National Status and Trends: Mussel Watch Project Sites (1986 to present) Compiled by NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Metadata also available as

Metadata:


Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)
Publication_Date: 20020503
Title:
National Status and Trends: Mussel Watch Project Sites (1986 to present) Compiled by NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: table
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Silver Spring, MD
Publisher:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)
Other_Citation_Details:
Further documentation for the Mussel Watch Project Sites can be found in the "National Status and Trends Program for Marine Environmental Quality - Mussle Watch Site Descriptions through 1997," at <http://ccmaserver.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Online_Linkage:
LinktoContent=<http://NSandt.noaa.gov/data_description_mw.htm>; MapServer=<http://patapsco.nos.noaa.gov>; MapService=Mapfinder; Server=<http://patapsco.nos.noaa.gov>; Service=egis; ServiceType=inventory
Description:
Abstract:
In response to concerns over environmental quality of the Nation's coastal and estuarine ecosystems, NOAA created the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program in 1984. The NS&T Mussel Watch Project began in 1986 and monitors concentrations of trace and major elements and organic contaminants in bivalve mollusks and sediments. This document reports information regarding the nominal sampling locations as provided in NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 112, 1997, which can be found at <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>. One record is presented per site. Each record reports the four letter site acronym, general and specific location information, state abbreviation, state name, degree- minute-second coordinates, decimal degree coordinates, and species information, among other things. The actual site coordinate information is recorded at the time of sampling, if samples were taken at a location other than the nominal site center. The four letter acronym is based on both the general location information and more specific location information (e.g. SFSM is San Francisco-San Mateo Bridge). The file also contains sequence numbers that facilitate geographic manipulation of the data. Sites are numbered sequentially from the northern most site on the U.S. East coast (i.e. Penobscott Bay-Pickering Island) and continue counter-clockwise around the country.
Purpose:
The main objectives of the Mussel Watch Project are: (1) to evaluate the ecological status of the estuaries and coasts of the US (2) and to determine change in the environmental quality through time (trends). This work is performed along the conterminous coasts of the US and the shores of the Great Lakes, Hawaii and Alaska. Samples are also regularly collected in Puerto Rico. Mussels and oysters, the sentinel species of the Project, are collected and analyzed biennially with contaminants characterized in sediments approximately once every ten years. Mussels are collected from sites historically collected by state monitoring programs and forerunners of the currently Project. The Project's data are available back to 1986 but certain parameters can be compared to early monitoring of the 1960s and 1970s.
Supplemental_Information:
Samples were collected by NOAA and by laboratories under contract to NOAA. Samples were analyzed by a number of laboratories including: Battelle, SAIC, the Geochemical Environmental Research Group of Texas A&M University and TDI-Brooks,Inc. The National Status and Trends Program was responsible for final assembly and review of all data. The SITES data file reports information regarding the nominal sampling locations designated by the National Status and Trends Program. The actual yearly locations are reported in the Mussel Watch Station file <http://nsandt.noaa.gov/mussel/download/mwstation_dict.htm>.
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1986
Ending_Date: unknown
Currentness_Reference: ground condition
Status:
Progress: In work
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: As needed
Spatial_Domain:
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -159.356
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -66.1813
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 61.13283
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 17.93917
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: biota
Theme_Keyword: bivalve
Theme_Keyword: Chama sinuosa
Theme_Keyword: chemistry
Theme_Keyword: coastal
Theme_Keyword: contaminants
Theme_Keyword: Crassostrea rhizophorae
Theme_Keyword: Crassostrea virginica
Theme_Keyword: Dreissena bugensis
Theme_Keyword: Dreissena polymorpha
Theme_Keyword: EEZ
Theme_Keyword: estuarine
Theme_Keyword: Geukensia demissus
Theme_Keyword: latitude
Theme_Keyword: longitude
Theme_Keyword: mollusk
Theme_Keyword: Mussel Watch
Theme_Keyword: Mytilus californianus
Theme_Keyword: Mytilus edulis
Theme_Keyword: Ostrea sandvicensis
Theme_Keyword: oyster
Theme_Keyword: site
Theme_Keyword: site acronym
Theme_Keyword: site location
Theme_Keyword: species
Theme_Keyword: oceans
Place:
Place_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Place_Keyword: U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone
Place_Keyword: Absecon Inlet
Place_Keyword: Altamaha River
Place_Keyword: Anaheim Bay
