vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Fish and Shellfish Program
NEWSLETTER
November 2021
EPA 823N21004
In This Issue
Recent Advisory News			1
EPA News	3
Other News	4
Recently Awarded Research	8
Tech and Tools	14
Recent Publications	15
Upcoming Meetings and
Conferences	16
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https: / /www.epa.goy/fish-tech
Recent Advisory News
Maryland Department of the Environment Issues
First Fish Consumption Advisory for PFAS
On October 15, 2021, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) issued its first
fish consumption advisory based on levels of a chemical compound in a class known as
per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).
MDE issued guidelines for eating three species of fish caught in Piscataway Creek in
Prince George's County after sampling fish there and completing a scientific review of
health risks posed by levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), one of the more widely
studied PFAS chemicals. The recommended monthly limits are for redbreast sunfish and
yellow bullhead catfish in the non-tidal portion of Piscataway Creek and largemouth bass
in the tidal headwaters of Piscataway Creek.
"Maryland is committed to reducing the risks of PFAS chemicals in our state and
continuing our close coordination with scientific, local, state and federal partners," said
Man land Environment Secretary Ben Grumbles. Our focus on PFAS in fish tissue and the
resulting consumption ad visory is another step forward in understanding,
communicating, and reducing the potential for harm."
Maryland has monitored levels of certain chemicals, including polychlorinated biphenyls
(PCBs) and mercury, in the state's recreationally caught fish for decades. Findings from
such monitoring are the basis for MDE's fish consumption guidelines.
In the fall of 2020, MDE's fish tissue sampling program began to include sampling for
PFAS. PFAS refers to a group of more than 4,000 human-made chemicals that have been
used since the 1940s in a range of products, including stain- and water-resistant fabrics
and carpeting, cleaning products, paints, cookware, food packaging and fire-fighting
foams. These uses have led to PFAS entering the environment, where they have been
measured in soil, surface water, groundwater, and seafood. Most people have been
exposed to PFAS because of its use in so many common consumer goods.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has determined that exposure to PFOS
over certain levels may increase the risk of developmental health effects during pregnancy
This newsletter provides a bimonthly summary of news about fish and shellfish

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Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
November 2021
or to breastfed infants as well as the risk of cancer, immune system damage or damage to the liver, thyroid, or other
organ systems.
MDE collected fish from routine monitoring, or core, stations. MDE also added two fish tissue sample locations in
Piscataway Creek. MDE found elevated concentrations of PFOS in redbreast sunfish, yellow bullhead catfish and
largemouth bass, leading to the new guidelines. MDE is also expanding sample collection in the larger Potomac area
between the fall of 2021 and the fall of 2022.
In the fall of 2020, MDE sampled fish tissue for PFAS on the Eastern Shore, which includes stations in the Chester,
Choptank, Corsica, Elk, and Wicomico rivers and Isle of Wight and Chesapeake bays. The results from that
sampling showed no levels of concern.
MDE is collecting additional, targeted monitoring for PFAS in certain specific water bodies that have been
identified as having nearby potential sources of PFAS as well as sampling in locations known to be frequented by
subsistence anglers and fishers. MDE will assess fish tissue sampling results for PFAS in specific waters and develop
advisories when necessary to reduce human health risk.
MDE is prioritizing the implementation of a science-based comprehensive plan for PFAS risk. The implementation
focuses on: 1) determining whether there are locations in Maryland where there are unacceptable risks to human
health associated with exposures to PFAS, and 2) whether there are locations of continuing releases of PFAS
compounds. Earlier this year, MDE released a report on the first phase of sampling of public drinking water systems
across Maryland. A report on the results of the second and third rounds of sampling of additional public drinking
water systems is ongoing.
Additional information is available at mde.marvland.gov/MDandPFAS.
For more information, contact Jay Apperson at iav.apperson@marvland.gov.
Source: https://news.marvland.gov/mde/2021/10/15/department-of-the-environment-issues-first-fish-
consumption-advisorv-for-pfas/
Anglers Warned to Not Eat Fish from Neshaminy Creek Basin: PFOS
Risk from All Species
On October 13, 2021, the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Agriculture (PDA), and
Health (DOH), along with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission (PFBC), announced a "Do Not Eat" advisory
for all fish species caught in the Neshaminy Creek basin in Bucks and Montgomery counties due to extremely high
levels of PFOS. The advisory extends to all fish throughout the Neshaminy Creek basin, including Neshaminy Creek
State Park and Tyler State Park.
PFOS is one of a group of PFAS that readily bioaccumulates in fish tissue. Prior to this year, Pennsylvania's Fish
Consumption Advisory Program was evaluating sport-caught fish in Pennsylvania waters for various contaminants,
including PCBs, pesticides, and heavy metals. This past year, Pennsylvania adopted tiered meal advice for PFOS and
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began collecting and analyzing fish tissue samples for PFOS. Levels detected in fish tissue samples from the
Neshaminy Creek watershed had levels over the 0.2 parts per million Do Not Eat advisory level.
