CATALOG DOCUMENTATION NATIONAL COASTAL ASSESSMENT DATABASE 2 0 03 NEW YORK/NEW JERSEY HARBOR SYSTEM BENTHIC TAXON ABUNDANCE BY REPLICATE TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. DATA SET IDENTIFICATION 2. INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION 3. DATA SET ABSTRACT 4. OBJECTIVES AND INTRODUCTION 5. DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING METHODS 6. DATA MANIPULATIONS 7. DATA DESCRIPTION 8. GEOGRAPHIC AND SPATIAL INFORMATION 9. QUALITY CONTROL/QUALITY ASSURANCE 10. DATA ACCESS 11. REFERENCES 12. TABLE OF ACRONYMS 13. PERSONNEL INFORMATION 1. DATA SET IDENTIFICATION 1.1 Title of Catalog document National Coastal Assessment 2003 New York/New Jersey Harbor System Benthic Taxon Abundance Data by Replicate 1.2 Author of the Catalog entry Melissa Hughes, Raytheon 1.3 Catalog revision date June 19, 2012 1.4 Data set name Benthic Taxon Abundance Data by Replicate 1.5 Task Group Regional Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program 1.6 Data set identification code NA 1.7 Version NA 1.8 Requested Acknowledgment If you plan to publish these data in any way, EPA requires a standard statement for work it has supported: "Although the data described in this article have been funded wholly or in part by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency through its EMAP-Estuaries Program, it has not been subjected to Agency review, and therefore does not necessarily reflect the views of the Agency and no official endorsement should be inferred." ------- 2. INVESTIGATOR INFORMATION 2.1 Principal Investigator Ms. Darvene A. Adams U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region II 2.2. Investigation Participant Ms. Sandi Robinson U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - ORD/NHEERL/AED 3. DATA SET ABSTRACT 3.1 Abstract of the Data Set The Benthic Taxon Abundance by Replicate data set records a count of organisms by taxon identified in each acceptable grab collected at a station. Each taxon is identified by latin name. Information on sieve size is also recorded. 3.2 Keywords for the Data Set benthic species, benthic species abundance, species composition, taxon abundance, benthic taxon abundance 4. OBJECTIVES AND INTRODUCTION 4.1 Program Objective The project was designed to support resource management decisions related to pollution control and remediation throughout the New York/New Jersey (NY/NJ) Harbor and to assist the New York-New Jersey Harbor Estuary Program (HEP) in developing a contaminant monitoring strategy to be included in the Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP) for the NY/NJ Harbor system. 4.2 Data Set Objective To provide an overview of the abundance of benthic organisms in the NY/NJ harbor region based on random sampling. 4.3 Data Set Background Discussion The New York/New Jersey Harbor System has been susceptible to toxic contamination due to surrounding land uses. Harbor sediments are contaminant reservoirs which can function as a secondary source of these land use contaminants. Contaminated sediments pose a substantial threat to Harbor resources and are a management challenge. Adverse changes in the biota of the system have been documented with increasing frequency, and many of these changes have been linked to toxic contamination. 4.4 Summary of Data Set Parameters The Benthic Abundance data set values were based on the results of identifying the infauna in the replicate samples. 5. DATA ACQUISITION AND PROCESSING METHODS 5.1 Data Acquisition 5.1.1 Sampling Objective Collect sediment grab samples suitable for the identification of benthic organisms. 5.1.2 Sample Collection Methods Summary The grab sampler was lowered through the water column; the grab penetrated the sediment by gravity releasing a trigger allowing the ------- jaws to close. When the grab was pulled from the sediment using the winch, the jaws closed, ncapsulating the sediment sample. Three macroinvertebrate grabs per sampling station were collected using the 0.04-m2 Young-modified van Veen grab. Benthic grabs were alternated with sediment chemistry/toxicity grabs. Benthic samples were gently washed through a 0.5 mm mesh sieve. The material was preserved in a 10% buffered formaldehyde-rose bengal solution. 5.1.3 Sampling Start Date July 1, 2003 5.1.4 Sampling End Date September 25, 2003 5.1.5 Platform Sampling was conducted from the U.S.EPA research vessel, the R/V CLEAN WATERS. 5.1.6 Sampling Gear A 0.04-m2 or 0.1-m2, stainless steel, Young-modified Van Veen Grab sampler was used to collect sediment grabs. This grab sampled an area of 440 cm2 and a maximum depth of penetration in the sediment of 10 cm. 5.1.7 Manufacturer of Sampling Equipment Young's Welding, Sandwich, MA 5.1.8 Key Variables No data were recorded at the time of sample collection. 5.1.9 Collection Method Calibration The sampling gear did not require any calibration. It required inspection for deformities incurred due to mishandling or impact on rocky substrates. 5.1.10 Sample Collection Quality Control A successful grab had relatively level, intact sediment over the entire area of the grab and a sediment depth at the center of at least 5 centimeters. Unacceptable grabs included those with grossly slumped surfaces and those completely filled to the top, where the sediment was in direct contact with the hinged top. The van Veen Grab was rinsed with ambient seawater between grabs at a station to remove remaining organisms. It was thoroughly cleaned with detergent and water between stations. 5.1.11 Sample Collection Method Reference Reifsteck, D.M., C.J. Strobel and D.J. Keith. 1993. