Bight ’18 field sampling underway to assess sediment quality

The sampling window for the Southern California Bight 2018 Regional Monitoring Program opened July 1, with participants starting to collect seafloor sediments to evaluate the chemical, toxicological and biological health of Southern California’s coastal areas.

A total of 49 environmental organizations are participating in the Bight ’18 sediment quality element, which is targeting 11 distinct Bight coastal habitats across more than 1,500 square miles of Bight coastal waters.

Almost 400 sites will be sampled for sediment, and trawl nets will be used at roughly half the sites to sample fish, large invertebrates, and trash found along the seafloor.

To create a comprehensive assessment of sediment quality, hundreds of sportfish consumed by humans also will be collected and analyzed for chemical contaminants known to bioaccumulate in Southern California marine food webs.

Sampling is scheduled to wrap up in late September.