Biointegrity and Biostimulatory Science Portal

Science Portal for the California State Water Resources Control Board’s Biostimulation, Cyanotoxins, and Biological Condition Provisions Project

The State Water Resources Control Board (State Water Board) is considering statewide water quality objectives for nutrients, other biostimulatory substances, and cyanotoxins that are the results of or contributing to eutrophication, as well as a program of implementation under the Biostimulation, Cyanotoxins, and Biological Condition Provisions (Provisions). The Provisions could include statewide numeric or narrative water quality objectives and regulatory control options for point and non-point sources in California’s freshwater wadeable streams and rivers, non-wadeable streams and rivers, lakes, and reservoirs. The Provisions may also establish and implement biological condition assessment methods, scoring tools, and targets aimed at protecting the biological integrity (biointegrity) in California’s wadeable streams.

SCCWRP, which is conducting science to support this project, has developed this portal as a clearinghouse for key scientific products funded by the Water Board and other SCCWRP partners. They have been organized by habitat type or topical area below.

GENERAL SUPPORT FOR CONSISTENT INTERPRETATION OF BIOSTIMULATORY OBJECTIVES

• Sutula M. Approach to Assessment, Prevention, and Management of Biostimulatory Impacts to California Estuaries, Enclosed Bays, and Inland Waterbodies. Technical Report 871. Technical report in prep. (November 2018 draft available upon request; contact Martha Sutula at marthas@sccwrp.org)

SUPPORT FOR WADEABLE STREAMS

Biological condition

• Mazor, R.D., A.C. Rehn, P.R. Ode, M. Engeln, K.C. Schiff, E.D. Stein, D.J. Gillett, D.B. Herbst, C.P. Hawkins. 2016. Bioassessment in complex environments: designing an index for consistent meaning in different settings. Freshwater Science 35:249-271.

• Theroux, S., R.D. Mazor, M.W. Beck, P.R. Ode, E.D. Stein, M. Sutula. 2020. Predictive biological indices for algae populations in diverse stream environments. Ecological Indicators DOI:10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106421.

• Paul, M.J., B. Jessup, L.R. Brown, J.L. Carter, M. Cantonati, D.F. Charles, J. Gerritsen, D.B. Herbst, R. Stancheva, J. Howard, B. Isham, R. Lowe, R.D. Mazor, P.K. Mendez, P.R. Ode, A. O’Dowd, J. Olson, Y. Pan, A.C. Rehn, S. Spaulding, M. Sutula, S. Theroux. 2020. Characterizing benthic macroinvertebrate and algal biological condition gradient models for California wadeable Streams, USA. Ecological Indicators DOI:10.1016/j.ecolind.2020.106618.

• Beck, M., R.D. Mazor, S. Johnson, K. Wisenbaker, J. Westfall, P.R. Ode, R. Hill, C. Loflen, M. Sutula, E.D. Stein. 2019. Prioritizing Management Goals for Stream Biological Integrity Within the Developed Landscape Context. Freshwater Science DOI:10.1086/705996.

• Mazor et al. Development of a statewide classification system for modified channels. (2021 technical memo available upon request; contact Raphael Mazor at raphaelm@sccwrp.org)

Eutrophication

• Sutula M. and R. Mazor. Scientific Bases for Assessment, Prevention, and Management of Biostimulatory Impacts in California Wadeable Streams. Technical Report 1048. (November 2018 draft available upon request; contact Martha Sutula at marthas@sccwrp.org)

• Mazor, R.D., M. Sutula, S. Theroux, M. Beck, P.R. Ode. 2022. Eutrophication thresholds associated with the protection of biological integrity in California wadeable streams. Ecological Indicators DOI:10.1016/j.ecolind.2022.109180.

• Gillett, D., R. Mazor, and M. Sutula. Reach-scale models show heterogeneity of stream benthic invertebrate responses to eutrophication stress. In prep for submission to Ecological Indicators.

• Sutula, M., et al. Natural background concentration of nutrients in wet and dry weather conditions in southern California streams. Technical report in prep. (Draft available upon request; contact Martha Sutula at marthas@sccwrp.org)

• Science Supporting Decisions on Biostimulatory Targets and Management of Eutrophication in the Main Stem of the Santa Margarita River Watershed. Technical Report 1185. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

SUPPORT FOR LAKES AND RESERVOIRS

Eutrophication

• Smith et al. Status and Trends of Remotely Sensed Cyanobacterial Blooms in the State of California. Technical report in prep.

• Sutula et al. Refinement and application of EPA statistical models to determine eutrophication thresholds protective of designated uses in California lakes and reservoirs. Technical report in prep.

SUPPORT FOR CYANOTOXINS IN FRESHWATER ENVIRONMENTS

• Mehinto, A.C., J. Smith, E. Wenger, B. Stanton, R. Linville, B.W. Brooks, M.A. Sutula, M.D.A. Howard. 2021. Synthesis of ecotoxicological studies on cyanotoxins in freshwater habitats – Evaluating the basis for developing thresholds protective of aquatic life in the United States. Science of the Total Environment DOI:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148864.

SUPPORT FOR ESTUARIES AND ENCLOSED BAYS

Biological condition

• Pelletier, M.C., D.J. Gillett, A. Hamilton, T. Grayson, V. Hansen, E.W. Leppo, S.B. Weisberg, A. Borja. 2018. Adaptation and application of multivariate AMBI (M-AMBI) in US coastal waters. Ecological Indicators 89:818-827.
• Gillett, D.J., A.N. Parks, S.M. Bay. 2019. Calibration of the Multivariate AZTI Marine Biotic Index (M-AMBI) for Potential Inclusion into California Sediment Quality Objective Assessments in San Francisco Bay. Technical Report 1070. San Francisco Estuary Institute. Richmond, CA.

Eutrophication

• Sutula, M. 2011. Review of Indicators for Development of Nutrient Numeric Endpoints in California Estuaries. Technical Report 646. Southern California Coastal Water Research Project. Costa Mesa, CA.

• Green, L., P. Fong, M. Sutula. 2014. How much is too much? Identifying benchmarks of adverse effects of macroalgae on the macrofauna in intertidal flats. Ecological Applications 24:300-314.
• Sutula, M., L. Green, G. Cicchetti, N. Detenbeck, P. Fong. 2014. Thresholds of Adverse Effects of Macroalgal Abundance and Sediment Organic Matter on Benthic Habitat Quality in Estuarine Intertidal Flats. Estuaries and Coasts 37:1532-1548.

• Walker, J., D. Gillett, M. Sutula. 2022. Establishing biologically relevant sediment organic matter thresholds for estuaries and embayments of the Southern California Bight, USA. Ecological Indicators. 143:109404.

• Sutula, M., R. Kudela, J.D. Hagy III, L.W. Harding Jr, D. Senn, J.E. Cloern, S. Bricker, G.M. Berg, M. Beck. 2017. Novel analyses of long-term data provide a scientific basis for chlorophyll-a thresholds in San Francisco Bay. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 197:107-118.

• McLaughlin, K., M. Sutula, L. Busse, S. Anderson, J. Crooks, R. Dagit, D. Gibson, K. Johnston, L. Stratton. 2014. A regional survey of the extent and magnitude of eutrophication in Mediterranean estuaries of Southern California, USA. Estuaries and Coasts 37:259-278.