Point-source and non-point source pollution pose threats to environmental and human health. COAST is engaged in a wide range of monitoring, research and assessment activities designed to inform coastal management. The foundation of all of these activities is NOAA’s National Status and Trends Program (NS&T). Administered by COAST, NS&T is the longest running coastal and Great Lakes contaminant monitoring program that is national in scope each year. Since 1984, NS&T scientists have monitored chemical, biological and associated physical measures in coastal waters, especially estuaries.
To investigate contaminants in coral reefs and impacts on coral health, a project is being conducted in southwest Puerto Rico. The project will result in a characterization of chemical contamination in the reefs, and will also provide a “proof of concept” for integrating information on coral pathogens and biomarkers, land use, and biogeography as a way of identifying linkages between anthropogenic stressors and coral health. Read More ›
