vvEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Fish and ShelOfish Program NEWSLETTER April 2019 EPA 823-N-19-003 In This Issue Recent Advisory News 1 EPA News 4 Other News 6 Recently Awarded Research 9 Tech and Tools 10 Recent Publications 12 Upcoming Meetings and Conferences 13 This newsletter provides information only. This newsletter does not impose legally binding requirements on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), states, tribes, other regulatoiy authorities, orthe regulated community. The Office of Science and Technology, Office of Water, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved this newsletter for publication. Mention of trade names, products, or sen/ices does not convey and should not be interpreted as conveying official EPA approval, endorsement, or recommendation for use. https://www.epa.gov/fish-tech Recent Advisory News Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 2019 Fish Consumption Public Health Advisory The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has released its 2019 fish consumption public health advisories. Health Benefits of Eating Fish Fish are nutritious and good to eat. They are low in fat, high in protein, and provide substantial human health benefits. Fish provide valuable vitamins and minerals and beneficial oils that are low in saturated fat. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish are also beneficial, particularly in terms of cardiovascular health. Preliminary evidence suggests that early exposure to omega-3 fats may enhance brain development as well. The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends that consumers eat a balanced diet, choosing a variety of foods including fruits and vegetables, foods that are low in trans fat and saturated fat, as well as foods rich in high fiber grains and nutrients. A diet that includes a variety of fish and shellfish can be an important part of a balanced healthy diet. The FDA, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), American Heart Association, and other nutrition experts recommend eating two meals (12 ounces) of fish per week. Following these advisories means that consumers should feel comfortable making one of those meals (up to 8 ounces) a recreationally caught Pennsylvania sport fish. Contaminants in Fish While most recreationally caught sport fish in Pennsylvania are safe to eat, chemicals such as mercury and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) have been found in some fish from certain waters. The levels of these unavoidable chemical contaminants are usually low; however, they could potentially be a health concern to pregnant and breast-feeding women, women of childbearing age, and children and individuals whose diet consists of a high percentage of fish. Long-lasting contaminants such as PCBs, chlordane, and mercury build up in the body over time. It may take months or years of regularly eating contaminated fish to build up amounts that are a health concern. Health problems that may result from the contaminants found in fish range from small changes in health that are hard to detect to birth defects and cancer. Mothers who eat highly contaminated fish for many years before This neivsletter provides a monthly summary of news about fish and shellfish 1 ------- Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter April 2019 Study Finds Pharmaceuticals, Other Contaminants in Chesapeake Bay and Charleston Harbor On November 28, 2018, NOAA reported that its scientists recently completed regional assessments of the contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) for Chesapeake Bay, Maryland, and Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Conducted as part of NOAA's National Status and Trends (NS&T) Mussel Watch Program, these regional pilot studies sampled oyster and sediment from study areas to quantify the magnitude and distribution of CECs, such as pharmaceutical and personal care products (PPCPs), pesticides, flame retardants, new industrial chemicals, stain resistant compounds, and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. Results indicated that CECs are being accumulated at various degrees in coastal resources and the environment, with perfluorinated compounds (PFCs), the flame retardants, and current use pesticides being the most common to both study areas. In the Chesapeake Bay, at least one PFC and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardant was found across all sediment samples, with PFCs and PBDEs detected in 40 percent and 21 percent, respectively. Alternative (non-brominated) flame retardants were the least detected of all CEC classes. The highest concentration CECs found in Maryland oyster tissues were linked to the pharmaceuticals prednisone, hydrocortisone, and acetaminophen. PPCPs, on the other hand, were detected far less frequently than PBDEs and PFCs in Maryland oyster tissue and sediment. As in the Chesapeake Bay samples, at least one CEC was detected at each South Carolina station for both sediment and oyster samples, and overall CEC detection frequencies followed a similar overall pattern. PFCs were the most common in sediments and oysters. The flame retardants were also often detected in both sediments and oysters in South Carolina samples. The highest concentrations reported in Charleston Harbor sediments, however, were for current use pesticides. Overall occurrence and distribution of some CEC chemicals appeared to be associated with land use from the watershed adjacent to the survey sites, although further study is required to confirm this association. In general, the number of reported concentrations at urban sites was elevated compared to the suburban sites in both study areas. The same relative numbers were observed between suburban and undeveloped (or reference) sites. For management purposes, these findings constitute