Long-term Mussel Watch Program Overview

Dennis Apeti Felipe Arzayus Mary Rider

Volume 3; Monitoring & Assessment Branch; p 33. Fate & Effects of Contaminants Program Review, Sept 15-17, 2020 MW Program: Purpose & Mission Statement

Nationwide Pollution Monitoring Program Since 1986 – Based on collection and analysis of bivalves (oysters, mussels) and sediment - Lower 48, AK, HI,

Legislative Mandate The NOAA Mussel Watch Program was established in response to a legislative mandate under Section 202 of Title II of the Marine Protection, Research, and Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) (33 USC1442), which tasked the Secretary of Commerce to “initiate a continuous monitoring of contaminant levels in biota, sediment and the water column.”

Mission Statement To support ecosystem-based management through integrated nationwide environmental monitoring, assessment and research to describe the current status of and to detect changes in the environmental condition of our Nation’s estuarine and coastal waters Long-term Monitoring Approach & Activities

Monitoring  300 Sites nationwide  Bivalves and sediment  300 legacy + 280 CECs  Bivalve health (ended 2010)  Biological fecal indicators

Specimen banking  With NIST (ended 2005)  Valuable for new contaminants and analytical techniques

Assessment of Special Events  Oil spill: DWH (2010)  Severe storm: Katrina (2005)  Unforeseen events: WTC (2001)  Initiative (Place-based assessment) Long-term Monitoring Approach & Data Quality Core Legacy Parameters Monitored Analytical Chemistry (QC guidelines)  Data QAPP  1986 – 1999: Multi-lab  2000 – current: TDI-Brooks International  2014: In-house capabilities with NCCOS Ecotoxicology  Inter-laboratory calibration exercise

Data QA/QC – Georeferenced – Long-term database

Data Portal - Metadata and Products Contaminants of Emerging Concern https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/  Flame Retardants, Pharmaceuticals, PAHs https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/products-explorer/  Personal Care Products; Endocrine Disruptors  Perfluoroalkyl & Polyfluoroalky substances Long-term Monitoring Approach Evolving in challenging conditions and changing environmental drivers

Changing environmental drivers: 3000 Historical changes & data collection activities  Increasing stakeholders needs End QA organics triplicate QA trace elements  Expanding regional extend 2500 analyses Specimen Bank  Increasing contaminant list (Emerging Begin Mussel Watch 2000 contaminants, more toxic metals and biennial organics) sampling End SB Begin 1500 activity regional  Budget constraint in 2010 has force the sampling program to re-evaluate its scope while 1000 maintaining its legislative mandate: New MW Approach 500

0 Long-term Monitoring Data & Products Site specific assessment: NPS AK Regional assessment of Hg in GOM

 High PAHs detected at NPS location in AK  NS&T MW data was used to put to SKWY site in national  (hotspots) found at specific sites all across the perspective Gulf  Low [Hg] compared to FDA guidance Long-term Monitoring Data & Products

National Coastal Pollution Trend Assessment National historic trends (ppb mussel dw) 250 PCB18

200 DDT Historic Pollution Trends Assessment 3 per. Mov. Avg. (PCB18)  The effectiveness of regulations that 3 per. Mov. Avg. (DDT) ban toxic chemicals 150  Supports legislations (Clean Air and Clean Water Acts). 100

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0 1985 1987 1989 1991 1993 1995 1997 1999 2001 2003 2005 2007 2009 2011 2013 Long-term Monitoring Data & Products Impact of NS&T Mussel Watch Products Products Relevance & Stakeholders

 Federal: NOAA OR&R, NERR, FDA, EPA, USGS, NPS, NWQMC-NMN, SCCWRP

 State: GOMA, Gulf of GulfWatch, Gulf of GulfWatch, ORF&W, MD-DNR, WAF&W, Academia, Local managers

 Tribal: Snohomish, WA; Chugach, AK Nationwide Citations: locations of institutions with which authors of articles citing Mussel Watch reports are affiliated (credit: NOAA Central Library) Applications of Long-term Monitoring Data

NCCOS DWH Response in Collaboration with US FDA – 2010

W-GOM C-GOM E-GOM

Example of Ni results: At many sites, post-landfall Ni levels were elevated relatively to pre-spill values Many of these high concentration sites were located in the potentially oiled coastal area Long-term Monitoring: conclusion & Vision for the future

Conclusion Vision for the future  Since 1986, MW is the longest running Bridge MW-Bioeffects – Early warning contaminants monitoring program that is with metabolomics (DNA damage) nationwide CEC focus (funding limiting factor)  MWP provides unique historic trend data Increase visibility – Data portal - that is vital for evaluating: Increase visibility through partnerships The long-term trends, impacts of oil spills (internal e.g. Charleston Lab, Oxford Lab, and hurricanes OR&R; External e.g. Fed, state, tribe) Restoration & Cleanup The effectiveness of regulations that ban How to do it better? toxic chemicals Funding challenges  Provides important data tool for coastal resources management Historic trends dilemma