Biomonitoring Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program 2002 Yukon River Basin Activities

Metadata:

bulletIdentification_Information
bulletData_Quality_Information
bulletSpatial_Data_Organization_Information
bulletSpatial_Reference_Information
bulletEntity_and_Attribute_Information
bulletDistribution_Information
bulletMetadata_Reference_Information

Identification_Information:
Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division
Publication_Date: 2004
Title:
Biomonitoring Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program 2002 Yukon River Basin Activities
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place:
USGS-Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), Columbia, MO USA
Publisher: USGS/BRD-CERC
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/pubs.htm
Description:
Abstract:
The Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program is designed to identify and understand the effects of environmental contaminants on biological resources, particularly those resources under the stewardship of the Department of the Interior (DOI). BEST provides sound scientific information to be used proactively to prevent or limit contaminant-related effects on biological resources. The primary goals of BEST are to: (1) determine the status and trends of environmental contaminants and their effects on biological resources, (2) identify, assess and predict the effects of contaminants on ecosystems and biological populations, and (3) provide summary information in a timely manner to managers and the public for guiding conservation efforts. To address these goals, BEST will use different approaches, involving a combination of field biomonitoring methods and information assessment tools, for examining contaminant issues at the national, regional, and local levels. Fish, primarily Northern pike (Esox lucius), Longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus), and Burbot (Lota lota), were sampled from a total of 10 stations (1 former NCBP station) in the Yukon River drainage by USFWS, USGS and NPS personnel during May 2002 - October 2002. Together, the array of sites, analyses, and assays will provide a synoptic overview of the current distribution of a wide variety of contaminants and their effects on fish in much of the Yukon River drainage, in addition to evaluating the performance of using new methods together in a testing battery.
Purpose:
The objectives of this BEST Yukon River system project are: 1. To document the distribution of contaminants in the Yukon River system and determine the potential of these contaminants to affect aquatic organisms. The selection of a former NCBP site will allow the study to draw on the extensive historic database on organochlorine chemicals and metals, and will also update that data base, which has not been sampled since 1986. 2. To test the logistical feasibility of implementing an investigation incorporating multiple lines of evidence on a large geographic scale through partnerships with other agencies. This study was designed to be implemented as a partnership between the Biological Resources Division (BRD) and other agencies, most notably USFWS and, to a lesser extent, USGS. Although the methods employed are well founded scientifically, they have not been used together as a battery outside the BEST Program. This study will continue to test the logistics of this approach. 3. To evaluate compatibility with the NASQAN program of the US Geological Survey. Elements of the NASQAN program are complimentary to the BEST program. 4. To further quantitatively evaluate the performance of indicators selected for use in aquatic habitats by the BEST program. The precision of some indicators has not been well characterized.
Supplemental_Information: www.cerc.usgs.gov/data/best/search/
Time_Period_of_Content:
Time_Period_Information:
Range_of_Dates/Times:
Beginning_Date: 20020501
Ending_Date: 20020830
Currentness_Reference:
Stations sampled during summer of 2002, however data is continually generated and analyzed.
Status:
Progress: In work
Maintenance_and_Update_Frequency: Continually
Spatial_Domain:
Description_of_Geographic_Extent: Yukon River Basin
Bounding_Coordinates:
West_Bounding_Coordinate: -163.5728
East_Bounding_Coordinate: -142.1661
North_Bounding_Coordinate: 67.21389
South_Bounding_Coordinate: 63.03667
Keywords:
Theme:
Theme_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Theme_Keyword: BEST Program
Theme_Keyword: Yukon River Basin
Theme_Keyword: contaminant
Theme_Keyword: biomonitoring
Theme_Keyword: fish health
Stratum:
Stratum_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Stratum_Keyword: n/a
Stratum_Keyword: Yukon River
Stratum_Keyword: Alaska
Stratum_Keyword: United States
Stratum_Keyword: USA
Temporal:
Temporal_Keyword_Thesaurus: None
Temporal_Keyword: n/a
Temporal_Keyword: n/a
Taxonomy:
Taxonomic_Keywords: 162139: NTPK-Northern pike (Esox lucius)
Taxonomic_Keywords:
163894: LNSK-Longnose sucker (Catostomus catostomus)
Taxonomic_Keywords: 164725: BRBT-Burbot (Lota lota)
Taxonomic_Coverage:
Specific_Taxonomic_Information:
General_Taxonomic_Coverage: ITIS Classification System: www.itis.usda.gov
Access_Constraints: restricted
Use_Constraints: restricted
Point_of_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Jo Ellen Hinck
Contact_Organization: USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 4200 New Haven Road
City: Columbia
State_or_Province: Missouri
Postal_Code: 65201
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 573-876-1808
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 573-876-1896
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jhinck@usgs.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday Through Friday
Data_Set_Credit: USGS/BRD-CERC
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
Schmitt CJ, VS Blazer, GM Dethloff, DE Tillitt, TS Gross, WL Bryant, LR DeWesse, SB Smith, RW Goede, TM Bartish, and TJ Kubiak
Publication_Date: 19990930
Title:
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program: Field Procedures for Assessing the Exposure of Fish to Environmental Contaminants. US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Columbia, (MO): Information and Technology Report USGS/BRD-1999--0007. iv + 35pp. + appendices.
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Columbia, Missouri
Publisher: USGS/BRD-CERC
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/pubs.htm
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Schmitt CJ and GM Dethloff
Publication_Date: 20000300
Title:
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program: Selected methods for monitoring chemical contaminants and their effects in aquatic ecosystems. US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Columbia (MO): Information and Technology Report USGS/BRD--0005. 81 pp.
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Columbia, Missouri
Publisher: USGS/BRD-CERC
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/pubs.htm
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Schmitt CJ (ed.)
Publication_Date: 20020600
Title:
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program: Environmental contaminants and their effects on fish in the Mississippi River Basin. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR 2002-0004. Columbia, MO. 217 p.
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: USGS-CERC
Publisher: USGS-CERC
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/pubs.htm#1
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division
Publication_Date: 2003
Title:
Biomonitoring Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program 1997 Columbia River Basin Activities
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place:
USGS-Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC); Columbia, MO USA
Publisher: USGS/BRD-CERC
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/pubs.htm
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator:
US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division
Publication_Date: 2003
Title:
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) Program 1997 Rio Grande River Basin Activities
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place:
USGS-Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC); Columbia, MO USA
Publisher: USGS/BRD-CERC
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/pubs.htm
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Schmitt CJ, JL Zajicek, TW May, and DF Cowman
Publication_Date: 19991030
Title:
National Contaminant Biomonitoring Program: Concentrations of organochlorine chemical residues and elemental contaminants in US freshwater fish, 1976-1986. Rev. Environ, Contam. Toxicol. 162:43-104.
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/data/ncbp/ncbp.html
Cross_Reference:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Schmitt CJ and CM Bunck
Publication_Date: 1995
Title:
Persistent Environmental Contaminants in Fish and Wildlife. Our Living Resources: a report to the nation on the distribution, abundance, and health of US plants, animals, and ecosystems.
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: Washington, DC
Publisher:
US Department of the Interior, Biological Resources Division-USGS (formally NBS). 530 pp.
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/data/ncbp/ncbp.html

