November 2010 Nutrients in Estuaries A Summary Report of the National Estuarine Experts Workgroup 2005–2007 Cover photos. top: Chesapeake Bay (www.thinkstockphotos.com); bottom: Coastal Bays (photo by J. Thomas, www.ian.umces.edu) Nutrients in Estuaries A Summary Report of the National Estuarine Experts Workgroup 2005–2007 Acknowledgements The members of the National Estuarine Experts Workgroup and, specifically, the editors wish to thank Ifeyinwa Davis, Amy Parker, Jacques Oliver and Jim Latimer, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for their vision and guidance during this process; Peter deFur for guiding the workgroup during all its meetings; Indus Corporation for helping to establish the nutrient database; and especially Nica Mostaghim, Ron Lee and Karie Riley of Versar, Inc., for overseeing all meetings logistics and docu- ment-preparation logistics as this effort came to fruition. Roscoe Tarnove of HCD International assist- ed with final document production. This report was produced under EPA contract numbers 68-C-02- 091 and EP-C-07-025. Contributors Principal Editors Patricia M. Glibert, Christopher J. Madden, Walter Boynton, David Flemer, Cynthia Heil and Jonathan Sharp Members of the National Estuarine Expert Workgroup§ Michael Bira (U.S. EPA Region 6) Walter Boynton (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science)1 Suzanne Bricker (NOAA)1 Cheryl Brown (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development)1 James Cloern (U.S. Geological Survey)1 Greg Colianni (U.S. EPA Office of Wetlands, Oceans & Watersheds)1 Tiffany Crawford (U.S. EPA Region 3)§ Ifeyinwa Davis (U.S. EPA Office of Science & Technology)2 Edward Decker (U.S. EPA Region 4) Naomi Detenbeck (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development)1 Edward Dettmann (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development)1 Richard Dugdale (San Francisco State University)1 Diana Eignor (U.S. EPA Office of Science & Technology) David Flemer (U.S. EPA retired, Emeritus)1 Patricia Glibert (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science)1 Richard Greene (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development) James Hagy (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development)1 Jawed Hameedi (NOAA) Cynthia Heil (Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission)1 Amie Howell (U.S. EPA Region 3) Michael Kennish (Rutgers University)1 Jan Kurtz (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development)1 James Latimer (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development)1 Martin Lebo (University of North Carolina/Weyerhaeuser)1 Matthew Liebman (U.S. EPA Region 1) Christopher Madden (South Florida Water Management District)1 Walter Nelson (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development)1 Jacques Oliver (U.S. EPA Office of Science & Technology)2 Hans Paerl (University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill)1 Amy Parker (U.S. EPA Office of Science & Technology)2,§ Susan Saucerman (U.S. EPA Region 9) Steve Settle (U.S. EPA Office of Science & Technology)§ Jonathan Sharp (University of Delaware)1 Theodore Smayda (University of Rhode Island)1 Richard Smith (U.S. Geological Survey)1 Marilyn Tenbrink (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development) Danielle Tillman (U.S. EPA Office of Research & Development) Carmelo Tomas (University of North Carolina-Wilmington) Ralph Vaga (U.S. EPA Region 10)§ Izabela Wojtenko (U.S. EPA Region 2) 1 Contributing author 2 Technical editing and workgroup coordination § Affiliations at the time of workgroup sessions State Participants Joseph Beaman (Maryland)§ Kimberly Cornelison (Louisiana) Christopher Deacutis (Rhode Island) Lee Doggett (Maine) George Guillen (University of Houston Clear Lake) Steven Halterman (Massachusetts) Paul Stacey (Connecticut) Martha Sutula (Southern California Coastal Water Research Project) Robert Waters (Suffolk County Department of Health Services) Peer Reviewers Thomas Bianchi (Texas A&M University) Robert J. Diaz (College of William and Mary) Peter A. Raymond (Yale University) Donald Scavia (University of Michigan) Erik M. Smith (University of South Carolina) Nutrients in Estuaries A Summary Report of the National Estuarine Experts Workgroup 2005–2007 ________________________________________________________ Contents Preface .......................................................................................................................................... vii Executive Summary ........................................................................................................................ ix Chapter 1: Introduction by David Flemer and Patricia M. Glibert .......................................................... 1 Chapter 2: Impacts of Nutrients in Estuaries by Patricia M. Glibert, David Flemer and Hans Paerl ...................................... 