Water Quality: CINMS

Overview

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary provides habitat for a wealth of biological diversity, outstanding recreational opportunities and spectacular scenery. Every organism that resides within or moves through the sanctuary depends upon clean water, as do all our commercial and recreational uses.

Poor water quality can cause illness or disease, impair condition and reproductive capacity, and decrease productivity in marine organisms. It can also endanger human users of the sanctuary. Sources of water quality impairment in the sanctuary are land-based discharges from the mainland and the islands (e.g., runoff can include sediment, bacteria, and agricultural-based chemicals such as pesticides and herbicides), vessel discharges from recreational, commercial, and industrial vessels (e.g., sewage, bacteria, and marine debris), and discharges associated with oil production (Engle 2006). Nonpoint source pollution from the mainland may reach the eastern portion of the sanctuary (Anacapa and Santa Cruz Islands) during major runoff events via plumes from the Ventura and Santa Clara Rivers (Engle 2006). Agricultural and urban runoff, as well as effluent from municipal wastewater treatment plants, may be some of the sources of pollution from the mainland that reach the sanctuary. Because pollutants can be carried to the sanctuary by ocean currents, or transported through the food chain, the spatial extent of water quality threats is much larger than the sanctuary itself. For example, the pesticide DDT was manufactured in Los Angeles until the early 1970s and discharged into the ocean off the Palos Verdes peninsula. The chemical-contaminated fish within those waters were in turn eaten by seabirds and marine mammals. This affected foraging communities throughout southern California, including the Channel Islands, long after the chemical production stopped. Levels of DDT and a derivative DDE are still measurable in sediments. Some wildlife species such as Bald Eagles are only now beginning to recover.

There are a number of watersheds located on the northern Channel Islands, contributing a small amount of fresh water into the sanctuary. Most fresh water entering the sanctuary region, however, comes from the streams and rivers along the mainland coast, such as the Santa Clara and Ventura Rivers, which provide the majority of the freshwater and sediments into the Santa Barbara Channel. The Santa Ynez and Santa Maria Rivers provide major drainages north of Point Conception. These major rivers have been shown to transport sediment plumes that reach sanctuary waters. The regional coastal mainland also includes the San Antonio Creek watershed and 41 small coastal watersheds on the south side of the Santa Ynez Mountain Range. The creeks of these watersheds provide important nutrients to the marine environment (as well as pollution from agricultural and urban runoff).

Photos

No photos are currently available for this section.

Maps

Projects

Ongoing

California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI)

The California Cooperative Oceanic Fisheries Investigations (CalCOFI) was formed in 1949 to study the ecological aspects of the Pacific sardine population collapse off California. Today, the focus has shifted to the study of the marine environment off the coast of California, the management of its living resources, and monitoring the indicators of El Nino and climate change.

Ongoing

California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project

The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project was started in July 2005 by the SeaDoc Society (UC Davis Wildlife Health Center). Since its inception, the Project has recovered more than 100 tons of lost fishing gear and other marine debris. The California Lost Fishing Gear Recovery Project proposes to continue to help reduce the potential impact of lost fishing gear on living marine resources and underwater habitat by retrieving lost fishing gear from Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) and anywhere on the coast where it is a high priority for removal because of demonstrated or potential impacts to marine wildlife and people. 1-888-491-GEAR to report lost, abandoned, and discarded gear. 

Ongoing

Characterizing ocean pH in the Channel Islands National Park

Managing the global threat of ocean acidification on a local scale is becoming a concern for policy makers and managers. With few long-term and baseline ocean pH records in place, it is difficult to understand natural and anthropogenic influences on pH variability. With development of pH sensors, monitoring networks are growing along the west coast of the United States.

