1. Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 COOPERATIVE REGIONAL MONITORING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA Stephen B. Weisberg Southern California Coastal Water Research Project Authority (www.sccwrp.org)

2. Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 WHAT IS SCCWRP? Joint Powers Agency founded in 1969 Initiated to address regional monitoring and research needs –Cumulative impact assessment –Methods development –Data integration Member organizations include city, county, state, and federal agencies –Unique combination of regulators and regulated

3. Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS San Diego Regional Water Quality Board Santa Ana Regional Water Quality Board Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Board State Water Resources Control Board U.S. Environmental Protection Agency California Ocean Protection Council Los Angeles County Department of Public Works Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts City of Los Angeles Ventura County Watershed Protection Division Orange County Watershed and Coastal Resources Orange County Sanitation District City of San Diego

4. Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 REGIONAL MONITORING BACKGROUND Started with 1990 National Research Council assessment of monitoring in southern California –$17M in annual monitoring could not be integrated to provide a regional assessment of condition Many impediments to a regional assessment –Most monitoring was site-specific –Different parameters among groups –Different methods –No common QA –Lack of data management systems SCCWRP Commission stepped up to solve the problem –Two-thirds of the ocean monitoring in southern California is in response to NPDES permits

5. Federal Government3,148 State Government547 Local Government1,274 NPDES Permittees24,034 Private Party394 University1,883 Total31,279 Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 Southern California Coastal Monitoring Expenditures (in $1,000s, 1997)

6. UNIQUE FUNDING MECHANISM 90% funded through in-kind services –A participatory program Facilitated through resource exchange –Regulators allow exchange of some routine monitoring elements for an equal level of effort in the Bight program –Regional monitoring has even been formalized in some permits The cooperative nature provides a mechanism for dialog about monitoring approaches –Monitoring methods manuals –QA protocols –Data management structures –Data interpretation approaches Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

7. BIGHT’03 WAS THE THIRD REGIONAL SURVEY Started with a Pilot Project in 1994 –Limited to SCCWRP member agencies –Focused on contaminant effects on sediment and fish quality Opened up to all interested parties in 1998 –62 organizations participated –Added a shoreline microbiology component –Expanded into Mexico 66 organizations participated in 2003 –Expanded the number of habitats sampled –Added remote sensing to the tool box –Greater number of academic partners Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

8. MULTIPLE REGIONAL MONITORING COMPONENTS Coastal Ecology –Fish and sediment quality Water Quality –Nutrients and harmful algal blooms Shoreline Microbiology Rocky reef

9. COASTAL ECOLOGY BASICS Primary question: What is the spatial extent of chemical contamination and their biological effects? Probability based sampling design –Stratified to evaluate potential impact areas –Approximately 400 sampling sites Multiple indicators at each site –Sediment chemistry –Toxicity –Benthic infauna –Fish tissue contaminants –Gross pathology –Biomarkers Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 STRATA Mainland continental shelf -5-30m -30-120m -120-200m Mainland slope and basin -200-500m -500-1,000m Embayments -Ports/harbors -Marinas -Estuaries Discharge zones -Large POTW -Small POTW -Stormwater receiving areas Special Management Areas -Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary -Santa Monica Bay National Estuary Program

10. COASTAL ECOLOGY BASICS Primary question: What is the spatial extent of chemical contamination and their biological effects? Probability based sampling design –Stratified to evaluate potential impact areas –Approximately 400 sampling sites Multiple indicators at each site –Sediment chemistry –Toxicity –Benthic infauna –Fish tissue contaminants –Gross pathology –Biomarkers Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

11. PRODUCTS OF COOPERATIVE REGIONAL MONITORING Assessment of condition Methods standardization Regional assessment tools Information management Dialogue about data interpretation Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

13. Low to Moderate Risk Little to No Risk Embayments Mainland Shelf Large POTWs Percent Area > SQGQ1 0 10 20 30 40 Mod to Hi Risk. (34%) (65%)(1%) Small POTWs Slope/basins Islands PERCENT AREA EXCEEDING SEDIMENT QUALITY GUIDELINES

14. Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

15. COMPARTMENTESTIMATE OF TOTAL DDT (metric tons) Benthic Fish<0.001 Pelagic Fish0.001 – 0.025 Water Column0.014 – 0.230 SedimentApprox. 200

16. Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 COMPARTMENTESTIMATE OF TOTAL DDT (metric tons) Benthic Fish<0.001 Pelagic Fish0.001 – 0.025 Water Column0.014 – 0.230 SedimentApprox. 200 Total DDT DischargedApprox. 2,400

17. PRODUCTS OF COOPERATIVE REGIONAL MONITORING Assessment of condition Methods standardization Regional assessment tools Information management Dialogue about data interpretation Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

18. Methods manuals –Field methods –Lab methods –Information management –All available on the web (www.sccwrp.org) Intercalibration exercises –Fish identification –Benthic infaunal identification –Toxicology –Chemistry –Microbiology METHODS STANDARDIZATION Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

