MBNMS RAP Meeting Summary November 17th, 2006

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

MBNMS RAP Meeting Summary November 17, 2006

Host: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

Location: Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve

Date: Friday, November 17, 2006; 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

In Attendance:

CONSENT ITEMS

• Introductions/modifications to the agenda (Chris Harrold)
• Addition: DeVogelaere passed around 2007 RAP meeting schedule and sign-up sheet to host

UPDATES

RAP Membership update (Chris Harrold)

• 5 new members
  • Erika McPhee-Shaw: Physical Oceanography (primary), MLML
  • Raphael Kudela: Biological Oceanography (alternate), UCSC
  • Pat Coulston: Fisheries (alternate), CDFG
  • Steve Bograd: Physical Oceanography (alternate), PFEL
  • John Hunt: Water Quality (alternate), UC Davis
• 2 vacancies remain: Deep-sea Ecology (alternate); and Social Science (alternate)
• RAP should forward nominations to Chris Harrold and Andrew DeVogelaere; however, RAP decided that there is no deadline to fill these positions. They will be under the status, open until filled.

Sanctuary Currents planning update (Chris Harrold)

• The theme is "Ocean Observatory Systems"
• Still working on Symposium name
• Speakers in the morning
  • Marcia McNutt will give kick off event with an overview
  • Francisco Chavez: The state of the CA ecosystem
  • Dan Costa: New technologies of animals as ocean sensors
  • Toby Garfield: New technologies for ocean sensors
  • Raphael Kudela: Monitoring Harmful Algal Blooms with genomic and other sensors
  • Joanne Vanderhorst, Junipero Serra School: Education and real-time ocean data
  • Steve Ramp: AOSN - Monterey Bay Experiment 2006
• 2 hrs lunch and poster session
• 2-3pm Ricketts lecture
• Get poster abstracts in early, due to many interested, ie., space problem
• DeVogelaere: we will send out reminder via listserv

Joint Management Plan Review (JMPR) events (Andrew DeVogelaere)

• DeVogelaere Described JMPR history/process
  • Draft Management Plan and EIS CD, Fact Sheets
  • Informational workshops were held in October
  • Public Hearings will be held in November and December
  • MBNMS will work with HQ to address public comments
  • RAP (and others) have an opportunity to comment at hearings, written, email
• Following suggestion by Charlie Paull, Chris, and Andrew, will ask specific RAP members to review and comment on specific action plans. They will follow up via e-mail.
• Public comment ends Jan 5, 2007
• SAC meeting Dec 15 (Harrold requests comments prior)

PRESENTATIONS

Marine Mapping Initiative (Steve Lonhart)

Steve Lonhart gave a brief presentation on the Marine Mapping Initiative

• CA Coastal Conservancy contracted with Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation; SIMoN handled RFPs; project maps from MHHW to 3 miles offshore; spans area for second phase of MLPA process
• Site selection based on workshop in late 2005; CA Coastal Conservancy provided $1.2M; selected collaborative proposal that included CSUMB SFML, Fugro Pelagos, Inc., USGS, Center for Habitat Studies at MLML
• LIDAR airborne bathymetry 0-20m; multi-beam bathymetry 20 m to 3 nm
• $1 million additional funded by CDFG (will use Kvitek too)
• Ocean Protection Council and CA Coastal Conservancy recently allocated additional funds (~$1.5M) to augment the initiative
• FULMAR will be used for 37 d, all work completed before May 31, 2007

Whale Disentanglement Workshop (Deirdre Hall)

Deirdre Hall gave a brief presentation on a recent workshop held at MLML

• Sept 19-20, 2006 at MLML; hosted with GFNMS, MBNMS, HIHWNMS
• Purpose: who should respond, training
• 25 state/fed/research partners
• video shown of operations in the field
• future: training with inflatables and R/V FULMAR

Hall: it hasn't been clear as to who to call, and that is what came out of this meeting, and outreach; no one stepped forward to be that person(s); a good nexus would be marine mammal center; MBNMS could have the boat available

DeVogelaere: RAP members, if anyone at your institution is interested in that role, we'd like to hear about it

ESNERR Institutional Update (Kerstin Wasson)

Kerstin Wasson gave an institutional update

• Long-term monitoring (Stimulates short-term research projects)
  • Biological indicators
    • Amphibian monitoring
      • CA red-legged frog
        • Increased Ag input areas have increased malformations in limb buds (caused by trematodes)
    • Crab monitoring
      • Decrease naturally occurring crab, increase European green crab
  • Water quality
    • Time-series sampling
    • In-situ nitrate sampling (MBARI, K. Johnson)
  • Habitat change
    • Hydrological alterations
      • Increased tidal exchange
      • Decreased tidal exchange
• Elkhorn Slough Research Symposium: January 16, 2007 at MLML (for researchers doing Slough work, not public)
• Send abstracts or participant interest to Kerstin

Tagging of Pacific Pelagics: Tagging Adult White Sharks in Central California, Migration and Homing (Sal Jorgensen, Monterey Bay Aquarium, Post-doc)

Sal Jorgensen gave a presentation on recent results of white shark tagging research

• High population numbers of white sharks occur at 3 pinniped haul-out locations (Ano Nuevo, Farallones, Pt Reyes)
• Offshore migration investigations
• 3 destination locations: nearshore, Hawaiian islands, between the two
• Weng et al (in prep), Seasonal movement - Fall: nearshore; winter moving offshore; summer offshore; spring returning nearshore
• Looking for vessel for acoustic receiver deployment in three sanctuaries

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Science/Research Award and Ricketts Lecture Award (Erica Burton)

• RAP discussed several scientists for each award
• Burton to send reminder via email to provide nomination paragraphs
• RAP will send Erica Burton nomination paragraphs - deadline Dec 15th
• Voting (to Erica via email) will take place shortly thereafter, due mid-January

SUGGESTED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

• WQ: Bacterial contamination (per John Hunt, who will find speaker)
• Cultural Resources, USS Macon (Erica Burton)
• MPAs and permits (John Pearse)
• SIMoN: future monitoring (JMPR or beyond)
• Findings tracking pathogens in sea otters and connection to FW flows (CDFG, UCDavis?)
• MLPA issues including monitoring, design workshop (Mary Bergen, Charlie Wahle, Jenn Brown, Pat Coulson?)
• Ocean Protection Council and other related groups (Amber Mace?)
• FULMAR operations, ship time allocations, and RFPs (Lorraine?)