United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Water
(WH - 556 F)
EPA 842-K-92-OOT
September 1992
&EPA The O.S.V. ANDERSON
Working to Protect Our Oceans and Coasts
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V_/ ur oceans, beaches, and estuaries are beautiful resources that support many living crea-
tures and activities. We rely on coastal and marine areas for living, working, and relax-
ing. A wide variety of birds, fish, shellfish, and other marine animals also depend on
these environments for food and shelter. Even our national economy is linked to the
productivity of these areas. For example, coastal wetlands provide food, shelter, and
spawning grounds for more than 70 percent of our valuable commercial fisheries,
including shrimp, salmon, oysters, and blue crab.
Unfortunately, we are not as careful with our marine and coastal resources as we should
be. Pollution is still a big problem. Improperly disposed trash can eventually reach our
oceans and beaches and seriously harm sea turtles, birds, and other marine animals.
Some beaches have been closed because of unsafe debris washing ashore. Where
pollutants settle into sediments, creatures that live on the ocean bottom often cannot
survive. Sewage can foul offshore waters,
which then become a threat to
public health. Fish can
become unsafe to eat when
they are contaminated by
toxic chemicals, thus
depriving the fishing
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The future welfare of our marine and
coastal resources depends greatly on our
actions today. To restore and safeguard
these resources, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) has launched
many efforts to identify and control prob-
lems that threaten the health of our oceans
and coasts. Such efforts require making
important decisions after gathering and analyzing essential data about the environment.
To collect these crucial data, EPA scientists rely heavily on the Ocean Survey Vessel (OSV)
PETER W. ANDERSON.
The PETER W. ANDERSON was first launched in 1966 as the U.S. Naval Patrol Gunboat
USS ANTELOPE. As the ANTELOPE, the ship had distinguished deployments with the U.
SEVENTH FLEET in Vietnam and the U.S. SIXTH FLEET in the Mediterranean. The
vessel, renamed for EPA 'scientist Peter W. Anderson, was converted for EPA use
in 1979 to defend artd protect the environment. The modified and ," , ;••'- •/,''.
re-equipped ANDERSON now serves as a platform from which EPA ^u, ;,';;. X.'&v'•».''•}•
scientists gather critical information needed by EPA's
ocean and coastal programs.
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The ANDERSON
Mission
The Ocean Survey Vessel PETER W. ANDERSON is one of EPA's primary collectors of crucial marine
observations and information. Sailing hundreds of miles each year along the Atlantic Coast and in the
Gulf of Mexico, the ANDERSON is used by EPA scientists to collect data from harbors, ports, and off-
shore waters. Once collected, this information helps EPA scientists identify and monitor the environ-
mental problems affecting our oceans, bays, and estuaries.
The scientific work aboard the ANDERSON is making a significant difference in the protection of
marine and coastal environments. In Massachusetts Bay, for example, scientists aboard the ANDER-
SON found a new location for a sewer outfall pipe where contaminants would not accumulate. Other
missions aimed at restoring the health of coastal waters along the Atlantic Coast examined the prob-
lem of garbage and debris littering harbors, beaches, and waterways.
Background
The ANDERSON sails from the cold harbors of Maine to the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. It
maintains a busy schedule, working 4-hour shifts, often 24 hours a day, to fulfill an ever-increasing
demand for its services. The ship maintains an operating staff of 15 crew members year-round who
ensure the ship functions properly and that all surveys are conducted consistently. In addition, a scien-
tific staff of up to 15 scientists from the survey area and elsewhere in the country joins the operating
crew to conduct various surveys along the U.S. coastline.
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After its years of distinguished service in
Vietnam and the Mediterranean, the
ANDERSON was converted into a floating
scientific facility, complete with chemistry
and microbiology laboratories, a wet lab for
biological sample processing, an underwater
video camera system, a sonar system to profile
the sea floor, and custom-made equipment
designed to sample the ocean water from top
to bottom. The significance of this equipment was confirmed after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
disaster when the former Soviet Union borrowed some of the ANDERSON'S unique and sophisticated
equipment to assess the impacts of radioactive fallout in the Black Sea.
One such piece of technologically advanced equipment used on the ANDERSON is the Gamma
Isotope Mapping System (GIMS), otherwise referred to as the gamma sled. This device explores sites
here material dredged from shipping channels is dumped, and solves cases in which dredged material
has migrated from its intended disposal site. The gamma sled uses the natural radiation
>;•• .feD '•- '.'. , . emitted by chemical elements as clues to solve cases of migrated material. By measuring the
strength of the "signal" received from key elements, scientists can distinguish
between dredged material and natural sediment. When towed across a dump
site, the gamma sled creates a map of the sea floor that shows if the material
is moving into areas that could be harmed.
