Biological and Oceanographic Studies
Jackson Park Superfund Site, Silverdale, WA
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team conducted a habitat survey within the Jackson Park Superfund Site, located in Ostrich Bay. The Jackson Park Housing Complex Superfund Site was a former Navy Ammunition Depot operated from 1904 to 1959 which stored, processed, and disposed of ordnance. Ordnance was lost or discarded in Ostrich Bay during site operations. Also, waste waters from these operations were drained directly to Ostrich Bay.
Why: A habitat survey was needed to more specifically tailor the Superfund risk assessment process, assessing contaminants that have come to be located in Ostrich Bay, to species actually residing in the site, as well as species this habitat might support in the future. Discarded ordnance that was not covered by ongoing sediment accretion at the site was to be located for later removal.
Where: Jackson Park Superfund Site, Ostrich Bay, near Silverdale, WA.
When: Dive surveys took place on January 22 through 25, 2008.
How: Diver investigations included 4 days of diving along pre-planned transects with a towed GPS raft to georeference photos taken of the seafloor.
Results: Habitat was successfully surveyed with approximately 3-4 miles of transects. One suspected ordnance item was found. The near-shore benthic portions of the surveyed areas in Ostrich Bay consisted of sandy-silt with numerous bivalve shells on the surface. The deeper areas (almost a uniform depth across the central portion of a given transect, 25'-35') consisted of a soft, silty bottom with few shells on the surface. Although siphon holes were few, bivalve predators - seastars were common. Sea pens were in the deeper sections and sea cucumbers were scattered throughout except the most shallow areas.
More Details: Jackson Park Housing Complex Superfund Site website.
Contact: Rob Pedersen (206) 553-1646, Pedersen.rob@epa.gov
Geolocated photo locations (PDF) (1 pp. 11MB) |
Photo 481: Suspected decaying ordnance. |
Photo 908: Moon snail Polinices leweisii - found on most transects. |
Photo 586: Giant plumose anemone, Metridium senile, found on most transects where a solid hold was present. |
Photo 840: Starry flounder, Platichthys stellatus found on all transects. |
Photo 593: Many nudibranchs were found on each transect |
Photo 618: Razor clam; found on some transects. |
Photo 861: Sea cucumber Parastichopus californicus and white sea pen Vigularia, and the burrowing anemone Pachycerianthus fimbriatus—found intermittently on all transects. The latter portion of Transect 17 had a sizable bed of the sea pen Ptlosarcus gurneyi.
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Photo 699: Submerged mooring ball(?) with tube worms growing on it. |
Photo 903: Bivalve shells, found nearshore on either side of Ostrich Bay on each transect. The common clam predators were Pisaster brevispinus and Pycnopodia helianthoides. |
Eelgrass Research, Hood Canal, WA
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team assisted researchers at the Western Ecology Division (WED) who have developed a mechanistic model to examine the sensitivity of seagrasses to nutrient stressors. The objective of this proposed work is to apply the Zm-SRM (Zostera marina Stress Response Model) to data sets collected from Puget Sound using the Eelgrass Indicator Deployment System (EIDS) in areas identified as experiencing active eelgrass loss and attempt to determine the causal mechanism. The EIDS includes a metal frame that holds: two light sensors (data to determine light attenuation in the photosynthetic spectrum), data sonde (includes data on pH, temperature, salinity, DO), and data logger in a Pelican case shackled to one anchor; four eelgrass frames holding 10 specimens each shackled to another anchor; and a subsurface buoy tied to a third anchor.
Why: The NHEERL Aquatic Stressors Framework (U.S. EPA, 2002) defines loss of submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) as a major assessment endpoint for nutrient effects research. Seagrass is a critical habitat that plays important roles both in estuarine biogeochemical cycling and as a three-dimensional structure used by commercial and ecologically important species as a refuge from predation. Seagrasses also influence water quality and clarity by attenuating current velocity, promoting sediment deposition, and removing nutrients (N and P) from the water column. Thus, seagrasses function to make our coastal and estuarine waters meet acceptable usage criteria.
