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Ecological Interactions in Massachusetts Bay. A guide to how the MWRA Harbor and Outfall Monitoring Program evaluates the ecological system in Massachusetts Bay Carlton D. Hunt, Ph.D. Battelle. Why show ecological interactions?.
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Ecological Interactions in Massachusetts Bay A guide to how the MWRA Harbor and Outfall Monitoring Program evaluates the ecological system in Massachusetts Bay Carlton D. Hunt, Ph.D. Battelle
Why show ecological interactions? • Concern that discharge in Massachusetts Bay does not adversely disrupt the specific ecological compartments or linkages • Monitoring focus is on measuring compartments that can be repeatedly sampled and measured quantitatively • Parameters of major interest are those that • ecologically important • respond early to perturbation • indicate longer-term response • provide explanatory information • Context of these compartments and monitoring are best shown through a ecological diagram • Thresholds are the key pulse points that indicate a response is potentially unacceptable
Concerns GasExchange Inflow Outflow N2, | O2, CO2 Human Health Contaminants Bacteria Viruses Bioaccumulation Ecological Nutrients Contaminants Organic Material Food Chain Community Structure Living Resources ATMOSPHERE Light WATER COLUMN Mammals Planktivorous Fish Sources Rivers Boundary Nonpoint Effluents Piscivorous Fish Phytoplankton Dissolved Zooplankton Demersal Fish Microbes Particulate Detritus Regeneration Epibenthos Microbes N, P, Si, O2, CO2 SEDIMENT Infauna
Concerns GasExchange Inflow Outflow N2, | O2, CO2 Human Health Contaminants Bacteria Viruses Bioaccumulation Ecological Nutrients Contaminants Organic Material Food Chain Community Structure Living Resources ATMOSPHERE Light WATER COLUMN Mammals Planktivorous Fish Sources Rivers Boundary Nonpoint Effluents Piscivorous Fish Phytoplankton Dissolved Zooplankton Demersal Fish Microbes Particulate Detritus Regeneration Epibenthos Microbes N, P, Si, O2, CO2 SEDIMENT Infauna
Concerns GasExchange Inflow Outflow N2, | O2, CO2 Human Health Contaminants Bacteria Viruses Bioaccumulation Ecological Nutrients Contaminants Organic Material Food Chain Community Structure Living Resources ATMOSPHERE Light WATER COLUMN Mammals Planktivorous Fish Sources Rivers Boundary Nonpoint Effluents Piscivorous Fish Phytoplankton Dissolved Zooplankton Demersal Fish Microbes Particulate Detritus Regeneration Epibenthos Microbes N, P, Si, O2, CO2 SEDIMENT Infauna
Concerns Inflow Outflow Human Health Contaminants Bacteria Viruses Bioaccumulation Ecological Nutrients Contaminants Organic Material Food Chain Community Structure Living Resources ATMOSPHERE Light GasExchange WATER COLUMN N2, | O2, CO2 Mammals Planktivorous Fish Sources Rivers Boundary Nonpoint Effluents Piscivorous Fish Phytoplankton Dissolved Zooplankton Demersal Fish Microbes Particulate Detritus Regeneration Epibenthos Microbes N, P, Si, O2, CO2 SEDIMENT Infauna