Standard Trash Monitoring Methods for...
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Standard Trash Monitoring Methods for California Terra Miller-Cassman 1 , Theresa Sinicrope Talley 2 , Ted Von Bitner 1 1 Amec Foster Wheeler, 2 California Sea Grant March 14, 2018
Transcript of Standard Trash Monitoring Methods for...
Standard Trash Monitoring Methods for California
Terra Miller-Cassman1, Theresa Sinicrope Talley2, Ted Von Bitner1
1Amec Foster Wheeler, 2California Sea Grant
March 14, 2018
California Trash Amendments 2015
Highlight the need for standardized trash monitoring protocols
San Diego Bay Debris Study
(2013-2016)
• Development of methods & first
comprehensive survey of bay and watershed
receiving waters
• Focus on plastics and public engagement
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San Diego Bay Debris Study
Stakeholder Workgroup
Technical
Advisors
Dr. Sherry Lippiatt
California Regional
Coordinator at NOAA Marine
Debris Program
Dr. Brock Bernstein
Independent Consultant
Program Design and
Evaluation
Shelly Moore, M.S.
Bight ‘13 Marine Debris
Lead Scientist
San Diego Bay Debris Study
Monitoring and Assessment Framework
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Condition Assessment
Stressor Identification Source Identification
Performance Evaluation
San Diego Regional Board, Practical Vision 2013
San Diego Bay
Methods: Establish Survey Area
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5 m
Wrackline Transect
30 m
30 m
Vegetation
Transect
5 m
Beach
Mudflats/Saltmarsh
Riverine
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Methods: Characterize Site & Collect Debris
Methods: QA/QC
• Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs)
• Intercalibration among all team leads
• Field team performance audits
• Recounts
• 100% data validation review
• CEDEN format = Comparability
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Results
Implementation Framework
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Condition Assessment
Stressor Identification Source Identification
Performance Evaluation
San Diego Regional Board, Practical Vision 2013
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Results: Stressor Identification
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
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16
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Mudflat/Saltmarsh Rip-Rap Beach River
Me
an
De
ns
ity (
No
. It
em
s/m
2)
Bags (single use plastic)
Cigarette Butts
Wrappers (food and other)
Persistent Plastics (hard and soft plasticpieces)Polystyrene Foam Pellets, Pieces, &Cups
0
0.1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
Chollas Sweetwater Otay
Challenges
• Resources
• Lack of standardized methods for varied receiving water environments
• Range of stakeholders and desired outcomes = complex methods required to collect data
Future programs should prepare for new environments and priorities:
• Lagoons, sensitive habitats, non-wadeable perennial streams
• Source identification
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Advantages
1) Comparable, Compatible Data across Ecosystem
Type, Location & Time
► Methods incorporated standard methods from:
► (Riverine) SWAMP Rapid Trash Assessment
► (Shoreline) NOAA Marine Debris Program
► (Marina) Automated trash skimmers
► (Open Water) So Cal Bight Program Trawls
► Adapted for varied strata, but data remained
comparable
2) Conducive to Citizen Science Efforts
3) Inform Local Management Priorities and Actions
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Project Scientists
Dr. Ted Von Bitner, Amec Foster Wheeler
Terra Miller-Cassman, Amec Foster Wheeler
Dr. Theresa Talley, California Sea Grant
Travis Pritchard, San Diego Coastkeeper
Chad Loflen, San Diego RWQCB
Heather Krish, City of San Diego
Christiana Boerger, US Navy
Project Management, SWAMP
Dr. Betty Fetscher
Dr. Lilian Busse
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Questions
Terra Miller-Cassman
Amec Foster Wheeler, Environment and
Infrastructure
9177 Sky Park Court, San Diego CA, 92672
(858) 514-7753
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