Hawaii Coastal Condition Survey 2002: Water Quality and Sediment Chemistry

79 stations across the Hawaiian islands were surveyed in 2002, marking the first comprehensive assessment of estuarine resources in the state. The Environmental Protection Agency's EMAP program, with state agencies and the University of Hawaii, collected data on water quality, fish taxa, and sediment chemistry. The survey assessed sea cucumber body burdens instead of fish contaminants and did not produce sediment toxicity estimates due to insufficient soft sediments.

Use Cases

• Establish baseline coastal water quality conditions for Hawaii based on the 2002 survey indicators.
• Analyze spatial patterns of sediment chemistry across 79 sampled stations in the Hawaiian chain.
• Study fish taxon distribution in Hawaiian estuaries from the 2002 survey data.
• Compare sea cucumber body burden data as an alternative indicator for coastal contaminant levels.

Strengths

• First comprehensive survey of estuarine resources in Hawaii, providing a foundational baseline.
• Sampled 79 stations across the islands, suggesting broad spatial coverage.
• Part of the EPA's large-scale Western Pilot-Coastal Monitoring strategy for regional characterization.

Limitations

• Last updated 2002-10-30 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Row count and column-level documentation are absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Did not produce estimates of sediment toxicity, limiting a key indicator of ecosystem health.

Provenance

Source

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) National Coastal Assessment (NCA), with state agencies, Region 9, and the University of Hawaii.

Collection Method

Field survey sampling stations across the Hawaiian islands.

Time Range

2002

Freshness

2002-10-30 00:00:00

Geography

Hawaiian islands