Brian Barton
The Gulf of Maine is a 36,000-square-mile body of water that is home to productive fishing grounds. However, it is also a site of environmental concern due to pollution. The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has identified sewage, nutrients, and mercury as the three most pressing contaminant problems in the region. Eutrophication, caused by an increase in nitrogen and phosphorus, is a significant issue, often resulting from sewage and agricultural runoff. Mercury contamination is also a concern, influenced by industrial activity and wastewater discharges. While there have been efforts to monitor and reduce pollution, such as the Gulfwatch program, it remains a challenge to effectively address and remediate all pollution problems in the Gulf of Maine.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Contaminants | Sewage, nutrients, mercury, microbial pathogens (bacteria, viruses, protozoa), nitrogen, phosphorus, PCB, dioxin |
| Contaminant Sources | Over 60 rivers, the atmosphere, overland runoff, wastewater discharges, industrial point sources, agricultural runoff |
| Gulfwatch Monitoring Program | Mussel samples collected from 1993-2012 at rotating sites in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Maine, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts |
| Marine Vegetation | Eelgrass, tidal marsh vegetation including cordgrasses, graminoids, and forbs |
| Water Quality Improvements | The Kennebec and Penobscot rivers are cleaner today than 40 years ago due to the Clean Water Act of 1972 |
| Water Quality Concerns | Maine Bureau of Health warns people to limit eating fish from inland waters due to mercury contamination |
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What You'll Learn
Mercury, sewage, and nutrient pollution
The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has identified sewage, nutrients, and mercury as the three most pressing contaminant problems in the region. Mercury enters the Gulf of Maine through industrial point sources and wastewater discharges associated with urban centers. Atmospheric mercury deposition from local and regional emissions sources has decreased due to emissions reductions, but increasing contributions from global sources have offset this progress. The Gulf of Maine is also affected by nutrient pollution, primarily nitrogen and phosphorus, from sewage effluent and agricultural runoff carrying fertilizers into natural waters. This eutrophication promotes excessive plant growth and decay, favoring simple algae and plankton over more complex plants, and causing a severe reduction in water quality.
Sewage and wastewater treatment have improved in Maine due to the Clean Water Act of 1972, which forced polluting industries and towns to treat waste and sewage before discharging it. However, sewage treatment plants continue to threaten the water quality of Maine's rivers and streams. The Kennebec, the Penobscot, and other Maine rivers are cleaner today than they were 40 years ago, but the Maine Bureau of Health warns people to limit eating fish from all of Maine's inland waters due to mercury contamination. This warning also applies to saltwater sport fish like bluefish and striped bass.
The Gulfwatch Contaminants Monitoring Program, established in 1989, collects blue mussel samples from rotating sites to assess the distribution and concentrations of toxic contaminants. These samples provide an invaluable opportunity to gain a regional perspective on contaminant levels and establish a baseline for future monitoring efforts. Despite these efforts, pollution continues to threaten people and wildlife in Maine. The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) has helped increase protection for hundreds of miles of rivers and streams by lobbying the Legislature to upgrade their water quality classifications.
In summary, mercury, sewage, and nutrient pollution are significant issues in the Gulf of Maine. While some progress has been made in reducing sewage and wastewater contamination, mercury contamination remains a concern, and nutrient pollution from agricultural runoff contributes to eutrophication and reduced water quality. The work of organizations like Gulfwatch and NRCM is crucial in monitoring and addressing these pollution challenges to protect the environmental and human health of the region.
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Eutrophication and harmful algal blooms
Eutrophication is a process driven by nutrient over-input from sources such as agricultural runoff, wastewater discharge, and atmospheric deposition. This process leads to harmful algal blooms (HABs) that severely threaten marine ecosystems. HABs are characterized by several poisoning syndromes and impacts, including paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP), neurotoxic shellfish poisoning (NSP), amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP), and ciguatera fish poisoning (CFP). These poisoning syndromes can result in fish kills, loss of submerged vegetation, shellfish mortalities, and widespread marine mammal mortalities.
