Pait Anthony S, Hartwell S Ian, Mason Andrew L, Warner Robert A, Jeffrey Christopher F G, Hoffman Anne M, Apeti Dennis A, Pittman Simon J
NOAA/NOS/NCCOS Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, 1305 East/West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA,
Environ Monit Assess. 2014 Aug;186(8):4793-806. doi: 10.1007/s10661-014-3738-1. Epub 2014 Apr 18.
The St. Thomas East End Reserves or STEER is located on the southeastern end of the island of St. Thomas, USVI. The STEER contains extensive mangroves and seagrass beds, along with coral reefs, lagoons, and cays. Within the watershed, however, are a large active landfill, numerous marinas, resorts, various commercial activities, an EPA Superfund Site, and residential areas, all of which have the potential to contribute pollutants to the STEER. As part of a project to develop an integrated assessment for the STEER, 185 chemical contaminants were analyzed in sediments from 24 sites. Higher levels of chemical contaminants were found in Mangrove Lagoon and Benner Bay in the western portion of the study area. The concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), zinc, copper, lead, and mercury were above a NOAA Effects Range-Low (ERL) sediment quality guideline at one or more sites, indicating impacts may be present in more sensitive species or life stages. Copper at one site in Benner Bay was above a NOAA Effects Range-Median (ERM) guideline indicating effects on benthic organisms were likely. The antifoulant boat hull ingredient tributyltin (TBT) was found at the third highest concentration in the history of NOAA's National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program, which monitors the nation's coastal and estuarine waters for chemical contaminants and bioeffects. The results from this project will provide resource managers with key information needed to make effective decisions affecting coral reef ecosystem health and gauge the efficacy of restoration activities.
圣托马斯东区保护区（STEER）位于美属维尔京群岛圣托马斯岛的东南端。STEER拥有广阔的红树林和海草床，以及珊瑚礁、泻湖和珊瑚岛。然而，在该流域内有一个大型的活跃垃圾填埋场、众多的码头、度假村、各种商业活动、一个美国环境保护局超级基金污染场地和居民区，所有这些都有可能向STEER排放污染物。作为对STEER进行综合评估项目的一部分，对24个地点的沉积物中的185种化学污染物进行了分析。在研究区域西部的红树林泻湖和本纳湾发现了较高水平的化学污染物。多氯联苯（PCBs）、滴滴涕（DDT）、锌、铜、铅和汞的浓度在一个或多个地点超过了美国国家海洋和大气管理局（NOAA）的效应范围低值（ERL）沉积物质量准则，表明在更敏感的物种或生命阶段可能存在影响。本纳湾一个地点的铜含量超过了NOAA效应范围中值（ERM）准则，表明可能对底栖生物有影响。防污船体成分三丁基锡（TBT）的浓度在NOAA国家状况与趋势（NS&T）计划的历史记录中排名第三高，该计划监测美国沿海和河口水域的化学污染物和生物效应。该项目的结果将为资源管理者提供做出影响珊瑚礁生态系统健康的有效决策所需的关键信息，并评估恢复活动的成效。
