Meeting on Coastal Water Quality Remote Sensing: Assessing the Current Needs and Capabilities...

Meeting on Coastal Water Meeting on Coastal Water Quality Remote Sensing: Quality Remote Sensing:

Assessing the Current Needs Assessing the Current Needs and Capabilitiesand Capabilities

Shellfish Shellfish ApplicationsApplicationsNOAA Coastal Services CenterNOAA Coastal Services Center

Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina

October 7, 2003October 7, 2003

PresenterPresenter

John “Rusty” McKay, Section HeadJohn “Rusty” McKay, Section HeadMaryland Department of the Environment (MDE)Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)Technical and Regulatory Services AdministrationTechnical and Regulatory Services AdministrationCompliance Monitoring ProgramCompliance Monitoring ProgramTechnical Studies SectionTechnical Studies Section

BackgroundBackgroundExperience:Experience:

19 years conducting water quality19 years conducting water qualitymonitoring of shellfish growing waters onmonitoring of shellfish growing waters onMaryland’s portion of Chesapeake Bay,Maryland’s portion of Chesapeake Bay,Atlantic Ocean, and coastal bays.Atlantic Ocean, and coastal bays.

Education:Education: B.A. Geography 1999B.A. Geography 1999University of Maryland Baltimore CountyUniversity of Maryland Baltimore CountyEmphasis in GIS and Remote SensingEmphasis in GIS and Remote Sensing

Maryland Department of the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE)Environment (MDE)

MISSIONMISSION::To Protect and restore the quality of Maryland's air, land, To Protect and restore the quality of Maryland's air, land, and water resources, while fostering economic and water resources, while fostering economic development, healthy and safe communities, and quality development, healthy and safe communities, and quality environmental education for the benefit of the environment, environmental education for the benefit of the environment, public health, and future generations.public health, and future generations.

VISIONVISION::To ensure a clean environment and excellent quality of life To ensure a clean environment and excellent quality of life for all Marylanders.for all Marylanders.

MDE GoalsMDE GoalsMDE’s15-fold goals aim to meet futureMDE’s15-fold goals aim to meet futureenvironmental challenges by continuingenvironmental challenges by continuingto improve and build new partnershipsto improve and build new partnershipsbetween governments, businesses andbetween governments, businesses andcommunities. Specifically, the goals thatcommunities. Specifically, the goals thatpertain to the TSS are:pertain to the TSS are:

5.5. Ensure that Water is Clean and Safe for Harvesting Ensure that Water is Clean and Safe for Harvesting of Fish and Shellfish of Fish and Shellfish

6.6. Improve and Protect Maryland’s Water QualityImprove and Protect Maryland’s Water Quality 13.13. Utilize Information Technology to Optimize and Utilize Information Technology to Optimize and

Enhance Environmental and Administrative Enhance Environmental and Administrative OperationsOperations

Technical Studies Section Technical Studies Section (TSS)(TSS)Who We Are and What We DoWho We Are and What We Do

Formed to conduct Formed to conduct specialized water specialized water quality studies and to quality studies and to integrate GIS integrate GIS technology into technology into Maryland’s Shellfish Maryland’s Shellfish ProgramProgram

Comprised of a staff Comprised of a staff of 4 professionals of 4 professionals with GIS backgrounds with GIS backgrounds and a wealth of field and a wealth of field experienceexperience

Specialized StudiesSpecialized Studies

Dye Tracer Studies to determine tidal Dye Tracer Studies to determine tidal dispersion of pollutants.dispersion of pollutants.

Sinepuxent Bay Assateague Island Visitors

Center WWTP Study August 2000

Specialized StudiesSpecialized Studies

Dye Tracer Studies to determine time of Dye Tracer Studies to determine time of travel and contributiontravel and contribution

Technical support to projects of other Technical support to projects of other Administrations within MDEAdministrations within MDE

Susquehanna River SRBC’s Susquehanna Drinking Water Intake Study 2001-2002

Northeast River Town of North East, MD SWA

Fall 2002

Bacterial Source Tracking Bacterial Source Tracking (BST)(BST) TSS developed field TSS developed field

methods and conducted methods and conducted all field activities in a all field activities in a one year collaborative one year collaborative study with Salisbury study with Salisbury University on developing University on developing the use of DNA the use of DNA fingerprinting of bacteria fingerprinting of bacteria for BST. These methods for BST. These methods have lead to subsequent have lead to subsequent research that is currently research that is currently being used in Maryland’s being used in Maryland’s TMDL efforts.TMDL efforts.