Place_Keyword: Apalachee Bay
Place_Keyword: Aransas Bay
Place_Keyword: Atchafalaya Bay
Place_Keyword: Barataria Bay
Place_Keyword: Barber's Point
Place_Keyword: Barnegat Inlet
Place_Keyword: Beaufort Inlet
Place_Keyword: Bellingham Bay
Place_Keyword: Biscayne Bay
Place_Keyword: Block Island Sound
Place_Keyword: Bodega Bay
Place_Keyword: Boston Harbor
Place_Keyword: Brazos River
Place_Keyword: Breton Sound
Place_Keyword: Buzzards Bay
Place_Keyword: Caillou Lake
Place_Keyword: Calcasieu Lake
Place_Keyword: Cape Ann
Place_Keyword: Cape Arundel
Place_Keyword: Cape Cod
Place_Keyword: Cape Fear
Place_Keyword: Cedar Key
Place_Keyword: Charleston Harbor
Place_Keyword: Charlotte Harbor
Place_Keyword: Chesapeake Bay
Place_Keyword: Chincoteague Bay
Place_Keyword: Choctawhatchee Bay
Place_Keyword: Columbia River
Place_Keyword: Commencement Bay
Place_Keyword: Cook Inlet
Place_Keyword: Coos Bay
Place_Keyword: Copano Bay
Place_Keyword: Corpus Christi
Place_Keyword: Crescent,
Place_Keyword: Delaware Bay
Place_Keyword: Duxbury Bay
Place_Keyword: East Cote
Place_Keyword: Blanche
Place_Keyword: Elliott Bay
Place_Keyword: Espiritu Santo
Place_Keyword: Eureka
Place_Keyword: Everglades
Place_Keyword: Farallon Islands
Place_Keyword: Florida Bay
Place_Keyword: Florida Keys
Place_Keyword: Galveston Bay
Place_Keyword: Gray's Harbor
Place_Keyword: Great Bay
Place_Keyword: Green Bay
Place_Keyword: Gulf of Alaska
Place_Keyword: Hawaii
Place_Keyword: Honolulu Harbor
Place_Keyword: Hudson River
Place_Keyword: Hudson/Raritan Estuary
Place_Keyword: Imperial Beach
Place_Keyword: Indian River
Place_Keyword: Joseph Harbor Bayou
Place_Keyword: Kaua
Place_Keyword: Ketchikan
Place_Keyword: Klamath River
Place_Keyword: La Jolla
Place_Keyword: Lake Borgne
Place_Keyword: Lake Erie
Place_Keyword: Lake Huron
Place_Keyword: Lake Michigan
Place_Keyword: Lake Ontario
Place_Keyword: Lake Pontchartrain
Place_Keyword: Lake St. Clair
Place_Keyword: Las Tunas Beach
Place_Keyword: Long Beach
Place_Keyword: Long Island
Place_Keyword: Long Island Sound
Place_Keyword: Lower Laguna Madre
Place_Keyword: Marina Del Rey
Place_Keyword: Massachusetts Bay
Place_Keyword: Matagorda Bay
Place_Keyword: Matanzas River
Place_Keyword: Merriconeag Sound
Place_Keyword: Mesquite Bay
Place_Keyword: Mission Bay
Place_Keyword: Mississippi River
Place_Keyword: Mississippi Sound
Place_Keyword: Mobile Bay
Place_Keyword: Monterey Bay
Place_Keyword: Moriches Bay
Place_Keyword: Nahku Bay
Place_Keyword: Naples Bay
Place_Keyword: Narragansett Bay
Place_Keyword: New York Bight
Place_Keyword: Newport Beach
Place_Keyword: Niagara River
Place_Keyword: North Miami
Place_Keyword: Oceanside
Place_Keyword: Pacific Grove
Place_Keyword: Palos Verdes
Place_Keyword: Pamlico Sound
Place_Keyword: Panama City
Place_Keyword: Penobscot Bay
Place_Keyword: Pensacola Bay
Place_Keyword: Point Arena
Place_Keyword: Point Conception
Place_Keyword: Point Delgada
Place_Keyword: Point Dume
Place_Keyword: Point Loma
Place_Keyword: Point Roberts
Place_Keyword: Point Santa Barbara
Place_Keyword: Port Valdez
Place_Keyword: Potomac River
Place_Keyword: Prince William Sound
Place_Keyword: Puerto Rico
Place_Keyword: Puget Sound
Place_Keyword: Quinby Inlet
Place_Keyword: Rappahannock River
Place_Keyword: Redondo Beach
Place_Keyword: Roanoke Sound
Place_Keyword: Rookery Bay
Place_Keyword: Sabine Lake
Place_Keyword: Saginaw Bay
Place_Keyword: Salem Harbor
Place_Keyword: San Antonio Bay
Place_Keyword: San Diego Bay
Place_Keyword: San Francisco Bay
Place_Keyword: San Luis Obispo Bay
Place_Keyword: San Miguel Island
Place_Keyword: San Pablo Bay
Place_Keyword: San Pedro Harbor
Place_Keyword: San Simeon Point
Place_Keyword: Santa Cruz Island
Place_Keyword: Santee River
Place_Keyword: Sapelo Sound
Place_Keyword: Savannah River Estuary
Place_Keyword: Sinclair Inlet
Place_Keyword: South Catalina Island
Place_Keyword: St. Andrew Bay
Place_Keyword: St. Johns River
Place_Keyword: Strait of Juan de Fuca
Place_Keyword: Suwannee River
Place_Keyword: Tampa Bay
Place_Keyword: Terrebonne Bay
Place_Keyword: Tillamook Bay
Place_Keyword: Tomales Bay
Place_Keyword: Traverse Bay
Place_Keyword: Unakwit Inlet
Place_Keyword: Vermilion Bay
Place_Keyword: Whidbey Island
Place_Keyword: Willapa Bay
Place_Keyword: Winyah Bay
Place_Keyword: Yaquina Bay
Access_Constraints: None
Use_Constraints:
The National Status and Trends Program (NSandT) requests that all individuals who download NS&T data acknowledge the source of these data in any reports, papers, or presentations. If you publish these data, please include a statement similar to: "Some or all of the data described in this article were produced by NOAA through its National Status and Trends Program- Mussel Watch Project.
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
Department of Commerce (DOC), National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA).
Contact_Position: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Program Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 1305 East West Highway N/SCI1
City: Silver Spring
State_or_Province: MD
Postal_Code: 20910
Country: U.S.
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301-713-3028
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 301-713-4388
Data_Set_Credit:
This project was supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA).
Native_Data_Set_Environment:
Microsoft Windows 2000 Version 5.0 (Build 2195) Service Pack 2; ESRI ArcCatalog 8.2.0.700

Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
In 1986, the National Mussel Watch Project was initiated and sampled 158 sites, 145 of which supplied mollusks. The Mussel Watch Project has now increased its monitoring effort to 245 sites.

On the Gulf Coast, Mussel Watch Project samples have been collected and analyzed by the Texas A&M University's Geochemical and Environmental Research Group, while Battelle is responsible for the U.S. East and West Coasts. Science Applications International Corporation was responsible for the first four years of the Californian and Hawaiian portions of the West Coast effort.

Criteria for the selection and sampling of National Status and Trends Mussel Watch sites are provided below: - The NS&T Mussel Watch Project is not intended to quantify contaminants in "hot spots;" rather, mollusk collection sites were selected to be representative of their surroundings. Therefore, Mussel Watch sites were not located in areas such as New Bedford Harbor, where PCB concentrations are known to be uniquely high, or near waste discharge points or poorly flushed industrialized waterways. - Sampling substrates, where possible, are limited to natural substrates or structures containing them, such as rock (including rip-rap and jetties), sand, or mud. - Indigenous populations of mollusks must exist because caged mussels are not used in the regular monitoring effort. This criterion and constraint is one of the most important because mollusks are not uniformly distributed in the marine environment. - The NS&T Mussel Watch Project selected sites that were sampled by the earlier Environmental Protection Agency Mussel Watch monitoring program (Palmieri et al., 1984). Selecting sites that are coincident to the two monitoring efforts allows decadal comparisons between estuarine contaminants (Lauenstein et al., 1990). Some locations that formerly supported bivalve mollusks and were sampled by the Environmental Protection Agency no longer support bivalve populations. - Mussel Watch Project sites are collected in late fall and winter. Once a site and field sampling methods were established, repeat sampling was to occur within ±3 weeks of that sampling date. The rationale for winter sampling was to avoid collecting spawning organisms. When mollusks are collected at the same time of year, their spawning status is more likely to be the same as that of the previous year, improving the chances of discovering temporal trends.

