The San Diego office of international engineering services company AMEC has been awarded a four-year, $1 million-plus contract by the University of California, San Diego, for water-quality monitoring at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. AMEC was selected based on the qualifications and experience of the project team.
Scripps Institution is a world-renowned center for marine-science research located on the Pacific coast at La Jolla, Calif., adjacent to the San Diego Marine Life Refuge (SDMLR). Under the contract, AMEC and its team of sub-consultants will conduct monitoring required under a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
The contract calls for the AMEC team to periodically collect and analyze water and sediment samples from various oceanside and underwater locations where return seawater from numerous aquariums and stormwater are discharged. In addition, AMEC scientists are helping Scripps conduct special studies to understand any potential impacts to the ecosystem within the SDMLR, which has been designated as an Area of Special Biological Significance.
"The discharge monitoring program requires special consideration, responsiveness and expertise due to the high level of public and regulatory scrutiny, the legal implications of the study results and the impact of the program upon campus operations," said Barry Snyder, AMEC manager of aquatic sciences. "The team we have assembled for this project is unmatched in capabilities, experience and understanding of the program."
The AMEC team is led by project manager Rolf Schottle, who has 19 years of multidisciplinary experience in analytical chemistry and marine sampling, analysis and data reporting. He will be assisted by deputy project manager Nick Buhbe, a marine scientist with 10 years of experience, as well as by others from AMEC’s San Diego office.
Toxicology laboratory services will be provided by Nautilus Environmental of San Diego and led by Christopher Stransky, who has 13 years of environmental toxicology experience. CRG Marine Laboratories will analyze trace chemicals, and the City of San Diego Microbiology Laboratory will provide microbiology services.
Source: AMEC
