Estimating the Ecological Condition of the Estuaries of the Gulf of Mexico

摘要: Monitoring of estuaries in the Louisianian Province was performed annually from 1991–1994 to assess ecological conditions on a regional scale. We found over four years monitoring, 25±6% Gulf Mexico estuarine sediments displayed poor biological conditions, as measured by benthic community structure, and 14±7% area characterized water clarity, presence marine debris, elevated levels fish tissue contaminants. Using statistical associations discern relationships between condition exposure or stressor data has shown that much this ’degraded' co-occurs with sediment contamination.