As a result of the "Do Not Eat" advisory, the PFBC will discontinue fish stocking in the Neshaminy Creek basin until
further notice. The PFBC will work to identify nearby replacement waters to redirect trout previously stocked in the
basin to provide continued recreational angling opportunities for stocked trout. Fishing is still allowed in the basin,
but anglers are urged to practice catch-and-release practices.
The first step in addressing this contamination is identifying sources, several of which have already been identified.
Steps have been taken at these sites to remediate contaminated soils and groundwater. DEP is working to identify
additional sources by asking permit holders in the Neshaminy Creek watershed to sample their discharges for
PFAS.
"An advisory like this is not something that we recommend lightly," said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. "The
possible PFOS levels found in fish tissue is greatly concerning. DEP will continue to sample fish species and revisit
this recommendation in the future."
"Whenever a stream or lake is removed from our trout stocking list, we take every opportunity to keep the fish local
and place them in nearby waters for anglers to enjoy," said Tim Schaeffer, PFBC Executive Director. "We intend to
do the same in this case to preserve the opening day and trout season experiences that are so important and valued
in Bucks and Montgomery Counties and across the commonwealth."
For more information on Neshaminy Creek visit, www.dep.pa.gov/neshaminv.
For more information, contact Thomas Barron at tbarron@pa.gov.
Source: https://www.ahs.dep.pa.gov/NewsRoomPublic/articleviewer.aspx?id=220i^&tvpeid=i
EPA News
Estimating the Economic Impacts of Climate Change on 16 Major
U.S. Fisheries and the Marine Species Distribution Climate Indicator
Warming ocean temperatures in response to climate change have resulted in restructuring of marine species
composition, changes in species phenology, and shifts in their geographic distribution. A recently published
analysis by EPA, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and other researchers shows that
these shifts will have implications for U.S. fisheries and seafood consumers in the future. The study focuses on
future changes to thermally available habitat. The study analyzed 16 major fisheries which together account for 56%
of the current U.S. commercial fishing revenues.
• The projected change in commercial harvests assumes that the catch of each species would increase or
decrease in direct proportion to the projected change in the species' thermally available habitat.
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•	Overall, the projected impacts on thermal habitat availability and U.S. fisheries are negative; however,
some species such as blue crab and white shrimp in the Gulf of Mexico region may experience positive
impacts.
•	The present value of consumer surplus impacts when discounted at 3% is a net loss of $2.1 billion (2018
U.S. $) in the low emissions case and $4.2 billion in the high emissions scenario.
•	Projected annual losses grow with time and reach $278-$90i million by 2100.
EPA and NOAA also collaborated on the development of a climate indicator that shows observed changes in several
hundred marine species toward cooler and deeper waters. Data for this indicator were collected by the NOAA's
National Marine Fisheries Service during annual bottom trawl fisheries surveys. More information about marine
specifies distribution is available here.
In waters off the northeastern United States, several economically important species have shifted northward since
the early 1970s. The three species (American lobster, red hake, and black sea bass) have moved northward by an
average of 113 miles. This indicator examines changes in the location of fish, shellfish, and other marine species
along U.S. coasts.
For more information, contact Michael Kolian at Kolian.Michael@epa.gov.
Source: https:/Av\v\v.\vorldscientific.com/doi/abs/io.i 142/82010007821^00020
Other News
Restored Coho Salmon Run Supports Tribal, Sport Fisheries in
Northeast Oregon for First Time in Decades
On November 13, 2020, NOAA reported that reintroduction of coho salmon took hold as record numbers headed
for Grande Ronde, Lostine.
Coho salmon are returning to northeast Oregon's Lostine River in record numbers almost five decades after they
disappeared from the same basin. Once again, the coho support tribal harvest and a new Oregon recreational
fishery.
More than 5,000 adult coho have passed Bonneville Dam on their way to the Lostine River in the fall of 2020. This
is the result of reintroductions by the Umatilla and Nez Perce tribes and the Oregon Department of Fish and
Wildlife beginning in 2017. Biologists expect many of the fish to make it back to the Lostine River.
It is by far the largest return of coho salmon to the Grande Ronde River and its tributary, the Lostine River, since
their reintroduction, said Becky Johnson, Production Division Manager for the Nez Perce Tribe.
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"It has been a real tough couple of years in the salmon world, and this is a bright spot," she said, noting low returns
of Chinook salmon and steelhead to many parts of
the Columbia River Basin in recent years. The last
two years (2018 and 2019) have been marked by
high ocean temperatures which tend to reduce the
quality of food available to juvenile salmon when
they first migrate to the ocean.
As the fish again take hold in their historic
habitat, state fisheries managers have opened the
first recreational fishery for coho salmon in the
Grande Ronde River in 40 years.
"This is a testament to the tribal and state efforts
to bring this species back to the Lostine, and to the perseverance of these fish," said Allyson Purcell, Branch Chief
for Anadromous Production and Inland Fisheries in NOAA Fisheries' West Coast Region. She watched four years
ago when biologists released about 500,000 coho smolts into the Lostine River to start the reintroduction effort.
