vvEPA
United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Fish and Shellfish Program
NEWSLETTER
March 2022
EPA 823N22002
In This Issue
Recent Advisory News 1
EPA News 6
Other News ,.7
Recently Awarded Research... 10
Tech and Tools 11
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
regulatory 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 services 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
K Kansas Issues Fish Consumption
Advisories for 2022
On January 3, 2022, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the
Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks (KDWP) issued fish consumption advisories for
2022. The advisories identify types of fish or other aquatic animals that should be eaten
in limited quantities or, in some cases, avoided altogether because of contamination.
General advice and internet resources are provided to aid the public in making informed
decisions regarding the benefits and the risks associated with eating locally caught fish
from Kansas waters.
Definitions
Bottom-feeding fish: buffaloes, carps, catfishes, sturgeons, and suckers.
Shellfish: mussels, clams, and crayfish.
Serving size (skinless fish fillets before cooking):
• Adults and children age 13 and older = 8 ounces
• Children age 6 to 12 = 4 ounces
• Children younger than 6 = 2 ounces
Statewide mercuiy advisories for fish
Getting outside to catch fish and eating fish has many health benefits, but all fish contain
some amount of mercury. A113 011 e who routinely eats fish or serves fish to their children
should carefully consider the types and amounts they eat, including store-bought fish.
Too much dietary mercury can harm the development of fetuses, nursing babies, and
growing children. Therefore, mercury-sensitive individuals (women who are pregnant,
nursing, or may become pregnant, and children younger than 17 years old) should follow
the guidelines presented below for eating fish caught in Kansas.
Fishing and eating guidelines
• Eat smaller portions - a fillet about the size of your palm.
• Eat types of fish with less mercury (Preferred Choice Fish in the table below).
This newsletter provides a monthly summary of news about fish and shellfish
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Fish and Shellfish Program newsletter
March 2022
• If you don't know the type or size of fish you are eating, wait at least a week before eating fish again.
• When fishing, keep fish shorter than your forearm (fingertips to elbow) or less than 20 inches as
regulations allow.
Preferred Choice Fish
Servings
Blue and Channel Catfish
1 or 2 per week
Common Carp
Crappies
White Bass, White Perch, Wiper, Striped Bass
Walleye, Sauger, Saugeye
Bullhead Catfish
Drum
Sunfish (Bluegill, Green, Redear, etc.)
Second Choice Fish
Servings
Buffaloes (Black, Bigmouth, and Smallmouth)
1 or 2 per month
Flathead Catfish
Bass (Largemouth, Smallmouth, and Spotted)
Reduce the recommendations above if you tend to keep fish larger than about 20 inches to:
• Preferred Choice Fish - not more than 1 serving per week
• Second Choice Fish - not more than 1 serving per month
For specific questions or concerns about mercury in Kansas fish, please contact KDHE. For information about
mercury in fish caught in other states, in store bought fish, and in other types of seafood please visit the U.S. EPA
and U.S. FDA websites.
Waterbody specific advisories for all consumers
Kansas recommends restricting consumption of bottom-feeding fish and catfishes to 1 serving per week from the
following locations because of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs):
• Cow Creek in Hutchinson and downstream to the confluence with the Arkansas River (Reno County).
• Kansas River from Lawrence (below Bowersock Dam) downstream to Eudora at the confluence of the
Wakarusa River (Douglas and Leavenworth counties).
• Little Arkansas River from the Main Street Bridge immediately west of Valley Center to the confluence with
the Arkansas River in Wichita (Sedgwick County).
Kansas recommends restricting consumption of bottom-feeding fish and catfishes to 1 serving per month from the
following location because of PCBs:
• K-96 Lake in Wichita (Sedgwick County).
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Kansas recommends not eating specified fish or aquatic life from the following locations:
• Arkansas River from the Lincoln Street dam in Wichita downstream to the confluence with Cowskin Creek
near Belle Plaine (Sedgwick and Sumner counties); bottom-feeding fish and catfishes due to PCBs.
• Shoal Creek from the Missouri/Kansas border to Empire Lake (Cherokee County); shellfish due to lead and
cadmium.