Data_Quality_Information:
Attribute_Accuracy:
Attribute_Accuracy_Report:
Analyses of composite fish samples for organochlorine chemical residues and elemental contaminants were performed by USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC), Columbia, MO laboratory. Precision and accuracy of laboratory results were confirmed through analyses of procedural blanks, duplicate samples, test recoveries of spiked materials, and reference material analyses. The identities of organochlorine residues were confirmed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry in about 10% of the samples. Oversight was provided by CERC. Based on the quality assurance program, CERC determined that the results of the laboratory analyses were acceptable. In keeping with past NCBP practice (Schmitt 1999), analytical results were not adjusted to reflect spike recoveries or moisture loss during storage. EROD assays and analyses of composites fish extracts for TCDD-EQ with the H4IIE rat hepatoma cell bioassay (Tillitt et al. 1989) were performed at CERC. Details of the laboratory methods including Q/A and Q/C measures are described in Schmitt 2002.
Logical_Consistency_Report: n/a
Completeness_Report: n/a
Lineage:
Methodology:
Methodology_Type: Field
Methodology_Description: see online linkage URL in citation information.
Methodology_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Schmitt CJ (ed.)
Publication_Date: 20020600
Title:
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program: Environmental contaminants and their effects on fish in the Mississippi River Basin. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR 2002-0004. Columbia, MO. 217 p.
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: USGS-CERC
Publisher: USGS-CERC
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/pubs.htm#1
Methodology_Type: Lab
Methodology_Description: see online linkage URL in the citation information
Methodology_Citation:
Citation_Information:
Originator: Schmitt CJ (ed.)
Publication_Date: 20020600
Title:
Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program: Environmental contaminants and their effects on fish in the Mississippi River Basin. U.S. Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR 2002-0004. Columbia, MO. 217 p.
Publication_Information:
Publication_Place: USGS-CERC
Publisher: USGS-CERC
Online_Linkage: http://www.cerc.usgs.gov/pubs/pubs.htm#1
Process_Step:
Process_Description:
Depending on the nature of the response variable (i.e., biomarker), we used three different statistical methods to compare stations and groups of stations. For continuous variables (EROD activity, GSI, etc.) we used ANOVA to compare biomarker responses among stations within a region. The significance of additional explanatory variables (e.g., age, weight, and stage) was also investigated. The actual terms included in a model for testing depended on the biomarker being analyzed. Lacking a larger, more complete dataset, modeling of these additional explanatory terms and their interactions could only be carried out on subsets of the data. This approach implicitly assumes that what we found for subsets of the data also held for the entire dataset. Compliance with distributional and other assumptions as evaluated by examining residual plots as well as with formal tests when possible. Data were log (base 10) or rank-transformed as necessary when standard ANOVA assumptions were not met.
Process_Date: 2003
Process_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Jo Ellen Hinck
Contact_Organization: USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 4200 New Haven Road
City: Columbia
State_or_Province: Missouri
Postal_Code: 65201
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 573-876-1808
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 573-876-1896
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jhinck@usgs.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday Through Friday

Spatial_Data_Organization_Information:
Indirect_Spatial_Reference:
Considering the remote local of the region, access to some areas was limited due to terrain, tribal lands, and equipment requirements. The sites sampled within the Yukon River Basin (YRB) were selected because they encompassed key points (i.e., confluences of major tributaries, impoundments) in the Yukon River Basin as well as accessibility for crew and necessary equipment.