Funding for the reintroduction came in part through the Mitchell Act. The Act supports production of salmon and
steelhead in fish hatcheries to offset effects of dams and other development. However, Johnson noted that the
project operates on a tight budget that depends 011 meeting objectives in terms of salmon returns.
In the early part of the last cent ury, dam construction and other development—as well as overfishing—eliminated
coho salmon from the Lostine River. This was long before the Endangered Species Act was around to protect them
and before the Magnuson-Stevens Act was enacted to sustain ably manage fisheries. Several earlier attempts at
reintroduction did not take hold.
Recent improvements in fish habitat and coordination between federal, state, and tribal fisheries managers have
provided a solid foundation for the reintroduction efforts now underway.
The program has faced some challenges, however. Ocean conditions have not supported strong salmon returns in
recent years. Wildfires in the Columbia River Gorge in 2018 forced the evacuation of that year's generation of coho
salmon from a hatchery there. Biologists moved them to a hatchery near the Oregon Coast, where they were
ultimately raised.
The Lostine River reintroduction program depends on the return of at least 500 adult hatchery fish each year to
sustain a broodstock that will supply additional fish for release in future years. The first adults began reaching the
Lostine River in October 2020, and the odds are good for hitting that mark.
"We all hope that these fish will continue to do well," Johnson said.
Source: https://mvw.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-storv/restored-eoho-salmon-rim-supports-tribal-sport-fisheries-
northeast-oregon-first-time?utm medium=email&utm sou rce=eovdeli\ en
Coho salmon (Photo courtesy of NOAA)
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The Future of Fish Feed May Lie in Insects, Mold, and Algae
On October 26, 2020, NOAA reported that innovations in recent decades have reduced the number of fish products
in aquaculture feed. New research could result in replacing them altogether.
NOAA scientists searching for new fish feed ingredients made a promising discovery earlier this year: sablefish
raised on mealworms grow as large as those fed fishmeal, which is made with certain wild-caught fish. This is one of
the latest studies in a collaborative effort to craft a balanced diet for farmed fish with no fish products. Their results,
along with industry innovations, could equip aquaculture to meet the world's growing seafood demand without
increasing farmers' dependence on forage species that serve as prey for larger fish.
The mealworm study, conducted by Bernadita Anulacion at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center's (NWFSC)
Aqualab, compared the growth of a total of 168 sablefish fed one of three diets. The first group got their protein
from plants and fishmeal. The second chowed down on a diet of plant proteins, mealworms, and fishmeal. And the
third dined on plant proteins and mealworms. At the end of 10 weeks, all 168 were alive and had clocked roughly
the same growth rate.
"We've made a lot of progress towards reducing aquaculture's reliance on wild fish caught for feed in recent
decades. We're seeing better use of fish trimmings for feed, and feeds now commonly incorporate plant-based
proteins," said Ron Johnson, team leader of the NWFSC Fish Feed and Nutrition Team. "Now we're looking at new
alternatives and ways of combining ingredients that could completely eliminate fish products from aquaculture
diets while still producing a healthy seafood product for consumers."
Why Feed Alternatives Matter
Like their wild counterparts, farmed marine fish require a balanced mix of essential nutrients, amino acids, and
fatty acids. Traditionally, aquaculture farmers mimicked diets found in the wild by serving fish feeds rich in whole
fish, fish oils, and processing waste from commercial fisheries. That started to shift in the early 2000s.
Fishmeal and oils primarily come from small, open-ocean species like anchovies, menhaden, sardines, and
mackerel. Each of these fish are sustainablv managed in U.S. federal waters under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. But
an over-reliance on these finite marine resources put a limit on how much the food industries, including
aquaculture, could sustainably expand.
So, scientists and the aquaculture industry turned their sights to alternative ingredients. Today, commercial feed
contains proteins from soybeans, corn, peas, and wheat. Fish oils have also been supplemented with soybean,
canola, and flaxseed oil.
Together, these products have substantially reduced the amount of raw marine materials in aquaculture feed. For
example, fish-based ingredients in some Atlantic salmon feed may have fallen from qo percent in the iqqos to iust
25 percent.
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A Fish-Free Future for Aquafeeds
Crop-based products have their own limitations. Soy and corn lack some of the important building blocks of
proteins. And traditional plant oils don't provide long chain omega-3 fatty acids—a nutrient that is key to fish
growth and currently found only in seafood.
Known as "essential fatty acids," long-chain omega-3s also have significant impacts on human heart and brain
health. They may also reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and rheumatoid arthritis and aid in the development of muscle
tissues. These fatty acids are a large part of why the U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend eating seafood at least two
times a week to promote optimal health and wellness.
Feeds today still use some fish oil to ensure these important omega-3s are present in farmed fish.
To fuel the next generation of fish feeds, NOAA Fisheries and others are investigating new, innovative ingredients.
