Research Areas > Contaminants > Sediment Quality Assessment > Direct Effects in Estuaries

Project Group: Direct Effects on Benthic Infauna in Estuaries

SCCWRP Research

Estuaries include bodies of waters at stream and river mouths that serve as mixing zones for fresh and ocean waters during a major portion of the year. Like marine bays, estuaries are a high priority for sediment quality assessment because they provide critical habitat for biological resources and receive contaminant inputs from many sources such as agriculture, urban runoff, and municipal wastewater. The goal of this project is to develop measurement tools and an assessment framework to evaluate the impact of sediment contaminants on benthic aquatic life within estuaries.

Like research in bays, estuary research will include development of chemistry, toxicity, and benthic assemblage indicators, as well as the integration of these indicators for a multiple lines of evidence assessment.

However, separate tools are needed for estuaries because different biological communities live in estuaries as compared to bays and different types or patterns of chemical contamination may be present. In addition, changes in salinity and other habitat factors may affect the chemical form of contaminants.

Current research is focused upon obtaining matched chemistry, toxicity, and biological community data for development of the assessment tools. A comprehensive survey of sediment quality in the Sacramento and San Joaquin River Delta is in progress.