In the Gulf of Maine, blooms are initiated from two cyst seedbeds: one in the Bay of Fundy and the other offshore of mid-coast Maine. The delivery of established populations to the shore is facilitated by episodic wind forcings and large-scale movements of water masses in the central Gulf. While seasonal blooms are normal in high-latitude marine ecosystems like the Gulf of Maine, providing food for animals and energy for the ocean food web, the recent bloom of Tripos muelleri in 2023 was unusually large and persistent. This bloom, consisting mostly of phytoplankton or microalgae, did not follow the typical seasonal pattern.
The introduction of alien species can exacerbate eutrophication and promote HABs. These species can modify nutrient cycles, outcompete native species, and create conditions favoring harmful algae. Warmer waters, coastal upwelling zones, and enclosed seas are more susceptible to HABs due to favorable conditions for algae growth. Areas with high nutrient runoff from agriculture and urbanization, such as the Gulf of Mexico and the East China Sea, experience frequent and intense blooms.
To monitor and control eutrophication and HABs, various techniques are employed, including remote sensing, automated in-situ sensors, modeling, forecasting, and metagenomics. While chemical treatments like ferric chloride and ferric sulfate are cost-effective, they can lead to iron accumulation and potential acidification, posing risks to aquatic life. Eco-friendly alternatives like chitosan and biochar are more environmentally friendly but may require optimization for enhanced phosphate removal. Biological treatments for marine eutrophication utilize living organisms or natural processes to mitigate nutrient levels and control algal blooms.
The Gulf of Maine has made significant progress in reducing pollution over the years. The Clean Water Act of 1972 forced polluting industries and towns to treat waste and sewage before discharging it, resulting in cleaner rivers and streams. Additionally, organizations like the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment and the Natural Resources Council of Maine have worked tirelessly to increase protection for waterways and uphold water quality standards.
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Microbial pathogens in shellfish
The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has identified sewage, nutrients, and mercury as the three most pressing contaminant problems in the region. In addition, there is a concern that microbial pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, and protozoa, may cause human diseases due to exposure to contaminated shellfish and water. Improperly prepared or stored shellfish can harbour bacterial, viral, and algal pathogens and toxins that can cause food poisoning, with symptoms of gastroenteritis, diarrhoea, and nausea lasting for several days. Antibiotic treatment and hydration are usually sufficient for recovery, but for those with underlying health conditions, more severe consequences such as systemic disease, organ failure, and even death have been recorded.
The Gulfwatch program, administered by the Gulf of Maine Council, has been monitoring chemical contaminants in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine since 1993. This program is unique in that it is coordinated across international borders. Another program, Mussel Watch, is run by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). These programs monitor the health of the physical, chemical, and biological environment through coast-wide sampling of water and sediment.
Shellfish, including mussels, clams, and oysters, can accumulate toxins produced by phytoplankton in their tissue. These toxins can then be transferred to other species, including humans, when the shellfish are consumed. Different types of phytoplankton produce different toxins, such as Alexandrium, which causes Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning (PSP), Pseudo-nitzschia, which causes Amnesic Shellfish Poisoning (ASP), and Dinophysis, which causes Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning (DSP). Symptoms of PSP include numbness, tingling, headache, dizziness, nausea, muscular incoordination, and in severe cases, muscle paralysis and respiratory failure. DSP, as the name suggests, causes diarrhea and abdominal pain, as well as nausea and vomiting.
The State of Maine's Department of Marine Resources Public Health Bureau tests coastal shellfish areas for biotoxins weekly, starting in March and continuing through October, or later if needed. Precautionary regional closures are implemented annually starting in May when the likelihood of biotoxin blooms increases. These closures are essential to prevent the harvesting and consumption of contaminated shellfish, which can have severe health consequences.
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Water quality standards and monitoring
The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment has identified sewage, nutrients, and mercury as the three most concerning contaminants in the region. To address these issues, the Council formed the Contaminants Monitoring program in 1989, which includes the Gulfwatch program. Gulfwatch is a chemical contaminants monitoring program that has been measuring contaminants in blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) since 1993 to assess the types and concentrations of contaminants in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine. This program is coordinated across international borders and provides valuable information for resource managers to support sustainable use and risk assessment of the Gulf.
