Ecological condition of the estuaries of the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States.

Monitoring the estuaries of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coastlines of the United States from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to Brownsville, Texas, was performed annually from 1990 through 1997 to assess ecological conditions on a regional basis for four biogeographic provinces. These province estimates--Virginian, Carolinian, West Indian, and Louisianian Provinces--are combined to provide an assessment of 87% of the estuarine area of the United States and 96% of the area of the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. Combining information over the six years of monitoring showed 34 +/- 4% of the Atlantic and Gulf estuarine sediments displayed poorer than expected biological conditions, based on benthic and finfish community conditions, and 21 +/- 4% of the area was characterized by low water clarity, the presence of marine debris/noxious odors, or elevated fish tissue contaminants.