Coastal Storms, Toxic Runoff, and the Sustainable Conservation of Fish and Fisheries

Abstract.—Nonpoint source pollution in the form of stormwater runoff is one of the most important emerging threats to ecosystems along the coastal margins of the United States. A wide diversity of potentially toxic chemicals is commonly found in stormwater. These include the various pesticides, petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy met-als, and other common contaminants that originate from commercial, industrial, resi-dential, and agricultural land-use activities. These chemicals are mobilized from roads, lawns, crops, and other surfaces by rainfall and then transported to aquatic habitats via terrestrial runoff. The ongoing development of coastal watersheds nationwide is increasing the loading of nonpoint source pollutants to rivers, estuaries, and the near-shore marine environment. A central aim of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s national Coastal Storms Program (CSP) is to enhance the resiliency of coastal ecosystems by improving the ability of coastal communities to anticipate and reduce the impacts of contaminated terrestrial runoff. Toxic chemicals in stormwater can adversely impact the health of fish, including threatened and endangered species. Nonpoint source pollution can also degrade the biological integrity of aquatic com