MBNMS RAP Meeting Summary March 10th, 2006

Research Activity Panel: Meeting Summary
Chris Harrold, Monterey Bay Aquarium, RAP Chair

MBNMS RAP Meeting Summary, March 10, 2006

Host: US Geological Survey, Santa Cruz

Location: Seminar Room (#123)

Date: Friday, March 10, 2006; 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

In Attendance:

* Sanctuary Advisory Council Member: Research (Primary)
† Sanctuary Advisory Council Member: Research (Alternate)

CONSENT ITEMS

• Introductions/modifications to the agenda (Chris Harrold)

PRESENTATIONS

Institutional Update: United States Geological Survey (Curt Storlazzi)

Curt Storlazzi highlighted current research being conducted at USGS, including developments in new technology. Research projects include: Landslide Material Loss and Gain on the Big Sur Coast; San Francisco Bight Coastal Processes Project; modeling program; Submarine Canyons Project; hazards project; Tsunami project; Burial of Critical Habitats Survey; USGS Benthic Habitats Study. Descriptions of the various research projects underway at USGS are available at http://walrus.wr.usgs.gov

MBNMS Research Permits: RAP Recommendations and Actions (Andrew DeVogelaere)

Andrew DeVogelaere presented an overview of the research permit issues raised by the RAP and the progress that has been made to address these concerns.

• Two previous RAP meetings provided the RAP with an overview of the permitting process with the goal of discussing permits issues, as well as increasing Sanctuary and NSF interactions.
• Deirdre Hall is working with HQ for a de minimus permit option. The issue of more consistent enforcement of permits in Monterey Bay and other NMS was raised at the National Research Coordinators meeting on the topic of research permits.
• The idea of a Research Program "Road Show" that includes permits is under development.
• Lorraine Anglin followed up on RAP suggestions to simplify the MBNMS website regarding permits and will present the website changes and additions at the next meeting.

Discussion:

• Chris Harrold posed the question: Should the Sanctuary be a permit clearinghouse? It was discussed that the Sanctuary Permit Coordinator already adequately provides this type of information. Questions regarding whether the Sanctuaryís responsibilities should entail listing or coordinating all other agencies and permits that may have jurisdiction in Monterey Bay will be posed to Sanctuary staff.
• It was reaffirmed that if a permit is proposed on an issue or area that Sanctuary staff is not knowledgeable, it will be presented to the RAP or opened to expert input to address environmental impacts.
• Members discussed that the RAP is not in the position to judge the validity of the research proposed in the Sanctuary, however the RAP can weigh in on the possible impacts of that research.

UPDATES

Sanctuary Currents Symposium review (Chris Harrold)

General consensus among RAP members that the symposium was a success and good press came out of David Epelís Ricketts Memorial lecture. The separation of awards ceremony from the symposium provided two well-attended events. Suggestions for next year: display the posters early (night before), solicit posters next year, bigger room for posters, announce winners of the poster categories. Venue suggestion: Santa Cruz locations.

NOAA budget update (Chris Harrold)

16% reduction in funding to MBNMS for FY06. RAP members and their institutions (not associated with NOAA) can contact congressional representatives to request the NMS budget be returned to full operational levels.

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Research priorities and RAP membership (Andrew DeVogelaere and Chris Harrold)

Research priorities for the next 5-10 years:

• Bottom trawling impacts
• Introduced species
• SIMoN
• MPAs
• Interpretive facilities
• Beach closures/microbial contamination.

Research Priorities for 2006:

• R/V Fulmar
• Sanctuary Currents Symposium
• Publications: SIMoN Says, and Ecosystem Observations
• SIMoN regional web, GIS
• Safe Seas 2006 (simulated oil spill, MB '06)
• Study impacts/recovery from trawling
• Habitat mapping: SIMoN RFP; towed camera; MPA regional assessment and GIS support; support of monitoring marine reserves
• Development of an invasive species response plan and implementation of Undaria research
• SIMoN synthesis of regional WQ data (Chris Coburn)
• Davidson Seamount cruise and USS Macon cruise (Navy airship: fall)
• Oversight of 54 SIMoN contracts/projects.

Reorganization of RAP Membership:

• Remove taxonomic group disciplines and tentatively change membership to the following:

Discipline	Primary	Alternate
Biological Oceanography	Chavez	Kudela
Deep-sea Ecology	Cailliet	Silver
Estuaries	Wasson	VanDyke
Fisheries	Grimes	Reilly
Marine and Coastal Geology	Storlazzi	Paull
Marine Conservation Biology	Harrold	Micheli
Marine Policy	Faurot-Daniels	Sharp
Nearshore Ecology	Moore	Carr
Physical Oceanography	Tokmakian	Rosenfeld
Shelf and Slope Ecology	Yoklavich	Starr
Social Sciences	Pomeroy	Dalton/Kildow
Water Quality/Chemical Oceanography	Epel	(see list)

An agreement of primary and alternate membership should be defined once all positions have been filled. Some members may be listed in more than one category, and future revisions on the discipline types may still be made based on above mentioned Sanctuary priority items and research goals.

SUGGESTED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

• PacOOS update
• Proposed MPA network (Holly Price): RAP can provide local knowledge on these areas