Pilot & Special StudiesIntroduction (Got ideas?) | Selection Process | Current Pilot Studies and Special Studies | Potential Studies | TRC Ranking of Potential Studies | Previous Pilot & Special Studies | Current RMP Request for Proposals | Pilot and Special Studies Data
IntroductionPilot and Special Studies are key to the adaptive management of the RMP. Pilot and Special Study ideas are solicited from committees and workgroups as well as the public at large. Once compiled, the ideas are evaluated by the Technical Review Committee (TRC) in March and requests are made for more detailed conceptual scope of works from select projects. These work plans are presented to the TRC and the Steering Committee (SC) and decisions for inclusion in the following year's RMP are made by the committees in July. Many study ideas originate from within the committees and workgroups of the Program. However, input from scientists from outside the Program is also strongly encouraged. Outside scientists may also end up implementing the proposed work, providing a means of broadening the scientific horizons and skills of all parties of RMP. In brief, the procedure includes the following steps:
Selection Process(detailed info)SFEI has prepared a Pilot and Special Study Selection Procedure which clearly lays out the steps from the generation of the initial idea to the culmination of the implementation of a well-planned study. In December of each year, the annual cycle for considering these studies begins. A list of ideas compiled through the year is evaluated by the TRC in March. Depending on the amount of funding available that year, several ideas are selected for further elaboration and consideration. More detailed conceptual scopes of work are then prepared on these topics and reviewed by the TRC. In June of each year, the TRC establishes the relative priority of all of the pilot and special study concepts based on their technical merit. In July, the Steering Committee then decides which studies can be included in the next year's program. Studies that would require an increase in the overall budget of the Program have a longer planning horizon, given the minimum one year lead time needed to obtain Steering Committee approval for an increase in budget.
Current Pilot Studies1. Exposures and Effects Pilot StudyIn response to revised RMP objectives, the RMP is implementing a five-year Pilot Study to develop several indicators, using resident species, that can provide measures of contaminant exposure and effects at several trophic levels, at different levels of biological organization (e.g., biochemical, individual, population, and community levels), and at different spatial scales (local or regionally). The study is multifaceted, including a variety of different exposure and effects indicators of beneficial use impairment to be tested over the course of five years. Indicators being tested or considered for testing include: comorant and Forster's tern eggs (chemical trend indicators); hatchability of Forster's terns, least terns, and clapper rails (effects indicators); small fish (wildlife exposure); biomarkers and effects studies in fish, aquatic and sediment toxicity testing of resident species (effects); and benthic community evaluations using a multimetric approach (effects). EEPS studies for 2007 include a study of endocrine disruption in Bay fish and a study of the impacts of mercury on tern hatchability and success. This work is being conducted by SFEI in collaboration with the Regional Board, California State University Long Beach, and the US Fish and Game. In addition, an external expert review panel has been convened to provide input and insight into the project.
Current Special Studies1. Small tributaries loading study, Watershed 2Author: Lester McKee and RMP staff (SFEI) Description: This project aims to implement a second small tributaries loading study. This is a long standing recommendation from the SPLWG. Davis et al. (2000) recommended that six observation watersheds be picked on the basis of land use and climate. This recommendation remains valid however it should be recognized that stratification based on rainfall and land use is not mutually exclusive. Historic and current industrialized areas are found mainly on the lower-rainfall Bay margin. To-date we have implemented just one loadings study (the Guadalupe River study). For several reasons, Guadalupe may not be representative of other watersheds in the Bay Area (especially for Hg). The question remains, what magnitude of loads are derived from a) small, low rainfall, but highly impervious, commercial and industrialized storm drain watersheds? or b) medium sized commercial and urban land use watersheds? or c) mixed land use watersheds that include agriculture and open space? The recent PCB multi-box model suggested that the South Bay is sensitive to loads reductions. Therefore improving our understanding of loads and change through time might be most desirable for South Bay watersheds, however SPLWG members are opposed to a South Bay focus because this sensitivity might not be true for contaminants other than PCBs. The workgroup supports a regional distribution of observation watersheds for loads analysis. Additional loadings studies will provide ability to measure success of management actions through analysis of trends through time, an improvement of estimation of loads from the entire Bay Area watershed to help focus management attention and provide data for improvement of models that describe processes and biological effects in the Bay.