19. PALOS VERDES SEDIMENT – FIRST ROUND COMPOUNDLAB-1LAB-2LAB-3LAB-4LAB-5LAB-6 2-MethylnaphthaleneND5778554119 BiphenylND4454172557 2,6-Dimethylnaphthalene283062ND3964 PhenanthreneND366096452 FluorantheneNDND53125764 Pyrene4325537420109108 Benz[a]anthraceneNDND7994749 ChryseneNDND6795325 Benzo[e]pyreneND2332411919177 Benzo[a]pyreneNDND2361618664 Perylene4135931220165138 Benzo[g,h,i]pyreneNDND91ND11237 TOTAL1371130230017714301280 Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

20. PALOS VERDES SEDIMENT – FINAL ROUND COMPOUND LAB-1 LAB-2 LAB-3 LAB-4 LAB-5 LAB-6 2-Methylnapthalene595463566254 Biphenyl532639474133 2,6-Dimethylnaphtalene1033175794628 Phenanthrene767153586466 Fluoranthene4568553975 Pyrene139215137138163168 Benz[a]anthracene514661565260 Chrysene495863787163 Benzo[e]pyrene139124193131103113 Benzo[a]pyrene951412031097952 Perylene168259227237119142 Benzo[g,h,I,]perylene259975ND11091 TOTAL1,3911,5721,7481,4181,3441,296 Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

22. Biocriteria development –How do we interpret complex biological data? Sediment quality assessments –How do we integrate chemistry, toxicology, and biology data? Unique opportunity for dialog among participating organizations in a non-regulatory setting –Productive discussion while writing the interpretive reports REGIONAL ASSESSMENT TOOLS Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

23. Species Abundance

24. Biocriteria development –How do we interpret complex biological data? Sediment quality assessments –How do we integrate chemistry, toxicology, and biology data? Unique opportunity for dialog among participating organizations in a non-regulatory setting –Productive discussion while writing the interpretive reports REGIONAL ASSESSMENT TOOLS Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

25. POTENTIAL FLAWS WITH INDIVIDUAL LINES OF EVIDENCE Chemistry –Bioavailability poorly understood (e.g. paint chip, tar ball) –There may be unmeasured contaminants Toxicity –Confounding factors (e.g. ammonia) –Agitation enhanced bioavailability –Differing sensitivity among test species Benthic infaunal assemblages –Physical disturbance (anchor, dredging) –Oxygen stress

26. Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 MLOE FRAMEWORK Severity of Effect Potential for Chemically Mediated Effect Station Assessment BenthosToxicityChemistryToxicity Three lines of evidence (LOE) needed to assess sediment condition

27. Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07 PLATFORM FOR ASSESSING NEW TOOLS AND ISSUES New methods –IDEXX enterococcus method –Toxicity identification evaluation –Sediment profile imaging camera –Satellite imagery New Issues –Emerging contaminants Endocrine disruptors Flame retardants Next generation pesticides –Harmful algal blooms

28. PRODUCTS OF COOPERATIVE REGIONAL MONITORING Assessment of condition Methods standardization Regional assessment tools Information management Dialogue about data interpretation Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

29. CATALYSTS A common question –An audience for the answer: The SCCWRP Commission Available resources –Resource exchange –We have the population density to have multiple candidate participants –We were given incentive funds (thank you EMAP!) Perception of likely success –It will happen with or without you –Continuity and previous success creates a positive perception A neutral organization in a leadership role –Credibility of the products is essential Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

30. CHALLENGES Time –Interminable planning meetings Flexibility to change –New collection methods –Provides an opportunity for upgrading Intercalibration costs –Can initially be larger than implementation costs Loss of autonomy –Most program managers are invested in their own thing Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

31. OCSDLACSD Chemistry Committee meetings$27,884$59,339 Intercalibration39,53897,754 Survey sample processing34,95011,184 Microbiology Committee meetings4,7068,607 Intercalibration4,06410,359 Survey sample processing13,3173,203

32. CHALLENGES Time –Interminable planning meetings Flexibility to change –New collection methods –Provides an opportunity for upgrading Intercalibration costs –Can initially be larger than implementation costs Loss of autonomy –Most program managers are invested in their own thing Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

33. THE CONCEPTS ARE SPREADING TO OTHER HABITATS Streams –Co-joining of discharger and state programs –Regional QA evaluations –Common data management Wetlands Rocky intertidal Subtidal hard-bottom reefs Beach water quality Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07

34. Map of B’03 Strata

35. Range Between Labs Coefficient of Variation 1998 before137-2,30067% 1998 after1,180-1,75015% 2003 before1,036-1,93627% 1998 before6,560-21,90050% 1998 after8,410-19,50031% 2003 before7,770-16,66225% 1998 before529-1,95046% 1998 after901-1,50020% 2003 before920-1,44219% Total PAH (ng/g) Total DDT (ng/g) Total PCB (ng/g) Regional_Partnerships_NWQMC_12.6.07