Where: Hood Canal, near Ann’s Bay and north of Union.
When: Instrument placement and retrieval took place in Summer and Fall, 2007.
How: Diver investigations included several dives to place and retrieve EIDS and take photographs.
Results: Instruments were successfully deployed and retrieved and data gathered on eel grass survivability parameters.
More Details: Other eelgrass related publications from EPA-WED
Contact: Lead scientist Jim Kaldy EPA-WED Dive Team, (541) 867-4026 kaldy.jim@epa.gov; Rob Pedersen (206) 553-1646, Pedersen.rob@epa.gov EPA Region 10 Dive Team.
| All photos courtesy of T Chris Mochon-Collura EPA/WED |
Photograph of the instrument package deployed in Ann’s Bay, Hood Canal. A YSI sonde is shown attached to the upright. Two spherical quantum sensors (“light bulb size”) are also attached. Metal frame was deployed in 2 parts. Not visible is the Pelican case containing the data logger. Diver with yellow camera case is barely visible behind the frame.
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Photograph of the EIDS frame. PVC quadrat (~25 cm x 25 cm) forms the base and is covered with black plastic mesh, house bricks are used as weights. Ten plants are attached to the mesh of each frame with small zip-ties. Ann’s Bay location.
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View from the Ann’s Bay Station; PUD boat ramp is just left (south) of the power house/penstocks. Mt. Washington is in the background.
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Coastal Estuary Instrument Maintenance and Recovery, Willapa Bay, WA
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team assisted the Washington State Department of Ecology in maintenance of estuary monitoring stations. This work is part of overall implementation of the Clean Water Act, for which the State of Washington is delegated.
Why: The Washington State Department of Ecology has conducted long-term monitoring of marine water quality since 1973 to support a variety of scientific and regulatory activities. The core of the monitoring program consists of monthly floatplane sampling at approximately 40 stations throughout Puget Sound, Willapa Bay, and Grays Harbor. In 1997, an initiative began to further characterize physical forcing mechanisms and spatial and temporal variation in order to understand impacts on water column function in coastal estuaries, using Willapa Bay as a case study. One product included the installation of 4 surface-floating moorings in selected sites in Willapa Bay to address the need for a higher frequency time series of hydrographic data (temperature, salinity, and chlorophyll). An assessment of the physical environment is also essential for understanding the variation of chemical parameters and biological communities.
When: Dives were conducted in May and July 2007.
How: Divers were deployed using tethered SCUBA off the Ecology vessel Skookum. Chain binders were used to secure the Tokeland instrument “I-beam” rail to its navigation aid piling. The Oysterville station was removed so that the US Coast Guard could perform routine maintenance on this navigation aid (see photos).
Results: Data stations were successfully maintained.
More Details: More information on Ecology’s estuary monitoring program
Where: Willapa Bay, Washington
Contact: Sean Sheldrake, Sheldrake.sean@epa.gov
Chain binder (red) securing I beam rail and pipe to USCG navigation aid. The instrument package travels up and down the rail during each tidal cycle. |
Oysterville station undergoing maintenance. |
I beam rail and pipe being hoisted out of the water after removal from the navigation aid. |
Instrument package on rail. |
Locations of Willapa Bay data points. |  |
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Hood Canal Sampling Event, Near Twanoh State Park, Belfair, WA
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team assisted the Skokomish Tribe in the investigation of a bacterial mat found in Hood Canal in the Summer of 2006.
Why: Diver survey objectives were to: 1) describe the physical nature of the bottom, and 2) sample visible areas of the bacterial mat. This bacteria mat was confirmed to be Beggiatoa through lab analysis. Beggiatoa bacteria can form in low oxygen environments and actually exacerbate low oxygen conditions.
Where: Hood Canal, near Twanoh State Park.
When: Dive surveys were conducted in October, 2006.
How: Diver investigations included several dives to collect bottom samples and video.
