 1.2-9.6

Cd<1.2

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003

Pe

rce

nt

Are

a

Missing

Ag>3.7

Ag 1.0-3.7

Ag<1.0

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2001 2002 2003 2004

Pe

rce

nt

Are

a

Missing

SURVIVAL < 80%

SURVIVAL > 80%

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003

Pe

rce

nt

Are

aMissing

TOC > 5%

TOC 2-5%

TOC < 2%

Lake PontchartrainPre-Katrina Sediment Quality

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

SedimentContaminants

SedimentToxicity

TOC

SedimentQuality Index

Percent Area

Poor

Fair

Good

Missing

Lake Pontchartrain Pre-KatrinaBenthic Index

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2000 2001 2002 2003

Pe

rce

nt

Are

a

Missing

Benthic Index < 3

Benthic Index 3-5

Benthic Index > 5

5%

36%

28%

31%Missing

Poor

Fair

Good

Lake PontchartrainFish Tissue Contaminants Index

2001-2002

Poor

Fair

Good

Lake PontchartrainPre-Katrina Ecological Condition

• Water quality was fair. Low dissolved oxygen and high dissolved inorganic phosphorus concentrations occurred at ~20% of sites over four years.

• Sediment quality was good. Few contaminants exceeded guidelines in any of the four years.

• Biological condition was poor as indicated by the benthic index over four years. This condition is more likely related to hypoxia or disturbance than to sediment contamination or toxicity.

• Contaminants in fish tissue were low or undetectable in all but one sample in two years.

Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaPost-Storm Ecological AssessmentPost-Storm Ecological Assessment

Objectives

• Characterize the magnitude and extent of coastal contamination and ecological effects resulting from Hurricane Katrina

• Assess human-health risks and environmental impacts of Hurricane Katrina in the affected waters and a record changes over time

• Support local, state, and national efforts to mitigate health and environmental threats and their effects

Interagency Partnership

ORDRegion 4

OW

OARNMFSNOS

Environmental AssessmentsAssessment of the Effects of Hurricane Katrina on Coastal Ecosystems

EPA, NOAA, USGS, MDEQ, ADEM

Joint NOAA Cruise –Response Aboard the RV Nancy Foster and Related Efforts

NOAA

NOAA National Status and Trends Program (NS&T) Mussel Watch Project Contaminant Monitoring

NOAA, FDA

FDA Assessment of Seafood Safety FDA, LDHH, LDWF, LDEQ

NOAA Expansion of Mussel Watch NOAA

NOAA Assessment of Downstream Contamination and Coastal Ecosystem Threats

NOAA, USF, UM, FDEP

Samples and Data Collected

• Sediment quality– Chemistry (DDT, pesticides, PCBs,

PAHs, metals, flame retardants, Fipronil)

– Grain size and TOC– Toxicity (Microtox and P450 assays)

• Water quality– DO, salinity, temperature, pH, – Turbidity, TSS, DOC, Chlorophyll– Nutrients (TN, TP, NO3, NO2, NH4,

PO4)– Chemistry (Organics, oil & grease,

metals, Atrazine)• Biological Indicators

– Benthic Invertebrate Community Condition

– Shrimp, blue crab, and Atlantic croaker– Bacterial and chemical contamination

• Microbial Pathogens– Fecal coliforms– Enterococci– Clostridium perfringens– Bacterial and viral indicators of fecal

contamination• Oyster tissues

– Pesticides, Metals, PAHs, and PCBs– Microbial pathogens (fecal coliforms,

bacteriophages, E. coli, enterococci).• Oceanographic Hydrodynamics

– Satellite remote sensing data (altimetry, color, and SST)

– Field observations

Status

• All sample collection is completed.• Field data is being entered into the database.• Microbial pathogen indicators should be completed in 2

weeks.• All water samples have been shipped to the laboratory

for analysis. (most perishable)• Sediments will follow soon.• NOAA data will be included as it becomes available.• USGS should send microbial data this week.