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Table 1
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Table 1. The priority questions generated at the MBNMS Ecosystem Monitoring Workshop (see App. 2) are listed below with reference to which areas of need they address, and to what extent they are currently being accounted for by existing programs. The areas of monitoring need have been identified as: A) Community and habitat surveys / characterizations, B) Historic data, C) Anthropogenic inputs, D) Fishing and other consumptive activities, E) Effectiveness of protected areas, F) Coastal erosion, G) Estuary and wetland modification, and H) Non-consumptive physical human disturbances. Priority
Questions from the April 2000 Monitoring
Workshop Dunes
and Bluffs What
is the abundance and distribution of
invasive dune and bluff
species? What
is the abundance and distributions of
sensitive dune and bluff
species? What
are the rates and causes of dune and bluff
erosion over time? How
has the distribution and structure of bluff
and dune systems change on long-term time
scales? What
are the impacts of human
activities? Bays,
Estuaries and Riparian What
is the extent of habitat modification,
pollution, invasive species and
biodiversity and ecosystem
degradation? Which
resources are affected by habitat
modification, pollution, invasive species
and biodiversity and ecosystem
degradation? What
are historic conditions and carrying
capacities? What
is seasonal, annual, long-term and spatial
variability? Rocky
Intertidal and Nearshore Where
are species located geographically within
the rocky habitat? What
are the temporal, spatial and geographic
patterns of target taxa in rocky subtidal
habitats? How do
spatial and temporal patterns of subtidal
target taxa differ within and outside of
marine protected areas? What
are the temporal, spatial and geographic
patterns of target taxa in rocky
intertidal habitats? How do
spatial and temporal patterns of
intertidal target taxa differ within and
outside of marine protected
areas? What
are the select pathogen, pollutant and
parasite (ppp) loads in sea otters and
harbor seals (live and dead), shellfish
and birds? What
are the impacts of direct exploitation
(e.g., fishing)? What
are the impacts of non-consumptive
disturbances (e.g., trampling) on
intertidal and subtidal
habitats? What
are the impacts of changes in activity,
abundance and distribution of apex
predators (e.g., sea otters and harbor
seals)? What
are the spatial and temporal changes in
temperature, storm activity, nutrients,
upwelling, light transmission, current
patterns, sea levels, river input, and
cloud cover / fog? Sandy
Beaches and Nearshore Soft
Bottoms What
are the physical and biological effects of
trawl exclusion zones? What
are the impacts of trawling in deep water
habitats (>1000m)? What
is the frequency and distribution of
trawling activity? What
are the sedimentary, biological, chemical
inputs to the nearshore system from
individual watersheds? What
are the ecological effects of sedimentary,
biological, chemical inputs to the
nearshore system from individual
watersheds? What
are the effects of long-term primary
productivity changes on near-bottom and
benthic communities? What
are the patterns of extreme storms cycles,
waves, currents, runoff, and sediment
transport? What
is the impact of long-term fluctuations on
ecological systems? Deep
Benthic What
are the impacts of bottom trawling and
other fishing gear on benthic habitats and
communities? What
are the impacts of bottom seafloor cables
on benthic habitats and
communities? What
are the impacts of chemical pollutants /
contaminants on benthic habitats and
communities? What
are the seasonal, interannual, and longer
time scales of environmental variability
in the distribution and abundance of
habitats and organisms? What
is the role of natural / designated
harvest refugia? What
is the paleo-oceanographic context of
present day variability? What
are the sources and sinks of carbon and
other material in the
Sanctuary? How do
canyon dynamic processes and material
transport affect the carbon and material
budget? Open
Ocean Long
line surveys: How do (climate-related)
variations in the strength of the
undercurrent and the depth of the
thermocline influence ecosystem production
and community structure? Mesoscale
surveys: How do the variations in the
strength of winds and upwelling influence
ecosystem production and community
structure? What
are the residence times and dispersal
patterns of non-point source
pollutants? What
are the impacts, both positive and
negative, of flux of material from the
coastal margins? Where
are areas of high vs. low risk to health
of Sanctuary from military exercises and
operations? What
are the impacts of acoustic monitoring on
the health of the system being
studied? Pelagic
Megafauna What
are the past, present and future
distribution and abundance patterns of
pelagic megafauna in the MBNMS for
sensitive species, caught species (i.e.
species affected by human actions) and
indicator species, and what are the major
natural influences on the patterns with
respect to biological interactions (e.g.,
predators, prey, and
competition)? What
are the past, present and future
distribution and abundance patterns of
pelagic megafauna in the MBNMS for
sensitive species, caught species (i.e.
species affected by human actions) and
indicator species, and what are the major
natural influences on the patterns with
respect to physical and chemical
processes, and climate and environmental
variability? What
are the major influences of fisheries on
distribution and abundance patterns of
pelagic megafauna in the MBNMS? What
are the critical habitats for pelagic
megafauna in the MBNMS and how do they
change over time? What
are the major land-based and ocean-based
anthropogenic influences on the
distribution and abundance patterns of
pelagic megafauna in the MBNMS? |
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2000