Results: Divers found the bacterial mat to have dissipated relative to reports of a thick mat. Samples were sent to the lab to confirm the bacteria genus. This bacteria mat was confirmed to be Beggiatoa through lab analysis.
More Details:
Quality Assurance Project Plan: Hood Canal "Dead Zone" Bacterial Mat. (12 pp. 622K, About PDF) October 16, 2006.
King 5 news video with R10 Dive Team video of bacteria "splotches" on the bottom (Streaming Media, Windows Media Player, approx. 2 minutes)
Diver swims across "splotches" of beggiatoa bacteria. (3 minutes, Total file size 25 MB, Quicktime format)
Manchester Lab Report (2pp. 29K, About PDF)
Photos of suspected Beggiatoa bacteria mat from University of Puget Sound
Contact: Rob Pedersen (206) 553-1646, Pedersen.rob@epa.gov
Tenders help Diver Kim Mills deliver bottom samples to the Monitor of the bacteria from the bottom with media looking on. |
Beggiatoa bacteria patches on the bottom
of Hood Canal
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Baseline Marine Benthic Surveys near Elwha River
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team assisted the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) in conducting surveys of nearshore benthic habitat in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, WA, near the mouth of the Elwha River.
Why: The U.S. Department of the Interior proposes to fully restore the Elwha River ecosystem and native anadromous fisheries through the removal of the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams. The two dams completely block salmon access to vast, undisturbed spawning habitat in the Olympic National Park. Dam removal and reestablishment of anadromous fish runs in the upper Elwha River basin were evaluated in a National Park Service (NPS) environmental impact statement (EIS). The baseline surveys were used to address potential impacts to downstream migrating juvenile salmon caused by increased stream sediment loads after dam removal.
Where: Primary survey area was at the mouth of the Elwha River.
When: July, August 1994
How: Data were collected along approximately 45 GPS-positioned transects, 600 feet in length. One meter square grids at 60-foot intervals on each transect were surveyed for macro algae species and percent coverage, benthic invertebrates, and substrate particle size and size-class coverage. Transects were also documented by narrated underwater video.
Results: The USFWS baseline data on habitat quality was used by the NPS for preparing the EIS. The data collection effort was for specific algal species, substrate type, and percent coverage estimates. The mixed cobble substrate provides excellent habitat for lush macro algal populations. Some kelp beds are also evident.
More Details: Seavey, F. and G. Ging. 1995. Marine resources of the Elwha River Estuary, Clallam County, Washington. Rep. for Nat. Park Ser., prepared by U.S. Fish Wildlife Ser., W. WA Office, N. Pac. Cst. Ecoregion. 29 pp. + 3 Figs., 10 Maps, 1 App. June 1995 (47 pp, 8 MB pdf)
Contact: Rob Pedersen at pedersen.rob@epa.gov
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Shoreline Inventory/Assessment
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team conducted a survey technique for underwater digital photography integrated with GPS location data as part of a shoreline inventory/assessment of Blakely Harbor, the Wyckoff Superfund Site, Bainbridge Island, WA, and the Woodard Bay Conservation Area within Henderson Inlet.
Why: An impact analysis and shoreline inventory/assessment was needed for the City of Bainbridge Island to properly assess the state of submerged aquatic resources in Blakely Harbor. Also, an eelgrass extent survey was needed east of the Wyckoff groundwater treatment plant for habitat assessment and possible restoration. Areas where deep holes prevent eelgrass from taking hold may be filled. Woodard Bay habitat assessment in Henderson Inlet was needed to determine what ongoing impacts wood debris might be having on the marine environment there.
Where: Blakely Harbor, Wyckoff Superfund Site, Bainbridge Island, WA, and Woodard Bay, WA
When: September 2006, September & October 2007.