The number of species sampled is kept to a minimum in order to facilitate the greatest number of spatial data comparisons. The species collected include the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) from Maine to Delaware Bay. Mytilus edulis alternates with the California mussel (Mytilus californianus) for West Coast collections. From Delaware Bay south and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) was sampled. Areas distant from the conterminous United States and those specimens collected in fresh water require the collection of alternate species. Ostrea sandvicensis is taken at Hawaiian Islands sites. The species collected from Puerto Rico is the Mangrove oyster (Crassostrea rhizophorae), at a site in southern Florida, the smooth edged jewel box (Chama sinuosa) is collected, and on the Great Lakes the introduced species is the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha).

Sites in Puerto Rico and in the Great Lakes were added in 1992. Three sites were established in Puerto Rico and seven sites were established in the Great Lakes region (Saginaw Bay, Lake Huron, Lake St. Clair, and Lake Erie).

Though the predominant mussel species collected for this project has been identified as M. edulis, there is some uncertainty whether mussels found on the U.S. West coast are the separate species Mytilus trossulus and Mytilus galloprovincialis, or whether all three taxonomic groups are simply hybrids of each other. The question of whether these groups are separate species or are a species complex is discussed in detail in Seed, 1992.

Analyses of co-occurring species have been performed by the National Status and Trends Program (NOAA, 1989). M. edulis and C. virginica on the East Coast, and Mytilus edulis and Mytilus californianus on the West Coast, were compared for trace element and organic contaminant concentrations. While differences were found between the abilities of C. virginica and M. edulis to concentrate certain trace elements, there was no clear difference between the bioaccumulation abilities of the two mussel species (NOAA, 1989).

Logical_Consistency_Report:
Field sample processing is minimal while laboratory sample processing is extensive. The same kind of field/site data have been supplied since the start of the Mussel Watch Project, in 1986.
Completeness_Report:
The Mussel Watch Project Sites Dataset does not include data relating to the chemistry, quality assurance, or pathology data that is associated with each site.
Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy:
Horizontal_Positional_Accuracy_Report:
The accuracy between of electronics used to determine site coordinates was confirmed by plotting sites on NOAA charts. During the early years of the project, when Loran-C was used, site locations were confirmed by using triangulation to prominent landmarks and then comparing the electronic and triangulation information to NOAA Charts.
Lineage:
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)
Publication_Date: 1986
Title:
National Status and Trends Program for Marine Environmental Quality Mussel Watch Project Site Descriptions through 1997, Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 112
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: online
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Silver Spring, MD
Publisher:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Online_Linkage: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/PDFReports.html>
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1986
Ending_Date: unknown
Source_Currentness_Reference: publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Tech Memo 70
Source_Contribution:
The Tech Memo 70 provides background information for all of the National Status and Trends Mussel Watch Project sites.
Source_Information:
Source_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)
Publication_Date: 1986
Title:
National Status and Trends Program for Marine Environmental Quality Mussel Watch Project Site Descriptions through 1997, Technical Memorandum NOS ORCA 112
Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: online
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Silver Spring, MD
Publisher:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Online_Linkage: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Type_of_Source_Media: online
Source_Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 1986
Ending_Date: present
Source_Currentness_Reference: Publication date
Source_Citation_Abbreviation: Tech Memo 112
Source_Contribution:
The Tech Memo 112 provides background information for all of the National Status and Trends Mussel Watch Project sites.
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
In 1986, the National Mussel Watch Project was initiated and sampled 158 sites, 145 of which supplied mollusks. The Mussel Watch Project has now increased its monitoring effort to over 250 sites.

Criteria for the selection and sampling of National Status and Trends Mussel Watch sites are provided below:

- The NS&T Mussel Watch Project is not intended to quantify contaminants in "hot spots;" rather, mollusk collection sites were selected to be representative of their surroundings. Therefore, Mussel Watch sites were not located in areas such as New Bedford Harbor, where PCB concentrations are known to be uniquely high, or near waste discharge points or poorly flushed industrialized waterways.

