ABSTRACT
CONTENTS Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 481 Methods.................................................................................................................................................. 482
The Human Disturbance Gradient ............................................................................................... 483 Selection of Biological Metrics for the Aggregate Stream Condition Index.............................. 484
Results .................................................................................................................................................... 484 Discussion: Developing Bioassessment Criteria for Estuaries ............................................................. 484
Classifying Estuaries — Developing Reasonable Expectations and Making Valid Comparisons.................................................................................................................... 485
Determining the Potential Elements of an Estuarine Human Disturbance Gradient ................. 487 Sampling Biota across a Gradient of Human Disturbance ......................................................... 488 Examining Biological Attributes Associated with Estuarine Community Health ...................... 489 Selecting Community Attributes Associated with Human Disturbance ..................................... 490 Communicating the Results Clearly to Stakeholders and Policy Makers .................................. 490
Conclusions ............................................................................................................................................ 490 Acknowledgments.................................................................................................................................. 491 References .............................................................................................................................................. 491
Storm water and other non-point sources of pollution are major contributors to the degradation of surface water and groundwater resources (FDEP, 1999). In recognition of this disturbing trend, in the early 1980s the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) developed and implemented what is now a nationally recognized program to manage non-point source pollution. One of the main difficulties facing this newly formed program was the lack of appropriate techniques to monitor and assess surface water impairment. The traditional chemistry-based analysis of water samples was inadequate because of the inherently transient and unpredictable nature of non-point pollution.