How: A survey procedure was conducted where a two person dive team surveys the underwater environment in search of submerged aquatic resources by documenting the seafloor with digital photos at regular intervals along a contour of the shore covering approximately a mile in total distance. An inexpensive recreational Global Positioning System (GPS) device is towed in a raft directly above the dive team which records positions throughout the dive. Commercial software is later used to relate the GPS information to the digital photos resulting in geo-located digital photos that can be viewed on a map or Geographic Information System (GIS) for later analysis of the seafloor environment.
Equipment Used: EPA Vessel "Monitor", GPS device attached to diver-towed GPS raft, Underwater Digital Camera, GIS software & Laptop.
Results: Geo-located photo documentation of the underwater shoreline environment. Blakely Harbor survey information determine very little presence of eelgrass. Wyckoff Superfund Site survey information mapped the presence of eelgrass relative to water depth changes. Woodard Bay/Henderson Inlet survey information included documentation of wood waste debris and the presence or absence of expected macrofauna for evaluation in possible future restoration activities.
Contact: Tim Siwiec, siwiec.tim@epa.gov; Lisa Macchio, macchio.lisa@epa.gov; Rob Pedersen, Pedersen.rob@epa.gov
Photos:
GPS in drybag
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GPS Raft with Dive Flag
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Laptop used during documentation
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Diver underwater with GPS coordinates |
GPS location of eelgrass |
Seabed photo with GPS coordinates |
Diver pulling GPS raft to map Wyckoff eel grass beds. |
Diver taking gps located bottom sample for gradation analysis. |
GPS located eel grass bed. |
Transect locations and highlights from Wyckoff eel grass survey. |
Henderson Inlet Photo 2; Woodard Bay, Rock Crab (Cancer gracilis), mussel shell fragments, barnacles, and terrestrial leaf litter adjacent to the Chapman Bay trestle. |
Henderson Inlet Photo 7; Woodard Bay, Extensive bark debris coverage and barnacle remnants from adjacent dolphin pilings. |
Henderson Inlet Photo 9; Woodard Bay, Polychaete egg sacks on muddy surface. |
Henderson Inlet; Woodard Bay Transect and Photo Locations | |
Video: Survey Technique for Underwater Digital Photography with Integrated GPS Location Data (10 minutes, Total file size 83MB, Windows Media format)
More Information: Siwiec, 2007, Survey Technique for Underwater Digital Photography with Integrated GPS Location Data, 2007 ESRI conference proceedings (PDF) (7 pp. 714K)
Survey Technique for Underwater Digital Photography with Integrated GPS Location Data, 2008 AAUS conference presentation/paper submittal (PDF) (8 pp. 451K)
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Eelgrass Surveys, Eagle Harbor, WA
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team documented changes in stalk density in three eelgrass beds within or near Eagle Harbor, Puget Sound, WA.
Why: It was unknown whether capping of contaminated sediments in Eagle Harbor as part of a Superfund remedial project would impact nearby eelgrass beds.
Where: Eagle Harbor and Murden Cove (next cove to the north of Eagle Harbor), near Bainbridge, WA.
When: October 1993 to August 1997.
How: Density of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) was recorded as counts of stalks within 0.1 m2 quadrats; 30 quadrats were placed randomly in a 100 m by 20 m rectangle in the middle of each bed.
Equipment Used: Support vessel with GPS; 100m transect line; 10m transect line; quadrat; slates
Results: Shoot density differed; the Wyckoff bed (nearest the sediment cap) consistently had the least amount of eelgrass and the Murden Cove bed (to the north of Eagle Harbor) the most. Changes within beds appeared to be related to the natural cycle of winter reduction rather than the movement and subsequent deposition of cap sediment. Variability among divers in counting stalks was highest when the density was high and within 1 or 2 stalks when density was low.
More Details: Duncan, P.B. and D.W. Karna. 1996. Eelgrass surveys in Eagle Harbor, WA, following capping of adjacent contaminated sediments. Proc. Amer. Acad. Underwater Sci. 1996 Sci. Diving Symp. p. 107-111. (6 pp, 300 KB pdf)
Contact: Bruce Duncan; duncan.bruce@epa.gov
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Lake Union and Duwamish River Uptake Survey - ORD and Texas A&M
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team assisted Texas A&M, an EPA Office of Research and Development grantee, with placement and retrieval of salmon and crayfish cages on the bottom of Lake Union and the Duwamish River to study uptake in these species of contaminants off the bottom.
