Sediment Toxicity and Contaminant Survey for Long Island Sound Bays

A NOAA survey measured biological effects and chemical contamination in sediments from 20 coastal bays around Long Island Sound. The study tested 60 stations across three toxicity protocols and analyzed contaminants including heavy metals, PAHs, pesticides, and PCBs. Data collection was conducted by NOAA's National Status and Trends Program and published in August 1991.

Use Cases

• Correlate sediment toxicity levels (amphipod survival, clam larval development, Microtox results) with concentrations of specific contaminants like heavy metals or PAHs.
• Map the spatial distribution of toxicity severity across 20 bays to identify pollution hotspots such as Manhassett Bay, Oyster Bay, and Little Neck Bay.
• Assess the co-occurrence of multiple contaminant classes (pesticides, PCBs, hydrocarbons) at stations showing significant toxicity across all three bioassays.
• Compare toxicity incidence between bays, using data from three stations per bay, to rank areas like Branford Harbor and the Connecticut River as least impacted.

Strengths

• Data includes three independent biological toxicity tests (amphipod, clam larvae, Microtox) applied to samples from 60 stations.
• Chemical analysis covers a broad suite of contaminants including heavy metals, PAHs, chlorinated pesticides, and PCBs.
• Spatial coverage includes 20 distinct coastal bays in New York and Connecticut, providing a regional assessment.

Limitations

• Data is temporally stale, with collection concluded and published in 1991.
• Sample size is limited to 60 primary stations, with supplemental metal data from only a few additional stations.
• Geographic scope is restricted to the Long Island Sound region, limiting generalizability.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Field survey collecting sediment samples analyzed for toxicity via three laboratory bioassays and for chemical contaminants.

Time Range

Survey conducted prior to final report date of 1991-08-01.

Geography

Coastal bays surrounding Long Island Sound in New York and Connecticut, USA.