- Sampling substrates, where possible, are limited to natural substrates or structures containing them, such as rock (including rip-rap and jetties), sand, or mud.

- Indigenous populations of mollusks must exist because caged mussels are not used in the regular monitoring effort. This criterion and constraint is one of the most important because mollusks are not uniformly distributed in the marine environment.

- The NS&T Mussel Watch Project selected sites that were sampled by the earlier Environmental Protection Agency Mussel Watch monitoring program (Palmieri et al., 1984). Selecting sites that are coincident to the two monitoring efforts allows decadal comparisons between estuarine contaminants (Lauenstein et al., 1990). Some locations that formerly supported bivalve mollusks and were sampled by the Environmental Protection Agency no longer support bivalve populations.

- Mussel Watch Project sites are collected in late fall and winter. Once a site and field sampling methods were established, repeat sampling occurs within ±3 weeks of that sampling date. The rationale for winter sampling is to avoid collecting spawning organisms. When mollusks are collected at the same time of year, their spawning status is more likely to be the same as that of the previous year, improving the chances of discovering temporal trends.

The number of species sampled is kept to a minimum in order to facilitate the greatest number of spatial data comparisons. The species collected include the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) from Maine to Delaware Bay. Mytilus edulis alternates with the California mussel (Mytilus californianus) for West Coast collections. From Delaware Bay south and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the American oyster (Crassostrea virginica) iwas sampled. Areas distant from the conterminous United States and those specimens collected in fresh water require the collection of alternate species. Ostrea sandvicensis is taken at Hawaiian Islands sites. The species collected from Puerto Rico is the Mangrove oyster (Crassostrea rhizophorae), at a site in southern Florida, the smooth edged jewel box (Chama sinuosa) is collected, and in the Great Lakes the introduced species is the zebra mussel (Dreissena polymorpha) and quagga mussel (Dreissena bugensis) are collected.

Though the predominant mussel species collected for this project has been identified as M. edulis, there is some uncertainty whether mussels found on the U.S. West coast are the separate species Mytilus trossulus and Mytilus galloprovincialis, or whether all three taxonomic groups are simply hybrids of each other. The question of whether these groups are separate species or are a species complex is discussed in detail in Seed, 1992.

Analyses of co-occurring species have been performed by the National Status and Trends Program (NOAA, 1989). M. edulis and C. virginica on the East Coast, and Mytilus edulis and Mytilus californianus on the West Coast, were compared for trace element and organic contaminant concentrations. While differences were found between the abilities of C. virginica and M. edulis to concentrate certain trace elements, there was no clear difference between the bioaccumulation abilities of the two mussel species (NOAA, 1989).

Process_Date: 1986
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)
Contact_Position: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 1305 East West Highway N/SCI1
City: Silver Spring
State_or_Province: MD
Postal_Code: 20910
Country: U.S.
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301-713-3028
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Gunnar.Lauenstein@noaa.gov
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Criteria for the selection and sampling of National Status and Trends Mussel Watch sites are that: The site should integrate contaminant accumulation from nearby or surrounding areas and should be outside the zone of initial dilution of a dumpsite or point-source discharge. Sampling substrates are limited to rock or concrete (including rip-rap and jetties), and sand or mud (or mangrove roots in the case of Crassostrea rhizophorae). Structures such as wooden pilings and metallic navigation aids are avoided in order to eliminate potential contamination. Indigenous populations of mollusks must exist because transplanted mussels are not used in the regular monitoring effort. Suitable bivalve size ranges are: 7 - 10 cm for Crassostrea virginica and C. rhizophorae, 5 - 8 cm for the Mytilus species, and 2 - 3 cm for Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis. The NS&T Mussel Watch Project selected sites that were also sampled by the earlier Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Mussel Watch monitoring program (Palmieri et al., 1984). Selecting sites that are coincident to the two monitoring efforts allows decadal comparisons between estuarine contaminants (Lauenstein et al., 1990; Lauenstein, 1995). Some locations formerly sampled by the EPA no longer support bivalve populations. Sites must have sufficient bivalves, such that repeated annual harvesting will not seriously deplete the resource. Approximately 50 bivalves of the larger species are collected for each set of analyses. Smaller species samples need a correspondingly larger number of specimens. Sites must be suitable for follow-up sampling (e.g., not anticipated to be physically disrupted by development activities or dredging). Mussel Watch Project sites are collected in late fall and winter. Once a site and field sampling methods are established, repeat sampling occurs within ±3 weeks of that sampling date. The rationale for winter sampling is to avoid collecting spawning organisms. The exception is that the Great Lakes samples are collected during late August or early September.

