All news related to Sediment Quality

Study surveying fish consumption at urban lakes in L.A. region completed
SCCWRP has completed a year-long study intended to help managers decide if one or more urban lakes in the Los Angeles region should receive a regulatory designation known as a ... More
Passive samplers retrieved from offshore DDT barrels dump site
SCCWRP and its partners at Scripps Institution of Oceanography have successfully retrieved passive samplers that were deployed for six months to measure sediment contamination at a former industrial waste dump ... More
First Bight ’23 Sediment Quality assessment report published
The Southern California Bight 2023 Regional Monitoring Program has published the first of its Sediment Quality assessment reports summarizing the extent and magnitude of sediment toxicity across Southern California’s coastal ... More
Re-assessment of sediment contamination at Palos Verdes Superfund site completed
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 9 has finalized an assessment of the state of sediment contamination along the Palos Verdes shelf – an effort that included participation by SCCWRP, ... More
First phase completed in fish consumption survey at urban lakes in L.A. region
SCCWRP has completed the first phase of an ongoing study examining whether one or more urban lakes in the Los Angeles region should receive a regulatory designation known as a ... More
Bight ’18 synthesis report for Sediment Quality studies updated with new SQO scores
The Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program has updated its final assessment report summarizing how sediment contamination in Southern California has impacted the overall health of coastal marine ecosystems ... More
Bight program modernizing computational methods for bioassessment scoring tools
The Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program has launched an effort to modernize the computational methods used to score the biological health of organisms living in and on the sediment ... More
Study reassesses sediment contamination at Palos Verdes Superfund site completed
SCCWRP has completed a follow-up study assessing the state of sediment contamination along the Palos Verdes shelf a decade after completing the Superfund site’s last ecological condition assessment. The study, ... More
Fish consumption survey to inform L.A. Regional Board deliberations about potential new beneficial use designation for urban lakes
SCCWRP has launched a two-year study to inform deliberations by the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board about whether one or more urban lakes in Los Angeles County should ... More
Bight ’23 shellfish study to benefit 4 study elements
The 2023 cycle of the Southern California Bight Regional Monitoring Program has launched a year-long investigation to comprehensively track the accumulation of multiple different types of contaminants in shellfish – ... 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
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
State, federal agencies briefed for study examining sediment impacts from oil platform installations
SCCWRP has begun briefing multiple federal and State agencies about plans to evaluate sediment quality near offshore oil platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel – part of a three-year study ... More
Effort launched to reassess sediment contamination at Palos Verdes Superfund site
SCCWRP has launched a follow-up study examining the state of sediment contamination along the Palos Verdes shelf a decade after completing the Superfund site’s last ecological condition assessment in 2012. ... More
Technical foundation established for protecting sediment-dwellers in estuaries from organic matter
SCCWRP has developed a technical foundation for protecting sediment-dwelling organisms in California estuaries from the harmful effects of exposure to excess organic matter. The technical work product, described in an ... More
Sediment contamination from oil platform installations to be studied for potential ecological impacts
SCCWRP has begun working to study piles of seafloor debris known as shell mounds that were created during installation of 26 offshore oil platforms in the Santa Barbara Channel decades ... 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
Tijuana River sediment fluxes estimated for effort to improve sediment management practices
SCCWRP and San Diego State University have successfully estimated the sediment fluxes being discharged from the Tijuana River at the U.S.-Mexico border to its coastal estuarine terminus – a key ... 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
Template established for how boat harbors could modify copper regulatory targets
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a three-year study that establishes a template for how Southern California boat harbors could pursue scientifically validated modifications to default regulatory targets for dissolved ... More
Phase 2 sampling underway for study examining how to update copper concentration limits for streams
SCCWRP and its partners have begun collecting water quality data from three additional watersheds in the Los Angeles region as part of an ongoing effort to evaluate the feasibility of ... More
Non-targeted analysis used to detect bioactive contaminants in Bight ’18 sediment
SCCWRP and its partners have completed screening sediment samples collected during the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program for contaminants using non-targeted chemical analysis. The work, completed in December, ... 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
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
Monitoring effort underway in study examining how to update copper loading limits for streams
SCCWRP has begun collecting water-quality monitoring data on copper levels in Los Angeles-area streams to support an ongoing study examining the feasibility of using a toxicity analysis method known as ... More
