NOAA / NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science NCCOS Mapping, Monitoring, and Assessment Activities in the US Caribbean Chris Caldow [email protected]

NOAA / NOSNational Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

NCCOS Mapping, Monitoring, and Assessment Activities in the US

Caribbean

Chris [email protected]

SECART November 2009


To conduct and support research, monitoring, assessments, and technical assistance to meet NOAA’s coastal stewardship and management responsibilities.

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Center for Coastal Monitoring & Assessment Center for Coastal Fisheries and Habitat Research Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research


• “Response” to recommendations

• Primary objective: address coral reef management needs

• Extensive internal and external comment

• 3 priority threats

CRCP Roadmap for the Future


• Develop benthic habitat and bathymetric map products for resource managers

• Develop and implement a standardized characterization and monitoring strategy (through granting process & directly)

• Conduct assessments of coral ecosystem condition to inform the decision making process

US Caribbean Focus


1.Target Jurisdictional needs through partnerships

2.Bring Fed’l assets to bear to accomplish mapping.

3.Develop and provide a range of data products and capabilities to support coral ecosystem management and conservation

• Map all US shallow-depth (<30 m) and targeted moderate depth (>30 m) coral ecosystems

4.Develop and foster capability towards “ecosystem change analysis”

Mapping Strategy


SHALLOW (0-30 m) MODERATE (30-300 m) DEEP (300 -1,000 m)

Habitat Mapping – Core Capabilities


Aerial Imagery St. John, USVI

Benthic Habitats

Resulting Benthic Habitat Map


Bathymetry

A) Multibeam data collected in deeper waters south of St. John, US Virgin Islands to complement habitat maps – February 2004

B) Bathymetric variation derived from multibeam bathymetry data provides managers with additional tools to understand resource distribution

A B


Caribbean Mapped Areas


Jobos Bay ‘09 – 16 km2 Interferometric

Vieques ‘09 – 19 km2 El Seco, 28 km2 S. Shore

St. John ‘09 – 47 km2 Shallow, 195 km2 Mid-depth

FY09 Caribbean Activities


FY10 Caribbean Activities



• Develop and implement a standardized characterization and monitoring strategy (through granting process & directly )


US Caribbean Focus


Cooperative Monitoring Studies - Meeting Local Management Needs & National Program Requirements

OBJECTIVES:

1) Provide leadership in the development and implementation of a national program to monitor US coral reef ecosystems.

2) Develop a “semi-coordinated” National network of monitoring sites,

3) Facilitate sharing of monitoring information among partners, and

4) Fill gaps in local monitoring coverage.

A coordinated coral reef ecosystem monitoring program provides a national assessment capability to track the status and trends of coral reef health, community structure, and condition of US coral reef ecosystems.

Results published (2002, 2005, 2008) in Status of US Coral Reef Ecosystem Report.

National Coral Reef Ecosystem Monitoring Program


St. John1,188 visual surveys

Buck Island (St. Croix)1,619 visual surveys

La Parguera1,395 visual surveys

Sampling Effort

Jobos BayTBD 2009/2010

Guanica BayTBD 2009/2010

Vieques75 visual surveys

Flower Garden Banks105 visual surveys

Vieques, PR

St. John, USVI

St. Croix, USVI

La Parguera, PR Jobos Bay, PR

(2001-

present)

Guànica Bay, PR

Direct Implementation


Long-Term Monitoring (2001-present)Long-Term Monitoring (2001-present)

-Basis for fishery independent assessments (consumptive & ornamental)-Evaluation of management efficacy-Baseline for damage assessment-Identification of nursery areas and key habitats (Acropora)-Inform decisions on marine zoning

La Parguera


Abundance

Size class

Sexual maturity

Reef fish Macro invertebratesWater quality

Turbidity

Temperature

Nutrients

Organic Contaminants

Trace and Major Elements

Live cover (hard & soft corals, sponges, SAV)

Abundance (soft corals & sponges)

Condition (coral disease incidence; bleaching)

Canopy height (soft corals, sponges, SAV)

