All news related to Regional Monitoring
SMC planning to double size of Regional BMP Monitoring Network for Year 2 of BMP performance monitoring The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) is planning to double the number of sites where field teams are collecting data on the performance of structural stormwater BMPs as the ... More |
Field training, intercalibration completed to support two new estuarine monitoring programs SCCWRP and its partners have completed field training and intercalibration exercises to support a pair of monitoring initiatives intended to collectively generate comprehensive insights about the ecological health of coastal ... More |
Effort launched to build statewide program for monitoring estuary health SCCWRP and its partners have begun working to establish a statewide monitoring program for coastal estuaries that is optimally responsive to the needs and priorities of managers. During a workshop ... More |
Effort launched to build network of Southern California estuary monitoring sites SCCWRP and its partners have begun working to build a network of estuary monitoring sites across Southern California that can serve as sentinel indicators for how the region’s coastal wetlands ... More |
Field sampling completed for Bight ’23 Sediment Quality element The Southern California Bight 2023 Regional Monitoring Program has completed field sampling for its signature Sediment Quality study element – a coordinated, three-month field effort that lays the foundation for ... More |
Standardized monitoring protocols to enable eelgrass beds to be assessed based on ecological functioning SCCWRP has completed development of a set of standardized assessment protocols for assessing the health of eelgrass beds based on their ecological functioning. Development of the eelgrass beds monitoring SOPs ... More |
Bight ’23 field sampling underway to evaluate sediment quality The 2023 cycle of the Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program has kicked off field sampling of coastal seafloor sediment to evaluate the chemical, toxicological and biological health of Southern ... More |
Bight ’23 using newly standardized methods to analyze microplastics in sediment and shellfish The Trash and Microplastics study element of the Southern California Bight 2023 Regional Monitoring Program is leveraging newly standardized methods for collecting and measuring microplastic particles to conduct a regional ... More |
Study shows more than 77% of Southern California’s coastal stream kilometers contains trash The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has published the findings of a regional survey of trash in aquatic environments that concluded that 77% of Southern California’s 4,600 miles ... More |
Coastal managers chart path forward for promoting optimized restoration and assessment of eelgrass beds The eelgrass habitat suitability model – described in a SCCWRP technical report published in July – will consist of a mechanistic model for predicting eelgrass growth along Southern California’s coast. ... More |
Advisory panel completes independent review of S.F. Bay nutrient modeling tool A science advisory panel led by SCCWRP’s Dr. Martha Sutula has completed an independent review of a San Francisco Bay computer model being developed to shed light on the ecological ... More |
BMP performance data collected from 5 sites to support regional monitoring network The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has successfully collected monitoring data on the performance of structural stormwater BMPs (best management practices) at five sites – a key milestone in ... More |
Bight ’23 to feature 7 study elements probing coastal ocean health The Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program has solidified plans for seven study elements for its upcoming 2023 cycle – the largest number of elements to date – reflecting the ... More |
Statewide monitoring framework published for assessing health of estuaries statewide SCCWRP and its partners have finalized and published a statewide monitoring framework intended to bring consistency to how California assesses the health of its coastal estuaries. The framework, described in ... More |
Study probes utility of virus method for fecal detection The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has completed a study that found that an alternative, virus-based method for tracking fecal contamination can be used as an effective complement ... More |
Estuarine monitoring framework piloted in Baja California, to be applied next year SCCWRP and its partners have completed a pilot effort to assess the ecological health of two Baja California estuaries using a newly developed estuarine monitoring framework that is expected to ... More |
Interactive, web-based stream causal assessment tool developed to ID likely causes of degradation SCCWRP and its partners have developed a user-friendly, web-based tool to help managers rapidly evaluate the likely vs. unlikely causes of degraded biological condition in streams in the San Gabriel ... More |
Study provides statewide picture of when, where HABs are occurring in lakes, reservoirs SCCWRP and its partners have completed a year-long study that used satellite imaging data to build a comprehensive portrait of when and where ecologically disruptive harmful algal blooms (HABs) have ... More |
