You are here: Home › News ›Weekly Items
Weekly News Items

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (CCMA)

Weekly Report – June 11, 2008

Seascape Characterization of Buck Island Reef National Monument to Inform and Improve Future Marine Monitoring, Research, and Management Efforts

The Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) has released a “seascape characterization” report, which will help natural resource managers conserve and protect the coral reef ecosystem of Buck Island Reef National Monument and the surrounding seascapes of northeastern St. Croix, United States Virgin Islands (USVI). A digital pdf version of the report, “Fish Assemblages and Benthic Habitats of Buck Island Reef National Monument (St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands) and the Surrounding Seascape: A Characterization of Spatial and Temporal Patterns” is available at: http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/biogeography/STC_LTR_Final.pdf.  The report is the result of a project which integrates field data on coral condition, living marine resources, and benthic habitats through an ongoing collaboration between CCMA, NOAA‘s Coral Reef Conservation Program, the U.S. National Park Service (NPS), and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources (VI-DPNR).  For more information, contact Mark Monaco at (301) 713-3028 x160 or Mark.Monaco@noaa.gov, or Simon Pittman at (240) 693-1179 or Simon.Pittman@noaa.gov.

 

Consequences of Map Resolution on Coral Reef Studies Quantified to Improve Science and Management

Newly processed data enhance managers’ evaluation of mapped bottom types within existing Marine Protected Areas, inform the design of new MPAs, and improve scientists’ use of benthic maps in change analysis and forecasting.  Scientists from the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) and the University of Maryland have quantified the influence of spatial (size of smallest mapped features) and categorical (number of feature types) resolution on maps of coral reef ecosystems.  The results, published in the April 2008 issue of Marine Geodesy, will be used to guide creation of the next generation of reef ecosystem maps for use by coastal scientists and managers in all U.S. States and Territories.  Seafloor maps are a fundamental information need for research, ecological forecasting, integrated ecosystem assessments, and informed management of coral reef ecosystems.  For more information, contact Matt Kendall at (301) 713-3028 x144 or Matt.Kendall@noaa.gov.

 

Study Demonstrates Long-term Recovery of U.S. Virgin Islands Reef Fish Species from Hurricane Impacts to Enhance Resource Management

The Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) and University of Hawaii - Hilo have published a report on long-term trends in reef fish assemblages around St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), the result of an ongoing collaboration between NCCOS and U.S. National Park Service (NPS) to monitor the status of reef fishes and benthic habitats in support of natural resource management.  Major study results include: 1) reef fish assemblages within Virgin Islands National Park are not significantly different from assemblages outside park boundaries, and 2) several species, including some of the most abundant ones, have significantly declined in abundance and frequency of occurrence over the past decade, and 3) some species have a longer recovery period from hurricane impacts than others.  A pdf version of the report, “Temporal Trends in Reef Fish Assemblages Inside Virgin Islands National Park and Around St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands, 1988-2006” is available at http://www.ccma.nos.noaa.gov/publications/VITempTrends.pdf . For more information, contact Alan Friedlander at (808) 259-3165 or Alan.Friedlander@noaa.gov, or Mark Monaco at (301) 713-3028 x160 or Mark.Monaco@noaa.gov.

 

Study Evaluates Agricultural Best Management Practices in Puerto Rico to Minimize Negative Impacts to Coastal Watersheds

The Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) researchers, working in collaboration with the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, recently completed a field mission designed to help determine the impacts of agricultural pollution on the Reserve with the goal of ultimately developing ways to reduce them.  Scientists sampled 44 sites within Jobos Bay, including 14 sites in the Reserve, for sediment contaminants.  Four sites in the Reserve were located at the existing National Estuarine Research Reserve System Wide Monitoring Program sites.  These samples will be analyzed for a suite of contaminants including trace and heavy metals, selected pesticides, PCBs, PAHs, and PBDE (flame retardants).  This field work is a component of a larger cooperative project with the United States Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Geological Survey, and Puerto Rico Department of Natural Resources to assess the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices in the watershed.  For more information, contact Dave Whitall at (301) 713-3028 x138 or Dave.Whitall@noaa.gov, or Adam Zitello at (301) 713-3028 x176 or Adam.Zitello@noaa.gov

 

Federal and Local Agencies Sign Partnership Agreement to Improve Management of Agricultural Impacts on Coral Reef Ecosystems in Puerto Rico

The Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) staff recently met with federal partners from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency, the United States Geological Survey and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, as well as partners from Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural Resources, Sea Grant, and local farm owners to discuss improvements to agriculture management in coastal watersheds to minimize impacts on coral reefs.  As part of the Conservation Effects Assessment Project in Jobos Bay, agricultural conservation practices are being evaluated for their effectiveness in mitigating impacts to receiving waterbodies.  The Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve hosted the event at their office in Salinas, Puerto Rico.  Agency representatives made presentations to visiting USDA management, including Natural Resources Conservation Service Chief Arlen Lancaster.  The event culminated in the signing of a partnership agreement to utilize agency expertise in determining environmental effects of agricultural conservation practices on the coral reef ecosystem of Jobos Bay.  For more information, contact Dave Whitall at (301) 713-3028 x138 or Dave.Whitall@noaa.gov, or Adam Zitello at (301) 713-3028 x176 or Adam.Zitello@noaa.gov, or visit http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/coralreef/CEAP.html.