Peter Tango, Ph.D.
Peter Tango is the Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Coordinator at the USGS MD-DE-DC Water Science Center.
Peter was hooked on science ever since a 5th grade teacher inspired him to start a birding life list. That was 1976. A passion for science and maintaining the birding life list continues! Peter's degree work in forest biology (BS), wildlife science (MS) and fisheries management (PhD) supports his position with the USGS (Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Coordinator)
Professional Experience
2020 to present: Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Coordinator, USGS
Additional coordination duties for the newly formed Hypoxia Collaborative and 4-dimensional water quality estimator development team.
2021-22 Chair of the Chesapeake Bay Program STAC Workshop on Advanced Water Quality Monitoring
2020-present Mentoring Ph.D. student Shannon Smith, Virginia Institute of Marine Science, Fisheries Science focus
2020-present Serving on the Interdisciplinary Consortium for Applied Research in the Environment NRT Advisory Board at University of Maryland Baltimore College, NSF funded grant program.
2020 April-July: Acting Deputy Director for Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, USGS. 120 day detail.
2007 to present: Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Coordinator, USGS.
Education and Certifications
Ph.D. Fisheries Science, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1999
M.S. Wildlife Management, West Virginia University, 1986
B.S. Forest Biology, Magna Cum Laude, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 1984
2020 April-July: Acting Deputy Director for Patuxent Wildlife Research Center, USGS. 120 day detail
2007 to present: Chesapeake Bay Monitoring Coordinator, USGS
Coordinator for Chesapeake Bay Program Scientific, Technical Assessment and Reporting Team, 2010-present
Coordinator for National and Regional Assessment Team leader – USGS MD/DE/DC office, 2010 – present
Chair – Chesapeake Bay Program Criteria Assessment Protocols Workgroup, 2007-present
Maryland Sea Grant Academic Advisor
Science and Products
USGS and CBP produce report to enhance Chesapeake Bay and watershed monitoring networks
Record Freshwater Flow in Water Year 2019 Affects Conditions in the Chesapeake Bay
The Effects of Florence and High River Flow During Summer 2018 on the Chesapeake Bay
USGS and Partner Efforts to Monitor High River Flow During Summer, 2018 and Potential Effects of Hurricane Florence on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in three tributaries of Chesapeake Bay: Detecting responses following nutrient reductions
A water quality barometer for Chesapeake Bay: Assessing spatial and temporal patterns using long-term monitoring data
Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay: Development of an empirical approach for water-quality management
Chesapeake Bay dissolved oxygen criterion attainment deficit: Three decades of temporal and spatial patterns
Chesapeake Bay's water quality condition has been recovering: Insights from a multimetric indicator assessment of thirty years of tidal monitoring data
Chesapeake Bay recovery and factors affecting trends: Long-termmonitoring, indicators, and insights
Regional monitoring programs in the United States: Synthesis of four case studies from Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf Coasts
Deriving Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Standards
Predicting potentially toxigenic Pseudo-nitzschia blooms in the Chesapeake Bay
Non-USGS Publications**
**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
Science and Products
- Science
USGS and CBP produce report to enhance Chesapeake Bay and watershed monitoring networks
Issue: In March 2021, the Principals’ Staff Committee (PSC) requested a study and recommendations on how to enhance the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP) monitoring networks to improve decision-making for the goals of the Chesapeake Watershed Agreement. The monitoring networks include (1) CBP core networks supported primarily by EPA CBP funding (i.e., Tidal Water Quality, Nontidal Water Quality...Record Freshwater Flow in Water Year 2019 Affects Conditions in the Chesapeake Bay
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) reports that freshwater flow into the Chesapeake Bay during water year (WY) 2019 was the highest flow on record (fig. 1). The record freshwater flow washes more pollutants into the Chesapeake Bay and affects dissolved oxygen and habitat conditions for oysters, crabs, and finfish. The 2019 water year is the period from October 1, 2018, through September 30, 2019...The Effects of Florence and High River Flow During Summer 2018 on the Chesapeake Bay
Prepared by the U.S. Geological Survey and Chesapeake Bay Program, Updated September 17, 2018.USGS and Partner Efforts to Monitor High River Flow During Summer, 2018 and Potential Effects of Hurricane Florence on the Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Prepared by Scott Phillips and Peter Tango, USGS and Chesapeake Scientific, Technical Analysis, and Reporting (STAR) team, September 12, 2018 - Publications
Nutrient limitation of phytoplankton in three tributaries of Chesapeake Bay: Detecting responses following nutrient reductions
