Test well exploration in the Myakka River Basin area, Florida

In recent years, difficulties encountered in obtaining ground-water supplies with acceptable chemical characteristics in the Myakka River basin area led to the implementation of a test drilling program. Under this program, well drilling and data collection were executed in such a manner that all water-producing zones of the local aquifers, together with the quality and quantity of the water available, were effectively identified. A step-drilling method was utilized which allowed the collection of formation cuttings, water samples, and water-level data, from isolated zones in the well as drilling proceeded. The step drilling procedure is described. The driller's logs, geophysical logs, and chemical quality of water tables are presented.(Document has 66 pages.)

A Method for siting and prioritizing the removal of derelict vessels in Florida Coastal Waters: test applications in the Florida Keys

Increased boating activities and new waterfront developments have contributed an estimated 3,000 dismantled, abandoned, junked, wrecked, derelict vessels to Florida coastal waters. This report outlines a method of siting and prioritizing derelict vessel removal using the Florida Keys as a test area. The data base was information on 240 vessels, obtained from Florida Marine Patrol files. Vessel location was plotted on 1:250,000 regional and 1:5,000 and 1:12,000 site maps. Type of vessel, length, hull material, engine, fuel tanks, overall condition, afloat and submerged characteristics, and accessibility, were used to derive parametric site indices of removal priority and removal difficulty. Results indicate 59 top priority cases which should be the focus of immediate clean up efforts in the Florida Keys. Half of these cases are rated low to moderate in removal difficulty; the remainder are difficult to remove. Removal difficulty is a surrogate for removal cost: low difficulty -low cost, high difficulty - high cost. The rating scheme offers coastal planners options of focusing removal operations either on (1) specific areas with clusters of high priority derelict vessels or on (2) selected targeted derelicts at various, specific locations. (PDF has 59 pages.)

Using forecasts to protect Federal facilities in the path of Hurricane Isabel

Hurricane Isabel made landfall as a Category 2 Hurricane on 18 September 2003, on the North Carolina Outer Banks between Cape Lookout and Cape Hatteras, then coursed northwestward through Pamlico Sound and west of Chesapeake Bay where it downgraded to a tropical storm. Wind damage on the west and southwest shores of Pamlico Sound and the western shore of Chesapeake Bay was moderate, but major damage resulted from the storm tide. The NOAA, National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research at Beaufort, North Carolina and the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomedical Research Branch at Oxford, Maryland have hurricane preparedness plans in place. These plans call for tropical storms and hurricanes to be tracked carefully through NOAA National Weather Service (NWS) watches, warnings, and advisories. When a hurricane watch changes to a hurricane warning for the areas of Beaufort or Oxford, documented hurricane preparation plans are activated. Isabel exacted some wind damage at both Beaufort and Oxford. Storm tide caused damage at Oxford, where area-wide flooding isolated the laboratory for many hours. Storm tide also caused damage at Beaufort. Because of their geographic locations on or near the open ocean (Beaufort) or on or near large estuaries (Beaufort and Oxford), storm tide poses a major threat to these NOAA facilities and the safety of federal employees. Damage from storm surge and windblown water depends on the track and intensity of a storm. One tool used to predict storm surge is the Sea, Lake, and Overland Surges from Hurricanes (SLOSH) model of the NWS, which provides valuable surge forecasts that aid in hurricane preparation.

Guidelines for the Provision of Garbage Reception Facilities at Ports Under MARPOL Annex V

This report offers guidelines for the provision of adequate port reception facilities for vessel-generated garbage under the requirements of Annex V of the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships, 1973 (MARPOL 73/78), Regulations for the Prevention of Pollution by Garbage from Ships. MARPOL Annex V prohibits at-sea disposal of plastic materials from vessels, and specifies the distance from shore at which other materials may be dumped. Annex V also requires the provision of port reception facilities for garbage, but it does not specify these facilities or how they are to be provided. Since the at-sea dumping restrictions apply to all vessels, the reception facility requirement applies to all ports, terminals, and marinas that serve vessels. These guidelines were prepared to assist port owners and operators in meeting their obligation to provide adequate reception facilities for garbage. The report synthesizes available information and draws upon experience from the first years ofimplementation of MARPOL Annex V. (PDF file contains 55 pages.)

Survey of fish protective facilities at water withdrawal sites on the Snake and Columbia Rivers

Proliferation of water withdrawals and new pump intake and screen designs has occurred with the growth of irrigated agriculture along the Columbia and Snake Rivers. Concern for the protection of anadromous and resident fish populations resulted in formulation of a survey of the water withdrawal systems. The survey included distribution studies of juvenile fish near pump sites and field inspection of those sites to determine adequacy of screening for protection of fish. A total of 225 sites were inspected in 1979 and 1980, with a follow-up inspection of 95 sites in 1982. Results indicated a definite trend toward lack of concern for the condition of fish protective facilities. Only 4 out of 22 sites not meeting criteria in 1979 had been upgraded to acceptable conditions. Of more concern, 13 of the sites meeting criteria in 1979 were below criteria when reinspected in 1982. Some of the discrepancies included lack of protective screens, poorly maintained screens, and screens permitting excessive velocity that could result in impingement of larvae or small fish. A conclusion from these surveys is that if adequate protection for fish is to exist, screens for water withdrawals need to be properly installed, inspected, and maintained. (PDF file contains 40 pages.)