2. Using a coupled contaminant fate and bioaccumulation model to evaluate food web uptake for legacy organic contaminantsAuthor: Ben K. Greenfield and John Oram Description: Previous RMP modeling special studies have provided useful information on contaminant fate, transport, and bioaccumulation (Davis 2004, Gobas and Arnot 2005, Greenfield and Davis 2005). Still, several areas of uncertainty remain. The relative importance of sediments vs. water column for contaminant uptake by biota (Burkhard et al. 2003), the importance of spatial and temporal variation in food-web structure (Gobas and Wilcockson 2002), and the impact of different management actions on future levels of legacy pollutants need further evaluation This special study will to evaluate the relative importance of different sources in determining contaminant bioaccumulation to the San Francisco Estuary food web. Two tasks are proposed: 1. compile the latest available data on food web transfer pathways for contaminants; and 2. link the multibox contaminant fate model (Oram et al. 2006) with the food web bioaccumulation model (Gobas and Arnot 2005) to evaluate spatial and temporal variation in contaminant sources and pathways. At present, only Task 1 has been funded for 2007. ReferencesBurkhard, L. P., P. M. Cook, and D. R. Mount. 2003. The relationship of bioaccumulative chemicals in water and sediment to residues in fish: a visualization approach. Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 22:2822-2830 Davis, J., F. Hetzel, and J. J. Oram. 2006. PCBs in San Francisco Bay: Impairment Assessment/Conceptual Model Report. Clean Estuary Partnership, Oakland, California Davis, J. A. 2004. The long term fate of polychlorinated biphenyls in San Francisco Bay (USA). Environ. Toxicol. Chem. 23:2396-2409 Gobas, F. A. P. C., and J. Arnot. 2005. San Francisco Bay PCB food-web model. RMP Technical Report Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC Gobas, F. A. P. C., and J. Wilcockson. 2002. San Francisco PCB food-web model. RMP Technical Report SFEI Contribution #90, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, BC. http://www.sfei.org/rmp/reports/pcb/pcbfoodweb_final.pdf Greenfield, B. K., and J. A. Davis. 2005. A PAH fate model for San Francisco Bay. Chemosphere 60:515-530. http://www.sfei.org/rmp/reports/PAH/PAHfatemodel_BG.pdf Oram, J. J., J. E. Leatherbarrow, and J. A. Davis. 2006. Multi-box PCB model documentation v 2.0b. San Francisco Estuary Institute, Oakland, CA
3. Perfluorinated Compounds in San Francisco BayAuthor: Meg Sedlak (SFEI) Description: The objective of this study will be to determine concentrations of perfluorinated compounds in San Francisco Bay. At present, little information is available regarding the presence of perfluorinated compounds in the Estuary. A research group at Stanford University has recently analyzed South Bay sediment and wastewater sludge for PFOS and its precursors (Higgins et al. 2005). PFOS observed in San Francisco Bay sediment is reported to range from 0.124 ng/g to 4.65 ng/g. The range of concentrations in wastewater sludge was approximately two orders of magnitude higher. Of particular interest was the elevated concentrations of PFOS precursors (i.e., 2-(N-methylperfluorooctanesulfonamido) acetate and 2-(N-ethylperfluorooctanesulfonamido) acetate) suggesting that it is important to monitor the precursors which may degrade to PFOS. To date, few biological samples have been analyzed for perfluorinated compounds in the San Francisco Estuary. The RMP will collaborate with the Marine Mammal Center to sample seals in the summer of 2006 and 2007. The Marine Mammal Center will collect samples for us that will be analyzed for perfluorinated compounds.