Many coastal ecosystems suffer from eutrophication, algal blooms, and dead zones due to excessive anthropogenic inputs of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P). This has led to regional restoration efforts that focus on managing watershed loads of N and P. In Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the United States, dual nutrient reductions of N and P have been pursued since the 1980s. However, it remaiAuthorsQian Zhang, Thomas R. Fisher, Claire Buchanan, Anne B. Gustafson, Renee Karrh, Rebecca R. Murphy, Jeremy M. Testa, Richard Tian, Peter J. TangoA water quality barometer for Chesapeake Bay: Assessing spatial and temporal patterns using long-term monitoring data
This paper develops a barometer that indexes water quality in the Chesapeake Bay and summarizes quality over spatial regions and temporal periods. The barometer has a basis in risk assessment and hydrology, and is a function of three different metrics of water quality relative to numerical criteria: relative frequency of criterion attainment; magnitude of deviation from a numerical criterion; andAuthorsA.R. Zahran, Qian Zhang, Peter J. Tango, E.P. SmithNutrient limitation of phytoplankton in Chesapeake Bay: Development of an empirical approach for water-quality management
Understanding the temporal and spatial roles of nutrient limitation on phytoplankton growth is necessary for developing successful management strategies. Chesapeake Bay has well-documented seasonal and spatial variations in nutrient limitation, but it remains unknown whether these patterns of nutrient limitation have changed in response to nutrient management efforts. We analyzed historical data fAuthorsQian Zhang, Thomas R. Fisher, Emily M. Trentacoste, Claire Buchanan, Anne B. Gustafson, Renee Karrh, Rebecca R. Murphy, Jennifer L. Keisman, Cuiyin Wu, Richard Tian, Jeremy M. Testa, Peter J. TangoChesapeake Bay dissolved oxygen criterion attainment deficit: Three decades of temporal and spatial patterns
Low dissolved oxygen (DO) conditions are a recurring issue in waters of Chesapeake Bay, with detrimental effects on aquatic living resources. The Chesapeake Bay Program partnership has developed criteria guidance supporting the definition of state water quality standards and associated assessment procedures for DO and other parameters, which provides a binary classification of attainment or impairAuthorsQian Zhang, Peter J. Tango, Rebecca R. Murphy, Melinda K. Forsyth, Richard Tian, Jennifer L. Keisman, Emily M. TrentacosteChesapeake Bay's water quality condition has been recovering: Insights from a multimetric indicator assessment of thirty years of tidal monitoring data
To protect the aquatic living resources of Chesapeake Bay, the Chesapeake Bay Program partnership has developed guidance for state water quality standards, which include ambient water quality criteria to protect designated uses (DUs), and associated assessment procedures for dissolved oxygen (DO), water clarity/underwater bay grasses, and chlorophyll-a. For measuring progress toward meeting the reAuthorsQian Zhang, Rebecca R. Murphy, Richard Tian, Melinda K. Forsyth, Emily M. Trentacoste, Jennifer L. D. Keisman, Peter J. TangoChesapeake Bay recovery and factors affecting trends: Long-termmonitoring, indicators, and insights
Monitoring the outcome of restoration efforts is the only way to identify the status of a recovery and the most effective management strategies. In this paper, we discuss Chesapeake Bay and watershed recovery and factors influencing water quality trends. For over 30 years, the Chesapeake Bay Program Partnership’s long-term tidal and watershed water quality monitoring networks have measured physicaAuthorsPeter J. Tango, Richard A. BatiukRegional monitoring programs in the United States: Synthesis of four case studies from Pacific, Atlantic, and Gulf Coasts
Water quality monitoring is a cornerstone of environmental protection and ambient monitoring provides managers with the critical data they need to take informed action. Unlike site-specific monitoring that is at the heart of regulatory permit compliance, regional monitoring can provide an integrated, holistic view of the environment, allowing managers to obtain a more complete picture of natural vAuthorsPeter J. Tango, K. Schiff, P.R. Trowbridge, E.T. Sherwood, R.A. BatiukDeriving Chesapeake Bay Water Quality Standards
Achieving and maintaining the water quality conditions necessary to protect the aquatic living resources of the Chesapeake Bay and its tidal tributaries has required a foundation of quantifiable water quality criteria. Quantitative criteria serve as a critical basis for assessing the attainment of designated uses and measuring progress toward meeting water quality goals of the Chesapeake Bay ProgrAuthorsPeter J. Tango, Richard A. BatiukPredicting potentially toxigenic Pseudo-nitzschia blooms in the Chesapeake Bay
Harmful algal blooms are now recognized as a significant threat to the Chesapeake Bay as they can severely compromise the economic viability of important recreational and commercial fisheries in the largest estuary of the United States. This study describes the development of empirical models for the potentially domoic acid-producing Pseudo-nitzschia species complex present in the Bay, developed fAuthorsC.R. Anderson, M.R.P. Sapiano, M.B.K. Prasad, W. Long, P.J. Tango, C.W. Brown, R. MurtuguddeNon-USGS Publications**
