You are here: Home › News ›Weekly
Items
Weekly News Items
Increasing Nitrogen Pollution in Coastal Region Requires Greater Attention by Resource Managers. In coastal North Carolina, nitrogen levels in the environment are not only increasing but the chemical form of the deposition is shifting towards ammonium, possibly due to increases in emissions associated with swine production. This shift can cause changes in algal community composition, including shifts towards harmful/toxic species. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition contributes up to 40% of the total new nitrogen input to coastal ecosystems and as a result should be closely monitored. This increased nitrogen input can lead to algal blooms, which can cause low oxygen events. An NCCOS scientist presented this new synthesis of atmospheric nitrogen deposition and eutrophication data on March 27 at the Society of Toxicology annual meeting in Charlotte, NC. For more information please contact Dave Whitall at 301-713-3028 x138 or dave.whitall@noaa.gov . (CCMA)
Satellite Imagery Products Aid Investigation of an Unusual Mortality Event. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science scientists provided satellite imagery products to help investigators understand why dozens of bottlenose dolphins have died in recent weeks. SeaWiFS chlorophyll and chlorophyll anomaly products were given to the National Marine Fisheries Service Office of Protected Resources, which is currently responding to this Unusual Mortality Event. Approximately 60 bottlenose dolphins have washed up along Galveston and Jefferson counties (Texas) and western Louisiana over the past two weeks. Once a cause is identified management actions may be taken to lessen the possibility of a recurrence. For more information, contact Michelle Tomlinson or Timothy Wynne at (301) 713-3028 or Michelle.Tomlinson@noaa.gov, Timothy.Wynne@noaa.gov. [02M00024] (CCMA)
NCCOS Scientists Demonstrate “Spatial Sampling Tool” for Smithsonian Institution. National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) scientists recently presented a Geographic Information System (GIS) tool for science planning that improves efficiency by integrating maps at relevant spatial scales into survey designs, while balancing factors such as statistical power, precision, and cost. The “Spatial Sampling Tool”, which runs within ArcGIS v9.x, is being used to select reef fish survey sites within the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The tool, which was developed in-house, was demonstrated at the invitation of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History - Vertebrate Zoology Seminar Series. For additional information please contact Eric Finnen at (301) 713-3028 x112 or eric.finnen@noaa.gov, or Charlie Menza (301) 713-3028 x107 or charles.menza@noaa.gov . [06M00097, 03M00043] (CCMA)