Ongoing

Investigation of submerged shorelines in the Channel Islands and California Borderland

The Ocean Exploration Trust used scuba diving, high resolution autonomous surface vessel and ship-based mapping, and remotely operated vehicles to locate and characterize submarine shoreline terraces in the Channel Islands. Our 2017 team will continue their efforts in 2018 and will focus on: (1) locating sea caves at the 103-meter, 110-meter, and 120-meter paleo-shorelines on other submerged banks in the Borderland where the E/V Nautilus has subsequently collected bathymetric and backscatter maps since the 2017 cruise; (2) mapping the interior of several of the caves using a diver guided 3D imaging system; (3) using the ASV to locate possible cave entrances along deeper paleo-shorelines, (4) following that effort with a visual inspection of any new caves using the ROVs, and finally; (5) collecting water and/or sediment samples within selected caves to better understand the fish populations living within the caves through eDNA analysis. 

Ongoing

Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network

Our coastlines are home to dynamic, highly diverse biological communities that are subject to dramatic changes due to natural phenomena and human activity. MARINe is committed to the long-term study of these rocky intertidal communities across the coast. We invite you to learn about them so that together we can understand how best to protect these valuable resources.

Ongoing

Plumes and Blooms

The Plumes and Blooms Project is aimed at understanding the ocean color roles of sediment plumes and phytoplankton blooms in a complex coastal ocean using satellite and ship acquired data.

Ongoing

Santa Barbara Channel Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (SBC MBON)

The Santa Barbara Channel Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (SBC MBON) is designed to provide a complete picture of marine biodiversity in the region. SBC MBON is developing a widely applicable research model that integrates new information with existing data to improve current research and monitoring programs and provide greater insight into marine biodiversity.

Ongoing

Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research Program (SBC LTER)

The Santa Barbara Coastal Long Term Ecological Research project (SBC LTER ) is an interdisciplinary research and education program housed at the University of California Santa Barbara. SBC LTER was established in April 2000 with the goal of advancing a predictive understanding of how oceanic and terrestrial processes alter material flows to influence the ecology of coastal ecosystems in a changing climate.

Ongoing

Santa Barbara Sediment Trap Time-Series Program

Since August 1993, a moored sediment trap has been located near the center of the Santa Barbara Basin (SBB) (34˚14' N, 120˚02'W). Over the course of the time series, the deep trap was deployed between 500 m and 540 m in a total water depth of approximately 590 m. A second shallow trap was added in 2009 and is located at ~ 250 m depth. Sinking particles have been continuously collected by an automated Mark VI sediment trap (0.5 m2 trap opening) equipped with 13 sampling cups poisoned with sodium azide on a rotating carousel. Each trap sample represents approximately two-weeks of collection time. Occasional disruptions in the time series data set are typically due to trap clogging associated with periods of high mass flux or due to loss of the sediment trap.
Ongoing

Southern California Bight Regional Marine Monitoring Program (Bight Program)

The Southern California Bight (SCB) is a unique ecological and economic resource, home to some of the most productive coastal ecosystems, but also some of largest pollutant inputs in the United States. Historically, environmental monitoring of the coastal environment has been temporally intensive, but spatially focused on narrow areas closest to regulated discharges, providing a potentially biased perspective of overall coastal sediment quality. Beginning in 1994 and conducted approximately every five years thereafter, nearly 100 regulated, regulatory, non-governmental or academic organizations join forces to implement the SCB Regional Marine Monitoring Program (the Bight Program).

Links

Adopt–A-Watershed

This curriculum is designed for K-12 students and is available for purchase. Topics include: What is a Watershed, Streamside Community, Wade into Watersheds, Water Quality, and Watershed Physics.
http://www.adopt-a-watershed.org

Bilingual MERITO Web Site

The English/Spanish MERITO (Multicultural Education for Resource Issues Threatening Oceans) website provides bilingual information on: MERITO programs, dates of upcoming events, background information on a variety of sanctuary issues, downloadable education materials, and current reports and documents related to MERITO.
http://www.montereybay.noaa.gov/educate/merito/welcome.html

California Coastal Commission - Waves, Wetlands, and Watersheds Activity Guide

This classroom and community activity guide addresses issues such as endangered species, marine debris, coastal geology, water use, and much more. It is carefully aligned to the California State Science Content Standards for grades 3 through 8, and includes "Community Action" lessons adaptable for all ages up to and beyond grade 12. Available for free.
http://www.coastal.ca.gov/publiced/pendx.html