Tango, P. and W. Butler. 2008. Cyanotoxins in tidal waters of Chesapeake Bay. Northeast Naturalist. 15(3):403-416.Tango, P., W. Butler, and B. Michael. 2008. Cyanotoxins in tidewaters of Maryland’s Chesapeake Bay: The Maryland Experience. Pp. 179-180 in Hudnell, K. (Ed.) Proceedings of the International Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms, Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, NC: State of the Science and Research Needs. Springer.Burch, M., Dietrich, D. Donohus, J., Hawkins, B., Lloyd, A., Munns, W.R., Orme-Zavaleta, J., Steevens, J., Steffensen, D., Stone, D., and Tango, P. 2008. Risk assessment of cyanobacterial harmful algal blooms. Chapter 35 in Hudnell, K.(Ed.) Proceedings of the international Symposium on Cyanobacterial Harmful Algal Blooms, Research Triangle Park, Raleigh, North Carolina: State of the Science and Research Needs. Springer.Tango, P., R. Magnien, W. Butler, R. Lacouture, M. Luckenbach, C. Poukish and C. Luckett. 2005. Impacts and potential effects due to Prorocentrum minimum blooms in Chesapeake Bay. Harmful Algae. 4:525-531.T.M. Trice, C. Heyer, B. Michael, P. Tango and B. Cole. 2005. Impacts of Hurricane Isabel on Maryland water quality and living resources. In Proceedings of Hurricane Isabel in Perspective, Nov. 15-17, 2004. Maritime Institute, Linthicum Heights, MD.Thessen, A.E., D.K. Stoecker, P. Tango, S. Morton and D. Caron. 2004 Abstract. The presence of domoic acid in Pseudo-nitzschia from the Choptank River, a Chesapeake Bay tributary. Harmful Algae 3:257.Wazniak, C., P. Tango and W. Butler. 2004. Abundance and frequency of occurrence of brown tide, Aureococcus anophagefferens, in the Maryland Coastal Bays. Chapter 7.1 in State of Maryland’s Coastal Bays. Maryland’s Coastal Bays:Ecosystem Health Assessment. Maryland Coastal Bays Program.Tango, P., W. Butler, and C. Wazniak. 2004a. Assessment of harmful algal bloom species in the Maryland Coastal Bays. Chapter 7.2 in State of Maryland’s Coastal Bays. Maryland’s Coastal Bays: Ecosystem Health Assessment. Maryland Coastal Bays Program.Tango, P., W. Butler, and C. Wazniak. 2004b. Analysis of phytoplankton populations in the Maryland Coastal Bays. Chapter 8.1 in State of Maryland’s Coastal Bays. Maryland’s Coastal Bays: Ecosystem Health Assessment. Maryland Coastal Bays Program.Tango, P., W. Butler, R. Lacouture, R. Eskin, D. Goshorn, B. Michael, W. Beatty, K. Brohaun and S. Hall. 2004. An unprecedented bloom of Dinophysis acuminata in Chesapeake Bay. Proceedings Xth International Conference on Harmful Algae, St. Petersburg, FL.Goshorn, D., J. Deeds, P. Tango, C. Poukish, A. Place, M. McGinty, W. Butler, C. Luckett and R. Magnien. 2004. Occurrence of Karlodinium micrum and its association with fish kills in Maryland Estuaries. Proceedings Xth International Conference on Harmful Algae, St. Petersburg, FL.Ramers, D.L., C.W. Brown and P.J. Tango. 2003 Abstract. Predicting the abundance of the dinoflagellate Karlodinium micrum in Chesapeake Bay using an artificial neural network. EOS Transactions AGU 84:52. Ocean Science Meeting Supplemental, Abstract OS21E-04.Brinker, D.F., G.D. Therres, P.J. Tango, M. O’Brien, E.A.T. Blom and H.L. Wierenga. 2002. Distribution and relative abundance of breeding rails and other marsh birds in Maryland’s tidal marshes. Maryland Birdlife. 59:3-17.Tango, P.J. 1999. Fish community ecology of a hypereutrophic urban lake. Ph.D. dissertation, State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY.Tango, P.J. and N.H. Ringler. 1996. The role of pollution and external refugia in structuring the Onondaga Lake fish community. Lake and Reserv. Manage. 12:81-90.Ringler, N.H., C. Gandino, P. Hirethota, R. Danahey, P. Tango, M. Arrigo, C. Morgan, C. Millard, M. Murphy, R.J. Sloan, and S.W. Effler. 1995. Fish communities and habitats in Onondaga Lake, adjoining portions of the Seneca River, and lake tributaries. Chapter 6.3 in S.W. Effler (ed.) Limnology and Environmental Management of a Polluted Urban Lake – Prelude to Environmental Management of Onondaga Lake, New York. Springer-Verlag, New York, NY.Tango, P. J., C. Gandino, P. Hirethota, and N.H. Ringler. 1992. Spatial variations of dissolved oxygen and potential refugia in a hypereutrophic lake. Abstract. Northeast Fish and Wildlife Conference. Norfolk, VA.Tango, P.J., E.D. Michael and J. I Cromer. 1991. Seasonal movements of river otters in the West Fork River, West Virginia. Proc. Southeast Fish and Wildlife Conference, White Sulphur Springs, WV. 45:64-72.Tango, P. J., E.D. Michael and J. I. Cromer. 1991. Mating and first-season births in interstate transplanted river otters, Lutra canadensis (Carnivora: Mustelidae). Brimleyana. 17: 53-55.Tango, P. 1991. Fall and winter observations on American woodcock at the Eastern Shore National Wildlife Refuge, 1987-1991. Abstract. The First Eastern Shore Natural Resources Symposium. Cape Charles, VA.Buhlmann, K. and P. Tango. 1989. Tracking the timberdoodle. Virginia Wildl. 50(9):14-19.**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.
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