The research so far suggests that insects, phytoplankton, and single-celled proteins like mold, yeast and bacteria
could provide the same proteins as fishmeal. It's still unclear what impact each of these sources have on a fish's
overall nutrition. For phase two of the mealworm study, researchers are testing if the sablefish raised on that diet
have a different nutritional value than their fishmeal-fed counterparts.
Fish oil may prove harder to replace, but algae could hold the key here too. Some companies are developing feeds
that incorporate omega-3 fatty acids harvested from algae cells, which convert sugar into essential fatty acids when
they are fermented. Researchers at Ocean Era—formerly Kampachi Farms—based in Hawai'i have successfully
raised almaco jack on a completely fish-free diet. Funded through NOAA Fisheries' Saltonstall-Kennedv Grant
Program, the project developed a diet that used algae-based oil in place of fish oil.
"There is still work to be done, but what's clear is that fish meal and fish oil are not nutritionally required to raise
healthy farmed fish that are good for consumers," said Johnson. "NOAA Fisheries and our agency partners are
dedicated to finding cost-effective, nutritional alternatives so aquaculture can continue to sustainably meet global
seafood demands."
Source: https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-storv/future-fish-feed-mav-lie-insects-mold-and-
algae?utm medium=email&utm source=govdeliverv and https://\v\v\v.nature.com/articles/s4ic;86-020-26i6-\
Native Hawaiian Leads Research Effort on Valuable Traditional
Hawaiian Food Source
On January 27, 2021, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) highlighted a project supported by the Pacific
Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center's (CASC) Manager Climate Corps program in which researchers are
studying the effects of sea level rise on native shellfish populations.
Although small in stature, the humble 'opihi is one of the most culturally, economically, and environmentally
important coastal resources in Hawai'i. The squat limpet, native to Hawai'i, has long been a major source of
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shellfish consumption across the islands and is a central figure in
Hawaiian culture. Yet modern stressors, including coastal
development, over-fishing, and sea level rise, threaten the long-term
sustain ability of 'opihi consumption.
In a project supported by the Pacific Islands CASC through the
Manager Climate Coips program, researchers are monitoring 'opihi
populations across the Kalaemano shoreline of Hawai'i to learn about
seasonal shifts in shellfish habitats under present ocean conditions.
They will then use this information to develop a model predicting
how'opihi may be affected by different future sea level rise scenarios.
This work is a collaboration between the Pacific Islands CASC, the University of Hawai'i Hilo, the USFWS, the
Hawai'i Department of Land and Natural Resources, and a few local conservation groups, including the non-profit
Na Maka Onaona.
Read the original story by the USFWS here and view the accompanying podcast episode here.
Source: https://www.iisgs.gov/center-news/native-hawaiian-leads-research-effort-valuable-traditional-hawaiian-
food-source
Recently Awarded Research
NFWF, EPA Announce $10 Million in Grants to Restore the
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
On October 12, 2021, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), EPA, and the federal-state Chesapeake
Bay Program partnership announced more than $10 million in grants for projects that will protect and restore the
Chesapeake Bay and its surrounding watershed. The 49 grants will generate $12 million in matching contributions
for a total conservation impact of more than $22 million.
These grants will support on-the-ground projects to improve waterways, restore habitat and strengthen iconic
wildlife species. Collectively, the grants will implement water quality improvement practices on more than 45,000
acres, restore more than 45 miles of streamside forest habitat and prevent more than 6,300 tons of pollutants
annually from entering the rivers and streams that feed the Chesapeake Bay.
Examples of this year's grant recipients include:
• American Forests ($49,900) will work with partners to improve tree canopy by building a tree equity tool
for use across the greater Washington metropolitan region, w hich will focus urban forestry projects and
resources 011 communities of highest need.
Opihi shells (left) and groups of'opihi clinging to
coastal cliffs. (Photo courtesy:A. LaValle, NPS. Public
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•	Piedmont Environmental Council ($263,800) will pair riparian buffer restoration, livestock exclusion, and
implementation of agricultural best management practices with land conservation measures to restore and
sustain long-term water quality benefits.
•	University of Maryland Environmental Finance Center ($50,000) will work with local governments in West
Virginia to expand their capacity to address water quality improvements and mitigate hazards in a
coordinated way that creates efficiencies and reduces implementation costs.
•	Defensores de la Cuenca ($167,800) will pair workshops with hands-on experiences to train primarily
Spanish-speaking participants in the Anacostia River watershed on watershed issues, culminating in the
completion of locally led watershed restoration projects by program participants.
The grants were awarded through the Small Watershed Grants (SWG) program, a core program under NFWF's
Chesapeake Bav Stewardship Fund (CBSF). CBSF is a partnership between NFWF and the EPA to provide grant
funding, technical assistance and networking and information sharing in support of local, on-the-ground
conservation efforts to restore the bay and its tributary rivers and streams. Additional support for the program
comes from the Altria Group, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Forest Service, and USFWS.