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The ANDERSON'S Accomplishments
Designating ocean disposal sites for dredged materials
Accessible harbors are vital to the transport of goods and the defense of our nation. To be accessible,
harbor waterways must often be dredged to remove sediments that settle over time and obstruct vessel
navigation. Such deepening and widening of channels requires finding a place ,to deposit the large
amounts of sand and sediment that are dredged from the harbor. However, disposed dredged material
may threaten the marine life on the ocean floor if it contains toxic chemicals or alters the existing nat-
ural habitat and ecosystem. These potential threats to the marine environment prescribe two of the
ANDERSON'S principal functions: assisting in the selection of new dump sites for dredged material
and in the monitoring of existing sites for
negative environmental impacts. To date,
the ANDERSON has successfully performed
many of these missions.
• Near Cape Arundel, Maine, the
ANDERSON determined the full extent
of sediment contamination at an existing
site and concluded that the site was
minimally impacted by disposal activities.
• In Galveston Harbor, Texas, the
ANDERSON surveyed a potential
dredged material disposal site for a proposed channel-deepening project and determined that
additional monitoring was necessary to fully assess the site.
• In Charlotte Harbor, on the Gulf Coast of Florida, an ANDERSON survey discovered a
rock outcrop supporting a flourishing marine environment located within the dump
site boundaries. Recognizing the importance of rock outcrops as protective
habitats for fish, EPA directed its scientists to use the ANDERSON to
locate a new environmentally sound site.
* Using underwater video equipment in Boca Raton, Florida,
ANDERSON scientists discovered that a proposed dump site
could harm a coral reef. As a result of this discovery, an •- •--;>; .• •v-.f^-ujsyg
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alternative non-threatening site was located. •'..•'„', :£vr:*^^yHylfs
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Monitoring the impacts of sewage •- •> M
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Beaches attract thousands of people each year for recreation. In addition, more individuals are locating
their permanent homes in or near beach communities. As a result, the increased population in coastal
areas especially in the summer — means treatment and disposal of more-and more sewage. Because
wastewater that is produced during treatment processes is released back into our waters, receiving
waters must be monitored for any potential negative environmental impacts. • .. ••.••••.-..
Toward this, ANDERSON scientists test water quality along the Atlantic coast throughout the-busiest
vacation months. By analyzing observations and data collected on the ANDERSON, scientists can
detect seasonal deterioration in water quality. Some survey data have already been used to limit harm-
ful elements of sewage discharge in Ocean City, Maryland, and Bethany Beach, Delaware, thus protect-
ing valuable recreational resources and their uses.
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Identifying types and sources of aquatic debris
Garbage and other debris clutter vital urban waterways, threatening commerce, public health, and
marine life. Sewage waste and medical waste such as syringes have washed up on nearby coasts and
alarmed many people. These incidents have raised questions about the types and origins of debris in our
waters. To answer these questions, ANDERSON scientists searched the harbors of Boston, New York,
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Norfolk, and Miami for aquatic debris.
ANDERSON scientists found food wrappers, plastic bags, and cigarette filters, among other items, in
die harbors of every city they surveyed. Such trash can harm marine animals if they mistake small
pieces of plastic and other debris in the water for food and eat it. If ingested, debris could block diges-
tive tracts, damage stomach linings, and reduce feeding drives of marine animals. Furthermore, birds
and other animals may become entangled in six-pack yokes, fishing line, and other v/aste, hindering
movement and even causing strangulation.
Another debris item found in every harbor surveyed by ANDERSON scientists was plastic pellets.
Plastic pellets (the raw material used to produce plastic products) concern EPA scientists because they
resemble fish eggs, a common food item for fish and birds. Following the discovery of plastic pellets in
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U.S. harbors, EPA launched a study to
identify the sources of plastic pellet releas-
es, so that it could recornmend ways to
prevent future releases of these pellets into
the environment. The results of this study
were shared with the plastics industry,
which is now taking voluntary actions to
minimize its contribution to plastic pollu-
tion in the marine environment.
The harbor surveys also provided ANDERSON scientists with an opportunity to document the contri-
bution of land-based sources (e.g., storm sewers) versus the contribution of marine sources (e.g., ships)
to the aquatic debris problem. The findings of these surveys identified that storm water carrying street
litter to nearby waterbodies is a major source of land-based debris in harbors. This information will
assist EPA in future efforts to control the release of debris to the marine environment.
