NOAA 2006-R499-8
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Daniel Parry
12/20/06

CHANGES IN GRASS SHRIMP POPULATIONS IDENTIFIED AS MEASURING TOOL
FOR COASTAL SEDIMENT CONTAMINATION, AND FOR MEASURING ESTUARINE HEALTH

NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science research announced
today a direct link between estuarine sediment contaminant levels and
grass shrimp populations. The study performed at three sites in coastal
South Carolina showed grass shrimp population densities and shrimp size
were depressed in areas with the greatest concentrations of contaminants

“Grass shrimp are widely distributed throughout the tidal marsh
system and are an ecologically important species,” said Peter Key,
research fishery biologist with NOAA's National Ocean Service. “These shrimp
are important to the health of commercially valued fish and crustaceans
and their decline could impact the estuarine food chain.”

"This type of basic research is critically important to NOAA and to
coastal resource managers in making informed environmental decisions as we
seek to promote wise use of our coastal resources," said John H.
Dunnigan, director of NOAA's National Ocean Service. "One of NOAA's critical
missions is to understand and protect these resources."

Surface sediments were collected for the measurement of chemical
contamination, and shrimp were collected using push-netting — wide-mouthed
nets pushed along the water's edge to catch shrimp — at three known
contaminated estuarine tidal creeks, using as a reference point, a
fourth site that has displayed no history of industrial influence.

Contaminants may enter estuaries through a variety of pathways
including surface runoff, industrial waste, and atmospheric deposits. When
estuarine sediment contamination levels become significantly high, negative
impacts to estuarine ecosystems, flora and fauna, can occur.

This latest research is part of ongoing research using grass shrimp
(Palaemonetes species) as an indicator of human impacts on estuaries and
the coastal environment. Earlier testing coupled with ecological
monitoring and biomarkers – indicators of contaminant exposure –
identified that this common crustacean may help coastal managers make informed
environmental decisions in use as a model indicator species.

“The goal of this research is to use an integrated approach including
chemical contaminant analysis, sediment quality guidelines, and grass
shrimp population assessments to assess contaminant impacts in
estuaries,” said Mike Fulton, a NOAA research fishery biologist.

Grass shrimp is widely distributed along the East and Gulf coasts of
the United States in tidal marsh systems. These shrimp are ecologically
important estuarine crustaceans that are studied from both toxicological
and ecological perspectives. Due to its high natural densities and ease
of culture in laboratories, Palaemonetes species have become a
“sentinel species” in coastal ecosystems research studies.

In 2007 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, an agency
of the U.S. Commerce Department, celebrates 200 years of science and
service to the nation. From the establishment of the Survey of the Coast
in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation of the Weather Bureau and
the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's
scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety
through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events
and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing
environmental stewardship of our nation's coastal and marine resources.
Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems
(GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and
the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is
as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

On the Web:

NOAA: http://www.noaa.gov

NOAA National Ocean Service: http://www.oceanservice.noaa.gov

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science: http://www.nccos.noaa.gov

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