Study offers insights into origins of contaminants found in San Diego Bay fish tissue
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a two-year study shedding light on what portion of the legacy contaminants found in fish tissue in San Diego Bay is coming from contaminated ... More
Bight ’18 Sediment Quality element nearing completion on assessment reports
The Sediment Quality element of the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program is scheduled to publish the first of its assessment reports this spring, with four other report volumes ... More
Study examining how to use Biotic Ligand Model to update copper loading limits in freshwater systems
SCCWRP has launched a study examining the feasibility of using a toxicity modeling tool known as the Biotic Ligand Model (BLM) to update copper loading limits for freshwater systems across ... More
Toxicity analysis underway for study revisiting copper TMDL in Marina del Rey Harbor
Researchers have begun analyzing toxicity data for a SCCWRP-led study examining whether existing regulatory targets for dissolved copper in Marina del Rey Harbor should be modified to more accurately reflect ... More
Ecological health of areas near offshore oil platforms evaluated
SCCWRP and the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) have completed a two-year study examining the ecological health of the area surrounding offshore oil platforms in the Santa Barbara ... More
New version of sediment quality assessment tool developed to streamline analyses
SCCWRP has developed a new, interactive web version of a web tool to assist environmental managers in assessing the human health impacts of contaminated sediment at a particular site. The ... 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
Passive samplers used to detect low levels of sediment-associated contaminants
SCCWRP and its partners have shown that passive sampling technology can be used to detect chemical contamination in San Diego Bay sediment, a key finding in an ongoing study exploring ... More
Dynamic exposure lab built to replicate fluctuating environmental conditions
SCCWRP has constructed a state-of-the-art dynamic exposure laboratory to study how aquatic organisms respond to fluctuations in pH, dissolved oxygen and other environmental parameters in a controlled setting – a ... More
EPA grants final approval to framework for assessing sediment’s impacts on humans
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has signed off on a standardized sediment assessment framework intended to better protect the health of humans who consume seafood caught in California’s enclosed bays ... More
Film-based passive sampling for tracking cyanotoxins to be evaluated at L.A.-area lakes
SCCWRP and its partners have identified at least two Los Angeles-area lakes where a class of cyanotoxins known as microcystins appears to be present, paving the way for researchers to ... 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
Advisory committee endorses workplan for study revisiting copper TMDL in Marina del Rey Harbor
A technical advisory committee has endorsed the draft workplan for a study that will examine whether existing regulatory targets for dissolved copper in Marina del Rey Harbor should be modified ... More
Advisory committee to review workplan for study revisiting copper TMDL in Marina del Rey Harbor
  A technical advisory committee in December is scheduled to review the draft workplan for a study examining whether existing regulatory targets for dissolved copper in Marina del Rey Harbor ... More
Field sampling completed for study probing origins of sediment contaminants that bioaccumulate in fish
SCCWRP and its partners in October completed the second and final round of field sampling for a study investigating whether legacy contaminants found in the tissue of San Diego Bay ... More
Round 1 field sampling completed for study probing origins of sediment contaminants that bioaccumulate in fish
SCCWRP and its partners have completed the first round of field sampling for a two-year study investigating whether legacy contaminants found in the tissue of San Diego Bay fish are ... More
Framework approved to assess sediment’s impacts on humans
The State Water Board has approved a standardized sediment assessment framework intended to better protect the health of humans who consume seafood caught in California’s enclosed bays and estuaries, the ... 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
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
New study probes origins of legacy sediment contaminants that bioaccumulate in fish
SCCWRP and its partners have launched a two-year study to investigate whether legacy contaminants that occur in the tissue of fish in San Diego Bay are coming exclusively from contaminated ... More
Study offers guidance for optimizing TIE study design
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a two-year study examining how to optimize the design of toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) studies to improve confidence in the results. The project, published ... More
Study launched to revisit copper TMDL for Marina del Rey Harbor
SCCWRP has launched a two-year study examining whether existing regulatory targets for dissolved copper in Marina del Rey Harbor should be modified to more accurately reflect the ecological threat posed ... More
Laboratory-based passive-sampling method used to measure sediment contamination
SCCWRP and its partners have successfully used prototype passive-sampling methods in a laboratory to measure the freely dissolved concentrations of organic contaminants in sediment. Unlike previous applications of passive-sampling technology ... More
Draft framework unveiled for assessing human health impacts of contaminated sediment