Bight ’23 to be scoped out during September 22 kickoff meeting at SCCWRP Participants of the Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program will begin making decisions about which study elements the program will tackle and which management questions the program will answer during ... More |
First regional survey underway to examine health of Southern California eelgrass beds SCCWRP and its partners have launched a two-year pilot effort to assess the health of Southern California’s coastal eelgrass beds using a new, bioassessment-based monitoring approach that focuses on evaluating ... More |
Bight ’18 study shows how bioanalytical screening can be used to monitor sediment contamination SCCWRP and its partners have completed a three-year effort to demonstrate how bioanalytical screening technology can be incorporated into the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program to help track ... More |
SMC develops workplan for regional BMP performance monitoring network The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has developed a detailed workplan for how it will build a new regional monitoring network to investigate the performance of a wide variety ... More |
Bight ’18 publishes synthesis report summarizing Sediment Quality studies The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program (Bight ’18) has published its final assessment report summarizing how sediment contamination in Southern California has impacted the overall health of coastal ... More |
SMC completes intercalibration for stream monitoring program after 2-year hiatus The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has completed an in-person field intercalibration exercise for its Regional Watershed Monitoring Program that demonstrated that program participants have been able to maintain ... More |
Sediment quality study examines how to protect coastal estuaries from eutrophication SCCWRP and its partners have completed a two-year sediment quality study examining how to protect bottom-dwelling aquatic life in coastal estuaries from excess organic matter triggered by eutrophication. The study, ... More |
SMC preparing to kick off pilot phase to build regional BMP performance monitoring network The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) is preparing to kick off the initial pilot phase of a SCCWRP-led effort to build a regional network for monitoring the performance of ... More |
First regional survey examining health of Southern California eelgrass beds to be launched SCCWRP and its partners have developed plans to conduct the first regional monitoring survey examining the health of eelgrass beds across coastal Southern California. The two-year monitoring survey, which will ... More |
Monitoring framework undergoing final testing to evaluate health of estuaries statewide SCCWRP and its partners are initiating a final round of field testing this fall on a proposed statewide monitoring framework for assessing the health of California’s coastal estuaries, including two ... More |
Bight partnerships to expand understanding of acidification The Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program is partnering with three other West Coast marine monitoring groups this summer to produce the most comprehensive picture to date of how ocean ... More |
Draft SOPs developed for monitoring estuaries statewide SCCWRP and its partners have developed a set of standardized methods for collecting field data on the health of California’s coastal estuaries, part of an ongoing effort to develop a ... More |
Bight ’18 study documents domoic acid across coastal ocean seafloor The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has completed a study examining how a toxin produced by a certain ubiquitous type of marine algae can settle and stick to ... More |
Workplan developed for third cycle of SMC’s regional stream monitoring program The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has finalized plans for the third cycle of its Regional Watershed Monitoring Program that kicks off this spring. The cyclical program’s workplan – ... More |
Bight ’18 finds local sportfish within ‘safe to eat’ thresholds Contamination levels in the tissues of commonly caught Southern California sportfish were found to be within “safe to eat” thresholds for consumption at least once a week during the Southern ... More |
Two Bight ’18 Sediment Quality reports nearing completion The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program is preparing to publish the third volume of its Sediment Quality assessment reports by the end of the year, with a fourth ... More |
Monitoring framework drafted for assessing health of estuaries statewide SCCWRP and its partners have developed a proposed statewide monitoring framework for assessing the health of California’s coastal estuaries, including two dozen estuarine Marine Protected Areas (MPAs). The draft framework, ... More |
Monitoring framework being developed to assess health of estuaries statewide SCCWRP and its partners have begun working to develop a standardized, statewide monitoring framework for assessing the condition of California’s coastal estuaries, including the State’s 24 estuarine Marine Protected Areas ... More |
Second Bight ’18 Sediment Quality assessment report published The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has published the second of its Sediment Quality assessment reports, and two others are undergoing internal review later this summer. The Bight ... More |