• Spring River from the confluence of Center Creek to the Kansas/Oklahoma border (Cherokee County);
shellfish due to lead and cadmium.
• Antioch Park Lake South in Antioch Park, Overland Park (Johnson County); all fish due to pesticides
dieldrin, heptachlor epoxide, chlordane and dichlorophenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs).
• Arkalon Park Lakes in Liberal (Seward County) - Kansas recommends not eating any aquatic life because
the lakes are sustained solely by treated municipal wastewater.
Waterbodies affected by harmful algae blooms
To date, measured algal toxin levels in fish samples collected from waters affected by harmful algal blooms (HABs)
suggest the fish are safe to eat. However, please take the following precautions:
• Avoid skin contact with water.
• Wear gloves when handling wet fish and equipment.
• Rinse fish with clean water.
• Remove skin from fillets and rinse with clean water prior to cooking or freezing.
• Eat only skinless fillets.
• Do not eat shellfish.
General advice for reducing exposure to chemicals in fish
• Keep smaller fish to eat and let the big ones go.
• Avoid eating fish parts other than fillets.
• Trim fat from fillets and/or use cooking methods that allows fat to drip away.
• Avoid subsistence fishing (relying on wild-caught fish for daily nutritional needs) in rivers within or
immediately downstream of large urban/industrial areas.
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• Do not eat fish or aquatic life from wastewater outfalls, waste treatment lagoons, or stormwater retention
ponds.
Other information from KDHE, KDWPT, EPA, and the American Heart Association
To view the advisories online and for information about KDHE's Fish Tissue Contaminant Monitoring Program
please visit the website at https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/1268/Fish-Tissue-Contaminant-Monitoring-Progr.
For information about fishing in Kansas including licensing, regulations, fishing reports, and fishing forecasts
please visit the KDWPT fishing website http://ksoutdoors.com/Fishing.
For information about the health benefits vs. the risks of including fish in your diet please visit this American Heart
Association website httDs://\v\v\v.heart.org/en/ne\vs/2Qi8/oc;/2c;/eating-fish-twice-a-\veek-reduces-heart-stroke-
risk.
For technical information regarding the U.S. EPA risk assessment methods used to determine advisory
consumption limits please visit http://www2.epa.g0v/fish-tech.
For more information, contact Matthew Lara at matthew.lara@ks.gov.
Source: https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=77
%New PFAS Fish Consumption Advisory Issued for Bay of Green
Bay and Associated Tributaries
On January 18, 2022, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Department of Health
Services (DHS) announced a new per- and polvfluoroalkvl substances (PFAS)-based consumption advisory for the
Bay of Green Bay and its tributaries following results of fish sampling conducted in 2020.
Elevated levels of perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS), a type of PFAS, were detected in rock bass sampled from the
Peshtigo River. As a result, the DNR and DHS recommend consuming only one meal per week for rock bass from
the Bay of Green Bay and its associated tributaries up to the first dam. This includes portions of the Peshtigo,
Oconto, and Menominee rivers.
More information and a complete list of consumption advisories can be found in the Choose Wisely booklet or on
the fish consumption webpage.
Additional resources include: Site Specific Advisory for Green Bav and its Tributaries and Ohov Chaw Muai Lus
Ohia Tshwi Xeeb Rau Green Bav Thiab Cov Dei Ntws Los Rau Nws
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Fish consumption and PFAS
Fishing is an important part of life in Wisconsin and eating fish that you catch can be part of a healthy, balanced
diet. Fish are generally high in protein, contain vitamins and minerals, and are the primary food source for healthy
omega-3 fats.
However, fish may take in pollutants from their environment and their food. In Wisconsin, the DNR regularly tests
fish to determine if they contain pollutants and special fish consumption advice is issued for waterbodies where
higher levels of pollutants are measured.
For most of Wisconsin's 10,000+ waterbodies, the general statewide fish consumption advisory should be followed.
For the waterbodies where increased levels of pollutants have been measured, special fish consumption advice
should be followed.
