Pait, Anthony S. and Whitall, David R. and Jeffrey, Christopher F. G. and Caldow, Chris and Mason, Andrew L. and Christensen, John D. and Monaco, Mark and Ramirez, Juan (2007) An assessment of chemical contaminants in the marine sediments of southwest Puerto Rico. Silver Spring, MD, NOAA/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, (NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-NCCOS, 52)
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Abstract
This report summarizes the results of a characterization of chemical contaminants in the sediments in southwest Puerto Rico. The report is part of a project to integrate various analytical specialties to assess linkages between chemical contaminants and the condition of coral reefs. In this phase of the project, over 120 chemical contaminants were analyzed in sediments collected, including a number of organic (e.g., hydrocarbons), inorganic (e.g., metals), and biological (bacterial) compounds/analytes. The report also provides a preliminary analysis of the association between sediment contaminants and coral species richness. Overall, the levels of chemical contaminants in the study area between Guanica Bay and the town of La Parguera were fairly low. At most of the sites sampled, particularly adjacent to the town of La Parguera, concentrations of organic and inorganic contaminants were below the median values from NOAA’s National Status and Trends Program, which monitors the Nation’s coastal and estuarine waters for chemical contaminants. Elevated levels of a number of contaminant classes were seen at the two sites sampled within Guanica Bay. An initial analysis of modeled PAH (hydrocarbon) data and coral species richness (reef building species) indicated a strong negative correlation between the presence of PAHs in the sediments and coral species richness. Additional work is needed to assess possible reasons for this observed pattern. (PDF contains 126 pages).
| Item Type: | Monograph or Serial issue | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Title: | An assessment of chemical contaminants in the marine sediments of southwest Puerto Rico | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Series Name: | NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS-NCCOS | ||||||||||||||||||
| Number: | 52 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date: | 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Publisher: | NOAA/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science | ||||||||||||||||||
| Place of Publication: | Silver Spring, MD | ||||||||||||||||||
| Issuing Agency: | United States National Ocean Service | ||||||||||||||||||
| Additional Information: | Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment | ||||||||||||||||||
| Subjects: | Ecology Management Environment Chemistry | ||||||||||||||||||
| Item ID: | 2156 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Depositing User: | Patti M. Marraro | ||||||||||||||||||
| Date Deposited: | 12 Jun 2009 20:50 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Last Modified: | 29 Sep 2011 21:35 | ||||||||||||||||||
| URI: | http://aquaticcommons.org/id/eprint/2156 |
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