11 Chapter 3: Estuarine Typology Development and Application by Christopher J. Madden, Richard Smith, Edward Dettmann, Jan Kurtz, Walt Nelson, Naomi Detenback, James Latimer and Suzanne Bricker ........................................................................................ 27 Chapter 4: A Framework for Developing Nutrient Criteria by Patricia M. Glibert, Christopher J. Madden, Edward Dettman, Walter Boynton, Cynthia Heil, Walt Nelson, John Lehter, James Latimer, David Flemer, Michael Kennish, Cheryl Brown and Suzanne Bricker ......................................................................................... 43 Chapter 5: Case Studies 1. Overview of the Case Studies by Patricia M. Glibert, Jonathan Sharp, Christopher J. Madden, Walter Boynton and Cynthia Heil .................................................................. 73 2. Narragansett Bay by Theodore J. Smayda and David Borkman ................................................ 77 3. Delaware Estuary by Jonathan Sharp ..................................................................................... 91 4. Chesapeake Bay by Walter Boynton .................................................................................... 99 5. Neuse River Estuary by Martin E. Lebo, Hans W. Paerl and Benjamin Peierls ............................... 107 Contents v Contents (continued) Chapter 5: Case Studies (continued ) 6. San Francisco Bay by James E. Cloern and Richard Dugdale ....................................................... 117 7. Yaquina Estuary by Cheryl A. Brown and Walter G. Nelson ....................................................... 127 8. Barnegat Bay–Little Egg Harbor by Michael J. Kennish ........................................................................ 137 9. Coastal Bays by Patricia M. Glibert and Catherine E. Wazniak ......................................... 145 10. Florida Bay by Christopher J. Madden ................................................................................ 155 11. Pensacola Bay by James Hagy ................................................................................................ 167 Appendix I: An Estuarine Nutrient Database by Cynthia Heil and Greg Colianni.............................................................. 173 Appendix II: Abbreviations and Glossary ..................................................................................... 177 Figure Permissions ....................................................................................................................... 183 Residential development, Maryland Coastal Bays. Photo by J. Thomas (www.ian.umces.edu). vi Nutrients in Estuaries Nutrients in Estuaries Preface The Maryland portion of the Coastal Bays. Photo by J. Thomas This document is a scientific synthesis of the (www.ian.umces.edu). understanding of the effects of nitrogen and phosphorus pollution on estuaries, the underlying causes The synthesis, writing and review of the results of the and co-factors, ecological consequences and scientific first phase proved to be a long process. The members of pathways to help scientists develop numeric nutrient the workgroup recognize that considerable recent efforts criteria. It characterizes the biogeochemical complexities have been made in nutrient criteria development, which inherent in estuaries and, in turn, the complexities asso- are not recognized in this document. However, despite ciated with developing numeric nutrient criteria protective some development in the scientific body of knowledge of designated uses. The document emphasizes meth- since the deliberation phase, the basic foundational syn- ods, models and data that facilitate in either characteriz- thesis is still applicable and relevant today, and this doc- ing or constraining complexity, and it identifies character- ument provides scientifically defensible material founda- istics of data useful for criteria development. The docu- tional to the understanding of the ecological response of ment also includes case-studies of estuaries across the estuaries to nutrient inputs. United States that illustrate the main principles identified. This document complements and does not supersede This synthesis is the product of the National Estuarine previously published EPA guidance such as the Nutrient Experts Workgroup. The workgroup effort had two phas- Criteria Technical Guidance Manual: Estuarine and es: deliberation and compilation. The first phase, from Coastal Marine Waters (EPA-822-B-01-003). The practi- 2005 through 2007, involved multiple modes of commu- tioner interested in developing numeric nutrient criteria nication of the entire workgroup, or subgroups within it. for an estuary or class of estuaries should consult these The second phase involved synthesis, writing and ad- and other documents. ministrative and peer review of the results of the deliber- ation phase. Preface vii