In Wisconsin, mercury and polvchlorinated biphenvls (PCBs) are the pollutants upon which most fish consumption
is based. At some sites, though, elevated levels of other pollutants, including dioxins and PFOS, a type of PFAS, are
the basis for special fish consumption advice.
Consumption advice
If you follow fish consumption advisories, you can get the health benefits from eating fish while reducing your risk
from contaminants.
• Before going fishing, use the Choose Wisely guide to determine if your fishing spot has special advice and
then follow the consumption advice appropriate for the species and length of fish you'd like to eat.
• You can also search for advice for any waterbody in the state using the online Find Advice tool.
Advice for Hmong and Spanish anglers
• Noi cov ntses koi nuv tau - xaiv cov uas zoo rau lub cev
• Comer lo que se pesca - como tomar decisiones saludables
Where DNR has sampled fish for PFAS
The DNR has tested fish for PFAS (including PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid [PFOA]) in a number of Wisconsin
waters. The map of surface water bodies sampled for PFAS include locations that have been tested since 2006.
Efforts are underway to test fish from more locations and to revisit previous locations in order to re-test fish.
For more information, contact Justine Hasz at Justine.Hasz@wi.gov.
Source: https://dnr.Wisconsin.gov/topic/PFAS/Advisories.html
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EPA News
EPA and Massachusetts Settlements Ensure Company will Pay
Nearly $1.5 Million for 2019 North River Fish Kill
Company will compensate Massachusetts for harms to natural resources and cold water fishery; Ensure
safe operation of Colrain, Massachusetts bleaching facility
On December 7, 2021, Massachusetts Attorney General (AG) Maura Healey, the U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) and the Baker-Polito Administration announced that Barnhardt Manufacturing Company, a North-
Carolina-based cotton bleaching company, has agreed to pay nearly $1.5 million to settle allegations that it spilled
dozens of gallons of concentrated sulfuric acid from its Colrain facility into the North River, killing more than
270,000 fish, including thousands of state-listed rare species.
The state and federal settlements will also require the company to take steps to comply with water pollution, hazard
management, and chemical accident prevention laws at their bleaching facility and associated wastewater treatment
facility.
According to the AG's complaint, on Sept.i, 2019, between approximately 53 and 60 gallons of concentrated sulfuric
acid sprayed out of an outdoor above-ground storage tank at Barnhardt's Colrain facility directly onto the ground.
The AG's Office alleges that Barnhardt knew the storage tank had a leak and neglected to repair it. Dozens of gallons
of acid allegedly flowed into a nearby brook and down a three mile stretch of the North River, a pristine river and
popular recreational fishery that feeds into the Deerfield River. According to the complaint, the acid dissolved
nearly everything in its path, killing more than 270,000 fish and damaging more than 14 acres of protected wetland
resource areas and over 12 acres of designated habitat of two state-listed rare species - the Longnose Sucker fish
and the Ocellated Darner dragonfly. Barnhardt also allegedly discharged wastewater from its facility in excess of
permitted limits on numerous occasions, improperly operated and maintained its wastewater treatment facility,
and mismanaged hazardous waste oil.
EPA's administrative settlement alleges, among other things, that the company failed to maintain its sulfuric acid
tank in violation of the General Duty Clause of the Clean Air Act, which requires users of extremely hazardous
substances to take steps to prevent and mitigate accidental releases.
"EPA's case complements the Commonwealth's by addressing the root cause of the spill," said EPA New England
Acting Regional Administrator Deb Szaro. "It's critical that companies handling hazardous chemicals identify
hazards and ensure that their facilities are designed and maintained safely. Carefully following the Clean Air Act's
chemical accident prevention provisions helps prevent releases from occurring in the first place."
The AG's Office alleges Barnhardt's acid spill and facility operations violated numerous Massachusetts
environmental laws and regulations, including the state Wetlands Protection Act, Endangered Species Act, Clean
Waters Act, and Hazardous Waste Management Act, and gave rise to significant damages under the
Commonwealth's Oil and Hazardous Material Release Prevention and Response Act and Inland Fisheries Statute.
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"The sulfuric acid spill caused by this company was devastating for the Colrain community and left long-lasting
damage to the North River," AG Healey said. "Today's settlements will hold Barnhardt accountable for harming this
rich ecosystem and will provide significant funding to restore nearby natural resources and fisheries."
