Abstract
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) assessed the ecological condition of estuaries, bays, and tidal rivers in the Virginian Biogeographic Province (Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Cape Henry, Virginia) during July–September 1990–1993. Indicators measured at 425 probability-based stations included water quality (temperature, salinity, clarity, and dissolved oxygen), contamination and toxicity of sediment, structure of benthic and fish communities, and gross external pathology of fishes. These data were used to quantify the condition of ecological resources in the entire province, as well as in three subgroups (small estuaries, large estuaries, and major tidal rivers). Also characterized was the condition of ecological resources for four major estuarine systems within the province (Chesapeake Bay, Delaware Bay, Hudson–Raritan system, and Long Island Sound) and three tidal rivers in the Chesapeake Bay watershed (Potomac, Rappahannock, and James). The ...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