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program - Near Coastal Component: 1993 Virginian Province Field Operations and Safety Manual. U.S. EPA NHEERL-AED. Narragansett, RI. 5.2 Data Preparation and Sample Processing 5.2.1 Sample Processing Objective Process benthic sediment samples to accurately identify and enumerate benthic infauna. ------- 5.2.2 Sample Processing Methods Summary Three replicate grabs for benthic macroinvertebrate community structure were obtained at each station. Invertebrates from two of these were sorted and identified; the third replicate was archived. The macrobenthos were identified to the lowest practical taxonomic category. 5.2.3 Sample Processing Method Calibration NA 5.2.4 Sample Processing Quality Control Rare or previously undocumented specimens from the Harbor were put aside in a reference collection. 5.2.5 Sample Processing Method Reference Adams, D. 1998. Quality Assurance Project Plan for Environmental Monitoring, A 5-year Revisit of Sediment Quality in the NY/NJ Harbor. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, Edison, NJ. 5.2.6 Sample Processing Method Deviations NA 6. DATA MANIPULATIONS NA 6.1 Name of new or modified values NA 6.2 Data Manipulation Description NA 6.3 Data Manipulation Examples NA 7. DATA DESCRIPTION 7.1 Description of Parameters 7.1.1 Benthic Abundance Data by Station/Taxon Attribute Name Description DATA GROUP SAMPLING YEAR STATION SAMPLING DATE LATITUDE LONGITUDE REPLICATE # LATIN NAME ABUNDANCE SIEVE Group conducting sampling Year of sampling Station identifier Sample collection date Latitude (decimal degrees) Longitude (decimal degrees) Number of replicate Latin name Count of organisms in replicate Sieve size (mm) 7.1.6 Precision to which values are reported The abundance is reported to the whole number. 7.1.7 Minimum value in data set Replicate number 1 Replicate abundance 1 ------- 7.1.8 Maximum value in Data Set Replicate number 2 Replicate abundance 14612 7.2 Data Record Example 7.2.1 Column Names for Example Records Data Group,Sampling Year,Station,Sampling Date,Latitude,Longitude, Replicate #,Latin Name,Abundance,Sieve 7.2.2 Example Data Records R-EMAP Region 2,2003,JB301,7/31/2003,40.629,-73.759,1, Ampelisca abdita,1,0.05 R-EMAP Region 2,2003,JB301,7/31/2003,40.629,-73.759,1, Crepidula fornicata,2,0.05 R-EMAP Region 2,2003,JB301,7/31/2003,40.629,-73.759,1, Microphthalmus hartmanae,2,0.05 8. GEOGRAPHIC AND SPATIAL INFORMATION 8.1 Minimum Longitude -74 Degrees 17.4 Minutes 48.00 Decimal Seconds 8.2 Maximum Longitude -73 Degrees 45 Minutes 0.54 Decimal Seconds 8.3 Minimum Latitude 40 Degrees 25.2 Minutes 36.00 Decimal Seconds 8.4 Maximum Latitude 40 Degrees 51.6 Minutes 42.00 Decimal Seconds 8.5 Name of area or region New York/New Jersey Harbor System: Four sub-basins were sampled in the New York/New Jersey Harbor, including: Upper Harbor, Newark Bay, Lower Harbor (includes Raritan and Sandy Hook Bays) and Jamaica Bay. For purposes of this study, the region includes the lower portions of the Hudson, Passaic, Harlem, Hackensack and Raritan Rivers, upstream to a near-bottom salinity of 15 ppt, the East River to Long Island Sound and Lower Harbor to the Atlantic Ocean. 9. QUALITY CONTROL AND QUALITY ASSURANCE 9.1 Data Quality Objectives Quality assurance goals were developed and followed for each sample type. 9.2 Quality Assurance/Quality Control Procedures Ten percent of all samples were reprocessed and subjected to a second QA evaluation. Taxonomic identifications were verified using reference organisms obtained from EMAP's reference collection. 9.3 Quality Assessment Results These in-house QC measures met the requirements established in the QA Plan. 9.4 Unassessed Errors NA ------- 10. DATA ACCESS 10.1 Data Access Procedures Data can be downloaded from the WWW server. 10.2 Data Access Restrictions Data can only be accessed from the WWW server. 10.3 Data Access Contact Persons Ms. Darvene A. Adams U.S. EPA Region II 10.4 Data Set Format Tab-delimited 10.5 Information Concerning Anonymous FTP Data cannot be accessed via ftp. 10.6 Information Concerning WWW Data can be downloaded from the WWW servers. 10.7 EMAP CD-ROM Containing the Data Set Data are not available on CD-ROM 11. REFERENCES Adams, D. 1998. Quality Assurance Project Plan for Environmental Monitoring, A 5-year Revisit of Sediment Quality in the NY/NJ Harbor. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 2, Edison, NJ. Adams, Darvene and Sandra Benyi. 2003. Final Report: Sediment Quality of the NY/NJ Harbor System - A 5-Year Revisit. EPA/9 02-R-03 - 002. USEPA-Region 2, Division of Science and Assessment. Edison, NJ. December, 2003. Overton, W.S., D.L. Stevens and D. White. 1990. Design Report for EMAP: Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program. EPA/600/3-91/053. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, ORD, Washington, DC. Reifsteck, D.M., C.J. Strobel and D.J. Keith. 1993. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program - Near Coastal Component: 1993 Virginian Province Field Operations and Safety Manual. U.S. EPA NHEERL-AED. Narragansett, RI. USEPA, 1989. Draft EPA Locational Data Policy. US EPA, Washington, DC 12. TABLE OF ACRONYMS 13. PERSONNEL INFORMATION Principal Investigator Ms. Darvene A. Adams Monitoring and Assessment Branch Division of Environmental Science and Assessment U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Region II 2 89 0 Woodbridge Ave. Edison, NJ 08837 (732) 321-6700 adams.darvene@epa.gov ------- Data Librarian, EMAP-IM Melissa M. Hughes Raytheon 27 Tarzwell Drive Narragansett, RI 02882-1197 (401) 782-3184 (Tel.) (401) 782-3030 (FAX) hughes.melissa@epa.gov ------- |