Bathymetry of the coastal ocean in the New York-New Jersey metropolitan region. This regional understanding of the sea-floor geology and dynamics of these coastal sediments is needed by Federal, State, and local agencies for management and use of the coastal ocean, and by scientists to plan and conduct research and monitoring. Data collected from each survey consist of sidescan sonar mosaics, high-resolution seismic profiles, sediment samples, and bottom photography. The distribution of contaminants in sediments and changes in their patterns observed over time have been used to identify dispersal and deposition patterns, transport rates, and to ascertain the potential of the affected sediments for inducing toxic effects in biota. Chemical and physical analyses of sediment samples were combined with seismic data to provide a three-dimensional assessment of contaminant distribution in the region.
Many contaminants adhere to particles and move with the sediments in the marine environment.
The distribution patterns measured for one particle-reactive contaminant are often similar to those of another contaminant that has similar sources. Number of samples in each category is shown in parentheses. Metal and bacterial contaminants measured in sediment samples indicate widespread pollution on the broad, sandy shelf and in the muddy sediments of the Hudson Shelf valley. The highest concentrations occur in muddy deposits near dump sites and in the northern basins of the upper Hudson Shelf valley. More than 10 percent of the sewage sludge dumped is found in the upper valley.