SCCWRP and its partners have completed development of a standardized sediment assessment framework intended to better protect the health of humans who consume seafood caught in enclosed bays and estuaries ... More
First phase of sediment TIE optimization study wraps up
SCCWRP has completed the first phase of a two-year project exploring how to optimize the design of toxicity identification evaluation (TIE) studies to improve confidence in the results. The project, ... More
Passive sampling method for measuring sediment contaminants validated in laboratory
SCCWRP and its partners have completed the validation phase of a two-year study that aims to adapt commercially available passive sampling devices to measure the freely dissolved concentration of CECs ... More
Human health assessment framework for embayment sediment quality being finalized
SCCWRP and its partners are wrapping up a final round of updates to a draft statewide assessment framework that evaluates how contaminated sediment affects the health of humans who consume ... More
Marina del Rey Harbor study highlights need for improved tools to investigate cause of sediment toxicity
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a comprehensive investigation into the potential causes of degraded sediment quality in Marina del Rey Harbor, a study that has underscored the need for ... More
San Diego Bay study examines fish consumption habits among local anglers
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a comprehensive, two-year study illuminating the fish consumption habits of San Diego Bay anglers who catch fish that could potentially be contaminated. The San ... More
Marina del Rey Harbor study highlights need for improved tools to investigate cause of sediment toxicity
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a comprehensive investigation into the potential causes of degraded sediment quality in Marina del Rey Harbor, a study that has underscored the need for ... More
San Diego Bay study examines fish consumption habits among local anglers
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a comprehensive, two-year study illuminating the fish consumption habits of San Diego Bay anglers who catch fish that could potentially be contaminated. The San ... More
Human health assessment framework for embayment sediment quality being finalized
SCCWRP and its partners are wrapping up a final round of updates to a draft statewide assessment framework that evaluates how contaminated sediment affects the health of humans who consume ... 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
Sediment samples being analyzed to test CEC monitoring framework
SCCWRP and the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County have begun analyzing sediment samples collected from across two regions of California for a pilot study that will test-drive a new, ... More
Promising passive sampling device developed to detect fipronil in receiving waters
SCCWRP and its partners have identified a promising, cost-effective passive sampling method for detecting the ubiquitous pesticide fipronil in receiving waters. The passive sampling method for this problematic, high-priority CEC ... More
Marina del Rey stressor identification rules out possible causes of degraded sediment quality
SCCWRP and its partners have ruled out some potential causes of degraded sediment quality in Marina del Rey Harbor, part of an ongoing stressor identification study aimed at understanding why ... More
Bioaccumulation study informs health risks from sediment
SCCWRP and its partners have completed a comprehensive investigation into how sediment contamination is transferred through Southern California marine food webs, a study that has enabled scientists to close key ... More
Sediment toxicity database expanded to improve availability of high-quality data
SCCWRP, in association with the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC), has completed a major expansion of a publicly accessible database designed to improve environmental managers’ access to high-quality ... More
Marina del Rey stressor identification rules out possible causes of degraded sediment quality
SCCWRP and its partners have ruled out some potential causes of degraded sediment quality in Marina del Rey Harbor, part of an ongoing stressor identification study aimed at understanding why ... More
SCCWRP completes data collection for fish consumption study
SCCWRP has completed a year-long effort to interview more than 1,600 San Diego Bay anglers about their fish consumption habits for a study that will ascertain whether local anglers and ... More
San Diego Bay bioaccumulation study nearing completion
A three-year study that quantifies how sediment contamination in San Diego Bay is transferred through various levels of the marine food web has completed its first phase of data analysis ... More
SCCWRP-developed sediment bioaccumulation model being tested in L.A./Long Beach Harbors
SCCWRP and the Harbor Technical Work Group, which is working to address a TMDL (total maximum daily load) in Los Angeles and Long Beach Harbors, launched an effort in November ... More
San Diego Bay bioaccumulation study working to quantify DDTs, PCBs
SCCWRP and its partners in December began analyzing and interpreting data collected from more than 300 San Diego Bay sediment and animal-tissue samples as part of a two-year study that ... More
Draft study plan released for planned Marina del Rey copper bioavailability study
SCCWRP in January released a draft study plan for an upcoming Marina del Rey Harbor study that will seek to measure the influence of harbor water characteristics and environmental variations ... More
Sediment stressor identification study launched in Marina del Rey
SCCWRP in late January kicked off a study that seeks to determine the cause of sediment toxicity and benthic community impairment in Marina del Rey Harbor. The study involves using ... 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