National Status and Trends: Bioeffects Program - San Francisco Bay Database

This study was based on the sediment quality triad (SQT) approach. A stratified probabilistic sampling design was utilized to characterize the San Francisco Bay system in terms of chemical contamination, sediment toxicity (Microtox, amphipod bioassays; sea urchin gamete bioassay; and P450 biomarker) and benthic infaunal community structure. The purpose was to define the extent and magnitude of toxicity and other biological effects associated with contaminants in the San Francisco estuary system from the delta to the south Bay and out to the Golden Gate. This file contains data measured in the San Francisco Bay Estuary in 2000 and 2001. Samples were collected for water and sediment analyses.