EPA Research Partner Support Story: Assessing sediment habitat quality using novel remote sensing technologies
Partner: Escambia County (Florida) Natural Resources Management Department, Water Quality and Land Management Division
Challenge: Evaluating sediment habitat quality in an urban estuary to inform sediment remediation activities
Resource: Technical support to assess sediment habitat quality using novel remote sensing technologies
Project Period: 2019 – Present
Bayou Chico in Escambia County, Florida, is an urban estuary considered one of the most historically contaminated water bodies in the state. Despite recent efforts to improve surface water quality, sediments remain impacted by fecal coliform bacteria, excess nutrients, and legacy contaminants, including heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), pesticides, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). Escambia County is developing a sediment remediation plan for Bayou Chico. Understanding the distribution of soft sediments and benthic (bottom) habitat condition will assist the County in these planning activities.
“Bayou Chico has long supported commerce and industry in the greater Pensacola area with many examples dating back over 150 years. Among other goals, the Bayou Chico Sediment Remediation Project seeks to restore fish and wildlife habitat within the bayou. Escambia County has recently partnered with EPA ORD to document existing conditions within the Bayou Chico benthic community. Not only did the survey allow for rapid collection of the ecological information needed to support the sediment remediation project, but it also provided a great opportunity for EPA researchers to gain valuable information about the performance of the SPI (Sediment Profile Imaging) equipment within the mucky bayou sediments. EPA’s presence here along the northern Gulf Coast continues to be big factor in furthering our understanding of the Pensacola and Perdido Bay estuaries. We look forward to a continued partnership with EPA working to restore Bayou Chico, and hopefully many more projects to come.” – Escambia County Natural Resources Management Department, Water Quality & Land Management Division Brent Wipf
EPA ORD scientists, in collaboration with EPA Region 4 Gulf Division, deployed the Sediment Profile Imaging (SPI) camera system in Bayou Chico in December 2019. The SPI system is a rapid sampling technology that captures images of cross-sectional views of the sediment―both water interface and subsurface features. These images are used to make qualitative and quantitative measurements on the biological, chemical, and physical character of sediments. Escambia County identified over 30 stations scattered throughout the Bayou to be surveyed. Image analysis is now underway. Sediment and biological features that can be identified in the imagery will be evaluated to identify possible relationships between these measures and known stress gradients in the Bayou.
In addition to evaluating the Bayou’s benthic habitat quality, this collaborative work provided researchers the opportunity to test the effectiveness of recent modifications to the SPI camera frame to accommodate sampling in soft sediments. This ultimately improves ORD’s scientific capabilities in the future. An understanding of current sediment habitat characteristics and benthic habitat condition through this SPI assessment will assist the County in planning for sediment remediation and restoration activities in Bayou Chico.