Study Plan - Candidate Variables for Monitoring Estuarine Nutrient Enrichment Within the NPS Coastal and Barrier Network
Neckles HA, Kopp BS, Roman CT, Nixon SW. Study Plan - Candidate Variables for Monitoring Estuarine Nutrient Enrichment Within the NPS Coastal and Barrier Network
Plan for the studying of the Estuarines and their composition. Estuaries in the northeastern U.S. are threatened by nutrient enrichment from residential and urban development, agricultural expansion, and air pollution. With much of the watershed area of NPS estuaries lying outside protective park boundaries, the potential for increases in nutrient loading is high. Frequent responses of estuarine ecosystems to excessive nutrient inputs include increased production of organic matter, increased community metabolism, decreased dissolved oxygen concentrations, dense algal growth, decreased light availability, loss of submerged vascular plant beds, and declines in habitat value for fish and wildlife (Valiela et al. 1992, Nixon 1995, Bricker et al. 1999). A scientifically-based monitoring program is critical to inform and guide management decisions regarding protection of estuarine ecosystems. A monitoring program must address the following questions: 1) Are estuarine nutrient loads and concentrations in network parks increasing? 2) Are estuarine resources in the parks changing in response to nutrient inputs? Ideally, monitoring will detect early changes in estuarine nutrient status and identify causes and consequences of those changes, so that remedial management actions can be developed as needed.