4: Remote Observations of Episodic Sediment Transport Patterns in San Francisco Bay, CA.Author: John J. Oram (SFEI) Description: Monitoring suspended sediment concentrations, SSC, in coastal waters and estuaries is crucial for proper ecosystem management. Such monitoring is traditionally done in-situ, with measurements representing SSC at a few discrete points in space and time. However, recent advancement of satellite remote sensing allows for synoptic views of coastal and estuarine dynamics that would otherwise be unavailable. Results are drastically altering our perceptions of coastal ocean transport processes. I propose a special study to utilize moderate-resolution (250m, 500m, and 1000m) MODIS satellite imagery to investigate episodic sediment transport patterns in San Francisco Bay. The special study would 1) identify satellite images with a high percentage of coverage in the Bay corresponding to periods of high Delta flow, 2) process these images to produce true- and false-color images showing two-dimensional sediment transport patterns and quantifying relative concentrations of suspended matter, 3) utilize existing edge-detection algorithms to delineate the boundaries of plumes exiting the Golden Gate, and 4) compare remote observations with in-situ USGS SSC measurements collected at Mallard Island to determine the fraction of material entering the Bay via the Delta that is lost to the Pacific Ocean during a given event. The final product would be technical document that describes episodic sediment transport processes. The document would include images illustrating two-dimensional sediment transport patterns and estimates of episodic material fluxes from the Bay to the Pacific Ocean. At present, only the first task of this study has been funded. Potential Collaborator: Nikolay Nezlin, PhD, SCCWRP
5: Pharmaceuticals in Effluent and the South BayAuthor: Daniel Oros (SFEI) Description: Pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics (e.g., erythromycin and trimethoprim), analgesics (e.g., ibuprofen and acetaminophen), antiinflammatories (e.g., diclofenac and naproxen), antidepressants (e.g., Prozac), antihypertensives (e.g., atenolol and propranolol), anticancers (e.g., paclitaxel and tamoxifen), and sexual performance enhancers (e.g., Viagra and Levitra), among other drugs, are used to treat illness, disease, and medical conditions in humans and animals. The primary pathway is ingestion followed by subsequent excretion into the municipal sewage system, while the secondary pathway is disposal of unused and outdated medications directly into the sewage system. These biologically active compounds and their metabolites are not completely removed by current wastewater treatment technologies and are often found in treated effluents and receiving waters. The objective of this study is to evaluate the extent of the concentration levels and occurrence of pharmaceuticals in the San Francisco Bay water and in influent and effluent from two Bay area wastewater treatment plants. A total of 30 samples will be collected: ten from the South Bay and five influent and effluent samples from two wastewater treatment plants.
Potential Pilot/Special StudiesNo Pilot/Special Studies are being considered at this point.
TRC Ranking of Potential/Special StudiesNo studies are being considered at this time.
Previous Pilot & Special StudiesPilot and Special Studies have allowed the RMP to adapt in response to changes in the regulatory landscape, advances in understanding of the Estuary, and a continual drive to improve the program. Pilot and Special Studies have been included in the RMP every year since its inception and have lead to significant additions and refinements to the Status and Trends monitoring program. Some of the major elements added to the Status and Trends monitoring in the past 10 years include hydrography, phytoplankton, and suspended sediment dynamics and fish contamination. Further information on previous Pilot and Special Studies can be obtained from an article entitled "Ten Years of Pilot and Special Studies: Keys to the Success of the RMP" in the 2003 Pulse. - Ten Years of Pilot and Special Studies: Keys to the Success of the RMP (PDF)
Current RMP Requests for ProposalsThere are currently no active RFPs. |
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Pilot & Special Studies DataThe links below will direct the user to access the RMP Pilot and Special Studies data. The data will be updated as needed, and major changes will be listed in an errata section.
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San Francisco Estuary Institute
7770 Pardee Lane
Oakland, CA 94621-1424
(510) 746-SFEI (7334)
Fax (510) 746-7300
www.sfei.org