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National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (CCMA)

Weekly Report – April 09, 2008

ECOSYSTEMS

CCMA and NPS Scientists Collaborate on Coral Reef Ecosystem Characterization and Monitoring Mission to Enhance Management and Assess Efficacy of Marine Protected Areas

Scientists from NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, in collaboration with biologists from the National Park Service (NPS) and with support from NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, successfully completed their bi-annual monitoring and characterization mission in and around the waters of Buck Island Reef National Monument (BIRNM), St. Croix, USVI, March 9th – 21st.  Data on fish and invertebrate populations and benthic composition were collected at one hundred and twenty two locations, including sites in the northern part of the East End Marine Park (EEMP).  The results of this long-term monitoring study will help BIRNM and EEMP establish the knowledge base necessary for enacting place-based management decisions and assessing the efficacy of USVI Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).  As on all NOAA diving missions, safety remains paramount to data collection, and the mission was completed safely and incident-free. For more information, contact Kimberly Woody at 301-713-3028 x229 or Kimberly.Woody@noaa.gov , or visit http://www.ccma.nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/coralreef/reef_fish.html .
 [03M00043] (CCMA)

Significance:  The results of this long-term monitoring study directly support local managers in assessing the efficacy of USVI Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

 

Pollution

CCMA Assists the State of California in Assessing the Impact of an Oil Spill in San Francisco Bay to Aid in Recovery and Remediation Efforts

As a result of the Cosco Busan oil spill in November 2007, scientists from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Mussel Watch Program partnered with NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) and the California Water Resources Control Board to collect and analyze mussel tissue samples from five affected Bay locations. The pre-spill range of total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations was 7-20 parts per million, while post-spill results were three times higher than previously reported, and nearly 10 times higher than what was found at the site in January 2007. The NCCOS Mussel Watch  Program has been monitoring contaminants in San Francisco Bay since 1986, including a wide range of petroleum products. NCCOS will continue to work closely with OR&R over the coming months to assess impacts of this recent spill. For more information contact Gunnar Lauenstein at (301) 713-3028 or gunnar.lauenstein@noaa.gov or Rob Ricker at rob.ricker@noaa.gov. [02M00019] (CCMA)

Significance: Data from programs like the Mussel Watch Program are useful in showing the negative impacts of events, such as oil spills and industrial accidents, on the environment by showing what the levels of contaminants were before and after the event.

 

Publications

Bauer, L.J., M.S. Kendall, and C.F.G. Jeffrey. Incidence of marine debris and its relationships with benthic features in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Southeast USA. Marine Pollution Bulletin 56: 402-413.
For more information, contact Laurie Bauer at 301-713-3028 x236 or laurie.bauer@noaa.gov, or visit http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0025326X  [07M00106] (CCMA)