SMC study suggests not all strategies to protect health of erosion-prone streams created equal The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has completed an analysis shedding light on whether next-generation management strategies for reducing erosion risk in streams could be more effective at protecting ... More |
Initial round of bioanalytical screening completed for Bight ’18 sediment, fish samples SCCWRP and its partners have completed screening Southern California Bight sediment and fish tissue samples for chemical contaminants that activate the aryl hydrocarbon receptor – the first of three bioanalytical ... More |
First Bight ’18 Sediment Quality assessment report published, three others nearing completion The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has published the first of its Sediment Quality assessment reports, with three others expected to undergo internal review this summer. The Bight ... More |
SMC develops roadmap to improve runoff water quality The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has unveiled a comprehensive, multi-faceted research agenda that lays out a vision and roadmap for how the region’s stormwater management community will collaborate ... More |
Sites being identified for evaluating effectiveness of stormwater BMPs The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has begun identifying about a half-dozen sites that will serve as case studies for examining the effectiveness of stormwater BMPs (best management practices) ... More |
Review of data underway for Bight ’18 Sediment Quality element The Bight ’18 Sediment Quality element is on track to finalize and publish its final assessment reports by spring 2020. The Sediment Quality element of the Southern California Bight 2018 ... More |
SMC’s renews Master Agreement through 2024 The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition in July renewed its Master Agreement for another five years, continuing the SMC’s research and monitoring agenda through 2024. SMC member agencies include eight ... More |
Bight ’18 Microbiology element preparing to kick off field sampling for coliphage method evaluation study Participants of the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program’s Microbiology element will initiate field sampling in August for a study evaluating the relevance and reliability of using coliphage viruses ... More |
Bight ’18 sediment, fish samples to be screened using bioanalytical assays SCCWRP and its partners in June will begin screening sediment and sportfish tissue samples collected from across the Southern California Bight for bioactive chemical contaminants using bioanalytical screening assays. More ... More |
Bight ’18 HABs study preparing to track freshwater cyanotoxins in coastal zone The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program’s Harmful Algal Blooms element has tentatively greenlighted a study that will explore whether freshwater cyanotoxins are being transported in the coastal zone. ... More |
Bight ’18 pilot study to assess how acidification is impacting marine calcifiers The Ocean Acidification element of the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has launched a pilot study examining how ocean acidification is impacting sensitive marine calcifiers in Southern California’s ... More |
SMC regional monitoring to include stormwater BMP effectiveness evaluation The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition has begun designing the next five-year cycle of its stream monitoring program to include a regional evaluation of the effectiveness of stormwater BMPs (best ... More |
Field sampling completed for Bight ’18 Sediment Quality element Participants of the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program’s Sediment Quality element have finished collecting seafloor sediment samples from about 400 sites across the Southern California Bight. The field ... More |
Bight ’18 HABs element developing method to track impacts of cyanotoxins in coastal waters The Harmful Algal Blooms element of the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has begun working to develop an assessment method for tracking the ecological impacts of freshwater cyanotoxins ... More |
Bight ’18 Microbiology element initiates lab training for coliphage-based water-quality monitoring method Participants of the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program’s Microbiology element have begun laboratory training for a study that will evaluate the relevance and reliability of using coliphage viruses ... More |
SMC conducting trash surveys in watersheds to support Bight ’18 The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has launched trash sampling surveys in wadeable streams across coastal Southern California to support the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program’s efforts ... More |
Bight ’18 field sampling underway to assess sediment quality The sampling window for the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program opened July 1, with participants starting to collect seafloor sediments to evaluate the chemical, toxicological and biological health ... More |
Management impacts of stream biointegrity policies explored in new SMC report The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has released a comprehensive new report chronicling how the region’s stream management community will potentially be impacted by new and proposed changes to ... More |
Bight ’18 keeps focus on key issues of management concern More than 80 environmental agencies will examine new and emerging developments in water-quality science and management during the 2018 cycle of the Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program, which initiates ... More |
