title: Water quality in the near coastal waters of the Gulf of Mexico affected by Hurricane Katrina: before and after the storm.
abstract: Water quality was assessed following Hurricane Katrina in the affected waters of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana. Post-landfall water quality was compared to pre-hurricane conditions using indicators assessed by EPA's National Coastal Assessment program and additional indicators of contaminants in water and pathogens. Water quality data collected after Hurricane Katrina suggest that the coastal waters affected by the storm exhibited higher salinity and concentrations of chlorophyll a, dissolved inorganic phosphorus, and total suspended solids following the storm compared to the previous 5-year averages. Higher bottom dissolved oxygen concentrations and light attenuation were also observed. Contaminant concentrations measured in the water column were very low or undetectable, as were the presence of pathogens. Overall water quality did not significantly differ from water quality assessed in the five years preceding the storm. Statistical analyses indicate that use of a probabilistic survey design is appropriate for making pre-storm and post storm comparisons for water quality condition on an areal basis.
authors.affiliation: Gulf Ecology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Laboratory, Office of Research and Development, US Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf Breeze, FL 32561, USA. smith.lisam@epa.gov
authors.forename: Lisa M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.forename: John M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Macauley
authors.forename: Linda C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Harwell
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Chancy
mesh_terms: D001280:Atrazine / Q000032:analysis; D002734:Chlorophyll / Q000032:analysis; D000077194:Chlorophyll A; D003016:Clostridium perfringens / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D055867:Cyclonic Storms; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D008800:Mexico; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010575:Pesticides / Q000032:analysis; D010758:Phosphorus / Q000032:analysis; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons / Q000032:analysis; D045483:Rivers / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology; D054712:Salinity; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000382:microbiology; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D010575:Pesticides; D011084:Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons; D014131:Trace Elements; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical; D002734:Chlorophyll; D010758:Phosphorus; D009584:Nitrogen; D001280:Atrazine; D010100:Oxygen; D000077194:Chlorophyll A