Spatial_Reference_Information:

Entity_and_Attribute_Information:
Overview_Description:
Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:
RESIDUES: Chemicals measured by GC/ECD (ppm, wet-weight): o,p'-DDD; o,p'-DDE; o,p'-DDT; p,p'-DDD; p,p'-DDE; p,p'-DDT; a-BHC (alpha BHC); g-BHC (gamma BHC); b-BHC (beta BHC); d-BHC (delta BHC); a-Chlor (cis-Chlordane); g-Chlor (trans-Chlordane); cis-Nona (cis-Nonachlor); trans-Nona (trans-Nonachlor); Oxychlor (oxychlordane); Hepox (heptachlor epoxide); Dieldrin; Endrin; Mirex; Toxaphene; HCB (hexachlorobenzene); and Total PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls). TCDD-eq (H4IIE bioassay). Metals measured by ICP-MS (ppm) converted from dry-weight to wet-weight using the % inorganic moisture value: Al (aluminum); Be (beryllium); Cd (cadmium); Cr (chromium); Cu (copper); Fe (iron); Mg (magnesium); Mn (manganese); Mo (molybdenum); Ni (nickel); Pb (lead); V (vanadium); and Z (zinc). Metals measured by AA (ppm), converted from dry-weight to wet-weight using the % inorganic moisture value: As (arsenic); Hg (mercury); and Se (selenium). FISH HEALTH: River Basin; Station; Species; Taxa; Gender (histologically determined); Age (scale, spine or otolith analysis); Length (Total length in mm); Weight (bwt: body weight in grams); Gross Lesions (score based on external health examination); Gonad Weight (weight to the 0.1 g); Liver Weight (weight to the 0.1 g); Spleen Weight (weight to the 0.002 g); Average EROD activity; Ceriod Pigment; Lysozyme; Macrophage Aggregate Size (MeanArea); Macrophage Aggregate Density (MAMM); Tissue Occupied by Macrophage Aggregates; Reproductive Stage; Intersex; Atresia; Estradiol (E2); Testosterone; 11-Ketotestosterone (11-KT); Vitellogenin (VTG) ; E/KT Ratio; Hepatosomatic Index (HSI); Gonadosomatic Index (GSI); Splenosomatic Index (SSI); Condition Factor (CF); and Health Assessment Index (HAI).
Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:
Biomonitoring Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program: Environmental contaminants and their effects on fish in the Mississippi River Basin. US Geological Survey, Biological Resources Division, Biological Science Report USGS/BRD/BSR 2002-0004. Columbia, MO 217 p.

Distribution_Information:
Distributor:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Jo Ellen Hinck
Contact_Organization: USGS Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 4200 New Haven Road
City: Columbia
State_or_Province: Missouri
Postal_Code: 65201
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 573-876-1808
Contact_Facsimile_Telephone: 573-876-1896
Contact_Electronic_Mail_Address: jhinck@usgs.gov
Hours_of_Service: 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday Through Friday
Distribution_Liability:
Although these data have been processed successfully on a computer system at the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the accuracy or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. This disclaimer applies both to individual use of the data and aggregate use with other data. It is strongly recommended that these data are directly acquired from a U.S. Geological Survey server, and not indirectly through other sources which may have changed the data in some way. It is also strongly recommended that careful attention be paid to the contents of the metadata file associated with these data. The U.S. Geological Survey shall not be held liable for improper or incorrect use of the data described and/or contained herein.
Standard_Order_Process:
Non-digital_Form: hardcopy
Fees: None
Standard_Order_Process:
Digital_Form:
Digital_Transfer_Information:
Format_Name: EXCEL
Digital_Transfer_Option:

Metadata_Reference_Information:
Metadata_Date: 20031124
Metadata_Contact:
Contact_Information:
Contact_Person_Primary:
Contact_Person: Anne Donahue
Contact_Organization: Columbia Environmental Research Center (CERC)
Contact_Address:
Address_Type: mailing and physical address
Address: 4200 New Haven Road
City: Columbia
State_or_Province: Missouri
Postal_Code: 65201
Country: USA
Contact_Voice_Telephone: 573-441-2958
Metadata_Standard_Name:
NBII Content Standard for National Biological Information Infrastructure Metadata
Metadata_Standard_Version: December 1995

Generated by mp on Tue Nov 25 14:53:23 2003