The Gulf of Maine watershed spans over 69,000 square miles, and more than 60 rivers pour water and contaminants into the Gulf each year. Chemicals may enter the Gulf from various sources, including the atmosphere, overland runoff, and other human activities. To effectively monitor and manage the environmental variables, U.S. and Canadian government agencies must collaborate and communicate.
One of the primary concerns related to the Gulf of Maine is eutrophication, which is an increase in nutrient concentrations, particularly nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to excessive plant growth and a severe reduction in water quality. Eutrophication is often caused by anthropogenic pollution, such as sewage effluent and agricultural runoff carrying fertilizers into natural waters. It can result in harmful algal blooms, changes in seagrass beds, decreased water clarity, and depletion of dissolved oxygen, negatively impacting fish and shellfish populations.
To address water quality issues, the Maine Legislature passed two significant bills in 2019. One bill aimed to increase protections for over 400 miles of rivers and streams, while the other protected sustenance fishing rights for the Wabanaki Nations in Maine. Additionally, the Maine Marine Vegetation Mapping Program (MVMP) was established in 2023 to survey and map the distribution of seagrass and tidal marsh habitats. This program provides critical habitat, nursery grounds, storm surge protection, carbon sequestration, and water quality benefits to the nearshore environment.
Overall, the Gulf of Maine faces various challenges related to water pollution, and monitoring programs like Gulfwatch play a crucial role in assessing and addressing these issues. Continuous efforts are being made to improve water quality and protect the environment and public health in the region.
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Conservation and sustainability efforts
The Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMC) was established in 1989 by the governments of Maine, Massachusetts, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, and Nova Scotia. The council's mission is to maintain and enhance environmental quality in the Gulf of Maine to allow for sustainable resource use by existing and future generations. Every five years, the council renews its commitment to working towards a healthy Gulf of Maine ecosystem.
The Gulf of Maine Coastal Program, led by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, works with public and private partners to conserve and restore important habitats for fish and wildlife resources in the Gulf of Maine Watershed. The program focuses on enhancing trout streams, restoring salt marshes, and supporting wildlife and coastal communities. They also aim to increase the amount of habitat conserved, broaden and strengthen partnerships, and improve information sharing.
The Gulf of Maine Council has identified sewage, nutrients, and mercury as the three most concerning contaminant problems in the region. To address these issues, the council administers the Gulfwatch program, which monitors chemical contaminants in blue mussels to assess the types and concentrations of contaminants in the coastal waters of the Gulf of Maine. The council also collaborates with other programs, such as Mussel Watch, a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) program, to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the water quality in the region.
The Maine Department of Environmental Protection's Marine Unit conducts biennial assessments of marine water quality, known as Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Reports or 305(b) reports. These reports include lists of attaining and impaired water bodies based on data collected by the Marine Unit and external organizations. Additionally, the unit coordinates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's National Coastal Condition Assessment (NCCA) every five years to assess the health of the physical, chemical, and biological environment in the Gulf of Maine.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 has also played a significant role in improving water quality in Maine. The act forced polluting industries and towns to treat waste and sewage before discharging it, leading to cleaner rivers and streams today compared to 40 years ago. The Natural Resources Council of Maine (NRCM) has built on this progress by advocating for stronger water quality classifications and protections for small streams and estuaries, as well as successfully opposing efforts to increase pollution from sewage treatment plants and industries.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, the Gulf of Maine is polluted. Eutrophication, which is an increase in nitrogen and phosphorus, is caused by sewage and agricultural runoff. Mercury is also a significant contaminant, influenced by wastewater and industrial discharges.
The Gulfwatch Contaminants Monitoring Program has been collecting blue mussel samples since 1993 to assess toxic contaminants and inform future monitoring efforts.
Mercury sources include atmospheric deposition from global emissions, as well as wastewater and industrial discharges.
Consumption of fish and shellfish from the Gulf of Maine may pose risks due to mercury, PCB, and dioxin contamination. It is recommended to limit fish consumption from inland waters.
The Clean Water Act of 1972 has helped reduce pollution by requiring the treatment of waste and sewage before discharge. Additionally, the Maine Legislature passed bills in 2019 to increase protections for rivers and streams and protect sustenance fishing rights for the Wabanaki Nations.
