1. Modeling multiple stressors and environmental pressures in the Bay of Fundy
Sediment Contamination Update
Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
June 7, 2017 Meeting

2. ESIP & Gulf of Maine
ESIP itself formed in 2006

3. How we got here
In 2010 the ESIP put out the Eutrophication Fact Sheet. Due to lack of datasets for the Bay of Fundy ESIP had to include a box on the first page of the fact sheet saying basically “Bummer”.
Donald Killorn at Eastern Charlotte Waterways noticed that ESIP was pointing out a huge data gap and connected with ESIP to write a proposal to fund collecting water samples in the New Brunswick portions of the Bay of Fundy and having them analyzed for dissolved oxygen, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, chlorophyll a, and secchi depth.

4. Building off original water quality sampling
ESIP and Eastern Charlotte Waterways were able to expand the sampling in subsequent years to cover all of the Bay of Fundy (currently have three years worth of information) from ECCC.
Additionally, when a large data gap was found during efforts to produce the ESIP Contaminants Fact Sheet the Project Team included collection of sediment samples for one year (2015) with the ECCC funding.

5. Sediment Sampling and Analysis
Sediment sampling sites were co-located with Gulfwatch sampling locations to add value to both projects.
NCA sampling protocols formed the basis of the work.
All laboratory results have been received and QA/QC’d.
Project team is currently working through the analysis.

6. Station Locations

7. Variables Measured in Sediment

9. ERL = 4.02
ERM = 44.79
Tin Can Beach, NB
St. Croix River, NB

10. Tin Can Beach, NB
ERL = 22,700
ERM = 180,000

12. Next Steps – Provincial Involvement
Complete sediment paper
Analyze in relation to watershed LU
Compare to Gulf Watch mussel data
Comparisons of BOF with southern GOM
Provide results to NS and NB
Provide results through Indicator Reporting Tool
If funding found update Contaminants Fact Sheet.

13. Importance of ESIP in Relation to Data Acquisition and Delivery
With ESIP
Identify gaps in information
Compare to past information
Determine which areas are impaired
Provide synthesis for managers
Without ESIP
Lack of data in areas
Cannot compare to past information
Cannot determine which areas are impaired
Cannot provide synthesis for managers