Since 1999, the SWG program has provided more than $83 million to 985 projects to promote on-the-ground
community-based efforts, which result in measurable improvements to local stream health and habitat, and the
water quality of the Chesapeake Bay. The SWG program includes two distinct funding opportunities: SWG
Implementation (SWG-I) grants of $50,ooo-$soo,ooo awarded for projects that result in direct, on-the-ground
actions to protect and restore water quality, species, and habitats in the Bay watershed; SWG Planning and
Technical Assistance (SWG-PTA) grants up to $50,000 awarded for projects that enhance local capacity to more
efficiently and effectively implement future on-the-ground actions through assessment, planning, design and other
technical assistance-oriented activities.
A complete list of the 2021 Chesapeake Bay Small Watershed Grant recipients is available here. For more
information about the Chesapeake Bay Stewardship Fund, visit www.nfwf.org/Chesapeake.
Source: https://www.nfwf.org/media-center/nfwf-epa-announce-io-million-grants-restore-chesapeake-bav-
watershed
EPA Awards 15 Northwest Tribes Nearly $2 Million For Water Quality
Improvement And Wetland Program Development
On September 30, 2021, EPA awarded 15 Northwest tribes a total of $1,939,944 to boost programs that restore
habitat, protect tribal water quality and wetlands across four Northwest states. The funding was awarded through
EPA's Tribal Clean Water Act Nonpoint Source and Wetland Program Development Grants.
Grant funds have been awarded to the Chugach Regional Resources Commission, Coeur D'Alene, Nez Perce Tribe,
Klamath Tribes, Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians, Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and
Siuslaw Indians, Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation, Confederated Tribes of the Colville
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Reservation, the Lummi Tribe of the Lummi Reservation, Quinault Indian Nation, Squaxin Island Tribe,
Snoqualmie Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians of Washington, and Tulalip Tribes of Washington.
Below are the projects funded in this year's round of grants:
Non-Point 319 Wetlands Grants - $799,580 total
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation - $100,000
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation propose nonpoint source water pollution control work to
improve water quality in the Armstrong Creek, Smith Creek, and Pe'el Creek watersheds by decommissioning
approximately four miles of roads along numerous creeks. Project work will improve water quality by reducing
sediment delivery from roads to streams through reduction of road mileage, which will restore natural hillslope
hydrology and watershed hydrology by removing impediments to natural flow including an unnecessary culvert.
This project also includes support for the tribe's Nonpoint Source Management Coordinator to monitor and
administer regulation of nonpoint source pollution generating activities across the 1.4 million-acre Colville Indian
Reservation.
Lummi Nation - $100,000
To improve temperature and habitat complexity in Water Resource Inventory Area 1 (WRIA1), the Lummi Nation
Natural Resources Department will provide final designs and implementation for 11 engineered logjams, including
one channel spanner, to restore habitat in the South Fork Nooksack River. The Upper Fobes Reach Phase 2 project
is located between river miles 19.4 and 19.0 on the main stem of the South Fork Nooksack, near Hamilton, in Skagit
County, Washington, and is listed on Washington State's list of impaired waterbodies as temperature impaired.
High water temperatures in the South Fork are detrimental to fish and other native species that depend on cool,
clean, well-oxygenated water. The primary goal of this project is to restore natural channel and floodplain processes
to maintain salmon spawning, rearing, and holding habitat, while improving late summer flow and thermal refugia
for Chinook and steelhead. To achieve this goal, this project will improve connectivity with off-channel habitat,
increase available thermal refuge for salmon during summer months, and increase key habitat quantity by creating
pools associated with logjams as areas of refuge for salmon.
Nez Perce Tribe - $100,000
The Nez Perce Tribe proposes to reduce nonpoint source pollution in the headwaters of Lolo Creek by removing 40
acres of livestock access to Jim Brown Creek. Removing livestock access will help meet water quality targets by
limiting future impacts, improving hydrologic function, and stabilizing stream banks by planting native vegetation
in the heavily degraded riparian area along the creek. Project work also includes evaluating the effectiveness of best
management practices through performance trend monitoring to establish which practices are most effective.
Planned education and outreach about the project will promote adoption of similar water quality improvement
practices and projects by adjacent landowners and others in the community.
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Squaxin Island Tribe - $100,000
The goal of this project proposed by the Squaxin Island Tribe is to transform a gas station runoff stormwater basin
into a bioretention facility, in collaboration with Mason Conservation District and Washington State University, to
remove pollutants from runoff. Project work would also help prevent petroleum and metals-laden runoff from
reaching Little Creek and Skookum Creek. Water quality and water quantity analyses will provide data on water
quality parameters to inform the overall performance of the bioretention facility throughout the period of the
project. Future work would include using this bioretention facility retrofit as a model for future larger projects by
the Squaxin Island Tribe.
Tulalip Tribes of Washington - $100,000
The Tulalip Tribe proposed a project to remove pollution sources from Tulalip shorelines to help re-open shellfish
harvesting for tribal members and enhance and restore an area of shoreline within Tulalip Bay. The tribe will work
with a consulting firm to inform the actions needed to remove pollutants from Tulalip beaches and restore a 32,246
sq. ft. shoreline buffer with a planting plan that includes two years of monitoring following the planting and an
11,000 sq. ft. invasive plant removal plan. The project will also install three to five interpretive signs along the
restoration site. This project implements work from a nine-element watershed-based plan (buffer restoration) and
implements a watershed project (shoreline development analysis) that is a significant step towards solving nonpoint
source impairments or threats on a watershed-wide basis.
