The US EPA's National Coastal Assessment surveys the condition of the Nation's coastal resources through an integrated monitoring program. Data collection began in 1990, with a specific five-year effort called Coastal 2000 focusing on 2000-2001. The program is sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency in partnership with coastal states.
Use Cases
- Analyze spatial patterns of water quality parameters like salinity or dissolved oxygen using station location data.
- Assess temporal changes in coastal condition by comparing data from the 1990s baseline to the Coastal 2000 survey period.
- Model relationships between environmental stressors and biological indicators reported at sampled stations.
- Map the distribution of sampling stations across the continental US coastline to identify geographic coverage gaps.
Strengths
- Data collection spans multiple decades, starting in 1990.
- Surveys integrate data from thousands of sampling stations along US coasts.
- Includes data from both national EMAP studies and regional REMAP partner studies.
Limitations
- Specific sample size (row count) and available data columns are not provided.
- The most detailed temporal reference is for the 2000-2001 period, indicating potential staleness for recent conditions.
- Geographic coverage is limited to the continental United States coastline.
Provenance
- Source
- United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in partnership with coastal states.
- Collection Method
- Integrated monitoring program collecting estuarine and coastal data from sampled stations.
- Time Range
- Data collection began in 1990; Coastal 2000 effort covers 2000-2001.
- Geography
- Coasts of the continental United States.