Strategic Assessment of Near Coastal Waters: Northeast Case Study

The Northeast Case Study has been undertaken to illustrate how data being developed in NOAA\u27s program of strategic assessments can be used for resource assessments of estuaries and near coastal waters throughout the contiguous USA. It was designed as a pilot project to assist the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in developing its Strategic Initiative for the Management of Near Coastal Waters. As part of this initiative, the coastal states and EPA are to identify estuarine and coastal waters that require management action. The project began in June 1987 as a cooperative effort by NOAA\u27s Office of Oceanography and Marine Assessment and EPA\u27s Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation and Office of Marine and Estuarine Protection. The Northeast was selected because NOAA\u27s data bases were more complete for the estuaries of this region at the time. Offshore areas are not included since information to characterize them has not been organized for a consistently defined set of spatial units. Preliminary and interim case study reports were completed in September and November 1987. In these reports, information was compiled by estuary for seven themes: (1) physical and hydrologic characteristics; (2) land use and population; (3) nutrient discharges; (4) classified shellfish waters; (5) toxic discharges and hazardous waste disposal sites; (6) coastal wetlands; and (7) public outdoor recreation facilities. Most of the information was compiled from NOAA\u27s National Coastal Pollutant Discharge Inventory, National Estuarine Inventory (Volumes 1 and 2), National Coastal Wetlands Inventory, and Public Outdoor Recreational Facilities Inventory. However, with the exception of the toxic discharges chapter in the interim report, only cursory explanations of the data and no data analyses were provided in the previous reports. Two chapters, nutrient and toxic discharges to estuaries, will be completed to illustrate fully the extent of available data, the methods used to develop the data, and the types of analyses that are possible. The data bases used to compile the information in the report are constantly being updated and improved. For example, during the course of the project, NOAA analyzed the susceptibility and status of all estuaries identified in its National Estuarine Inventory to nutrient and toxic discharges. This information, not in the preliminary and interim drafts of the case study, is emphasized in the chapters on nutrient and toxic discharges with special attention given to the estuaries in the Northeast. Case studies for other regions may be completed in the future depending on interest and available resources

Minimizing Wash Water Usage After Acid Hydrolysis Pretreatment of Biomass

Abstract Dilute acid pretreatment, needed to prepare biomass for saccharification, results in the production of a number of byproducts, which inhibit subsequent enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation steps. In order to improve saccharification yields in the enzyme hydrolysis step, the pretreated biomass is often rinsed with room temperature water to remove these byproducts. High-density poplar was pretreated with 1% dilute sulfuric acid at 140 ºC for 40 minutes. After pretreatment the biomass was washed with water volumes equal to 0, 1 ½, or 3 times the biomass volume. The rinsed biomass was then enzymatically hydrolyzed and the concentrations of byproducts and resulting carbohydrates were quantified by high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC). Quantification was performed in pretreatment hydrolyzates, rinsing waters and enzyme hydrolyzates. Results show that inhibitory byproducts are highly soluble even in low amounts of wash water, and glucose yields are similar despite halving the amount of water used (3 and 1 ½ water volumes) in the wash step, signifying that the removal of a sufficient number of inhibitory compounds can be accomplished with even at small wash values. Specifically, enzymatic hydrolysis yielded between 3 and 4 grams glucose per gram dry biomass in the 1 ½ and 3 water volumes rinses, respectively, with totals at both conditions equaling between 7 and 8 grams glucose per gram dry biomass, respectively. The rinse step removed similar concentrations of inhibitors in either the 1 ½ and 3 water volume rinsing procedures

Switchgrass storage effects on the recovery of carbohydrates after liquid hot water pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis

Perennial grasses that would be used for bioenergy and bioproducts production will need to be stored for various periods of time to ensure a continual feedstock supply to a bioprocessing facility. The effects of storage practices on grass composition and the response of grasses to subsequent bioprocesses such as pretreatment and enzymatic hydrolysis needs to be understood to develop the most efficient storage protocols. This study examined the effect of outdoor storage of round switchgrass bales on composition before and after liquid hot water pretreatment (LHW) and enzymatic hydrolysis. This study also examined the effect of washing LHW pretreated biomass prior to enzymatic hydrolysis. It was determined that switchgrass composition after baling was stable. As expected, glucan and lignin contents increased after LHW due to decreases in xylan and galactan. Washing biomass prior to enzymatic hydrolysis reduced saccharification, especially in samples from the interior of the bale, by at least 5%

