Water and Tissue Analyses (Impacts of urban runoff (toxic stormwater) on salmon and their habitats)

The Ecotoxicology Program is at the forefront of research to understand the impacts of toxic stormwater runoff on NOAA trust resources, including salmon that spawn in urban and urbanizing watersheds throughout the western United States. This includes high-profile studies on dying Coho salmon returning to spawn in urban streams throughout Puget Sound. Ecotoxicology stormwater work has been funded for nearly a decade by the Coastal Services Center, as leads for the ecological resiliency component of the NOAA Coastal Storms Program. In-kind funding has also been provided by the Northwest Regional Office (NWR), EPA, the US Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and other partners. The science is at the core of the "Water Quality and Sustainable Practices on Land" priority objective for the National Ocean Policy, particularly Action 5. The need for targeted research on toxic runoff is expanding nationally, and Ecotox has recently begun project work with a focus on the Great Lakes. Related science communication continues throughout the PNW, California, and the Gulf of Mexico. Analysis of water samples for chemistry (e.g. pH) and contaminants (e.g. metals) and tissue samples.