The Klamath Tribes - $99,992
The Klamath Tribes will use grant funds to purchase and install a cost-effective solar powered water pump to lift
high nutrient agricultural tailwater from an irrigation canal and irrigation drain into a water treatment wetland.
The pump and treatment wetland are part of a larger effort led by Oregon Department of Agriculture in
collaboration with the landowners, the Klamath Tribes, Natural Resource Conservation Service, Trout Unlimited,
Klamath Soil and Water Conservation District, PacifiCorp, USFWS, and Klamath Watershed Partnership to design
and implement best management practices to minimize external nutrient loading from the agricultural properties
around Upper Klamath Lake.
Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians - $100,000
The five-year goal of this Phase 1 project is to enhance and create complex channel habitat in the Siletz River to
support juvenile salmon and lamprey during key periods of mainstem habitat use. The Tribes will construct 25
additional large wood and boulder structures at three sites within a one-mile river reach to slow velocities and
capture sediment under channel forming conditions (2- year flow events and greater). With the addition of these
structures, the project will increase riverbed roughness, increase bed complexity and sediment sorting, create sand
bar and island habitats, and increase habitats with preferred rearing velocities for salmon fry (velocity below 0.75
ft/sec).
Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation - $99,587
This project supports ongoing monitoring and ecosystem restoration to improve the water temperature of Meacham
Creek. The goal of this project is to restore floodplain access and function for one mile of the Meacham Creek
riparian zone between River Mile 10 and 11, and thereby increase the stability of riparian zone soils, which will
support an enhanced riparian habitat on the streambanks. The project will be in conjunction with ongoing efforts to
reestablish functioning floodplain ecosystem processes in lower Meacham Creek. This project will fund temporary
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bridge installation, stream dewatering and all other erosion and sediment control best management practices to
reduce turbidity as the larger restoration work is completed.
Wetland Development Grants - $1,140,364 total
The Klamath Tribes - $152,417
The Klamath Tribe grant agreement is for a two-year Phase 2 groundwater and surface-water monitoring study for
the Klamath Marsh in Oregon. It expands monitoring begun in 2020 to include additional sample locations;
installation of dataloggers for seasonally inaccessible sample sites; and extends the monitoring period to 4 years.
The tribe is collaborating with the USGS on an investigation focused on monitoring groundwater adjacent to the
Klamath Marsh, assessing long-term changes in marsh and open water area and changes in irrigated agricultural
lands adjacent to the Klamath Marsh. The tribe will prepare a report summarizing marsh surface and groundwater
levels in the Klamath Marsh and analyze water balance components to support the tribe's wetland program in
conducting future restoration and acquisition projects. The tribe will also update their 2014 EPA-approved Wetland
Program Plan to cover the 6-year period of 2021- 2026.
The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians - $240,917
The Confederated Tribes of the Coos, Lower Umpqua, and Siuslaw Indians (CTCLUSI) grant agreement is for a two-
year project designed to increase the tribes' organizational capacity and enhance their collaborative efforts to
manage, restore, and protect wetland throughout their ancestral territory in southwest Oregon through
development of a Wetland Program Plan. The plan will include goals, strategies, and priorities for addressing
wetland restoration and protection efforts on lands under the tribes' jurisdiction. The project includes development
of Tribal ordinances for the protection of wetlands; hosting a stakeholder's summit; production of up-to-date
wetland maps; development of wetland monitoring processes and protocols; development of processes and
protocols for deploying Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK) into restoration/protection strategies; and
development of Tribal specific training materials and tools for program staff.
Chugach Regional Resources Commission - $122,495
The Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) grant agreement is to improve wetland conservation and
management through comprehensive mapping and wetland assessment in the Chenega region of Alaska. CRRC
plans to update geospatial wetlands information covering their traditional lands. Alaska is home to 65 percent of the
nation's wetlands, which cover 45 percent of the state's surface area and support a diversity of important plants and
animal species. USFWS's National Wetland Inventory for Alaska is outdated for the Chenega Indian Reorganization
Act (IRA) Council's traditional lands and needs to be updated to allow for meaningful monitoring and management.
The project includes a contemporary National Wetlands Inventory in the region for use by tribes to manage their
wetlands.
Coeur D'Alene Tribe - $115,540
The Coeur D'Alene Tribe will update to their Wetland Program Plan and support funding activities that are included
in the Tribe's current EPA-approved plan. The tribe will host Coeur d'Alene Tribal Wetland Workgroup meetings;
conduct outreach within the Tribe and to landowners regarding their wetland/aquatic resource conservation
programs; identify reference wetlands through their monitoring program for different wetland types on the Coeur
d'Alene Reservation; conduct wetland assessments on at least five new wetland sites, including reference wetlands,
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November 2021
develop a Standard Operating Procedures manual to enroll lands into conservation programs, and research
establishing a Coeur d'Alene Tribe Conservation District. The final products will be an updated Coeur d'Alene Tribe
Wetland Program Plan for a 6-year period, a report summarizing the wetland assessments and conservation
enrollment results, a Standard Operating Procedures manual, and a report on the results and recommendations
from the research to establish a Coeur d'Alene Tribe Conservation District.
