Fish and Shellfish Monitoring in Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay - 1992 Through 2005

The long-term biomonitoring for fish and shellfish in Boston Harbor and Massachusetts Bay provide data to assess potential environmental impacts from the diversion of effluent into Massachusetts Bay in September 2000. Condition of the indicator species (i.e., winter flounder, lobster, blue mussels) are characterized in terms of length, weight, biological condition, the presence of external or internal disease, and inorganic and organic contaminant tissue concentrations. The key findings of the fish and shellfish monitoring program are the documented improvements in tumor incidence and bioaccumulation of contaminants in fish and shellfish taken from the bays, and the limited response to the diverted effluent in the organisms collected in Massachusetts Bay to date.