Under the terms of the settlement with the AG's Office, Barnhardt is required to comply with state regulations to
protect water quality and natural resources at and around its facility and undertake additional training, planning,
and operations to prevent future releases. Barnhardt will also pay up to $500,000 in penalties, including $200,000
to the Commonwealth's Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Fund. Barnhardt will also fund the replacement
and/or enhancement of one or more culverts located in the Deerfield River watershed in Colrain, at a cost of
$300,000. Additionally, Barnhardt will pay the state more than $360,000 to fund environmental restoration
projects in the Colrain area, to compensate for the harm to natural resources and fisheries, and to reimburse the
costs of assessing natural resource damages.
EPA's settlement requires a civil penalty payment of approximately $305,000 to the U.S. Treasury and work to
ensure that chemical hazards at the plant are identified and addressed.
The state settlement was negotiated in collaboration with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental
Protection and the Massachusetts Division of Fisheries and Wildlife. EPA brought its administrative case on a
separate but parallel track.
For more information, contact Emily Bender at Bender.Emilv@epa .gov.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-and-massachusetts-settlements-ensure-companv-will-pav-nearlv-
1 c;-million-20iQ-north
Other News
Modeling Coastal Contaminant Distribution from Land Use and
Demographics
On January 5, 2022, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) announced two new publications that
model coastal ocean contaminant distributions based on land use and demographics. Together, these papers
develop and test machine learning models to predict contamination levels based on patterns of humans in the
landscape.
In order to answer critical questions about contaminant source and fate, NCCOS is developing new strategies to link
chemical contaminants detected in bivalves (e.g., mussels and oysters) and sediments to potential sources of
contamination. Through the cross-disciplinary collaborations of sociology, spatial ecology and contaminant
detection, NCCOS scientists are exploring modeling and machine learning techniques to improve the understanding
of the complex interactions between the human environment and chemical contaminants.
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This study utilized existing coastal contaminant data from the NOAA
Mussel Watch Program (MWP), NST Great Lakes Restoration Initiative
and Bioeffects programs, and spatial human dimensions data to further
characterize and predict environmenta! PAH concentrations and
characterize the relationship between PAHs and spatial social data.
Patterns in PAH data were identified using descriptive statistics and
machine learning techniques that are currently being applied to CECs.
Two publications have resulted so far from this research effort: A
NOAA Technical Memorandum and a peer-reviewed research paper
published in the journal in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment.
In the Laurentian Great Lakes, relationships between total PAH
concentration in dreissenid mussel tissue, impervious land surface
percentages, and PAH relative concentration were identified and used to build a predictive model for the Great
Lakes Basin fKimbrouah et al.. 2021").
Along the coastal continental United States, 3722 sediment samples from 263 sampling sites (derived from multiple
studies over more than three decades) were combined and analyzed to gain a better perspective 011 PAH
distribution (Freitae et al.. 2021).
The studies determined the following list of environmental (independent) variables (factors) to test in the model:
impervious surface, land use/land cover, boat ramps and marinas, population, parking lot cover, road cover,
petroleum industry locations, wastewater treatment facilities, and basic demographics. The three significant
variables with the highest rA2 values (correlations) were road density, impervious surface, and high intensity
development in a 3 kilometer (km) buffer (as presented in Table 1 in Freitae et al.. 2021).
Using 5 km buffers around each sampling site and existing sampling sites for machine learning training data, the
model used Random Forest predictive capabilities to predict the level of PAH concentration at the center
("centroid" of each sampling site's watershed (based on United States Geological Survey [USGS] Hydrologic Unit
Maps).
Since 1986, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Status and Trends Program
(NST) has monitored and characterized the nation's coastal waters for chemical contaminants and biological
indicators of water quality. NST uses a multi-matrix approach that utilizes sediment, fish, bivalves, and macro
infauna for contaminant monitoring (national and regional) and site characterization tasks. Contaminants
monitored include legacy organic chemicals, such as organochlorine pesticides, industrial contaminants, metals,
and fossil fuel combustion byproducts (e.g., polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons [PAHs]). In recent years, these
programs have added contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) to their
analyses including pharmaceuticals and personal care products,
alternative flame retardants, and alkylphenol and perfluorinated
compounds (PFAS). nicknamed "forever chemicals."
