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Empirical assessment of incorporating sediment quality triad data into a single index to distinguish dominant stressors between sites

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Abstract

Benthic infaunal community structure, sediment contamination, and sediment toxicity data (Sediment Quality Triad) were condensed into a single index based on the area of tri-axial plots, which were examined in relation to various habitat parameters. The purpose was to assess its utility for evaluating the relative impact of contaminants versus other stressors on benthic communities. The regression relationship between the areal index and the Effects Range–Median quotient (ERMq) was used to separate contaminant-impacted sites from sites impacted by hypoxia in Chesapeake Bay. Regression using the areal index and bottom oxygen confirm the utility of the approach. Data from Delaware, Galveston, and Biscayne Bays were also examined to determine if the approach may be effective in other estuaries.

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  1. NOAA/NOS/NCCOS, Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, 1305 East West Highway, Silver Spring, MD, 20910, USA

    S. Ian Hartwell, M. J. Hameedi & A. S. Pait

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  1. S. Ian Hartwell
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  2. M. J. Hameedi
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  3. A. S. Pait
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Correspondence to S. Ian Hartwell.

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Hartwell, S.I., Hameedi, M.J. & Pait, A.S. Empirical assessment of incorporating sediment quality triad data into a single index to distinguish dominant stressors between sites. Environ Monit Assess 174, 605–623 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-010-1482-8

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