Benthic

Ecosystem / Community Indices(Diversity, Evenness, Richness)

Field Data CollectedField Data Collected


Synoptic and real-time 2- and 3-D data at cm to km scale

1. Relative “biomass” across landscape/habitat mosaics (Kracker et al., Grays Reef NMS)

2. Absolute density of prey fields, predator/prey relationships (Hazen et al., Stellwagen Bank NMS)

3. Habitat utilization, behavioral observations, spawning aggregations ( Keys NMS and PR, Taylor et al.)

17

HydroacousticsHydroacoustics


Mapping fish biomass

Bathymetry

High : 50

Low : 15

Fish Density

( 0

!( 0.04

!( 0.05 - 0.06

!( 0.07 - 0.08

!( 0.09 - 0.10

!( 0.11 - 0.12

!( 0.13 - 0.14

!( 0.15 - 0.16

!( 0.17 - 0.18

!( 0.19 - 0.20

Fish Density

( 0

!( 0.04

!( 0.05 - 0.06

!( 0.07 - 0.08

!( 0.09 - 0.10

!( 0.11 - 0.12

!( 0.13 - 0.14

!( 0.15 - 0.16

!( 0.17 - 0.18

!( 0.19 - 0.20

Implementation in Vieques, PRImplementation in Vieques, PR



• Develop and implement a standardized characterization and monitoring strategy (through granting process & directly )


US Caribbean Focus


Assessment: MPA Inside vs. Outside

Objective: Assess fish and coral communities within and nearby Marine Protected Areas to evaluate their efficacy and provide a baseline against which future change can be documented

St. John – Groupers

ConeyTiger

Red Hind

Graysby

Bio

mas

s (k

g/1

00m

2 ) Outside

VICRNM

0.0

0.4

0.2

0.6


Assessment: NS & T Program

Objective: Provide a comprehensive assessment of environmental contamination, toxicity, and biological community condition in coastal, estuarine, and coral reef ecosystems

NS&T PROGRAM

OVERVIEW

280 sites nationwide monitored

annually for 120 contaminants

Nation’s longest running coastal

contaminant monitoring program


Assessment: Jobos Bay, NERR Watershed

Objective: Integrate sediment and water contamination (nutrients and agrochemicals) with biological indicators of coral reef ecosystem condition to evaluate the effectiveness of BMP implementation in an agricultural watershed


Representative Products• Technology transfer: Survey methodologies and analyses have become a

standard at universities, as well as, federal and territorial government agencies; benthic maps are now integral to characterization, assessment, and monitoring activities in coral reef ecosystems.

• Communication tools: Online database & website developed to serve information and summary analyses to partners and to the public.

• Data: NMFS - stock assessments; UPR - ornamental fish species, sampling design; NPS – boundary modification, ship grounding damage assessment; USVI – sampling designs, methods; UVI – sampling design; PR – oil spill response; CFMC – spawning aggregation detection; DOA – BMP evaluation; Navy – ordinance eval in Vieques

• 2008 Coral Report: Standardized set of data, analyses, and text for chapters on Puerto Rico, USVI, and Hawaii coral ecosystems.


Web Site: http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov Interactive, Web Data Discovery ToolsTechnical Memos Peer-reviewed Journal ArticlesData Set CD-ROMs and DVDsProfessional ConferencesBriefingsVideo Documentary Museum Exhibits and FeaturesNational and Local Media DialoguesOutreach and Education EventsMultimedia Features (Podcasts, Youtube)

Information & Data Dissemination


Caribbean: PartnershipsCaribbean: Partnerships

http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/

Caribbean Fisheries Management Council

National Marine Fisheries Service

National Ocean Service National Park Service Ocean Conservancy

Puerto Rico DNER University of Hawaii University of Miami University of Virgin Islands University of Puerto Rico US Geological Survey Virgin Islands DPNR

Documents

NOAA / NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science NCCOS Mapping, Monitoring, and Assessment Activities in the US Caribbean Chris Caldow [email protected]