Marine Environmental Impacts of Hurricane Katrina

NOAA Environmental impacts of hurricane katrina

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Survey water, sediment and fish/shrimp for indications of toxics and pathogens

Nancy Foster stations map NOAA Ship Nancy Foster
9/13-9/16 2005.
Deployed seaward of barrier islands sampling water, sediments, and fish/shrimp/crab populations. Samples are examined for toxic contaminants, metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides, and pathogens. (e.g. bacteria, viruses)

Other Links
	National status and trends program - Integrated Response to Hurricane Katrina
	Sep. 12 - 16 NANCY FOSTER Oceanographic Data from Survey
	Environmental Conservation Division
	Resource Enhancement and Utilization Technologies Division
	Northwest Fisheries Science Center

Results/Progress:

Oct 12, 2005 – NOAA’s National Status and Trends Program recently completed a 2 week field mission to LA, MS, and AL to sample sediment, water, and oyster tissue chemical and pathogenic contaminant concentrations in shallow water coastal habitats of the impacted region. Samples also were collected for FDA, USGS, and NOAA’s Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR). Samples collected will be compared to the 20 year history of monitoring data in the region, as well as to neighboring regions of the eastern and western Gulf of Mexico. For a more detailed description of this work, access to historical data, and photographs of the field work, please visit
Sep 28, 2005 - NOAA Ship NANCY FOSTER will depart Tampa FL on Wednesday, 28 September for a cruise to sample water, fish/shrimp and sediments from northwest Florida across the northern Gulf of Mexico. The cruise will last seven days and provide continued monitoring for the presence of toxics and pathogens.
Sep 16, 2005 - NOAA ship NANCY FOSTER returned to Pensacola FL on 9/16, and offloaded samples and scientific party. Samples for toxic chemicals and pathogens were sent to NOAA's Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) Seattle for analysis. Samples include 66 Atlantic croaker which will be a sentinel species because of its broad distribution in the region. Some results may be available as soon as Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC) and review are complete. Nutrients from water samples are being processed at Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) Miami, including CTD, nutrient, plankton and sea water flow-through data.

R/V Nancy Foster cruises of September 12-16, 2005 and 28 September - 2 October 2005. Analysis of edible tissue and bile from fish collected in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico potentially affected by Hurricane Katrina to determine exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs)	January 19, 2006 press release Latest tests of NOAA Gulf Fish Surveys show NO Negative impact on seafood quality.
R/V NANCY FOSTER cruise of 12-16 September 2005 Analysis of fish and invertebrates collected in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico potentially affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to determine levels of human fecal indicators and pathogenic Vibrios
R/V NANCY FOSTER cruise of 28 September-2 October 2005. Analysis of water and sediments collected in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico potentially affected by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to determine levels of human fecal indicators.
R/V NANCY FOSTER cruise of September 12-16, 2005 Analysis of edible tissue from fish collected in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico potentially affected by Hurricane Katrina to determine recent exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs)	October 11, 2005 press release First sample tests of Gulf of Mexico fish after Katrina find no E. Coli, low levels of contaminants
R/V NANCY FOSTER cruise of September 12-16, 2005. Analysis of water and sediments collected in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico potentially affected by Hurricane Katrina to determine levels of human fecal indicators and pathogenic Vibrio species.
R/V NANCY FOSTER cruise of September 12-16, 2005. Analysis of fish and invertebrates collected in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico potentially affected by Hurricane Katrina to determine levels of human fecal indicators.
R/V NANCY FOSTER cruise of September12-16, 2005. Analysis of Bile of Fish Collected in Coastal Waters of the Gulf of Mexico Potentially Affected by Hurricane Katrina to Determine Recent Exposure to Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds (PACs)	September 29, 2005 Press release First test of Gulf of Mexico fish after Katrina finds no elevated hydrocarbon contaminants.

F/V Patricia Jean 9/13-9/19 2005.
Deployed in Mobile Bay, Mississippi Sound, and Lake Borgne for toxicological studies. Water, sediments, and shrimp samples will be tested for toxic contaminants, metals, hydrocarbons, pesticides, and pathogens.

Results/Progress:

Sep 19, 2005 - Chartered FV PATRICIA JEAN returned to Bon Secour, AL on 9/19, offloading scientific samples. The vessel took 70 composite (multiple animal) shrimp samples, sediments and other observations. A description of the sampling locations and some ancillary observations is attached. Samples sent to NWFSC for toxics and pathogens analysis. Sample results will be available under a similar policy with NANCY FOSTER results.
Sep 26, 2005 - The FV PATRICIA JEAN will depart on/about 9/26 to sample in Mississippi Sound and farther offshore to obtain biological samples for toxics/pathogens. The vessel will also deploy drifters to assist OAR/AOML hydrodynamic modeling. Vessel will sample for 7 days. These cruises are now planned to occur biweekly for the next two months to provide temporal changes in toxics/pathogens.

Analyses for persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) in white shrimp (Penaeus setiferus) sampled over a seven month period following Hurricane Katrina Levels of persistent organic pollutants (POPs; e.g., PCBs and DDTs) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs; e.g., naphthalene, phenanthrene, benzo[a]pyrene) in all samples were consistently below levels associated with substantive human health concerns.	August 25, 2006 press release. One Year Anniversary: NOAA Gulf Fish Surveys continue to show NO Negative impact on seafood quality
White shrimp collected during two cruises of the F/V Patricia Jean (13-19 September 2005 and 2-6 October 2005) Analysis of edible tissue from white shrimp collected in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico potentially affected by Hurricane Katrina to determine recent exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs)	January 19, 2006 press release Latest tests of NOAA Gulf Fish Surveys show NO Negative impact on seafood quality.
NWFSC contaminant analyses of shrimp sampled from Patricia Jean cruise sept 13-19, '05. - Analysis of edible tissue from white shrimp collected in coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico potentially affected by Hurricane Katrina to determine recent exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs)	Oct. 26, 2005 Press Release Initial White Shrimp samples from Mississippi Sound show no elevated contaminants.

Sep 22, 2005 - The NSF Vessel CAPE HATTERAS is conducting a cruise beginning on/about 9/22 and proceeding from Miami, up the west coast of FL to Louisiana. This short cruise will obtain water samples for Atrazine for NOAA Charleston lab. The cruise will also deploy automated drifters within the loop current to assist in circulation modeling studies.

Sep 26, 2005 - The EPA ship BOLD will initiate a cruise on about 9/26 as a partnership between EPA/NOAA and FDA to occupy e-map sample locations that were last sampled two years ago and to sample for various constituents in the Northern Gulf. This cruise will have an interagency team of scientists looking at broadscale contamination issues. Additional efforts by this collaboration will look to re-occupy “Status and Trends” locations.

NOAA ship GORDON GUNTER will depart Pascagoula, MS for its fall bottom trawl survey 10/9-11/15. This survey will provide broad scale sampling for distribution and abundance of fish and shellfish and there will be piggybacking and further directed sampling for toxics and nutrients.