Shellfish TMDLShellfish TMDL About to conclude our 2nd year of monitoring in three About to conclude our 2nd year of monitoring in three

Chesapeake Bay tributaries identified on Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay tributaries identified on Maryland’s 2002 303(d) List of impaired waterways using BST 2002 303(d) List of impaired waterways using BST techniques-SCATtechniques-SCAT

Physical water quality parameters measured at Physical water quality parameters measured at surface and bottom at each station included:surface and bottom at each station included: TemperatureTemperature pHpH D.O.D.O. ConductivityConductivity SalinitySalinity TurbidityTurbidity Secchi DepthSecchi DepthSupplemental information collected included: airSupplemental information collected included: airtemperature, wind speed & direction, and tidal state temperature, wind speed & direction, and tidal state

Scat SamplingScat Sampling

Collected animal scat throughout the Collected animal scat throughout the watershed to build a 500 isolate library watershed to build a 500 isolate library to be compared against isolates from to be compared against isolates from the water samples collected.the water samples collected.

Environmental Emergency Environmental Emergency ResponseResponse

Patuxent River Oil Patuxent River Oil Spill. 120K gallons Spill. 120K gallons of #4 & #6 oil.of #4 & #6 oil.

Shoreline Shoreline Contamination Contamination Assessment Teams Assessment Teams (SCAT).(SCAT).

Swanson Creek, Chalk Point Power Plant, April 2000

Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) MonitoringMonitoring

Collect routine HAB Collect routine HAB samples in Maryland’s samples in Maryland’s coastal bays as part of coastal bays as part of a mandated a mandated surveillance programsurveillance program

Conduct intensive HAB Conduct intensive HAB surveys to support surveys to support regulatory decisions regulatory decisions involving shellfish and involving shellfish and beach closuresbeach closures

Microcystis Bloom, Sassafras River, Aug 2003

Fish KillsFish Kills

MDE is responsible MDE is responsible for the for the investigation of investigation of both algae both algae complaints and fish complaints and fish kills.kills.

TSS staff provide TSS staff provide support to the fish support to the fish kill duty roster and kill duty roster and assist with assist with investigations.investigations.

GIS MappingGIS Mapping

Maryland’ Shellfish Maryland’ Shellfish ProgramProgram

Maryland, as with every other shellfish Maryland, as with every other shellfish producing state, adheres to the National producing state, adheres to the National Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) guidelines Shellfish Sanitation Program (NSSP) guidelines also known as the Model Ordinance. The also known as the Model Ordinance. The regulations of the Model Ordinance are regulations of the Model Ordinance are enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug enforced by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)Administration (FDA)

The Model Ordinance requires harvesting The Model Ordinance requires harvesting states to have in place three major elements to states to have in place three major elements to their Shellfish Programs. These elements their Shellfish Programs. These elements include a include a classification unitclassification unit, , a patrol unita patrol unit, , and a and a sanitary control unitsanitary control unit. .

Maryland’s Shellfish Maryland’s Shellfish ProgramProgram

Maryland Department of the EnvironmentMaryland Department of the Environment

Maryland Department of Natural Maryland Department of Natural ResourcesResources

Maryland Department of Health and Maryland Department of Health and Mental HygieneMental Hygiene

MDE’s Shellfish ProgramMDE’s Shellfish Program Required to identify Required to identify

and eliminate and eliminate pollution sources with pollution sources with shoreline surveysshoreline surveys

Conduct Conduct bacteriological bacteriological surveillance with surveillance with routine monitoringroutine monitoring

Monitor shellfish for Monitor shellfish for bacteriological bacteriological contamination and contamination and chemical constituentschemical constituents

Soft-shelled and Razor clam collections, Patuxent River, May 2000

Shoreline SurveyShoreline SurveyMDE conducts shorelineMDE conducts shorelinesurveys of all waterfrontsurveys of all waterfrontproperty and alongproperty and alongmajor drainage basinsmajor drainage basinsthat flow into shellfishthat flow into shellfishharvesting areas. Theseharvesting areas. Thesesurveys are conducted surveys are conducted as door to door surveysas door to door surveyslooking for anything looking for anything that may pose an impact that may pose an impact to water quality with to water quality with emphasis on sanitary emphasis on sanitary violations.violations.