Environmental education
In addition to performing scientific work, EPA uses the ANDERSON for public environmental
education programs while the ship is in port between its scientific surveys. Several times each year,
people are invited to tour the ship. These popular events provide visitors with a rare view of the
sophisticated equipment and operations of the vessel. The ANDERSON is also featured in an
educational videotape, available to schools, that addresses pollution prevention in terms children can
understand. In addition, EPA occasionally takes out groups of teachers and students for on-site viewing
of the ANDERSON at work.
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Delaware Oil Spill — An Emergency Response
When the phone rings at 5:00 AM, it's
often bad news, and 5:00 AM, Saturday,
June 24, 1989, when the phone rang at
EPA Oceanqgrapher Bill Muir's house was
no exception. EPA's Emergency Response
Coordinator in Philadelphia told him that
crude oil was spilling into the Delaware
River from the tanker Presidente Rivera,
which had run aground on its way to the
Sun Oil refinery at Marcus Hook. All told,
300,000 gallons of oil eventually spilled
into the river.
Within hours, Muir pulled together an experienced research team that boarded the ANDERSON to go
to the oil spill. Important questions that the U.S. Coast Guard and the State of Delaware wanted
answered were: how much oil had spilled, how far it had reached beneath the surface, where it was
moving, and how much damage the blue crabs, striped bass, and marine birds would suffer. "We got
there so quickly, the oil slick, or plume, had moved only five miles," Muir explained, "and we were able
to determine where in the water column the oil was. It had not yet fallen to the bottom." By locating
and quantifying the spill, the ANDERSON scientists were able to direct the cleanup efforts and assess
the environmental impacts. "We had never used the ANDERSON in an emergency situation before,"
he went on, "but because I could reach an experienced team that was able to move fast, we could better
assess the damage."
' ,. Spill responders .skimmed oil off the water's surface before it could reach
deep-water habitats. Marshes located where the slick was headed were
•^ immediately identified so the laborious process of mopping and
soaking up crude oil could begin as it washed ashore. A new
community of blue crabs, which could have: been destroyed,
survived, largely because of the quick response of the
ANDERSON crew.
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Pensacola Navy Home Port — Preparing for an Aircraft Carrier
When something as big as an aircraft carrier
moves into town, people can expect many
changes. This was the case in 1985 when
the U.S. Navy decided to make Pensacola
the home port of the USS Forrestal. Before
this could happen, however, the harbor
channel and turning basin had to be deep-
ened. Four million tons of fine clay and silt
had to find a "new home," but just any
place would not do, because fine-grained
sediment binds contaminants to its surface
and can permanently damage ocean habi-
tats if dumped on them.
Working together, the Navy, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and EPA had the opportunity to
develop a model for designating new dredged material disposal sites — a logical role for the ANDER-
SON. Often, dredged material disposal sites must be relocated when they are proven to harm a marine
community. However, the relocation of an existing site requires the designation of a new site. In the
case of the Pensacola disposal site, scientists selected three possible new sites according to sea floor
topography. Scientists aboard the
ANDERSON completed intensive field
work, including viewing over 100 hours of
videotape of the ocean bottom, before
selecting one of these sites, confident that
it would be a safe location. To verify the
decision, the Corps of Engineers set up
special containment basins down-current
from the dump site to catch shifting dredge
material. Subsequent monitoring surveys
revealed that the mission was successful.
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Charleston Harbor — Protecting Fishing Grounds
Local sport fishermen did not take kindly to the intrusion of a barge into their favorite fishing grounds,
particularly since it was ready to dump its load of dredged material on a known fishing spot.
The barge was transporting material from the Charleston Harbor Deepening Project to a designated
clump site in the Atlantic Ocean. The fishermen protested to the South Carolina Wildlife and Marine
Resources Commission, who then used an underwater video camera to see what was there. Observers
found rock outcrops, soft coral, and a dense population of small black seabass —r right in the middle of
the dump site.
The State of South Carolina notified the EPA Regional office in Atlanta and the ANDERSON was
dispatched to the scene. Scientists aboard the ship mapped miles of sea floor, discovering many, soft
coral communities close to the South Carolina coast, an area originally thought to be too turbulent and
murky for such life. The largest of these sparse and patchy coral
communities was centered at the designated dump site —
about to be smothered in clay and silt. Responding to this dis-
covery, ANDERSON scientists located a new disposal site for
the dredged material and has continued to monitor the site to
detect resulting changes in the marine community.
