ie- gulfof maine councilonthe marine environment（ie - gulfof缅因州councilonthe海洋环境）.docVIP

A Review of the Gulfwatch Program 1993 – 2004 Submitted by The Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine Currently at: School of Marine Sciences, University of MaineGulf of Maine Research Institute350 Commercial StreetPortland, ME 04101 To The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment Care of: Cindy Krum, Executive Director Association of US Delegates to the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment PO Box 2246 So. Portland, ME 04116 Review Panel Members John Farrington Walt Galloway Jocelyne Hellou Tom O’Connor William Robinson James Shine Bruce Tripp Gordon Wallace (Chair) Introduction The Gulf of Maine Council’s Gulfwatch Program is, to our knowledge, the only ongoing long-term monitoring program measuring contaminants of environmental concern in both US and Canadian coastal waters in the Gulf. The Program monitors organic compounds and inorganic elements in the mussel Mytilus edulis, a commonly used sentinel for estimating contaminant availability in coastal seawater. As such it offers the only such data for the coastal regions of the Gulf of Maine and provides managers and policy makers in the adjacent states and provinces guidance on the current state of the Gulf and trends in the uptake of chemicals of environmental concern. The Council is to be commended for its commitment to this unique effort in assessing water quality in the Gulf. This review is performed under the guidance of the Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM), a consortium of academic and government institutions in the Gulf of Maine region with a long-term goal of enhancing Gulf of Maine regional research activities, resultant scientific knowledge and its use to those with interests in the Gulf of Maine. Members of the review committee reflect a wide range of experience and expertise in the biogeochemistry and toxicology of contaminants of environmental concern in the marine environment. The goal of