SMC open-data portal under development to streamline data management The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) has begun developing a comprehensive data management system intended to streamline data submission, quality-control checks and data analysis. Built on the Esri ArcGIS ... More |
Bight ’18 kicks off with five study elements Participants of the Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program have developed five main study elements for the program’s 2018 cycle that will explore different facets of how human activities have ... More |
Bioassays show promise for CEC screening in SMC study SCCWRP and its partners have demonstrated in a proof-of-concept study that commercially available bioanalytical tools have the potential to cost-effectively screen Southern California waterways for the presence of bioactive contaminants ... More |
New Bight ’18 tools to improve data management workflows SCCWRP has developed a series of new tools and automations for the 2018 cycle of the Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program designed to streamline and enhance data management. Known ... More |
Effort underway to clean up, standardize historical Bight monitoring data SCCWRP and its member agencies have initiated a project to clean up and standardize decades of data they’ve collected from across the Southern California Bight during routine environmental monitoring. The ... More |
SMC kicks off Year 3 field sampling for second cycle of stream monitoring program The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition in March kicked off Year 3 of field sampling for the second five-year cycle of its regional stream monitoring program. The SMC Regional Watershed ... More |
Bight ’13 CIA element publishes integrated summary reports The integrated findings of the Contaminant Impact Assessment (CIA) element of Bight ’13 have been published in a final assessment report and an accompanying, 12-page executive summary intended for a ... More |
SMC kicks off Year 3 field sampling for second cycle of stream monitoring program The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition in March kicked off Year 3 of field sampling for the second five-year cycle of its regional stream monitoring program. The SMC Regional Watershed ... More |
Bight ’13 CIA element publishes integrated summary reports The integrated findings of the Contaminant Impact Assessment (CIA) element of Bight ’13 have been published in a final assessment report and an accompanying, 12-page executive summary intended for a ... More |
ELAP one-year follow-up review finds accrediting body back on track An expert advisory panel convened by SCCWRP in 2015 to evaluate the state’s accrediting body for environmental laboratories has completed a one-year follow-up review of the program, concluding that it ... More |
SMC completes analysis of bioassessment scores for engineered channels The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition has completed a comprehensive analysis of the range of ecological condition scores obtained when engineered channels across coastal Southern California are scored using existing ... More |
SMC kicks off second-year sampling with new program elements The Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition kicked off second-year sampling in March for the second cycle of its Regional Watershed Monitoring Program. New program elements being incorporated into the second ... More |
SMC samples advance to nontargeted analysis phase of CEC monitoring framework SCCWRP and its collaborators have advanced some of the 31 water samples collected by the Southern California Stormwater Monitoring Coalition (SMC) to the nontargeted phase of chemical analysis, a recognition ... More |
Bight ’13 regional monitoring wrapping up major elements Three of the five elements of the Southern California Bight 2013 Regional Monitoring Program are winding down as a series of final assessment reports is published over the next few weeks. ... More |
XPRIZE-developed pH sensors being tested as Bight profilers SCCWRP and its four POTW member agencies have kicked off a year-long effort to evaluate whether ocean pH monitoring instruments developed through an international XPRIZE competition can be used effectively ... More |
Massive 3-year sampling effort for San Diego Bay bioaccumulation study wraps up Scientists have finished collecting and analyzing more than 260 animal samples from San Diego Bay in one of the most comprehensive Southern California investigations ever conducted into how contamination is transferred ... More |
Bight ’13 toxicity data suggest sediment quality is improving Sediment toxicity testing conducted as part of the 2013 Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program has revealed evidence of continuing improvement to sediment quality, according to the findings of the ... More |
SCCWRP applies bioassessment index to streams statewide A new scoring tool that was developed to assess the biological condition of California’s wadeable streams has been applied for the first time to all wadeable streams statewide, with the ... More |
Stream survey tracks biological degradation across Southern California A five-year monitoring study of Southern California’s perennial wadeable streams has found that 75% of the region’s 4,300 miles of streams are degraded, with no discernable improvements in the health ... More |