Newly established sites are assigned a new site name and unique site code. Sites that have been minimally relocated may retain the same name or may be renamed if the new name better signifies the relocated site.

The number of species sampled is kept to a minimum in order to facilitate comparisons among sites. The species collected include the blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) from Maine to Delaware Bay. M. edulis alternates with the California mussel (Mytilus californianus) for West Coast collections. From Delaware Bay south and throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the American oyster (C. virginica) is sampled. Areas distant from the conterminous United States and those specimens collected in fresh water require the collection of alternate species. The Hawaiian oyster (Ostrea sandvicensis) is taken at Hawaiian Islands sites. The species collected in Puerto Rico is the mangrove oyster (Crassostrea rhizophorae). At a site in southern Florida, the smooth edged jewel box (Chama sinuosa) is collected. In the Great Lakes, the zebra mussel and quagga mussel (Dreissena polymorpha and D. bugensis, respectively), both introduced species(Wright et al., 1996), are harvested.

Process_Date: 1986
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)
Contact_Position: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: Mailing and physical
Address: 1305 East West Highway N/SCI1
City: Silver Spring
State_or_Province: MD
Postal_Code: 20910
Country: U.S.
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301-713-3028
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: Gunnar.Lauenstein@noaa.gov
Process_Step:
Process_Description: Metadata imported.
Source_Used_Citation_Abbreviation: C:\DOCUME~1\RACHEL~1.ISA\LOCALS~1\Temp\xml6.tmp

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Direct_Spatial_Reference_Method: Point

Spatial_Reference_Information:
Horizontal_Coordinate_System_Definition:
Geographic:
Latitude_Resolution: 0.0001
Longitude_Resolution: 0.0001
Geographic_Coordinate_Units: decimal degrees

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Detailed_Description:
Entity_Type:
Entity_Type_Label: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Entity_Type_Definition:
The SITES data file reports information regarding the nominal sampling locations designated by the National Status and Trends Program.
Entity_Type_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: NST_SITE
Attribute_Definition: Four letter site acronym
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
 
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: GEN_LOCA
Attribute_Definition: General water body in which site is found
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: SPEC_LOC
Attribute_Definition:
More specific water body or land feature with which the site is associated
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: ST_ABBR
Attribute_Definition: Standard two letter postal code for each state
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: ST_NAME
Attribute_Definition: Spelled out name in with the site is found
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
 