Failing Onsite Waste System

Sanitary ViolationsSanitary Violations

Failing onsite wasteFailing onsite waste

systems, direct systems, direct pipes, pipes,

gray water gray water discharges.discharges.

Agricultural SourcesAgricultural Sources

Surveyors evaluate Surveyors evaluate

animal waste animal waste

management management

practices.practices.

Routine MonitoringRoutine Monitoring

MDE monitors over 700 monitoring MDE monitors over 700 monitoring stations in shellfish growing waters stations in shellfish growing waters for bacterial levelsfor bacterial levels

Five regionally based monitoring Five regionally based monitoring teams sample the monitoring network teams sample the monitoring network twice monthly 8-10 months out of the twice monthly 8-10 months out of the yearyear

Today’s SituationToday’s Situation

Maryland has an emerging Maryland has an emerging shellfish aquaculture industry that shellfish aquaculture industry that is beginning to tax staff resources. is beginning to tax staff resources. The continued growth of this The continued growth of this industry will require that new industry will require that new methodologies that can add methodologies that can add efficiency into the Program be efficiency into the Program be explored. explored.

Off-Bottom Shellfish Off-Bottom Shellfish AquacultureAquaculture

Near-shore harvest of Near-shore harvest of

shellfish grown in shellfish grown in

restricted harvesting restricted harvesting

waters. Concern is waters. Concern is

that the industry that the industry could could

develop rapidly develop rapidly

exceeding staffing exceeding staffing

resources.resources.

Remote Sensors Of Remote Sensors Of InterestInterest

Thermal IR/ ThemographyThermal IR/ Themography Chlorophyll ProductionChlorophyll Production Soil MoistureSoil Moisture FluorescenceFluorescence Oil/PetroleumOil/Petroleum

PlatformsPlatforms

Land Land base/handheldbase/handheld

BoatsBoats Fixed wing aircraftFixed wing aircraft Helicopter Helicopter Airships--- under Airships--- under

development for development for Homeland Security.Homeland Security.

ThermographyThermography Develop thermal Develop thermal

signature library of signature library of known point and non-known point and non-point pollution sourcespoint pollution sources

Include failing septic Include failing septic

systems, direct pipes, systems, direct pipes, illegal discharges, illegal discharges, animal waste animal waste management practices management practices or effectiveness of or effectiveness of BMPBMP

Forward Looking Infra-Red

Pending Project Using FLIRPending Project Using FLIR

TSS is collaborating TSS is collaborating

with NOAA’s with NOAA’s

Cooperative Oxford Cooperative Oxford

Laboratory to conduct Laboratory to conduct

a pilot project using a pilot project using

Forward Looking Forward Looking

Infrared Imaging Infrared Imaging (FLIR).(FLIR).

Goal and ObjectiveGoal and Objective

Develop a more thorough method of Develop a more thorough method of detecting pollution sources impacting detecting pollution sources impacting water qualitywater quality

Promote a less invasive survey Promote a less invasive survey method---PASSmethod---PASS

Continue to help promote the shellfish Continue to help promote the shellfish industry in Marylandindustry in Maryland

Provide a tool in the field for staff to Provide a tool in the field for staff to assist in collections or to direct assist in collections or to direct monitoring activitiesmonitoring activities

How Could We Use How Could We Use Remote SensingRemote Sensing

Shoreline SurveyShoreline Survey HAB Monitoring/DetectionHAB Monitoring/Detection Environmental Emergency Environmental Emergency

ResponseResponse Hydrographic Dye StudiesHydrographic Dye Studies Supplement Routine and TMDL Supplement Routine and TMDL

MonitoringMonitoring

NeedsNeeds

FundingFunding Data/ImageryData/Imagery Equipment: Thermal Cameras, Equipment: Thermal Cameras,

Computers & Software, Video and Computers & Software, Video and Digital Cameras, Photo/Video Digital Cameras, Photo/Video Analysis Analysis

Services: Flight TimeServices: Flight Time Staff: GIS Techs, Thermography Staff: GIS Techs, Thermography

Techs, Field TechsTechs, Field Techs

BenefitsBenefits

Better coverageBetter coverage Increased FrequencyIncreased Frequency Efficient use of staff resourcesEfficient use of staff resources Overcomes property access issuesOvercomes property access issues Public perceptionPublic perception Techno-deterrentTechno-deterrent

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