National Status and Trends: Bioeffects Program - Southwest Puerto Rico Chemical Contaminant Assessment Summary
The purpose of the project was to characterize the extent and magnitude of chemical contamination in southwest Puerto Rico, as part of a larger effort to link coral condition with chemical contamination. The study area extended from Guanica Bay west past the town of La Parguera. The Puerto Rico Planning Board has classified the terrestrial and marine environments of the study area as a Zone of Special Planning, and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources has designated the marine environment as a Natural Reserve. In May 2005, a reconnaissance mission resulted in the collection of 71 sediment samples that were used to characterize sediments in the study area in terms of total organic carbon (TOC). In August 2005, sediments were collected from 43 sites, randomly selected within the high and low TOC strata, using standard NSandT Program protocols, for contaminant analysis. A broad suite of chemical contaminants were analyzed in the sediment samples including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated pesticides including DDT and its metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), major and trace elements, butyltins, and polybrominated flame retardants (PBDEs). Coral tissues (mustard hill coral, Porites astreoides) were collected at eight sites and were analyzed for PAHs, chlorinated pesticides including DDT and its metabolites, PCBs, major and trace elements, and butyltins. Water samples were analyzed for total nitrogen and total phosphorus. This project provides valuable baseline data on sediment and coral tissue chemical contamination that is georeferenced and posted on the internet through the NOAA's National Status and Trends data portal.
Complete Metadata
| @type | dcat:Dataset |
|---|---|
| accessLevel | non-public |
| contactPoint |
{
"fn": "Not provided - Contact data.gov",
"hasEmail": "mailto:datagovsupport@gsa.gov"
}
|
| describedByType | application/octet-steam |
| description | The purpose of the project was to characterize the extent and magnitude of chemical contamination in southwest Puerto Rico, as part of a larger effort to link coral condition with chemical contamination. The study area extended from Guanica Bay west past the town of La Parguera. The Puerto Rico Planning Board has classified the terrestrial and marine environments of the study area as a Zone of Special Planning, and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources has designated the marine environment as a Natural Reserve. In May 2005, a reconnaissance mission resulted in the collection of 71 sediment samples that were used to characterize sediments in the study area in terms of total organic carbon (TOC). In August 2005, sediments were collected from 43 sites, randomly selected within the high and low TOC strata, using standard NSandT Program protocols, for contaminant analysis. A broad suite of chemical contaminants were analyzed in the sediment samples including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), chlorinated pesticides including DDT and its metabolites, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), major and trace elements, butyltins, and polybrominated flame retardants (PBDEs). Coral tissues (mustard hill coral, Porites astreoides) were collected at eight sites and were analyzed for PAHs, chlorinated pesticides including DDT and its metabolites, PCBs, major and trace elements, and butyltins. Water samples were analyzed for total nitrogen and total phosphorus. This project provides valuable baseline data on sediment and coral tissue chemical contamination that is georeferenced and posted on the internet through the NOAA's National Status and Trends data portal. |
| distribution |
[
{
"@type": "dcat:Distribution",
"title": "https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/ltmonitoring/nsandt/default.aspx",
"mediaType": "placeholder/value",
"description": "Live Data and Maps",
"downloadURL": "https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/ltmonitoring/nsandt/default.aspx",
"describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
},
{
"@type": "dcat:Distribution",
"title": "NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP)",
"mediaType": "placeholder/value",
"description": "NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort.",
"downloadURL": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/nccos/dmp/pdf/39056.pdf",
"describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
},
{
"@type": "dcat:Distribution",
"title": "GCMD Keyword Forum Page",
"mediaType": "placeholder/value",
"description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords",
"downloadURL": "https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords",
"describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
},
{
"@type": "dcat:Distribution",
"title": "Full Metadata Record",
"mediaType": "placeholder/value",
"description": "View the complete metadata record on InPort for more information about this dataset.",
"downloadURL": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39056",
"describedByType": "application/octet-steam"
}
]
|
| identifier | gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:39056 |
| issued | 2008-05-23T00:00:00.000+00:00 |
| keyword |
[
"Numeric Data Sets > Chemical Contaminants",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef Monitoring and Assessment",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef damage assessment > Chemical",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef damage assessment > Pollution",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > In situ biological",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Biosphere > Zoology > Corals > Reef monitoring and assessment > In situ chemical",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Hydrosphere > Water Quality > Contaminants",
"EARTH SCIENCE > Hydrosphere > Water Quality > Contaminants > Chemical",
"Environmental Monitoring",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > La Parguera > La Parguera (17N067W0002)",
"COUNTRY/TERRITORY > United States of America > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > La Parguera > La Parguera (17N067W0002)",
"OCEAN BASIN > Atlantic Ocean > Caribbean Sea /North Atlantic Ocean > Puerto Rico > Puerto Rico (18N066W0000)",
"NCCOS Research Data Type > Field Observation",
"NCCOS Research Priority > Long-term Monitoring",
"NCCOS Research Priority > Stressors, Impacts, Mitigation, and Restoration (SIMR)",
"NCCOS Research Topic > Bioeffects/Toxicity",
"NCCOS Research Topic > Chemical Contaminants",
"NCCOS Research Topic > Coral Reefs",
"NCCOS Research Topic > Monitoring",
"PAH",
"PCB",
"Site",
"TBT",
"analytes",
"butyltins",
"chemical",
"contaminants",
"coral",
"date",
"inorganic",
"latitude",
"location",
"longitude",
"nitrogen",
"organic",
"organochlorines",
"parameter",
"pesticides",
"phosphorus",
"polychlorinated biphenyls",
"polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons",
"region",
"sediment",
"state",
"station",
"Caribbean Sea",
"Guanica Bay",
"La Parguera",
"NCCOS Research Location > Geographic Area > Coastal Ocean",
"NCCOS Research Location > Geographic Area > Coral Reefs",
"NCCOS Research Location > Region > U.S. Caribbean",
"NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Puerto Rico",
"Puerto Rico",
"DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
"NSandT"
]
|
| landingPage | https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39056 |
| language |
[]
|
| license | https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ |
| modified | 2008-05-23T00:00:00.000+00:00 |
| publisher |
{
"name": "National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science",
"@type": "org:Organization"
}
|
| references |
[
"https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/nccos/dmp/pdf/39056.pdf"
]
|
| rights | otherRestrictions, unclassified |
| spatial | -66.91005,17.91522,-67.12399,17.96895 |
| title | National Status and Trends: Bioeffects Program - Southwest Puerto Rico Chemical Contaminant Assessment Summary |