NATIONAL STATUS AND TRENDS, MUSSEL WATCH PROGRAM: A 2019 Assessment of Trace Metals in the Pacific Northwest

In 2019, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Mussel Watch Program (MWP) conducted an assessment of the presence, distribution, and concentrations of trace metals in mussels (Mytilus species) from the Pacific Northwest's coastal waters in collaboration with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) and the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW). Like the national MWP, the WDFW Toxics-focused Biological Observation System (TBiOS) program utilizes a sentinel-based monitoring approach by collecting and analyzing bivalves as surrogates for coastal water pollution.