ANALYSES OF JUVENILE CHINOOK SALMON AND STEELHEAD TRANSPORT FROM LOWER GRANITE AND LITTLE GOOSE DAMS,

The report provides analyses of patterns of smolt-to-adult return rates (SARs) relative to in-season migration timing of smolts. SARs of juvenile fish that were transported from either Lower Granite Dam (LGR) or Little Goose Dam (LGO) were compared to SARs of non-transport fish that migrated through the lower Snake and Columbia Rivers in the years 1998 – 2008. The measure used to assess the benefit of transport relative to downstream migration was the transport to migrant ratio (T:M), defined as the ratio of SAR for transported fish to that of non-transport migrants for corresponding groups. Statistical models produced estimated values for the SARs of the two groups and the T:M for each day was estimated from those estimates. To study seasonal SAR patterns required known dates of juvenile passage. Therefore, migrant groups were formed from PIT-tagged fish that were bypassed (i.e., detected) at the collector dams. The value of information from bypassed migrants has been discounted by some scientists in the region because bypassed fish generally have lower SARs than fish that pass the collector projects undetected via non-bypass routes (mostl

Photo: Observer recording safety information

Photo: Observer measuring a sea robi

An evaluation of enhanced geotextile layer in permeable pavement to improve stormwater infiltration and attenuation

This paper reports on an evaluation of the properties of a novel structure known as OASIS® which was designed at Coventry University as an enhancement of the commercially available geotextiles when incorporated in the permeable pavement system (PPS). The impact on the hydraulic behaviour of a PPS was analysed through the study of infiltration rate, throughout the PPS and time required to reach the steady-state stage behaviour of the water within the PPS, under extreme rainfall intensities of 100 mm/hr, 200 mm/hr and 400 mm/hr, corresponding to a 100-year return period rainfall over a duration of 15 min in different parts of the world. The result indicated that the novel structure provides an extra benefit when incorporated in PPSs, delaying peak flow of a rainfall event by retaining and storing great volumes of water within its structure. These additional benefits are especially important under extreme rainfall events

Baseline coral disease surveys within three marine parks in Sabah, Borneo

Two of the most significant threats to coral reefs worldwide are bleaching and disease. However, there has been a scarcity of research on coral disease in South-East Asia, despite the high biodiversity and the strong dependence of local communities on the reefs in the region. This study provides baseline data on coral disease frequencies within three national parks in Sabah, Borneo, which exhibit different levels of human impacts and management histories. High mean coral cover (55%) and variable disease frequency (mean 0.25 diseased colonies m−2) were found across the three sites. Highest disease frequency (0.44 diseased colonies per m 2) was seen at the site closest to coastal population centres. Bleaching and pigmentation responses were actually higher at Sipadan, the more remote, offshore site, whereas none of the other coral diseases detected in the other two parks were detected in Sipadan. Results of this study offer a baseline dataset of disease in these parks and indicate the need for continued monitoring, and suggest that coral colonies in parks under higher anthropogenic stressors and with lower coral cover may be more susceptible to contracting disease

Using the NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer to characterise temporal and spatial trends in water temperature of large European lakes

Lakes are major repositories of biodiversity, provide multiple ecosystem services and are widely recognised as key indicators of environmental change. However, studies of lake response to drivers of change at a pan-European scale are exceptionally rare. The need for such studies has been given renewed impetus by concerns over environmental change and because of international policies, such as the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD), which impose legal obligations to monitor the condition of European lakes towards sustainable systems with good ecological status. This has highlighted the need for methods that can be widely applied across large spatial and temporal scales and produce comparable results. Remote sensing promises much in terms of information provision, but the spatial transferability and temporal repeatability of methods and relationships observed at individual or regional case studies remains unproven at the continental scale. This study demonstrates that NOAA Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) thermal data are capable of producing highly accurate (R2 &gt; 0.9) lake surface temperature (LST) estimates in lakes with variable hydromorphological characteristics and contrasting thermal regimes. Validation of the approach using archived AVHRR thermal data for Lake Geneva produced observations that were consistent with field data for equivalent time periods. This approach provides the basis for generalizing temporal and spatial trends in European lake surface temperature over several decades and confirms the potential of the full 30 year NOAA AVHRR archive to can provide AVHRR-derived LST estimates to help inform European policies on lake water quality.</p

5th Annual NOAA Hurricane Preparedness Summit Report

NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness Program partnered with Coastal Response Research Center (CRRC) to facilitate webinars on two consecutive days focusing on NOAA’s hurricane preparedness and readiness for personnel, mission, infrastructure (PMI). The virtual event entitled “NOAA Hurricane Preparedness Summit 2024,” helped put NOAA in a better posture for the 2024 hurricane season by identifying best practices and lessons learned from the 2023 season, recognizing and discussing challenges related to climate change and extreme weather events, and socializing tools and resources available to support different stages of response. The summit included plenary presentations from federal and state agency representatives outlining topics such as: interpreting and using NWS Products and Services, looking back at the 2023 hurricane season, preparedness at home, operational spotlights, and showcase technological innovations, tools, and resources. Objectives: NOAA and its partners must evolve and adapt to sufficiently prepare for and mitigate extreme weather events that now occur with increasing frequency and intensity. Identify innovative solutions and strategies for improvement, including those that address challenges identified in previous hurricane seasons