Chapter 7 Monitoring
NOAA Fisheries conducts submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) mapping and monitoring in coordination with USEPA and NCDWR. According to the Coastal Habitat Protection Plan (CHPP) (NCDEQ 2021) mapping and monitoring conducted since the 1980s suggest the historic extent of SAV habitat was over 191,000 acres. Comparison with more recent data indicates there has been a decline in SAV habitat. The CHPP includes a recommendation to develop and implement a full-scale assessment program to conduct coastwide SAV mapping and monitoring at regular intervals (NCDEQ 2021) . Recommendations in the CHPP call for more unified, robust, and standardized mapping and monitoring of all coastal habitats to increase the ability to report on the health of North Carolina’s coastal ecosystem including detecting change and potential causation (NCDEQ 2021) . The CHPP also calls for a site-specific, compound-specific monitoring program to assess potential impacts of endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in North Carolina’s estuaries. Estuarine monitoring of the concentration and prevalence of priority chemicals of concern, with a possible focus on the Neuse River system and research on the effects of EDCs on fishery species, particularly blue crab, oysters, and fish, should be a priority. Analysis and monitoring of long-term trends in estuarine salinity and temperature are needed to evaluate the impact of sea level rise and climate change on fishery resources in North Carolina. It is also important to quantify the episodic and chronic effects of trawling on nursery functions in different estuarine settings. CHPP also identifies a number of key monitoring needs across specific coastal fisheries habitats. These are: 7.4.2.1 Water column • Conduct stream flow monitoring and research to assess the impact of freshwater withdrawals on water column habitat and fish populations in affected river basins. • Continue coastal research and monitoring to improve our understanding of the processes of hypoxia and anoxia and the effect on fish populations. • Implement more detailed monitoring to assess the extent oceanfront septic systems are causing degradation to nearshore coastal waters. • Identify basic water quality parameters (flow, temperature, pH, and DO) for wastewater permit applicants to monitor. If data indicate the presence of pollutants in the discharge water, toxic chemical monitoring and toxicity testing should be required. Nutrients and ammonia should be monitored if a mass balance approach indicates excess nutrients. Biological monitoring of the macrobenthic community should be required in facilities discharging more than 0.5 million gallons per day. • Monitor port waters for algal blooms and exotic species until treatment of ballast water is required and implemented to minimize risks of introduction elsewhere. 7.4.2.2 Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) • Make certain portions of the Neuse and White Oak River basins high priorities for SAV and water clarity monitoring. Since some SAV is present in the shallow portions of the
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2025 NC Wildlife Action Plan
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