Institutional Update: Moss Landing Marine Labs (Kenneth Coale)
Kenneth
presented an overview of new projects taking place at MLML. C-CORE,
an intergrated coastal monitoring program, is a new NOAA funded program
at MLML. The goal of the program is to develop a coastal observatory
system along the West Coast, much of which is under-sampled. Measurements
taken will include wind speed and direction, temperature, water level,
salinity, currents, and nutrients. Studies will be conducted on benthic
invertebrates, plankton, birds, mammals, turtles, fish, invasive species,
and toxic phytoplankton. Another project at MLML is the Leatherback
turtle tagging project. The project is in its third year, and to date
six turtles have been tagged this year, bring the total number to 11.
The Leatherbacks are captured using the R/V Sheila B. and a spotting
plane. Satellite transmitter tags are attached and genetic samples are
collected and the turtle is released. A turtle tagged in 2000 traveled
across the Pacific toward Indonesia and then turned around and headed
back before the tag failed.
Pacific
Shark Research Center (Greg Cailliet)
Moss Landing
Marine Labs, Mote Marine Lab, the University of Florida, and the Virginia
Institute of Marine Science all received funding from the National Marine
Fisheries Service to form the National Shark Research Consortium. There
are 5 objectives of the Pacific Shark Research Center: life history
studies, population structure and dynamics, fishery related studies,
taxonomic issues, and captive elasmobrach studies. Life history studies
will include a life history database, age determination and validation,
feeding habits, reproduction, and habitat association studies. Moss
Landing Marine Labs has been studying sharks and rays since 1977, and
age and growth studies have been conducted on seventeen species. Sharks
and rays exhibit slow growth, have late age maturity, they have a long
gestation period, low fecundity, and are long lived.
Thermal
Pulme Monitoring at the Moss Landing Power Plant (Jeff Paduan)
Data collection
was successful over the past month! Floats equippedwith
thermister sensors were placed around the plume, and measured the temperature
of the plume at 1 ft below the surface, 5 ft below the surface, and
3 ft above the bottom. Data loggers measuring temperature were also
placed on the highway 1 bridge at Elkhorn Slough. Ship surveys and overflights
of the area were also conducted to aid in the mapping of the thermal
plume. This study was conducted to measure the plume extent and temperatures
during maximum operating capabilities of the upgraded Duke Power Plant.DISCUSSIONS
Biogeography
work for Joint Management Plan Review & Processes to Review Documents
(Erica Burton)
Comments
from RAP members have been incorporated into the Biogeographic Assessment.
The Biogeography team is requesting that interested RAP members come
to a one-day meeting to review the revised product. Please contact Erica
Burton for more information at (831) 647-4246 or erica.burton@noaa.gov
The Sanctuary
would like to know how the RAP would like to review future Sanctuary
documents. Historically the RAP chair would discuss the document at
a RAP meeting and a subcommittee would form with members who had expertise
on the subject. After a lively discussion the RAP decided that when
the Biogeographic Assessment is complete, and the members have reviewed
the final product, a letter will be written to the Sanctuary with a
series of suggestions on how to proceed in the future with regards to
reviewing Sanctuary documents.
Monterey
City’s Request for Water Quality Monitoring in Vessel Traffic Lanes
(Andrew DeVogelaere)
The city
of Monterey sent a letter to the Sanctuary requesting water quality
monitoring in the vessel traffic lanes. RAP members thought this type
of study would be very difficult to conduct due to offshore weather
conditions, and because it is unknown if discharge is occurring from
large vessels. It was suggested that a study could be done to identify
what is being discharged. The RAP thought that the City should release
the RFP, but work with SIMoN. The RAP Chair agreed to write a letter
to the Sanctuary suggesting potential further steps.
