Program Info

Website
https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys
Region(s)
NE, NW, SE, SW
Summary
The National Aquatic Resource Surveys (NARS) are statistical surveys designed to assess the status of and changes in quality of the nation’s coastal waters, lakes and reservoirs, rivers and streams, and wetlands. Using sample sites selected at random, these surveys provide a snapshot of the overall condition of the nation’s water. Because the surveys use standardized field and lab methods, we can compare results from different parts of the country and between years. SEACAR relevant datasets include: Water quality, sediment quality, benthic community ecology, coastal habitat loss, fish tissue contaminants (WQ in STORET, Benthic downloadable)
Parameters
Water column dissolved inorganic nitrogen (mg/L), dissolved inorganic phosphorus (mg/L), chlorophyll a (ug/L), water clarity (light transmissivity, % at 1m), dissolved oxygen (mg/L), sediment toxicity, sediment contaminants, and sediment total organic carbon, benthic community diversity, abundance of pollution-tolerant and pollution-sensitive species, estuarine and marine intertidal wetlands, fish tissue contaminants
Notes
Additional data for SEACAR include NCCA 2010 and NCA 99-01,05-06. Relevant datasets include: Benthic Macroinvertebrates; Sediment Chemistry. ....... Instructions to join stations and data: Download the Site Information data file. Each row within the file includes the location (e.g., latitude and longitude coordinates, state, EPA region), sample collection date, and unique identification number (UID) for each sample collected in the survey. Download the data files for the indicators of interest for the same survey. In each of the data files, locate the same UID from the Site Information file to match the data collected and analyzed to the site location of interest. (Note: For surveys 2007 and prior, use the SITE_ID and VISIT_NO to match the data with the site information).
Application
Publications
Reports
Start
1999
End
Current
Frequency
Periodic
Method
probabilistic sampling using a generalized random tessellation stratified design, sites drawn randomly for each survey every five years, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) meter, sediment grab samples, visual habitat assessment, fish collection (various methods)
Discontinuity
from 2010 on, should be every 5 years
Data Location
https://www.epa.gov/national-aquatic-resource-surveys/data-national-aquatic-resource-surveys and EPA Water Quality Data Portal: https://www.waterqualitydata.us/portal/
Data Format
WQ in STORET OrgID EMAP_CS and EMAP_CS_WQX, Benthic and sediment downloadable as CSV/excel
EMAP NationalCoastal Assessment Database, STORET
Habitats
Water Column
SEACAR Citation
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); Office of Water; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS); National Estuary Program (NEP); coastal states. (2021). National Aquatic Resource Surveys, National Coastal Condition Assessment. Updated 10/24/2022. Distributed by: SEACAR Data Discovery Interface, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection, Florida Department of Environmental Protection. https://data.florida-seacar.org/programs/details/118
Alternative Citation

indicates priority attributes

Contacts
Hugh Sullivan

Environmental Protection Specialist

sullivan.hugh@epa.gov

202-564-1763

Treda Grayson

grayson.treda@epa.gov

Export Standardized Data

Habitat(s) : Indicator(s) Last Updated File Download
Water Column : Nutrients, Water Quality, Water Clarity 10/03/24 04:59 PM Download File - Discrete WQ - 118.zip
DIP Document N/A Download File - DIP

Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection Managed Areas

Apalachicola Bay, Apalachicola NERR, Banana River, Big Bend Seagrasses, Biscayne Bay, Boca Ciega Bay, Cape Romano-Ten Thousand Islands, Cockroach Bay, Coral ECA, Coupon Bight, Florida Keys NMS, Fort Clinch, Fort Pickens, Gasparilla Sound-Charlotte Harbor, Guana River Marsh, Guana Tolomato Matanzas NERR, Indian River-Malabar to Vero Beach, Indian River-Vero Beach to Ft. Pierce, Jensen Beach to Jupiter Inlet, Lemon Bay, Lignumvitae Key, Matlacha Pass, Mosquito Lagoon, Nassau River-St. Johns River Marshes, North Fork St. Lucie, Pine Island Sound, Pinellas County, Rookery Bay NERR, St. Andrews, St. Joseph Bay, St. Martins Marsh, Terra Ceia, Yellow River Marsh, Nature Coast

Indicators

Indicator
Water Column - Nutrients
Water Column - Water Quality
Water Column - Water Clarity
Water Column - Additional Indicators

Documentation and Data provided by program

File Type File Name Added On Details
Data assessed_ncca2010_waterchem_FLonly.xlsx 10/09/19 03:39 PM View Details
Data LOAD coastal1999.zip 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details
Data LOAD coastal2010.zip 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details
Data nca_waterchemdata_narschallenge.xlsx 09/27/19 11:10 AM View Details
Data nca_waterchemdata_narschallenge_FL_only.xlsx 10/09/19 03:39 PM View Details
Data NCCA.zip 09/01/22 04:07 PM View Details
Data NCCA_2010_NotAssessedWQ.txt 11/13/18 11:44 AM View Details
GIS ncca_2015_site_information_estuarine-data (1).csv 09/01/22 04:07 PM View Details
GIS PROVISIONAL_NCCA20_21_SITEINFO_DATA.20220617 (2).csv 09/01/22 04:07 PM View Details
Logo noaa.png 07/15/21 12:53 PM View Details
Logo USGS_logo_green_SQUARE.png 07/15/21 12:55 PM View Details
Protocols ncca_2010_benthic_metadata_0.txt 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details
Protocols ncca_2010_sediment_chemistry_metadata.revised.06.21.2016.txt 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details
Protocols ncca_field_manual_23apr10_final.pdf 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details
Protocols ncca_qa_codes.csv 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details
Protocols ncca-labmethods_final.pdf 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details
Protocols ncca-siteeval.pdf 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details
Protocols PROVISIONAL_NCCA20_21 Hydrographic_profile METADATA.20220728.txt 10/19/22 02:23 PM View Details
Protocols PROVISIONAL_NCCA20_21_SECCHI_METADATA.20220617.txt 10/19/22 02:23 PM View Details
QA ncca-qapp.pdf 02/07/19 07:21 AM View Details