Biological and Ecological Characteristics of Terrestrial Vertebrate Species Residing in Estuaries - usgs_brd_pwrc_bioeco

The Biomonitoring of Environmental Status and Trends (BEST) program is
designed to assess and monitor the effects of environmental contaminants on
biological resources, particularly those under the stewardship of the
Department of the Interior. BEST examines contaminant issues at national,
regional, and local scales, and uses field monitoring techniques and
information assessment tools tailored to each scale. As part of this program,
the threat of contaminants and other anthropogenic activities to terrestrial
vertebrates residing in or near to Atlantic coast estuarine ecosystems is being
evaluated by data synthesis and field activities. One of the objectives of this
project is to evaluate the relative sensitivity and suitability of various
wildlife species for regional contaminant monitoring of estuaries and
ecological risk assessment.

The purpose of the data is to assess and monitor the effects of environmental
contaminants on biological resources, particularly those under the stewardship
of the Department of the Interior. BEST examines contaminant issues at
national, regional, and local scales, and uses field monitoring techniques and
information assessment tools tailored to each scale. As part of this program,
the threat of contaminants and other anthropogenic activities to terrestrial
vertebrates residing in or near to Atlantic coast estuarine ecosystems is being
evaluated by data synthesis and field activities. One of the objectives of this
project is to evaluate the relative sensitivity and suitability of various
wildlife species for regional contaminant monitoring of estuaries and
ecological risk assessment.

Information was obtained from http://www.pwrc.usgs.gov/contaminants-online/ and
from Dr. Barnett Rattner of the U.S. Geological Survey, Patuxent Wildlife
Research Center.