unprecedented baseline information on CECs. With the exception of an existing EPA health advisory for PFCs in drinking water, there are currently no federal standards or guidelines to assess the maximum contaminants threshold for the majority of CEC chemicals in the environment. Thus, although organisms in the environment may be exposed to these chemicals, it is challenging to relate environmental concentrations of CECs to impacts on organisms. Overall, the detection of these compounds in sediment and oyster tissue is evidence of their presence and potential accumulation in the environment and in coastal resources. Oyster collection in South Carolina tidal marsh. (Photo courtesy of NOAA) 8 ------- Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter April 2019 NOAA's Mussel Watch Program has monitored the nation's coastal waters for chemical contaminants and biological indicators of water quality since 1986. With the goal to support ecosystem management nationwide, Mussel Watch and its sister program, the National Bioeffects Program, conduct environmental monitoring, assessment, and research to describe the status and trends in the environmental quality of the nation's estuarine and coastal waters. In response to recent public concerns about the widespread distribution and potential impacts of these unregulated contaminants, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, through the Mussel Watch Program, has investigated the prevalence and magnitude of CEC chemicals in our coastal areas through a series of pilot studies. For more information, contact Dennis Apeti at dennis.apeti@noaa.gov. Citation: Apeti, D.A., E. WTirth, A.K. Leight, A. Mason, and E. Pisaski. 2018. An Assessment of Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Chesapeake Bay, MD and Charleston Harbor, SC. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 240. Silver Spring, MD. 104 pp. doi:io.25923/p4nc-7m7i Source: https://coastalscieiice.noaa.gov/news/studv-finds-pharmaceuticals-aiid-other-contammants-in- chesapeake-bav-and-charleston-harbor/ Recently Awarded Research NFWF Announces $521,833 in Grants to Support Sustainable Fisheries in Six States On December 3, 2018, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) announced $521,833 in grants to support sustainable fisheries through fishermen and community-led projects in California, Florida, Louisiana, Alaska, Massachusetts, and Hawaii. The grants will generate $780,287 in matching contributions for a total conservation impact of more than $1.3 million. The grants were awarded through the Fisheries Innovation Fund (FIF), a partnership between NFWF and NOAA. This year's projects will reduce bycatch, address the needs of recreational fisheries and enhance sustainable economic opportunities for fishing communities around the U.S. "NFWF is excited to support these locally led projects that will advance marine aquaculture, increase public access for recreational anglers and build capacity in fisheries and fishing communities," said Jeff Trandahl, Executive Director and CEO of NFWF. Grant recipients will build capacity among fishermen and fishing communities, promote full utilization of annual catch limits, and help implement marine aquaculture by developing new markets, increasing fishing access, minimizing bycatch, and reducing discard mortality. Copper rockfish. (Photo courtesy of NOAA) 9 ------- Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter April 2019 Through the app, landowners can find out if their property contains ESA-designated critical habitat, grant applicants can focus and maximize habitat restoration proposals in areas where multiple protected species reside, and field biologists can decipher whether their geographic position is within a protected area by loading the app on any mobile device and using the "My Location" feature. "This app provides a one-stop shop for NOAA Fisheries' geospatial data throughout Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and California and along the coast," said Scott Rumsey, Deputy Regional Administrator of NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Region. "It helps organize and display mountains of data into something that is truly user-friendly. It will prove a valuable tool in helping to visually interpret NOAA Fisheries regulations and better understand how our sea turtles, marine mammals, and fish are distributed." In addition to NOAA Fisheries data, the app displays real-time data from external sources such as the U.S. Census Bureau, which provides congressional district and tribal boundary information. This helps keep data and spatial relationships current. NOAA Fisheries will continue to expand and update the app tools and incorporate new data. Before this app, geographic data were available in many different formats and only accessible to those with specialized GIS software to open the files. Now, anyone with a computer and an internet connection can explore the data. Use the Protected Species App in any web browser. Once in, click on the "Layers" icon to access and display datasets depicting different geographic areas. Users can draw on maps, for a truly customized experience, as well as share maps. "The data development for this app took five years and I'm really excited to share the final product with the dedicated people who want protected species to recover and thrive," said Shanna Dunn, of NOAA. Fisheries West Coast Region and app designer. "I hope that more accessible protected species data will support conservation efforts." For more information, contact Shanna Dunn at Shanna.Dunn@noaa.gov. Source: https://wwvv.fisheries.noaa.gov/featiire-storv/new-app-makes-endangered-species-habitat-easv- find?ntm medium=email&utm source=govdeliverv This data layer displays the critical habitat of protected species on the West Coast. (Photo courtesy of NOAA) 11 ------- |