Why: The study is designed to determine the level of uptake of contamination emanating from Gasworks Park for both territorial and transitory life. Shifts in DNA metabolism were detected in Coho fingerlings; methods development for chronic toxicity testing are in progress. Study design for the Duwamish River concerns the impacts of PCBs on territorial and transitory fish.
Where: Lake Union, just off of Gasworks Park and the Duwamish River, near the 16th Avenue South bridge (between river miles 3.3. and 3.6).
When: Samples were collected in March/August, 2002 and March/July 2004 in Lake Union. Samples were collected July 2005, 2006, and 2007 in the Duwamish.
How: Divers assisted in placement of the cages to ensure the correct exposure location was obtained for the crayfish and salmon (Lake Union) and sculpin and salmon (Duwamish River). Cages were retrieved approximately one week later. Due to the presence of sediment and water column contamination, diver decontamination was undertaken. For more information on diver decon and polluted water scientific diving, see the the safety / sop page.
Equipment Used: Support vessel with GPS; down lines.
Results: Samples were successfully collected.
More Details: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/79408_gasworks20.shtml
http://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/cleanup.nsf/sites/lduwamish
Contact: Rob Pedersen; pedersen.rob@epa.gov
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Mussel Growth and Bioaccumulation
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team deployed mussels to and retrieved them from the East and West Waterways of the lower Duwamish River, Puget Sound, WA, adjacent to the Harbor Island Superfund site.
Why: The project objectives were to answer the following 1) Did mussels accumulate contaminants associated with sediments? 2) Did stations differ with respect to bioaccumulation and growth? 3) Was there a relationship between sediment contamination, bioaccumulation, and growth?, and 4) Which sites and contaminants were of most concern?
Where: Lower Duwamish from Kellogg Island downstream into the East and West Waterways and the entrance to Elliott Bay, WA.
When: October 16, 1991 to January 7, 1992.
How: Juvenile and adult mussels were placed in mesh cages (trays and bags, respectively) at 12 sites around Harbor Island and at one control site (Carr Inlet), approximately 1 m off the substrate. Each juvenile mussel was measured and weighed before and after placement. Adult mussel tissues were combined for analysis. Tissue concentrations were normalized to water quality criteria. Sediment concentrations were normalized to NOAA's ERMs (effects range median; these are sediment concentrations associated with effects on organisms).
Results: Mussels from Harbor Island accumulated higher concentrations of contaminants and had significantly lower growth rates than the reference-site mussels. One site on Harbor Island had mussels with the lowest growth rates and highest contaminant concentrations. Tributyltin (TBT) and copper were the contaminants of greatest concern in both tissues and sediments; lead and zinc were also of concern in sediments. Growth rate was significantly reduced as a function of bioaccumulation and sediment contamination.
More Details: Salazar, M.H., Duncan, P.B., Salazar, S.M., and K.A. Rose. 1995. In-situ bioassays using transplanted mussels: II. Assessing contaminated sediment at a Superfund site in Puget Sound. Environmental Toxicology and Risk Assessment - Third Volume, ASTM STP 1218, J.S. Hughes, G.R. Biddinger, and E. Mones, Eds., Amer. Soc. Test. Materials, Philadelphia.(22 pp, 1 MB pdf)
Contact: Bruce Duncan at duncan.bruce@epa.gov
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Scuba-based Protocol for Community Assessments of Soft-bottom
Sea Floors in Puget Sound
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team and the University of Washington Fisheries Research Institute cooperated in the development of a SCUBA-based protocol for the assessment of benthic communities in silty and sandy sea floors in Puget Sound, WA.