NCCOS social scientists further characterize and model
relationships between contaminants and spatial social
data. Top, Chicago skyline and Lake Michigan (Photo
courtesy of USGS); Bottom, NOAA NST monitoring in Lake
Michigan (Photo courtesy of NOAA)
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The predicted high PAH levels are primarily (but not entirely) surrounded by urban land use and present primarily
in Southern California and seaside New York, both of which have high commercial vessel port activity (Figure l in
Freitag et al.. 2021).
This project represents a first attempt to combine data from NCCOS monitoring and assessment programs for
analysis using machine learning to assess data patterns and comparing them to a regression analysis. The results
can help prioritize testing in areas where human activities indicate there might be reason for concern about
contaminants.
For more information, contact Amy Freitag at Amv.Freitag@noaa.gov.
Source: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/nevvs/modeling-coastal-contaminant-distribution-from-land-use-and-
demographics/
NCCOS Maps Options for Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Gulf of
Mexico and Southern California Bight
On November 16, 2021, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) announced the release of two
atlases that compile the best available science to inform the identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas (AOAs)
in the Gulf of Mexico and the Southern California Bight. NOAA previously identified these regions for their
potential to host sustainable commercial aquaculture development in the United States (U.S.). Areas in the atlases
have characteristics expected to support multiple types of aquaculture industries including finfish, shellfish,
seaweed, or some combination of these farming types.
The atlases provide the most comprehensive marine spatial analyses
ever developed for any U.S. ocean space. NCCOS developed each atlas
using more than 200 data layers accounting for key environmental,
economic, social, and cultural considerations, including fishing
interests and marine protected areas. The studies identified nine areas
in the Gulf of Mexico and 10 areas in the Southern California
Bight that have the highest potential to support three to five marine
aquaculture operations, while also reducing conflicts with other ocean
uses.
The atlases do not identify AOAs but are instead an important step to
provide peer-reviewed spatial mapping that will inform the selection Aquaculture Opportunity Area Atlas for the Southern
process for final aquaculture opportunity selections. The decision to California Bight (Photo courtesy ofNCCOS\
identify an AOA will only be made after completion of the National
Environmental Policy Act Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement, which will assess the impacts of siting
aquaculture facilities in different potential locations. Proposed aquaculture development must go through the
appropriate permitting process.
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Though the information delivered in these atlases is tailored to inform the AOA selection process, the method used
to conduct these analyses could also benefit other ocean planning and coastal management.
NOAA will continue to work with Fishery Management Councils, Marine Fisheries Commissions, states and tribes,
and other stakeholders to identify areas to be considered in further depth for sustainable aquaculture. Public input
is vital to shaping an open and transparent AOA process.
For more information, contact Ken Riley at Ken.Rilev@noaa.gov.
Source: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/news/nccos-maps-options-for-aauaculture-opportunitv-areas-in-the-gulf-
of-mexico-and-southern-california-bight/
Recently Awarded Research
EPA Awards $16 Million in Great Lakes Restoration Initiative Grants
to Central Michigan and Clarkson Universities
On April 20, 2021, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) awarded two grants totaling $16 million to
continue monitoring coastal wetlands and levels of contaminants in fish throughout the Great Lakes basin. The
grants - $10 million to Central Michigan University (CMU) in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and approximately $6
million to Clarkson University in Potsdam, New York - will be funded through the Great Lakes Restoration
Initiative (GLRI) and are part of a larger effort to restore and protect the Great Lakes.
Specifically, the funded work supports the GLRI goal of protecting and restoring the chemical, physical and
biological integrity of the Great Lakes basin. In 2019, EPA announced the GLRI Action Plan III, an aggressive plan
that guides Great Lakes restoration and protection activities by EPA and its many partners for 5 years.