Quinault Indian Nation - $207,776
The Quinault Indian Nation will develop a Wetland Climate Change Adaptation Plan and develop a more extensive
remote monitoring program including updating their wetland mapped inventory with the use of an unmanned
aircraft system or drone. This 12-month project will focus on developing and refining the Quinault Environmental
Protection Department's capacity to manage wetland resources as identified in the tribe's updated Wetland
Program Plan (2022-2028) as well as to implement Quinault Nation's other rules and regulations to protect
wetlands. Two deliverables will be development of methods and studies to address at risk or vulnerable wetland
ecosystems, aquatic resources, and wetland-dependent priority species due to hazard mitigation/flood/drought
planning, and development of improved wetland inventory and maps. This project will sustain the current effort at
Quinault Indian Nation to make science-based decisions to protect wetland resources and their functions.
Snoqualmie Tribe - $76,354
The Snoqualmie Tribe grant agreement is to continue to lead the Pacific Northwest (PNW) Tribal Wetlands
Working Group (TWIG) for two more years. The Snoqualmie Tribe has been leading the PNW TWIG for four years.
The PNW TWIG is a tribally run peer-to-peer network that formed in 2010 to assist tribes in managing wetlands.
The goal of the PNW TWIG is to foster a community of support for Tribal wetland managers, assisting tribes that
are beginning, in process, or succeeding in their Wetland Program Plans and wetland management. Some of these
ways include by participating as a key stakeholder in the Association of State and Wetland Managers proposed
tribal outreach advisory working group, which will help to identify and address national tribal wetland training
needs; leveraging the experience of the PNW TWIG to work with other groups across the nation in an advisory
capacity; creating important professional support networks within EPA regions; and coordinating workshops and
trainings of the PNW TWIG, open to tribal staff throughout EPA's Region 10 (AK, ID, OR, WA) over a two year
period. Additionally, this grant will be used to enhance TWIG's online presence by sharing TWIG trainings, virtual
workshops, and other visual video materials, making them available to Tribes and others across the nation.
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians of Washington - $224,865
The Stillaguamish Tribe will develop and implement avian monitoring and assessment of estuarine wetlands and
update their existing Wetland Program Plan. The objectives of the project are to develop an avian monitoring
framework and sampling design for estuarine wetlands that will allow the Stillaguamish Tribe to improve its
wetland management in estuarine habitats, and to identify management actions, including identifying priority
approaches for restoration. This project will advance the Tribe's understanding of estuarine restoration impact on
bird communities. The grant tasks include: gathering information on avian species and their needs to establish
management priorities that can guide the development of monitoring; developing, implementing, and evaluating
sampling designs and field protocols for monitoring estuarine birds; exploring avian monitoring data management
and warehousing needs; updating the Stillaguamish Tribe's current (2019-2024) Wetland Program Plan to include
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Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
November 2021
estuarine wetland restoration and protection goals; and conducting outreach to managers, agencies and monitoring
practitioners involved in wetland management.
Source: https:/Av\vw.epa.gov/ne\vsreleases/epa-a\vards-i'Wiorth\vest-tribes-nearlv-2-million-\vater-qualitv-
improvement-and-wetland
Tech and Tools
Uncovering Hidden Forever Chemicals: New Tool Finds and
Fingerprints Previously Undetected PFAS Compounds in Watersheds
on Cape Cod
Researchers from Harvard University have developed a new testing method to detect PFAS chemicals in water. This
new method measures for total organofluorine and then transforms PFAS precursor chemicals to their terminal and
measurable forms. The study was published on March 5, 2021, in Environmental Science & Technology and is
accessible here: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/io.i02i/acs.est.oc072Q6
For more information, contact Leah Burrows at lburrows @seas .harvard.edu.
Source: https://www.seas.harvard.edu/news/2021/o3/uncovering-hidden-forever-chemicals
Recent Publications
Journal Articles
The list below provides a selection of research articles.
~	Microplastic Exposure by Razor Clam Recreational Harvester-Consumers Along a Sparsely Populated Coastline
Baechler, B., E. Granek, S. Mazzone, M. Nielsen-Pincus, and S. Brander. 2020. Microplastic exposure by razor clam recreational
harvester-consumers along a sparsely populated coastline. Frontiers in Marine Science 7:588481.
~	Resilience of Cold Water Aauaculture: A Review of Likely Scenarios as Climate Changes in the Gulf of Maine
Bricknell, I.R., S.D. Birkel, S.H. Brawley, T. Van Kirk, H.J. Hamlin, K. Capistrant-Fossa, K. Huguenard, G.P. Van Walsum, Z.L. Liu, L.H.
