Assessment Questions
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Some of the assessment questions that will be addressed with coastal EMAP data
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Assessment Question |
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Type of Measurement or Data Used* |
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Physical Characteristics |
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What is the estimated area of estuarine waters in the Region? |
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GIS Coverages |
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What % of estuarine waters are in large estuaries, small estuaries, tidal rivers? |
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GIS Coverages |
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Water Quality |
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What are the distributions of TP, NO3 and NH3 concentrations in Region 10 estuaries? |
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Nutrients |
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What % of the estuarine area is eutrophic? |
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Nutrients, Physiochemical meas., Turbidity, Living Resources |
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What % of the estuarine area is hypoxic/anoxic? |
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Physiochemical (DO) |
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Sediment Contamination |
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What is the distribution of sediment contamination in Region 10 estuaries? (expressed as risks to aquatic life, based on Puget Sound apparent effects thresholds and State of WA screening level concentrations) |
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Sediment chemistry |
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Condition of Living Resources |
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Benthic Conditions |
What is the distribution of benthic community condition? (total number of benthic species/site, species richness, exotic species, unacceptable community structure) |
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Living Resources (benthic community composition and abundance) |
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Shellfish |
How much non-inhabited acreage has suitable physical habitat for shellfish beds? (suitable habitat defined for each species of interest using salinity, temperature, substrate, depth and similar parameters) |
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Physicochemical, Nutrients, Contaminants, Turbidity, Sediments, GIS coverages |
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What % of estuarine area serves as an effective reproductive and/or developmental habitat for shellfish species? |
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Physicochemical, Nutrients, Contaminants, Turbidity, Sediments, GIS coverages |
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What % (acreage) is/is not closed due to various impacts such as chemical contamination, fecal coliform contamination, disease? |
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Physicochemical, Nutrients, Contaminants, Turbidity, Sediments, GIS coverages |
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Fish |
What is the size distribution of fish species? (number of fish in each size class) |
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Living Resources (fish community composition and abundance) |
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What % of the estuarine area serves as an effective reproductive and/or developmental habitat for fish species? |
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Physicochemical, Nutrients, Contaminants, Turbidity, Sediments, GIS coverages |
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What % of the estuarine area had fish with observed abnormalities? |
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Living Resources (fish pathologies) |
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What % of the estuarine area had detectable fish tissue contaminant residue levels? |
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Contaminants (whole fish, analyzed for metals and organic compounds) |
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Anthropogenic Impacts |
What percentage of degraded estuary habitats are associated with the following: |
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Physicochemical, Nutrients, Living Resources, Contaminants, Turbidity, Habitat, GIS coverages |
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hydrological modification? |
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nutrient enrichment? |
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introduction of exotic species? |
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contaminants? |
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recreation? |
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What % of Region 10 estuaries are exceeding water quality standards? |
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Physicochemical, Nutrients, Living Resources, Contaminants, Turbidity, Habitat, State water quality standards |
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What % of watersheds adjacent to Region 10 estuaries are associated with a particular land use (e.g. agriculture, forestry)? |
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GIS coverages |
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What % of estuaries with degraded biotic communities are associated with a particular land use? |
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GIS coverages |
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What % of estuaries with degraded biotic communities are associated with landscape indices such as connectivity, shape-complexity, or dominance? |
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GIS coverages |
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* Specific Data Collected |
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Physicochemical |
dissolved oxygen, salinity, pH, temperature, river discharge, water depth |
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Nutrients |
nitrogen species, phosphorus species, dissolved organic carbon |
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Living resources |
benthic community composition, benthic community abundance, fish community composition, fish community abundance, fish pathologies, fish parasitism, submerged aquatic vegetation (presence/absence), macroalgae (presence/absence), exotic species, chlorophyll a |
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Contaminants |
sediments (organics and metals, tissues (whole fish-- metals and organics), fecal colifoms, sediment toxicity |
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Turbidity |
total suspended solids, nephelometry, Secchi depth |
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Sediments |
total organic carbon, grain size, silt/clay per cent |
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Habitat |
submerged aquatic vegetation, macroalgae, habitat type |
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