SCDNR
South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control

The Condition of South Carolina’s Estuarine and Coastal Habitats During 2007-2008

Below is the Table of Contents for the 2007-2008 SCECAP Report (PDF 12MB). Adobe® Reader® is required to open this file and is available as a free download from the Adobe® Web site.

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Table of Contents

Section Page
1. INTRODUCTION 1
2. METHODS 2
   2.1. Sampling Design 2
   2.2. Water Quality Measurements 2
   2.3. Sediment Quality Measurements 3
   2.4. Biological Condition Measurements 4
   2.5. Integrated Indices of Estuarine Habitat Condition 4
   2.6. The Presence Of Litter 5
   2.7. Data Analysis 5
3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 6
   3.1. Water Quality 6
   3.2. Sediment Quality 12
   3.3. Biological Condition 18
      Benthic Communities 18
      Fish and Large Invertebrate Communities 21
   3.4. Incidence of Litter 25
   3.5. Overall Habitat Quality 26
   3.6. Future Program Activities 30
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 31
LITERATURE CITED 32
APPENDICES 36
   Appendix 1. Summary of station locations and dates sampled in 2007 and 2008 36
   Appendix 2. Summary of the amount of open water and tidal creek habitat scoring as good, fair or poor for each SCECAP parameter and index for the 2007-2008 survey period 40
   Appendix 3. Summary of the Water Quality, Sediment Quality, Biological Condition and Habitat Quality Index scores and their component measure scores by station for 2007 and 2008 42
   Appendix 4a. Maps showing the distribution of stations with good, fair or poor Water Quality Index scores within the northern, central and southern regions of South Carolina during 2007-2008 45
   Appendix 4b. Maps showing the distribution of stations with good, fair or poor Sediment Quality Index scores within the northern, central and southern regions of South Carolina during 2007-2008 49
   Appendix 4c. Maps showing the distribution of stations with good, fair or poor Biological Condition Index scores within the northern, central and southern regions of South Carolina during 2007-2008 53
   Appendix 4d. Maps showing the distribution of stations with good, fair or poor Habitat Quality Index scores within the northern, central and southern regions of South Carolina during 2007-2008 57

Data from this survey period can also be found on the Data Tables page.