Water quality studies using continuous monitoring, modeling, isotopes and microbial tools for tracking pollution sources and identifying local and global drivers of ocean acidification
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Come learn about water quality studies using continuous monitoring, modeling, isotopes and microbial tools for tracking pollution sources and identifying local and global drivers of ocean acidification in the Tillamook Estuary, Oregon and Puget Sound, WA with Steve Pacella and Cheryl Brown, Newport Lab, ORD Puget Sound, WA land use is dominated by urbanization, forestry, and agriculture, and many water quality monitoring sites around the Sound are impaired for dissolved oxygen, among other parameters. Tillamook Estuary, Oregon, is a site of many large dairies in its watershed, coexisting with substantial shellfisheries, and it is impaired for dissolved oxygen as well as elevated fecal bacteria. Addressing these water quality issues is challenging due to the presence of multiple nutrient and bacteria sources including run-off from dairy operations, wildlife, and human waste associated with point source inputs and septic systems; hence methods are needed to track pollution sources to the system. For the Tillamook Estuary, we demonstrate that enhanced discrimination of sources can be obtained by combining microbial source tracking, stable isotopes, and watershed models. An emerging area of concern in PNW coastal areas is coastal acidification and associated impacts on shellfish industry. Funded through 2 RARE studies, we conducted studies to identify local drivers which may be enhancing acidification in PNW estuaries. For both the Tillamook Estuary and Puget Sound, WA, through a combination of continuous monitoring and modeling, we highlight how management for acidification impacts in estuaries will be more effective if the spatial and temporal interactions between local and global drivers of acidification are accounted for.