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Georges Bank — Fish Tissue Studies
Ironically, just as Americans are eating healthier by including more fish in their diet, toxic contamina-
tion, among other factors, is limiting our supply of fish. Nearly all of the fish caught in coastal waters
from Maine to North Carolina contain traces of toxic substances that if present in large enough quanti-
ties could harm those who eat seafood. These fish are being affected by toxic chemicals entering our
estuaries and coastal waters from a variety of sources, including municipal and industrial discharges,
urban and agricultural runoff, and recreational and commercial boating.
EPA researchers Bruce Reynolds and Sandy Baksi, located at the EPA Laboratory in Narragansett,
Rhode Island, are addressing the problem with the help of the ANDERSON. Field researchers aboard
the ANDERSON sailed to the Georges Bank, located off the New England coast, to collect flounder to
compare to contaminated fish collected elsewhere. Because the fish in George's Bank are considered to
be virtually contaminant-free, the levels of
contaminants in those fish are considered
to be normal, or safe. By comparing the
normal levels of contaminants found in
the fish from George's Bank with those
found in fish-from other areas, scientists
can determine the extent of water and fish
contamination in other areas of the coun-
try. In the future, this study will help iden-
tify differences between fish that are safe
for human consumption and fish that con-
tain harmful levels of toxic chemicals.
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Arsenic Containers in the Atlantic — A Potential Emergency
On January 4, 1992, the cargo ship Santa Clara was fighting its way through gale winds and 25-foot
waves between New York City and Delaware Bay when disaster struck. The storm swept 21 large cargo
containers, four of which held 441 25-gallon drums of arsenic trioxide off the ship's deck into the
Atlantic Ocean. If this lethal chemical leaked into the water, it would be readily absorbed by marine
organisms. Fishermen who trawl frequently ,in the area could pull up a drum with their catch and
become sick or possibly die from exposure. The arsenic had to be found!
The Navy and Coast Guard mounted an immediate search, but did not have the right equipment on
hand for the job. The ANDERSON, however, was nearby in New York Harbor with the right equip-
ment, and sailed immediately to help.
Using the ANDERSON'S side-scan sonar equipment, the EPA Emergency Response Team (ERT) locat-
ed the scattered drums and containers approximately 25 miles east of Cape May, New Jersey. To verify
that the containers were from the Santa Clara, the team lowered a remotely operated vehicle (ROV)
equipped with an underwater TV camera into the water and read the numbers painted on the side of
one of them. It was a positive identification — the numbers matched those on the ship's manifest. ,
The ANDERSON'S rapid identification ensured the safety of
fishermen in the area, enabled experts to assess potential threats
to marine life, and allowed responders to. consider other cleanup
options in a more timely manner. '
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You Can Make A Difference
Threats to our coastal regions result from our continued and increasing use of these resources. To help
protect these important resources, you can do the following:
• Recycle whenever possible
• Dispose of trash properly
• Avoid disposing of litter and other wastes in storm sewers
• Dispose of boat trash and sanitary waste properly
0 Support community programs for safe waste disposal
• Participate in local beach clean-up projects
• Be conservation-minded; use resources wisely
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For more information contact the appropriate EPA Region.
Region 1: Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut
Water Quality Branch
U.S. EPA, Region 1
John F. Kennedy Federal Building
Mailcode WQE-425
Boston, MA 02203
Phone: (617)565-4432
Fax: (617)565-4940
Region 2: New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands
Water Management Division
U.S. EPA, Region 2
26 Federal Plaza
New York, NY 10278
Phone: (212)264-5674
Fax: (212)264-8100
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Region 3: Delaware, District of Columbia) Maryland, Pennsylvania,
Virginia, West Virginia
Marine and Estuary Section
U.S. Region 3
841 Chestnut Building
3ES40
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215)597-2541
Fax: (215)597-7906
Region 4: Alabama, Florida, Qeorgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North, Carolina,
South Carolina, Tennessee
Office of Water
U.S. EPA, Region 4
345 Courtland Street, N.E.
Atlanta, GA 30365
Phone: (404)347-1740
Fax: (404)347-1797
Region 6; Arkansas, Louisiana,
New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas
Marine and Estuarine Section
U.S. EPA, Region 6
1445 Ross Avenue
Dallas, TX 75202-2733
Phone: (214)655-6680
Fax: (214)655-6490
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