Center for Highly Interactive Computing in Education: hi-ce

A comprehensive Great Lakes based curriculum that is very adaptable to other regions, for middle school grades.
http://hice.org/index.html

Central Coast Water Quality Data Synthesis, Assessment and Management (SAM) Project

The SAM Project facilitates region-wide water quality monitoring coordination, data management, and data analysis for addressing the sources, status, and trends of non-point source (NPS) pollution on the Central Coast via technical, scientific, and programmatic activities. Key goals of the project include enhancement of the regional water quality monitoring network and improving access to information used for managing coastal watershed and nearshore marine systems. SAM is a partnership between the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, the State and Regional Water Quality Control Boards, and the Central Coast Wetlands Group.
http://www.ccamp.net/sam/index.php/Main_Page

Central Coast Watershed Studies (CCoWS)

The Central Coast Watershed Studies (CCoWS) team is part of the Watershed Institute, in the Division of Science and Environmental Policy at California State University Monterey Bay. They conduct research on watersheds that feed into the MBNMS.
http://ccows.csumb.edu/home/

Coastal Watershed Council

The Coastal Watershed Council is a nonprofit organization committed to the preservation, protection and management of coastal watersheds through establishment of community-based watershed stewardship programs, education and community outreach.
http://www.coastal-watershed.org

Elkhorn Slough Water Quality and Weather Monitoring

Learn how two different programs are involvoed in monitoring water quality in the Elkhorn Slough.
http://www.elkhornslough.org/research/waterquality_main.htm

First Flush

The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Coastal Watershed Council released a report indicating that storm water is not clean.
http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2003/apr03/noaa03r412.html

GLOBE

GLOBE is a worldwide hands-on, primary and secondary school-based education and science program for students and teachers led by a Federal interagency program supported by NASA, NSF, EPA and the U.S. State Department. Students take scientifically valid measurements, report their data through the Internet, analyze data sets, and collaborate with scientists and other GLOBE students around the world.
http://www.globe.gov

Monterey Bay Aquarium - Student and Teacher Resources and Activities

The Monterey Bay Aquarium offers teacher and student resources including: species and habitat-specific information, live cams, classroom activities, and interactive online games.
http://www.mbayaq.org/lc/

Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizens Watershed Monitoring Network

The Monterey Bay Sanctuary Citizen Watershed Monitoring Network is a consortium of approximately twenty citizen monitoring groups that monitor the health of the watersheds flowing into the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. It was established in 1997 and has since provided support, training, and a central forum and database for citizen monitoring programs. The Network also coordinates two annual regional monitoring events, First Flush in the fall and Snapshot Day in the spring.
http://www.montereybay.noaa.gov/monitoringnetwork/welcome.html

My Water Quality

Access interactive maps and monitoring data that focus on chemical contaminants and biotoxins in fish and shellfish that may affect the health of human consumers.
http://www.waterboards.ca.gov/mywaterquality/

NOS Education Discovery Kits

Discovery Kits describe the basic scientific principles underlying the applied science and activities of NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS). Designed for educators and students at the high school level, they are written in easy-to-read, non-technical language, and focus on the themes of oceans, coasts, and charting and navigation.
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/kits/welcome.html

Overview of Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)

See how National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) is acting to respond to the growing threat of harmful algal blooms, which can devastate local economies as well as pose a risk to human health.
http://www.cop.noaa.gov/stressors/extremeevents/hab/default.aspx

Project WET

Project Wet is an international, interdisciplinary, water education program for formal and non-formal educators of students ages 5 to 18. Available for purchase only.
http://www.projectwet.org/

Santa Cruz Surfrider Foundation - Seawater Testing

The Santa Cruz Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation monitors water quality by testing the presence of bacteria at several locations weekly.
http://www.surfridersantacruz.org/

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Marine Debris Curriculum

A learning guide entitled "Turning the Tide on Trash" that explains marine debris for grades 3-6 and includes three online units with definitions and activities.
http://www.epa.gov/owow/OCPD/Marine/contents.html

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Teacher Resources

Need activity ideas for your unit on water quality? Interested in teaching pollution prevention concepts? This site offers curricula, activities and creative ways to teach your students about the environment.
http://www.epa.gov/teachers/