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: LATDEG
Attribute_Definition: Latitude given as decimal degree
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: LONDEG
Attribute_Definition: Longitude given as decimal degree
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: SPEC_CD1
Attribute_Definition:
Species code for the primary species collected at a site. Species codes include: ME-Mytilus edulis (blue mussel), CV-Crassostrea virginica (American oyster), CS-Chama sinuosa (smooth edged jewel box, CR-Crassostrea rhizophorae (mangrove oyster), MC-Mytilus californianus (California mussel), OS-Ostrea sandvicensis (Hawaiian oyster), and DS-Dreissena species (zebra mussels). For a site at which only sediments were collected the code given is SED. West coast mussels that are indicated as Mytilus edulis are most likely Mytilus galloprovincialis, Mytilus trossulus or a hybrid of these two species. The Dreissena species include Dreissena polymorpha (common name zebra mussel) and Driessena bugensis (common name quagga mussel). But in general use zebra mussel can refer to either species. Note there may also be data for the ribbed mussel (Geukensia demissus).
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: SPEC_CD2
Attribute_Definition:
The same codes apply here. This code indicates a secondary species that may be collected at the site.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: OTHER_CD
Attribute_Definition:
Other site code. A few of the sites code changed over time. The previous acronyms are provided here.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: PGM
Attribute_Definition:
Program, in this case Mussel Watch Project. The Mussel Watch Project is one of the three major elements of the Nsandt. The other projects are the National Benthic Surveillance Project and the Bioeffects Project.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: TARGET
Attribute_Definition: Target species for a given site.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: CHART
Attribute_Definition: NOAA chart on which the site can be found.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: W_DEPTH
Attribute_Definition:
Water depth at which a sites mussels or oysters are usually collected. Mussel Watch Project sites can be subtidal or intertidal. The subtidal sites are usually collected with an oyster dredge or oyster tongs below MLLW (mean lower low water).
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: BIV_METH
Attribute_Definition:
Bivalve collection method. Bivalve collection methods include: dredge, hand, and tongs. Information provided here may also include whether a boat was necessary to get to a site and whether collection required the field team to dive.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: SED_METH
Attribute_Definition:
Provides information on how sediments were collected. Sediments are usually collected with a Young modified van Veen grab or a PONAR grab. Sub-samples are taken from the grab sampler with a Kynar coated scoop.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: SOURCES
Attribute_Definition:
Indicates whether the field team noticed obvious visible indicates of site contamination. Mussel Watch sites are selected to be integrative in nature and are not intended to only indicate contamination at point sources.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: ACCESS1
Attribute_Definition:
Describes how the field team went about reaching to site to perform a collection. Descriptions include driving instructions, or whether a boat or plane were necessary to reach the site.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: DESCRIP1
Attribute_Definition: Provides sites specific information.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: REGCODE
Attribute_Definition: Region codes have been for sub-areas of the US, see below.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: REGION
Attribute_Definition:
Regions are North Atlantic (N), Middle Atlantic (M), South Atlantic (S), Puerto Rico (PR), Gulf Coast (G), West Coast (W), Alaska (AK), Hawaii (HI), and the Great Lakes (L).
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: EDASUB
Attribute_Definition:
Estuarine Drainage (Sub.code), NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework 5-digit Watershed Code
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: EDASUNM
Attribute_Definition:
Estuarine Drainage (Sub.name), NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework Watershed Name
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: EDACDA
Attribute_Definition:
Estuarine Drainage (Maj.code), NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework 4-digit Major Watershed Code
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: EDACDANM
Attribute_Definition:
No, Estuarine Drainage (Maj.name), NOAA's Coastal Assessment Framework Major Watershed Name
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: DA_SEDIMENT
Attribute_Definition: Indicates whether or not sediment data exist for a
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project
Attribute:
Attribute_Label: DA_TISSUE
Attribute_Definition:
Indicates whether data exist at a particular site for bivalves. A few of the sites do not have indigenous bivalve populations. Some sites were specifically chosen for the collection of sediments because fine grained sediments could not be found in the vicinity of where bivalves were collected. For this reason certain sites may not contain indigenous bivalves but were only used as sediment sites.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project

Attribute:
Attribute_Label: SEQ
Attribute_Definition:
Sequence is the arbitrary numbers that put sites in geographical order beginning in the North-east and progressing clockwise around the U.S.
Attribute_Definition_Source: <http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/Pdfpubs/tm112.pdf>
Attribute_Domain_Values:
Codeset_Domain:
Codeset_Name: Dataset Parameters for Mussel Watch Sites
Codeset_Source: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project

Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)
Contact_Position: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 1305 East West Highway N/SCI1
City: Silver Spring
State_or_Province: MD
Postal_Code: 20910
Country: U.S.
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301-713-3028
Resource_Description: Downloadable Data
Distribution_Liability: none
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: ASCII
Digital_Transfer_Option:
Online_Option:
Computer_Contact_Information:
Network_Address:
Network_Resource_Name: <http://NSandt.noaa.gov/data_description_mw.htm>

Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20021231
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Organization_Primary:
Contact_Organization:
NOAA's Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA)
Contact_Person: Mussel Watch Project Manager
Contact_Position: National Status and Trends, Mussel Watch Project Manager
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 1305 East West Highway N/SCI1
City: Silver Spring
State_or_Province: MD
Postal_Code: 20910
Country: U.S.
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 301-713-3028
Metadata_Standard_Name: FGDC Content Standards for Digital Geospatial Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: FGDC-STD-001-1998
Metadata_Time_Convention: local time
Metadata_Extensions:
Online_Linkage: <http://www.esri.com/metadata/esriprof80.html>
Profile_Name: ESRI Metadata Profile

Generated by mp version 2.7.3 on Thu Jan 02 10:42:26 2003