"These grants are great examples of what the GLRI is all about - strong partnerships delivering positive results for
the Great Lakes," said Acting EPA Regional Administrator Cheryl Newton. "EPA looks forward to continued
collaboration with Central Michigan and Clarkson universities on this important work to protect the Great Lakes."
EPA awarded CMU $10 million in research funding to monitor approximately 1,000 coastal wetlands in the Great
Lakes over the next five years in support of EPA's Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program, which began
in 2011. The grant will help CMU monitor the health and trends in plant, invertebrate, amphibian, fish, and bird
communities as well as water quality in Great Lakes coastal wetlands. This information provides vital information
for Great Lakes coastal wetland restoration and other management efforts.
"I have worked with the scientists from EPA's Great Lakes program since the late 1990s and look forward to
continuing our partnership to protect and restore Great Lakes coastal wetlands," said Donald Uzarski, director of
CMU's Institute for Great Lakes Research. "The Great Lakes program ensures that managers can make decisions
about these critical ecosystems based on sound science while being proactive rather than reactionary. The success of
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the program is vital to both healthy ecosystems and a strong economy. I commend EPA for its dedication to the over
60 million people that rely on heathy Great Lakes."
EPA also awarded Clarkson University approximately $6 million in GLRI funding to monitor legacy and emerging
contaminants in top predator fish in each of the Great Lakes over the next five years as part of the EPA's Great
Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance Program, initiated in 1977. This research will evaluate long-term trends in
contaminant concentrations in whole fish and assess changes in contaminant transfer through the Great Lakes food
web.
"Global commerce, recreation enthusiasts and municipalities within the entire Great Lakes ecosystem rely upon the
extraordinary science and innovative solutions from this research team addressing contaminant trends in fish and
ensuring healthy water supplies," said Robyn Hannigan, provost of Clarkson University. "Clarkson and its
collaborators at the EPA's Great Lakes National Program Office are committed to applying their expertise to the
environmental and resilient economic solutions that make a difference for the public good."
For more information on GLRI, visit https://www.glri .us.
For more information see Great Lakes Coastal Wetland Monitoring Program, https: //www.epa.gov/great-lakes-
monitoring/about-great-lakes-coastal-wetland-monitoring-program-cwmp.
For more information see Great Lakes Fish Monitoring and Surveillance, visit https://www.epa.gov/great-lakes-
monitoring/great-lakes-fish-monitoring-and-surveillance.
For more information, contact Taylor Gillespie at Gillespie.Tavlor@epa.gov.
Source: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-awards-i6-million-great-lakes-restoration-initiative-grants-
central-michigan-and
Tech and Tools
Sailing Drones Collect Data for Great Lakes Fishery Study
On August 5, 2021, two uncrewed surface vehicles began a 45-day sailing mission through Lakes Michigan and
Huron as part of a scientific study.
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Saildrone. Inc.. launched the vehicles from Macatawa, Michigan, on July
28, 2021. These ocean drones, called Saildrone Explorers, began collecting fishery data on Lake Michigan on August
5, sailing north into Lake Huron through September. Information collected as part of the study will help inform
sustainable management of the $7 billion per year Great Lakes fishing industry.
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The Saildrones use acoustic, or sound, technology to gather fish
distribution and density data around-the-clock. USGS scientists will
use the data to better understand the effects of large vessel engine
noise on fish sampling and catchability. This information will be
used to sustain important fisheries for states, Tribes and likely the
Province of Ontario, Canada.
The 23-foot autonomous vehicles are powered by wind and solar
energy and carry no people. The sailboat-like drones have a 15-foot-
tall wing sail and weighted keel, and they bear a pavload of science
sensors and navigational and communications equipment 011 their
hulls.
The acoustic technology used in the study is not hazardous to people
or animals and will not interfere with sonar, communications
equipment, or similar electronics.
For information about USGS research on the Great Lakes, please \isit the USGS Great Lakes Science Center
website.
For more information, contact Marisa Lubeck at mlubeck@usgs.gov.
Source: https://www.usgs.gov/news/state-news-release/media-advisorv-sailing-drones-collect-data-great-lakes-
fisherv-
research#:~:text=These%20ocean%2odrones%2C%20called%2oSaildrone.vear%2oGreat%2QLakes%2ofishing%2
ojndustry.
