You are here: Home › Ecosystems › Sanctuaries ›
Biogeographic Assessment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to Support the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve

Biogeographic Assessment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands to Support the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve

Objectives

The Biogeography Branch of NOAA's Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem Reserve (NWHI CRER) of NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) propose to develop a comprehensive biogeographic assessment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (NWHI). The CCMA/NWHI CRER led investigation would have four major working objectives:

  1. Identify and compile priority biological, physical, and environmental data for the NWHI;
  2. Define significant biological areas or "hot spots" based on species distributions, abundance, habitats and community metrics;
  3. Define ecological linkages of living marine resources and habitats; and,
  4. Organize all data and information into digital products for incorporation into the Reserve's GIS.
     

Project Summary

By Executive Order, NOAA was directed to initiate a process to designate the NWHI CRER as the nation's 14th National Marine Sanctuary. Sanctuary designation would provide additional protection and a multi-use management plan for the NWHI to ensure protection of its natural resources while balancing human activities in the region. To support Reserve/Sanctuary management and provide ecological characterization of the Reserve/Sanctuary, the Biogeography and Reserve staffs plan to conduct a biogeographic assessment of natural resources of the NWHI based on historical, recent, and planned research and monitoring studies within the NWHI. The assessment will result in a suite of spatially-articulated products for use by the NWHI CRER and its partners to support ecosystem-based management and the long-term, comprehensive protection and conservation of the marine resources of the NWHI. In addition, the proposed study is expected to complement and potentially support ongoing research activities underway by the NWHI CRER, the State of Hawaii, NOAA Fisheries, the University of Hawaii, and the US Fish and Wildlife Service as these major partners will have input in the project implantation plan.

To continue to evolve our knowledge based on the natural resources of the NHWI, the proposed biogeographic assessment of the NWHI will characterize the physical and biological environments (e.g., oceanography, habitats) that structure the spatial and temporal distribution of living marine resources within and adjacent to the Reserve/Sanctuary boundaries. To address the above objectives, the proposed study would build on lessons learned from several biogeographic assessments completed or underway by the Biogeography Branch in other NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries. The biogeographic assessment approach was developed the Biogeography Branch in consultation with the NMSP in 2003 (Kendall and Monaco 2003, Monaco et al. in press). An example of a biogeographic assessment and associated products can be viewed at the Biogeographic Assessment of the Central and Northern California NMS site. Typically, a biogeographic assessment is comprised of the three primary components: 1) Data compilation; 2) Data Analyses; and 3) Product development (Figure 1). A key tool used to develop and implement the assessment is the use of geographic information system technology (GIS) to aid in data compilation, spatial analyses, and visualization of results to support place-based management needs (Battista and Monaco, 2004).

figure 1
Figure 1 . The biogeographic assessment process.

The process shown in Figure 1 is based on geospatial and temporal analyses of existing physical and biological data and will result in many spatially-oriented products that will help managers better understand how the NWHI ecosystem functions. These analyses will aid in defining the strength of coupling between habitats and species to spatially define areas of ecological significance (NOAA 2003, Monaco et al. 2005). Potential uses of the biogeographic assessment include defining and evaluating areas that are candidates for management by marine zoning, permitting, and targeted enforcement. For example, the Reserve has delineated draft boundaries for Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) and Ecological Reserves (ERs) to protect areas of high ecological significance to the Hawaiian archipelago. The results of the biogeographic assessment process will provide managers with the information needed to evaluate the efficacy of these zones.

For more information about this project, please review the Project Work Plan below.

References:

Battista, T. A. and M.E. Monaco. 2004. Geographic information systems applications in coastal marine fisheries. Pages 189-208 In: W.L. Fisher and F.J. Rahel, editors, Geographic information systems in fisheries. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.

Friedlander, A.M. and E.E. DeMartini. 2002. Contrasts in density, size, and biomass of reef fishes between the northwestern and the main Hawaiian islands: the effects of fishing down apex predators. Marine Ecology Progress Series. Vol 230: 253-264.

Kendall, M.S., and M.E. Monaco. 2003. Biogeography of the National Marine Sanctuaries: A partnership between the NMSP and NCCOS. Silver Spring, MD, 15p.

Monaco, M.E., M.S. Kendall, J. Higgins, C. Alexander, and M. Tartt, (2005) Biogeographic assessments of NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries: The integration of ecology and GIS to aid in marine management boundary delineation and assessment, in Wright, D.J. and Scholz, D.J. (Eds.), "Place Matters: Geospatial Tools for Marine Science, Conservation, and Management in the Pacific Northwest," Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Press, 2005.

NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) 2003. A biogeographic assessment off North/Central California: To support the joint management plan review for Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones, and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries: Phase I - Marine fishes, birds, and mammals. Prepared by NCCOS's Biogeography Branch in cooperation with the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Silver Spring, MD 145 pp.

Products

Current/Completed -

Reports and Publications

  • Biogeographic Assessment of NWHI Work Plan
  • Monaco, M.E., M.S. Kendall, J.L. Higgins, C.E. Alexander, M.S. Tartt. 2005. Biogeographic assessment of NOAA National marine Sanctuaries: The integration of ecology and GIS to aid in marine management boundary delineation and assessment. p 2-12. In: D.J. Wright and A.J. Scholz (Eds.) Place Matters-Geospatial Tools for Marine Science, Conservation, and Management in the Pacific Northwest. Oregon State University Press, Corvallis, OR.

Maps and Imagery

  • National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 2003. Atlas of the Shallow-Water Benthic Habitats of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands (Draft). Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment, Silver Spring, MD. 160 pp.
    For digital data click here

Future:

Reports and Publications

  • Report on the biogeographic patterns of selected marine fishes, birds, mammals, and reptiles found within and adjacent to the NWHI CRES/NMS.
  • Report on the ecological linkages between habitats and biota.
  • Report on evaluation of existing zoning biological relevancy and potential delineation of additional ecologically significant areas.

Maps and Imagery

  • Electronic and hard-copy data atlas of selected information for public outreach and education
  • Integrate existing bathymetry and habitat data into common spatial framework for ingestion into the Reserve's GIS.

Partners

Relevant Links

Time Frame

  • Complete development of NWHI Biogeographic Assessment Implementation Plan by December 2005
  • Initiate Biogeographic Assessment in January 2006
  • Based on content of Biogeographic Assessment Implementation Plan conduct the project over a 3 year time frame

For More Information

Project Managers:
Alan Friedlander
808-259-3165

Mark Monaco
1305 East West Highway
SSMC-IV, N/SCI-1
Silver Spring, MD 20910
301-713-3028 x160

Related Biogeography Projects