Scientific Assessment of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters 0 Dissolved oxygen (mg/L) 6 0 Depth (m) 80 32 Salinity 34 Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health September 2010 This document should be cited as follows: Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. 2010. Scientific Assessment of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters. Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health of the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology. Washington, DC. Acknowledgements: Many scientists and managers from Federal and state agencies, universities, and research institutions contributed to the knowledge base upon which this assessment depends. Many thanks to all who contributed to this report, and special thanks to John Wickham and Lynn Dancy of NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science for their editing work. Cover and Sidebar Photos: Background Cover and Sidebar: MODIS satellite image courtesy of the Ocean Biology Processing Group, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. Cover inset photos from top: 1) CTD rosette, EPA Gulf Ecology Division; 2) CTD profile taken off the Washington coast, project funded by Bonneville Power Administration and NOAA Fisheries; Joseph Fisher, OSU, was chief scientist on the FV Frosti; data were processed and provided by Cheryl Morgan, OSU); 3) Dead fish, Christopher Deacutis, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management; 4) Shrimp boat, EPA. Council on Environmental Quality Office of Science and Technology Policy Executive Office of the President Dear Partners and Friends in our Ocean and Coastal Community, We are pleased to transmit to you this report, Scientific Assessment ofHypoxia in u.s. Coastal Waters. This document assesses the problem of hypoxia (or low dissolved oxygen) in our Nation's coastal ocean and estuarine waters. It also describes recent advances made by Federal agencies to improve scientific understanding of hypoxia and our ability to manage and, ultimately, prevent these events. In December 2004, Congress reauthorized the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act (HABHRCA) by passing the Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Amendments Act of 2004. The reauthorization ofHABHRCA acknowledged that hypoxia is one of the most scientifically complex and economically damaging coastal issues challenging our ability to safeguard the health of our Nation's coastal ecosystems. This document was prepared by the Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health, which was chartered through the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council and the Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration. This report complements and expands upon water quality-related priorities identified in Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy, by the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology. It draws from the direct contributions of Federal agencies as well as previous reports and planning efforts that involved numerous experts and stakeholders from Federal, state, and local governments, academia, industry, and nongovernmental organizations. The Nation's coastal waters are vital to our quality oflife, our culture, and the economy. Therefore, it is imperative that we move forward to better understand and prevent hypoxia events, which threaten all of our coasts. This report is an effort to assess the extent of efforts to understand and lessen hypoxia events and to identify opportunities for charting a way fOl)Vard. We hope it will be useful to the Congress and a broad range of interested parties. Sincerely, 1b~ Director Council on Environmental Quality Office of Science and Technology Policy Scientific Assessment of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters i Peter Eldridge (1946 – 2008) This report is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Peter Eldridge, who was a member of the hypoxia report writing team and a research scientist with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Peter had a great love and passion for the ocean, the environment, and science. Among Peter’s scientific contributions was the development of ecosystem models to address coastal environmental issues, such as coastal hypoxia, food web changes, and seagrass loss. Peter’s friendship and enthusiasm for science will be greatly missed. ii Scientific Assessment of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST) Steve Murawski, DOC/NOAA, Co-Chair Tim Killeen, NSF, Co-Chair Jerry Miller, OSTP, Co-Chair Arctic Research Commission Department of the Interior John Farrell United States Geological Survey John Haines Department of Agriculture Linda Gunderson Louie Tupas Department of Justice Department of Commerce Matt Leopold National Oceanic and Atmospheric Amber Blaha Administration Craig McLean Department of State David Balton Steve Murawski Liz Tirpak Roger Parsons Department of Transportation Department of Defense Maritime Administration U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Richard Corley Charles Chesnutt Joan Pope U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Kevin Teichman Department of Defense Steven Hedtke Office of Naval Research Linwood Vincent Executive Office of the President James Eckman Council on Environmental Quality Hardy Pearce Department of Energy Executive Office of the President Office of Science Domestic Policy Council Julie Carruthers Paul Skoczylas James Ahlgrimm Executive Office of the President Department of Health and Human Services Office of Management and Budget Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Stuart Levenbach Lorraine Backer Kimberly Miller G. David Williamson Executive Office of the President Department of Health and Human Services Office of Science and Technology Policy Food and Drug Administration Jerry Miller Robert Dickey William Jones Joint Chiefs of Staff Robert Winokur Department of Health and Human Services Nadeem Ahmad National Institutes of Health National Aeronautics and Space Allen Dearry Administration Jack Kaye Department of Homeland Security Eric Lindstrom U.S. Coast Guard Jonathan Berkson National Science Foundation Tim Killeen Department of the Interior Julie Morris Kameran Onley Phil Taylor Tim Petty Marine Mammal Commission Department of the Interior Robert Gisiner Minerals Management Service Tim Ragen James Kendall Walter Johnson Smithsonian Institution Leonard Hirsch Scientific Assessment of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters iii JSOST Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia and Human Health (IWG-4H) Lorraine C. Backer (Co-Chair) Juli Trtanj Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Paul A. Sandifer (Co-Chair) Frederick L. Tyson National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Paula Bontempi Alternate: Fredric Lipschultz Usha Varanasi National Aeronautics and Space Administration Alternate: Walton Dickhoff National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Herbert T. Buxton United States Geological Survey William Russo U.S. Environmental Protection Agency David Garrison National Science Foundation Mark Walbridge Department of Agriculture Rob Magnien Alternate: Quay Dortch National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Steven Plakas U.S. Food and Drug Administration Scientific support staff: Tim Ragen Elizabeth B. Jewett Alternate: Bob Gisiner Cary B. Lopez Marine Mammal Commission Carolyn Sotka Virginia Fay Teri Rowles National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Cheryl L. Fossani Joyce Saltsman National Science Foundation U.S. Food and Drug Administration Primary Authors Elizabeth B. Jewett, Cary B. Lopez, David M. Peter M. Eldridge , Richard M. Greene, James Kidwell, Suzanne B. Bricker D. Hagy III National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Marianne K. Burke , Mark R. Walbridge Herbert T. Buxton U.S. Department of Agriculture U.S. Geological Survey Robert J. Diaz Virginia Institute of Marine Science Major Contributors Cheryl Brown Jay Peterson and Cheryl Morgan U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Oregon State University Bill Peterson National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration iv Scientific Assessment of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters Table of Contents vi List of Figures vi List of Tables vii List of Boxes vii List of Case Studies viii List of Acronyms 1 Executive Summary 7 Chapter 1. Legislative Background, Report Overview and Development Process 11 Chapter 2. Causes and Status of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters 25 Chapter 3. Federal Hypoxia and Watershed Science Research: Status and Accomplishments 47 Chapter 4. Future Research Directions and Interagency Coordination 57 References 68 Appendices 69 Appendix I. Federal Agency Hypoxia or Hypoxia-related Research 83 Appendix II. Geographic Case Studies 118 Appendix III. Table of U.S. Systems Impacted by Hypoxia Scientific Assessment of Hypoxia in U.S. Coastal Waters v List of Figures Page # 12 Figure 1. Global distribution of systems affected by low dissolved oxygen. 14 Figure 2. Change in number of U.S. coastal areas experiencing hypoxia from 12 documented areas in 1960 to over 300 now. 15 Figure 3. Comparison of the relative contribution of major sources of nitrogen pollution in three coastal ecosystems experiencing hypoxia. 16 Figure 4. Conceptual diagram illustrating development and effects of hypoxia in stratified waters. 18 Figure 5. The