Ecosystem Based Managementin the

National Marine Sanctuary System

Ecosystem Based Managementin the

National Marine Sanctuary System

National Marine Sanctuaries Act

Little known fact:

Designation Standards:

- the area’s natural resource and ecological qualities, including its contribution to biological productivity, maintenance of ecosystem structure, maintenance of ecologically or commercial important or threatened species or species assemblages, maintenance of critical habitat of endangered species, and biogeographic representation of the site…

The word “ecosystem” is used one time in the NMSA

- improve the conservation, understanding, management, and wise and sustainable use of marine resources;

- enhance public awareness, understanding, and appreciation of the marine environment;

- maintain for future generations, the habitat, and ecological services, of the natural assemblage of living resources that inhabit these areas.”

NMSA 2000

“The National Marine Sanctuary System will -

Natural resourcesEcological qualities

Biological productivityEcosystem structure

Ecologically important speciesCommercially important species

Threatened species or assemblagesCritical habitat of endangered species

Natural habitats, populations, and ecological services

Ecosystem-Level Responsibility“…coordinated and comprehensive approach to

conservation and management of…”

EBM Characteristics

• Adaptive (tailored, monitored, and modified, as necessary)

• Collaborative (multiple stakeholders)

• Incremental (evolves with improved understanding)

• Geographically specified management areas (operates at sub-LME scales)

• Takes account of ecosystem knowledge and uncertainty

• Considers multiple external factors (ecological and anthropogenic)

• Balancing diverse societal objectives

National Marine Sanctuary System

“Responsible for More U.S. Territory than U.S. Park Service and FWS Refuges Combined.”

PAPAHANAUMOKUAKEAMARINE NATIONAL MONUMENT

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Conservation Science Supports NMS Management

Vessel trafficWildlife disturbance

User conflictsIntroduced species

Coastal developmentMilitary activities

Oil & gas developmentPersonal watercraft

DesalinationDredge disposal

Submerged cablesAlternative energy

Habitat alterationEmergency response

Water qualityAcoustics mitigation

Boundary modificationCultural resources

Fishing & harvestingTrawling impacts

Marine reserve effectivenessMarine debris

Threatened & endangered speciesHabitat restoration

Ecosystem Characterization: – Mapping, classification– Physical processes– Biodiversity– Ecological linkages– Social/cultural/economic

Monitoring:– Ecosystem integrity– Issue based PSR design– Water, habitat, living resources– Maritime archaeological

resources

Applied Research:– Process studies– Modeling, prediction

Conservation ScienceConservation Science

Connectivity: Bugs Without Borders

– SPLASH– PISCO/West Coast Obs– OCNMS– FKNMS– CEC Bioregional Status

NEW

AE

CD

IJ

Help from History

– Historical ecosystem context – HMAP SBNMS– HMAP FKNMS– Through the eyes of

fishermen

To Respond or Not: What’s Natural?

Event Response: Coral BleachingEvent Response: Coral Bleaching

Management Issue: Predicting and documenting coral bleaching

Information Needs:– Identifying areas of high bleaching risk – Measuring the extent of bleaching

Data Needs:Near real-time – Temperature– Wind– Light

Decision-Support Products:– Degree heating weeks– Hot spot maps

Management Response/Actions:– Sampling strategy – Media communications

Management Issue: Optimize reserve boundaries to achieve protection or restoration objectives

Information Needs:– Habitat & living resource distribution– Dispersal ranges & processes– Human activities

Data Types and Sources:– Multi-beam (USGS, NOAA, academia)– Satellite data (NOAA/NESDIS)– Fish surveys (NMFS, trained volunteers)– Larval fish (NCCOS)– Benthic classification (USGS, academia)– ROV/video transects (sanctuaries, academia)– Aerial surveys (OMAO, states)

Decision-Support Products:– GIS analysis (ecosystem & socio-economic)– Alternative analyses

Management Response/Actions:– Establish reserve boundaries encompassing target species critical habitat

Reserve BoundariesReserve Boundaries

Emergency Response: Oil SpillsEmergency Response: Oil SpillsManagement Issue:

Deciding on dispersant use following an oil spill

Information Needs:- Spill trajectory forecasts- Animal and plant distributions & risk- Dispersability (oil type & conditions)- Natural events (e.g. migrations, spawning)- Pre-event models of risk

Data Needs:– Surface and subsurface currents, & waves

• Satellites, buoys, ADCP, CODAR, archived data)

– Weather (esp. surface winds speed/direction)

– Baseline living resource distribution, abundance, condition, & sensitivity

Decision-Support Products:– Trajectory maps and projections– Dispersion predictions (depth, [])– Bathymetry & habitat– Ecosystem sensitivity maps

Management Response/Actions:– Dispersant use decision– Boom and skimmer deployment– Shoreline response team deployment

Fish RefugeFish RefugeManagement Issue:

Deciding whether to allow spearfishing

Information Needs:– Location and extent of essential habitat– Target species abundance & production (population

resilience)– Target species ecological roles– Current and projected use

Data Needs:– Habitat distribution and area – Spatial use and abundance by life stage– Trophic interactions and structure– Fecundity and survival – Currents, eddies

Decision-Support Products:– Amount and location of essential habitat – Essential habitats by life history stage– Forecasts of impacts and recovery

Management Response/Actions:– Public education during MPR– Regulatory decision

Management Issue: Identify areas of high risk for

vessel/whale collisions

Information Needs:Temporal data on vessel traffic patterns

and whale distributions

Data Needs:– Whale-watch records– Acoustic tagging (location, behavior)– Prey dynamics (location, persistence)– Vessel traffic patterns (AIS data)

Decision-Support Products:– Whale and traffic density maps– Traffic routing scenarios (changes in

risk vs. travel time/economics)

Management Response/Actions:– Establishing or modifying shipping

lanes– Speed limits in selected areas– Broadcasting alerts to mariners to

minimize collisions

Living Resource Protection: Living Resource Protection: Ship StrikesShip Strikes

Ecosystem Based Management

It’s not how you define it,

but how you do it.