U.S. Coastal Sediment Toxicity Tests from 1991-1993

The National Ocean Service collected sediment toxicity data from multiple U.S. coastal regions between March 18, 1991 and March 3, 1993 as part of the National Status and Trends program. Data includes results from three laboratory toxicity tests performed on surficial fine-grained sediments: a 10-day amphipod survival test, a 48-hour clam larvae test, and a 15-minute bacterial bioluminescence test. The study aimed to assess the spatial extent and severity of toxicity in estuaries like the Hudson-Raritan Estuary and Tampa Bay.

Use Cases

• Assessing spatial patterns of sediment contamination based on toxicity test results across multiple estuaries.
• Comparing the severity of toxicity between different coastal regions like the Gulf of Mexico and Pamlico Sound.
• Correlating sediment toxicity with chemical contaminant data from the broader National Status and Trends program.
• Establishing historical baselines for sediment quality in specific bays and harbors mentioned in the study.

Strengths

• Data collected over a defined two-year period (1991-1993) providing a temporal snapshot.
• Includes results from three standardized laboratory toxicity tests, suggesting a multi-metric approach.
• Samples collected from multiple major coastal regions, including the Gulf of Mexico and Hudson-Raritan Estuary.

Limitations

• Last updated 1993-03-03; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Ocean Service, Rockville, MD, submitted by Dr. Edward R. Long to NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

Data collected from multiple ships; sediment samples were collected and subjected to three laboratory toxicity tests.

Time Range

1991-03 18 to 1993-03-03

Freshness

Historical dataset; last data collection ended in 1993.

Geography

U.S. coastal waters including Gulf of Mexico, Hudson Bay, New York Bight, North American Coastline-North, Pamlico Sound, Hudson-Raritan Estuary, and Tampa Bay.