Why conduct regional monitoring?
1994 Southern California Bight Pilot Project
1998 Regional Survey
2003 Regional Survey

One of SCCWRP’s areas of research emphasis is development of integrated, coordinated regional monitoring about the condition of the Southern California Bight. Our premise is that monitoring data can be a useful part of the environmental decision-making process, but that the cost-effectiveness of monitoring in the Southern California Bight can be improved. Most of the data presently being collected is focused on site-specific issues, collectively sampling less than five percent of the area in the Bight, and is conducted using site-specific methodology that limits one’s ability to conduct integrated assessments. Regional perspective is a necessary input to the decision-making process, not only to assess overall condition, but to help place conditions at local sites into a larger comparative perspective.

Working towards that goal, SCCWRP led a consortium of 13 organizations in conducting the first integrated, coordinated regional monitoring survey for the Southern California Bight in 1994. This survey, referred to as the Southern California Bight Pilot Project, included measurement of chemistry, toxicity, benthic infauna, and fish assemblages at 261 sites between Point Conception and the Mexican border. SCCWRP is currently planning a second regional monitoring study, addressing additional questions and including a greater number of participating organizations, in the summer of 1998.