Estuarine Nutrient Enrichment Monitoring: Data Summary and Trend Analysis for Assateague Island National Seashore
Peck CP and Duffy P. 2022. Estuarine Nutrient Enrichment Monitoring: Data Summary and Trend Analysis for Assateague Island National Seashore. Neptune and Company, Inc.. Lakewood, CO
Six parks within the Northeast Coastal and Barrier Network (NCBN) contain critical estuarine habitat. The parks have identified nutrient enrichment as the primary threat to the ecological integrity of estuaries within this region. Additionally, threats to coastal water quality is one of the highest priority issues identified by park managers. In response the NCBN developed a regional protocol for monitoring estuarine nutrient enrichment (ENE) that was fully implemented beginning in 2007. The vital signs selected for monitoring include: estuarine water chemistry, estuarine water quality, estuarine water clarity, seagrass distribution, and seagrass condition. Previous reports summarized water quality condition and trends during 2003-2006 and 2006-2011. The current report summarizes conditions and trends for both water quality and seagrass data collected in Assateague Island National Seashore to date. The broad objectives of the project are to: 1) Evaluate estuarine water quality condition through the application of weighted averages – averages based on the proportion of estuary represented by individual sample points. 2) Evaluate trends in water quality parameters. 3) Evaluate trends in seagrass condition parameters 4) Conduct simulations and power analyses to determine the frequency of change over time, and help evaluate the monitoring program and answer the following question: Is the frequency of sampling appropriate or is there “over” or “under” sampling?
- Type
- Unpublished Report
- Authors
- Peck, Christopher; Duffy, Paul
- Date of Issue
- 2022-12-31
- Publisher
- Neptune and Company, Inc.
- Units
- ASIS
- Keywords
- analysis, elevation, estuarine, estuary, monitoring, Northeast, nutrient enrichment, nutrients, power analysis, seagrass, trends, water quality
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Nutrient Dynamics , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Estuarine Communities