Test von Fanggeräten zur Untersuchung von Grundfischfaunen in Windparkgebieten der Ostsee

With respect to future environmental impact assessment different bottom trawls are presently investigated for their suitability for sampling the fish fauna in potential windpark areas asses. For this purpose the international Baltic Sea Trawl, the Box trawl, two different small beam trawls and small eel fykes were compared on a research cutter in June 2002. The best catchability with the highest abundance of demersal fish species and widest length distribution was obtained with the Box trawl. During another cruise in December 2002 the Box trawl was again compared with the Windpark trawl. As a result the Box trawl performed best, with regard to the overall catchability. However the Windpark Trawl is easier to handle under the conditions onboard small fishing cutters.

Der Fischei-Test: Ein Toxizitätstest für ökotoxikologische Untersuchungen

Zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos have been used to quantify the teratogenic potential of environmental samples and harmful substances respectively. The short spawning interval renders this species a good test organism in toxicological research. Due to the transparency of the eggs several lethal and non-lethal endpoints can be detected in parallel after 48 h of embryonic development. Zebrafishembryos have been shown to be sensitive to a number of environmental relevant contaminants, as well as to ex-tracts from polluted sediments

Distribution and occurrence of bacterial fish diseases in the different cultural facilities of Lake Kainji area

Fish farming practices in the Lake Kainji Area of Nigeria are categorized under seven main cultural facilities, namely, earthen ponds/reservoirs, indoor/outdoor concrete tanks, plastic tanks, floating cages/hapas, aquaria, sewage and feral conditions. The presence of Bacteria isolates associated with diseased fish conditions varied significantly (P<0.05) with different cultural facilities. The highest bacteria isolates and bacterial disease incidence, 33% and 46% respectively, was associated with diseased fish in the indoor/outdoor concrete tanks. The least incidence of bacteria isolates (3.5%) and blue bacterial disease (3%) was associated with diseased fish in the aquaria and feral conditions. Nine Gram-negative and two Gram-positive bacteria genera were isolated during this investigation. Pseudomonas spp. (23.6%) and Staphylococcus spp. (14.3%), were the predominant Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria genera in the different cultural facilities, respectively. This paper highlights the relevance of occurrence and distribution of bacteria isolates associated with diseased fish to bacterial fish diseases under different cultural facilities

Determination of the activity of nitrifying bacteria in surface waters by a modified BOD-test. [Translation from: Zentbl.Bakt.Parasitkde 156(1) 414-421, 1972. ]

A modified method of the Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD)test was applied in order to find out the seasonal changing activity of the nitrifying bacteria in surface waters. Samples were taken from the River Elbe near Teufelsbrueck.

Ecological effects of trial pumpings in the Upper Lambourn: Stage 1 group pumping test Upper Lambourn group, September - November 1975

This report to the Thames Water Authority and Central Water Planning Unit is on research carried out in conjunction with the Stage 1 Group Pumping Test of five boreholes in the upper Lambourn Group for a period of three months in September, October and November 1975. The aim of the study was to assess the ecological effects of the pumpin g of five bore-holes in the upper Lambourn. That is, to determine how the seasonal sequence of ecological events in the river differed from what would hav e occurred had no pumping taken place. Since this 'experiment' has no control it is not possible to make a direct assessment. Nevertheless, by careful monitoring of ecological events before, during and after the pumping it is possible to document changes in th e river and by reference to the data already available for the Rive r Lambourn, normal seasonal changes in the flora and fauna can be separated from changes which may be attributable to the pumping and subsequent events.

Progress report on fish counting on the Rivers Itchen and Test

This progress report summarises work on NSHEB Mark 10 fish counters which are installed at Woodmill on the River Itchen and Nurseling Mill and Connegar Bridge on the River Test. Counters are evaluated and salmon behaviour regarding the counters examined. The report includes a a list of equipment needed for the efficient running of the project in the future.

A Test of Computer-assisted Matching Using the North Pacific Humpback Whale, Megaptera novaeangliae, Tail Flukes Photograph Collection

Testing was conducted of a computer-assisted system for matching humpback whale tail flukes photographs. Trials with a 12,000-photographs database found no differences in match success between matching by computer and matching by comparing smaller catalogs ranging in size from 200 to 400 photographs. Tests with a 24,000-photographs database showed that, on average, the first match was found after examining about 130 photographs whether the photograph quality was excellent, good, or poor. Match success did not appear to be strongly related to whether the tail flukes had especially distinctive markings or pigment patterns (recognition quality). An advantage of computer-assisted matching is the ability to compare new photographs to the entire North Pacific collection, where no bias is introduced based on expectation of resightings within or between specific areas, or based on expectation of behavioral role (e.g. matching “known” females to “known” females).