What is the RMP?

The Regional Monitoring Program (RMP) is SFEI’s largest program and monitors contamination in the Estuary. It provides water quality regulators with information they need to manage the Estuary effectively. The RMP is an innovative collaborative effort between SFEI, the Regional Water Quality Control Board, and the regulated discharger community.

An innovative partnership

The RMP has combined shared financial support, direction, and participation by regulatory agencies and the regulated community in a model of collective responsibility. The RMP has established a climate of cooperation and a commitment to participation among a wide range of regulators, dischargers, industry representatives, non-governmental agencies, and scientists. The RMP provides an open forum for interested parties to discuss contaminant issues facing the Bay.

An adaptive, long term program of study in support of management

Stable funding has enabled the RMP to develop long-term plans. In addition Pilot and Special Studies provide an opportunity to adapt to changing management priorities and advances in scientific understanding. RMP committees and workgroups meet regularly to keep the Program efficient, focused on the highest priority issues, and to ensure that the RMP is based on sound science. The RMP has continually improved since its inception in 1993.

A high quality body of knowledge

The RMP has produced a world-class dataset on estuarine contaminants. Monitoring performed in the RMP determines spatial patterns and long-term trends in contamination through sampling of water, sediment, bivalves, bird eggs, and fish, and evaluates toxic effects on sensitive organisms and chemical loading to the Bay. The Program combines RMP data with data from other sources to provide for comprehensive assessment of chemical contamination in the Bay.

A portal to information about contamination in San Francisco Bay

The RMP provides information targeted at the highest priority questions faced by managers of the Bay. The RMP produces the Annual Monitoring Results which document the activities of the program each year, a summary report (Pulse of The Estuary), technical reports that document specific studies and synthesize information from diverse sources, and journal publications that disseminate RMP results to the world’s scientific community. The RMP website provides access to RMP products and links to other sources of information about water quality in San Francisco Bay.