Biscayne Bay Toxic Bioeffects Survey

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ISSUE

Biscayne Bay, Florida, has been identified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as a high priority area for potential toxicity. Numerous canals adjoining Biscayne Bay are known to be anoxic and/or hypoxic. Considerable amounts of marine and estuarine habitat in and around the bay have been destroyed through filling, dredging, channelization and construction. Major environmental quality problems have been identified, including contaminants and concurrent problems of habitat disruption, nutrient additions from fertilized agricultural lands, runoff and diversion of surface waters, and fisheries exploitation. There are 11 National Priority List hazardous waste sites recognized by EPA's Superfund Program. The Bay is known to have extremely elevated concentrations of toxicants, including pesticides and trace metals in water, sediments, and biota.

 

APPROACH

COP initiated a series of multi-disciplinary surveys consisting of sediment toxicity testing and fish/invertebrate bioeffects studies with an emphasis on effects of pesticides used in local agricultural operations. Reconnaissance surveys of fish/invertebrate biomarkers are being conducted to ascertain the extent to which contaminant-related bioeffects are evident in resident organisms of the Bay.

 

PARTICIPANTS (FY95)

Lead: NOAA/NOS/Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment (ORCA)

Institutions:

Florida

EPA/Gulf Breeze Environmental Research Laboratory

Mississippi

Gulf Coast Research Laboratory

Rhode Island

Science Applications International Corporation

Texas

DOI/National Biological Service

South Carolina

NOAA/NMFS/Charleston Laboratory

Washington

NOAA/NMFS/NW Fisheries Science Center

Maryland

NOAA/NOS/ORCA/Coastal Monitoring and Bioeffects Assessments Division

Last Updated: August 22, 2001
Comments to: coastalocean@noaa.gov