Why: EPA divers often assess environmental degradation by observing the general appearance of the sea floor, sediments, and benthic marine life. These observations complement assessments of infaunal macroinvertebrates and sediment structure and chemistry. The Dive Team sought to develop a survey method which could quantify gross impacts quickly and accurately, producing quantitative data from diver observations.
Where: Alki Point, Seattle; Fay Bainbridge State Park, Bainbridge Island; Picnic Point, Everett; Global Aqua salmon net-pens, Clam Bay, Manchester; and Birding Seafoods salmon net-pens, Port Townsend.
When: December 1992 through July 1993.
How: SCUBA divers recorded observations on the numbers of different species of large, benthic organisms along 50 m transects at depths of 10 m, 20 m and 30 m. A 2 m PVC pipe was equipped with 4 wheels (5-gal bucket lids); two in the center that also supported a spool which held a 50 m transect line and two on the outer ends. Two divers, one on each side of the spool, push this Metric Underwater Transect Tool ("MUTT"), unwinding the transect line, making observations across the 1 m swath between the wheels, and recording their observations on mounted PVC slates for each five meters of the transect line. Divers are trained using a booklet of photographs of the target organisms which include sea stars, brittle stars, sea cucumbers, clams (siphons), snails, nudibranchs, anemones, and sea pens.
Results: The Metric Underwater Transect Tool served as a powerful asset in quantifying observations of the sea floor and its large, benthic communities by SCUBA divers. The MUTT provided both a non-permanent transect length marker (that did not require any set up time before surveys) and a clear boundary as used in quadrat sampling. The application of this protocol to soft-bottom sea floor assessment is limited by depth considerations (narcosis hampers quantification) and by the low densities, few species, and high variability in epibenthic communities of organisms observable by divers (large numbers of replicate observations are needed).
More Details: Miller, S., Miller, B., Jensen, G., and B. Hill, 1994. Development of a SCUBA-based protocol for the rapid evaluation of benthic degradation due to organic accumulation in the nearshore soft-bottom habitat of Puget Sound. University of Washington Fisheries Research Institute. FRI-US-9406. (90 pp, 10 MB pdf)
Contact: Burney Hill at hill.burney@epa.gov
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Dive team members checking photos of organisms to identify during dive | Dive team deploying the MUTT | Dive team recording observations using the MUTT. | |
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Survey of Shellfish for Psp and Domoic Acid
What: The EPA Region 10 Dive Team collected snails and clams for a limited survey of paralytic shellfish poison and domoic acid.
Why: To assess the PSP and domoic acid concentrations in predatory and other gastropods and bivalves within the Puget Sound basin and potential human health risk.
Where/When: Agate Passage September 1994 & April 1995, Double Bluff September 1994, and Mystery Bay October 1994, all in Puget Sound, WA.
How: Moon snails (Polinices lewissi), dogwinkle (Nucella lamellosa), an omnivorous snail (Searlesia dira), Pacific oysters (Crassostera gigas), blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), and horse mussels (Modiolus modiolus) were collected by hand from shallow subtidal areas. Butter clams (Saxidomus gigantus), Pacific littleneck clams (Protothaca stamina), and soft-shell clams (Mya arenaria) were dug from the intertidal area. All tissues were frozen. Analyses for PSP and domoic acid were performed by NMFS's NW Fisheries Science Center.
Results: Analyses of tissue from two predatory gastropods, moon snails and dogwinkles, indicated a presence of PSP, but domoic acid was not detected. Puget Sound predatory marine snails accumulate PSP toxins to levels above the regulatory level (80 mg of STX equiv./100 g). In 1994, moon snails in Agate Passage averaged 145 mg of STX equiv./100 g, while butter clams from the same area averaged 73 mg of STX equiv./100 g.
More Details: Wekell, J.C., R.M. Lorenzana, M. Hogan, and H. Barnett. 1996. Survey of paralytic shellfish poison and domoic acid in Puget Sound predatory gastropods. J. Shellfish Res. 15(2):231-236. (6 pp, 1 MB pdf)
Contact: Roseanne Lorenzana at lorenzana.roseanne@epa.gov
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