Zhu, G. Grebe, E. Taccardi, M. Miller, B.M. Preziosi, K. Duffy, C.J. Byron, C.T.C. Quigley, T.J. Bowden, D. Brady, B.F. Beal, P.K.
Sappati, T.R. Johnson, and S. Moeykens. 2021. Resilience of cold water aquaculture: a review of likely scenarios as climate
changes in the Gulf of Maine. Reviews in Aquaculture 13(l):460-503.
~	Can Shellfish be Used to Monitor SARS-CoV-2 in the Coastal Environment?
Desdouits, M., J.-C. Piquet, C. Wacrenier, C. Le Mennec, S. Parnaudeau, S. Jousse, S. Rocq, L. Bigault, M. Contrant, P. Garry, F.
Chavanon, R. Gabellec, L. Lamort, L. Lebrun, P. Le Gall, C. Meteigner, A. Schmitt, J.L. Seugnet, 0. Serais, C. Peltier, C. Bressolette-
Bodin, Y. Blanchard, and F.S. Le Guyader. 2021. Can shellfish be used to monitor SARS-CoV-2 in the coastal environment?
Science of The Total Environment 778:146270.
~	Pharmaceuticals and Alkvlphenols in Transplanted Pacific Oysters (Crassostrea gfeas): Spatial Variation and Growth Effects
Ehrhart, A.L., and E.F. Granek. 2021. Pharmaceuticals and alkylphenols in transplanted Pacific oysters (Crassostrea glgas): Spatial
variation and growth effects. Marine Pollution Bulletin 170:112584.
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Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
November 2021
~	Microplastics in Shellfish and Implications for Food Safety
Li, Q., C. Ma, Q. Zhang, and H. Shi. 2021. Microplastics in shellfish and implications for food safety. Current Opinion in Food
Science 40:192-197.
~	Maternal Transfer of Polvchlorinated Biphenvls in Pacific Sand Lance (Ammodvtesoersonatu^, Puget Sound. Washington
Liedtke, T.L., and K.E. Conn. 2021. Maternal transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls in Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus),
Puget Sound, Washington. Science of The Total Environment 764:142819.
~	Benthic Macroinvertebrate Community Response to Environmental Changes Over Seven Decades in an Urbanized Estuary in the Northeastern
United States
Pelletier, M., D. Cobb, K. Rocha, K.T. Ho, M.G. Cantwell, M. Perron, M.A. Charpentier, H.W. Buffum, S.S. Hale, and R.M. Burgess.
2021. Benthic macroinvertebrate community response to environmental changes over seven decades in an urbanized estuary in
the northeastern United States. Marine Environmental Research 169:105323.
~	Exploring Biophysical Linkages between Coastal Forestry Management Practices and Aquatic Bivalve Contaminant Exposure
Scully-Engelmeyer, K., E.F. Granek, M. Nielsen-Pincus, A. Lanier, S.S. Rumrill, P. Moran, E. Nilsen, M.L. Hladik, and L. Pillsbury.
2021. Exploring biophysical linkages between coastal forestry management practices and aquatic bivalve contaminant exposure.
Toxics 9(3):46.
~	Evidence for Rapid Gut Clearance of Microplastic Polyester Fibers Fed to Chinook Salmon: ATank Study
Spanjer, A.R., T.L. Liedtke, K.E. Conn, L.K. Weiland, R.W. Black, and N. Godfrey. 2020. Evidence for rapid gut clearance of
microplastic polyester fibers fed to Chinook salmon: A tank study. Environmental Pollution 265:115083.
~	Contribution of Commercial Fish Species to Human Mercury Exposure: An Evaluation Near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Vieira, H.C., J. Rendon-von Osten, A.M.V.M. Soares, F. Morgado, and S.N. Abreu. 2021. Contribution of commercial fish species to
human mercury exposure: An evaluation near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis 95:103688.
Upcoming Meetings and Conferences
2021 Maryland Water Monitoring Council Annual Conference	Gulf of Mexico Conference
December 2-3, 2021	April 25-28, 2022
Virtual	Baton Rouge, LA
The Interstate Technology and Regulatory Council (ITRC1
Harmful Cvanobacteria Blooms Training
December 2, 2021
Virtual
2nd Annual Harmful Algal Bloom Virtual Symposium
January 6-7, 2022
Virtual
2022 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment
Conference
April 27-28, 2022
Champaign, IL and Virtual
12th International Conference on Toxic Cvanobacteria
May 22-27, 2022
Toledo, OH
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Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
November 2021
Additional Information
This bimonthly newsletter highlights current information about fish and shellfish.
For more information about specific advisories within the state, territory, or tribe, contact the appropriate
state agency listed on EPA's National Listing of Fish Advisories website at https://fishadvisorvonline.epa.gov/Contacts.aspx.
For more information about this newsletter, contact Sharon Frey (Frev.Sharon@epa.gov. 202-566-1480).
Additional information about advisories and fish and shellfish consumption can be found at https://www.eDa.gov/fish-tech.
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