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National Status and Trends: Mussel Watch Program

Published by National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: May 06, 2026 at 09:49 AM | Dataset Last Updated: July 30, 2010 at 12:00 AM
Mussel Watch is the longest running continuous chemical contaminant monitoring program in U.S. coastal and Great Lakes waters and was created in response to concerns over environmental quality of the Nation's coastal and estuarine ecosystems. The Program analyzes chemical and biological contaminant trends in sediment and bivalve tissue collected at over 300 coastal sites from 1986 to present. Parameters monitored include over 150 organic and inorganic contaminants, in sediment and bivalve tissue and bivalve histology; and Clostridium perfringens (pathogen) concentrations. Some of the chemicals regularly quantified include: PAHs, PCBs, chlorinated pesticides including DDT and its metabolites, TBT and its metabolites, major andtrace elements. In addition to the aforementioned legacy contaminants, new contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) such as flame retardant polybrominated biphnyl ethers (PBDEs) and pharmaceutics are being analyzed.

Resources

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  • https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/ltmonitoring/nsandt/default.aspx

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  • NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP)

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  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

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  • Full Metadata Record

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OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA Environmental Monitoring Mussel Watch NCCOS Research Data Type > Field Observation NCCOS Research Priority > Long-term Monitoring NCCOS Research Priority > Stressors, Impacts, Mitigation, and Restoration (SIMR) NCCOS Research Topic > Bioeffects/Toxicity NCCOS Research Topic > Chemical Contaminants

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
                                            {
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  "hasEmail": "mailto:datagovsupport@gsa.gov"
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describedByType application/octet-steam
description Mussel Watch is the longest running continuous chemical contaminant monitoring program in U.S. coastal and Great Lakes waters and was created in response to concerns over environmental quality of the Nation's coastal and estuarine ecosystems. The Program analyzes chemical and biological contaminant trends in sediment and bivalve tissue collected at over 300 coastal sites from 1986 to present. Parameters monitored include over 150 organic and inorganic contaminants, in sediment and bivalve tissue and bivalve histology; and Clostridium perfringens (pathogen) concentrations. Some of the chemicals regularly quantified include: PAHs, PCBs, chlorinated pesticides including DDT and its metabolites, TBT and its metabolites, major andtrace elements. In addition to the aforementioned legacy contaminants, new contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) such as flame retardant polybrominated biphnyl ethers (PBDEs) and pharmaceutics are being analyzed.
distribution 
                                            [
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    "accessURL": "https://products.coastalscience.noaa.gov/collections/ltmonitoring/nsandt/default.aspx",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Other Documents",
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  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NOAA Data Management Plan (DMP)",
    "format": "PDF",
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    "description": "NOAA Data Management Plan for this record on InPort.",
    "downloadURL": "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/nccos/dmp/pdf/39400.pdf",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
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    "title": "GCMD Keyword Forum Page",
    "accessURL": "https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 22. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords",
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  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
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identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/nos/nccos/iso/xml/39400.xml
issued 2010-07-30T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > GULF OF AMERICA",
  "Environmental Monitoring",
  "Mussel Watch",
  "NCCOS Research Data Type > Field Observation",
  "NCCOS Research Priority > Long-term Monitoring",
  "NCCOS Research Priority > Stressors, Impacts, Mitigation, and Restoration (SIMR)",
  "NCCOS Research Topic > Bioeffects/Toxicity",
  "NCCOS Research Topic > Chemical Contaminants",
  "NCCOS Research Topic > Monitoring",
  "PAH",
  "PBDE",
  "PCB",
  "Sediment",
  "TBT",
  "bivalve mollusk",
  "butyltins",
  "coastal ecosystem science",
  "coastal monitoring",
  "contaminant",
  "gonadal index",
  "histopathology",
  "inorganic and organic analytes",
  "mercury",
  "metal",
  "mussel",
  "nsandt",
  "organochlorine",
  "oyster",
  "pesticide",
  "polybrominated diphenyl ether",
  "polychlorinated biphenyl",
  "polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons",
  "trace element",
  "Alaska",
  "East Coast",
  "Great Lakes",
  "Gulf Coast",
  "Gulf of Mexico",
  "Hawaii",
  "Mussel Watch Place Keywords",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Geographic Area > Coastal Ocean",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > Alaska",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > East Coast",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > Great Lakes",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > Gulf of Mexico",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > Hawaii",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > International",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > U.S. Caribbean",
  "NCCOS Research Location > Region > West Coast",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Alabama",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Alaska",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > California",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Connecticut",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Delaware",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Florida",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Georgia",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Hawaii",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Illinois",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Indiana",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Louisiana",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Maine",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Maryland",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Massachusetts",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Michigan",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Minnesota",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Mississippi",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > New Jersey",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > New York",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > North Carolina",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Ohio",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Oregon",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Puerto Rico",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Rhode Island",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > South Carolina",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Texas",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Virginia",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Washington",
  "NCCOS Research Location > U.S. States and Territories > Wisconsin",
  "Puerto Rico",
  "United States",
  "West Coast",
  "DOC/NOAA/NOS/NCCOS > National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, National Ocean Service, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "NSandT"
]
landingPage https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/39400
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2010-07-30T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inportserve/waf/noaa/nos/nccos/dmp/pdf/39400.pdf"
]
rights otherRestrictions, unclassified
spatial -66.1813,17.93917,-162.7207,61.13283
temporal 1985-11-01T00:00:00+00:00/1985-11-01T00:00:00+00:00
title National Status and Trends: Mussel Watch Program

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