Recent Publications
These Saiidrone Explorers will use acoustic, or sound,
technology to gather fish distribution and density data
around-the-clock. USGS scientists will use the data to
better understand the effects of invasive mussels and
nutrient loss in the water. (Photo courtesy of Saiidrone,
Inc. Permission to use provided by Saiidrone, inc.)
Journal Articles
The list below provides a selection of research articles.
~ Assessing exposures to per-and polvfluoroalkvl substances in two populations of Great Lakes Basin fish consumers in Western New York State.
Liu, MM. Nordstrom, S. Forand. E. Lewis-Michl. W.A. Wattigney, K. Kannan, W. Wang, E Irvin-Barnwell, and S.-A. Hwang. 2022.
Assessing exposures to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances in two populations of Great Lakes Basin fish consumers in Western
New York State. International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health 240:113902.
~ ChangingTrends in Paralytic Shellfish Poisonings Reflect Increasing Sea SurfaceTemperatures and Practices of Indigenous and Recreational
Harvesters in British Columbia. Canada
Mclntyre, L., A. Miller, and T. Kosatsky. 2021. Changing trends in paralytic shellfish poisonings reflect increasing sea surface
temperatures and practices of indigenous and recreational harvesters in British Columbia, Canada. Marine Drugs 19(10):568.
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~ Comparative analyses with conventional surveys reveal the potential for an angler app to contribute to recreational fisheries monitoring
Johnston, F.D., S. Simmons, B. van Poorten, and P. Venturelli. 2021. Comparative analyses with conventional surveys reveal the
potential for an angler app to contribute to recreational fisheries monitoring. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
79(l):31-46.
~ Consumption of freshwater fish: A variable but significant risk factor for PFOS exposure
Augustsson, A., T. Lennqvist, C.M.G. Osbeck, P. Tibblin, A. Glynn, M.A. Nguyen, E. Westberg, and R. Vestergren. 2021. Consumption
of freshwater fish: A variable but significant risk factor for PFOS exposure. Environmental Research 192:110284.
~ Combined effects of ocean warming and acidification on marine fish and shellfish: A molecule to ecosystem perspective
Baag, S., and S. Mandal. 2022. Combined effects of ocean warming and acidification on marine fish and shellfish: A molecule to
ecosystem perspective. Science of The Total Environment 802:149807.
~ Habitat value of bivalve shellfish and seaweed aauaculture for fish and invertebrates: Pathways, synthesis and next steps
Theuerkauf, S.J., L.T. Barrett, H.K. Alleway, B.A. Costa-Pierce, A. St. Gelais, and R.C. Jones. 2022. Habitat value of bivalve shellfish
and seaweed aquaculture for fish and invertebrates: Pathways, synthesis and next steps. Reviews in Aquaculture 14(l):54-72.
~ PFAS molecules: A maior concern for the human health and the environment
Panieri, E., K. Baralic, D. Djukic-Cosic, A. Buha Djordjevic, and L. Saso. 2022. PFAS molecules: A major concern for the human
health and the environment. Toxics 10(2):44.
~ Total blood mercury predicts methvlmercurv exposure in fish and shellfish consumers
Wells, E.M., L. Kopylev, R. Nachman, E.G. Radke, J. Congleton, and D. Segal. 2021. Total blood mercury predicts methylmercury
exposure in fish and shellfish consumers. Biological Trace Element Research.
Upcoming Meetings and Conferences
Gulf of Mexico Conference
April 25-28, 2022
Baton Rouge, LA
12th International Conference on Toxic Cvanobacteria
May 22-27, 2022
Toledo, OH
2022 Emerging Contaminants in the Environment Conference
April 27-28, 2022
Champaign, IL and Virtual
Small Pelagic Fish: New Frontiers in Science and
Sustainable Management
November 7-11, 2022
Lisbon, Portugal
Additional Information
This monthly 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 Frev (Frev.Sharon@epa.gov. 202-566-1480).
Additional information about advisories and fish and shellfish consumption can be found at https://www.epa.gov/fish-tech.
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