MBNMS RAP Meeting Summary March 14th, 2008

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

Host: Mark Carr - Nearshore Ecology (University of California, Santa Cruz)

Location: Center for Ocean Health - Library Marine Science Campus, 100 Shaffer Road, Santa Cruz, CA 95060

Date: Friday, March 14th, 2008; 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

In Attendance:

* Sanctuary Advisory Council Member: Research (Primary)

† Sanctuary Advisory Council Member: Research (Alternate) - VACANT

CONSENT ITEMS

Introductions/modifications to the agenda (Chris Harrold)

• Hand-outs:
  • Sanctuary Currents Symposium posters for distribution/posting at institutions
  • Peace Corps flyer from Aaron King
• Announcement: May 16: Open House at Granite Canyon; email to follow from John Hunt

PRESENTATION

Coastal Long Range Development Plan for the UCSC Marine Science Campus (Gary Griggs & Steve Davenport/UCSC)

• Historic look of the coastal site
• Discussed land acquisition and development
• Property
  • Younger Lagoon Reserve (25 acres) - UC Natural Reserve System
  • Original Long Marine Lab (16 acres)
  • Terrace Point land acquired in 1999 (57 acres)
• Discussed Regional research groups at Marine Science Campus
  • Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO)
  • Center for Integrated Marine Technologies (CIMT; Wind to Whales)
  • Coastal Oceans Currents Monitoring Program (COCMP)
  • Tagging of Pacific Predators (TOPP)
• Affiliated Institutions
  • CDFG
  • NOAA Fisheries Service
  • USGS: Coastal and Marine Geology Team
• Open space may include restoration research component

DISCUSSION ITEM

February SAC meeting (Chris Harrold)

• Paul Michel (Superintendent) announced decision of MBNMS moving forward with MPAs in federal waters of MBNMS
• ~5 years ago with JMPR, MPAs were to be discussed/considered; working group formed to create action plan for larger Management Plan
• When MLPA (CA MPA process in State waters) started progressing, MBNMS MPA working group slowed down a bit and decided to focus on federal waters (not state)
• Working group did not come to consensus on answering "The Need" question for MPAs in federal waters
• Oct 2007 - SAC meeting spent hearing from state and federal representatives discussing existing framework to protect ocean
• Dec 2007 - SAC asked for presentations from 3 groups
  • Commericial fishing perspective (Scheiblauer & Parrish)
  • Research Community (Harrold)
  • Conservation
• Dec 2007 - SAC (day 2) gave perspective
• Feb 2008 - SAC meeting, Paul Michel delivered decision; outlined process for moving ahead
  • Chris presented highlights of "Decision Letter for Support of MPA's in Federal Waters of the MBNMS" and the "Concepts for Process for MPA Identification and Assessment" from Paul Michel

STAFF/SAC REQUESTS TO RAP

Fishermen's Report on the Need for MPAs in Federal Waters of the Sanctuary (Richard Parrish/retired NOAA Fisheries)

• Parrish presented the series of reports that comprise "Scientific Analysis of the Need, if any, for Additional Marine Protected Areas in the Monterey Bay National Sanctuary," commissioned by the Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries
• Reports available at: www.alliancefisheries.com/pub_html/html/ScientificAnalysis.html
• Parrish presented the reports by posing questions and answers
• Q: Does the MBNMS need more MPAs to protect the ecosystem?
  • Socioeconomic study (by Barbara Walker)
    • Determined couldn't address question due to lack of data
    • Created outline of method to determine if MPAs needed
  • Research Needs (MPAs for Research) (by Doyle Hanon)
    • Baseline and permanent Monitoring surveys
    • Population size and/or density assessed for key indicator species
    • Collect life history info for all life stages of key species to assess density-dependent effects on recruitment and growth
    • Movement-tagging and tracking studies
    • Fisheries assessment for commercially exploited key indicator species before MPAs established
  • Ecosystem Modeling (by Carl Walters and Ray Hilborn)
    • Impacts of MPAs confined to benthic community, specifically sedentary species
    • Critical to coordinate state & federal management policies that may impact onshore-offshore distributions of fishing effort, and differentially protect species that spend life history in state/federal waters
    • Overfished stocks are small components of ecosystem
  • Ecosystem-based fishery management (by Richard Parrish)
  • Q: Was ecosystem function in federal water threatened by past federal management?
    • Before federal management: whales, pinnipeds, otters, sardine, mackerel, some salmonids exploited to near extinction
    • During "Parrish's watch": number of groundfish overfished
  • Q: What are existing protections?
    • Report describes most of CA regulations
      • Complicated overlap provide ecosystem and fishery protection
      • Some species in hard nearshore, shelf, deeper not adequately protected by CA regulations
    • Report describes Fed regulations (PFMC)
  • Q: How successful are existing protections?
    • Described groundfish abundance trends (decline) and response to recent restrictions and/or rebuilding plans (slight increase)
  • Q: If ecosystem function threatened, what type of regulations will be most beneficial?
    • Caution: Shift of effort to outside of MPAs
  • Any questions the RAP may have on the reports can be directed to Steve Scheiblauer
    • Reports being presented to the PFMC Scientific and Statistical Committee this week
    • RAP would like comments from PFMC Scientific and Statistical Committee review (Perhaps available at/after April Council meeting)

PRESENTATION

Center for Ocean Solutions (Meg Caldwell/Interim Director)

• At the beginning stages of a "Start-up"
• $25 million grant over 5 years
• Core mission: expand core impact of integrated research on policy
• Expect to include oceanographers, economists, and social scientists
• Collaborators now include Stanford University, Hopkins, MBARI, MBA; and hope to include more research institutions around Monterey Bay
• 3 large focal areas
  • Global climate change
  • Land-sea interface
  • Marine ecosystems and ability to provide ecosystem services
• Will conduct assessment on public health
• Future may include convening scientists for consensus letters on issues
• Marine Education
  • Educate students (university) through a system of shared classes across many institutions
  • Educate policy members
• Mid-career fellowships will be offered through COS
• Office at Heritage Harbor (Monterey); space for 12-15
• Let Meg know of any ideas on gaps in the community events, including:
  • Lectures
  • Socials
  • Workshops
  • Etc.
• RAP suggested
  • Forums/conference for regional scientists
  • Seminar series with credit for grad students
  • Series like Panetta series; televised
• www.centerforoceansolutions.org
• megc@stanford.edu
• One-pager will be sent to Chris for RAP distribution

DISCUSSION ITEM

RAP Membership Update: Breaker and Coulston (Chris Harrold)

• Two RAP members are stepping down:
  • Larry Breaker (Physical Oceanography - Alternate; & SAC Research - Alternate)
  • Pat Coulston (Fisheries - Alternate)
• Filling the SAC Research Alternate membership requires a formal process
  • Application announcement is currently being processed; should be published in the Federal Register in late March
  • Press Release will be announced when Federal Register is published
  • The application period will be open for ~ 1 month; Applications due May 2, 2008 to Nicole Capps (SAC Coordinator; MBNMS)
  • At the April SAC meeting, a subcommittee will be formed to review applications
    • Subcommittee will forward recommendations to Paul Michel (MBNMS Superintendent)
  • Superintendent will conduct interviews, and forward recommendation to Dan Basta (NMSP Director)
  • A decision will be announced at June SAC meeting
• The RAP discussed potential applicants (current RAP Members) for SAC Research Alternate
  • John Hunt
  • Judith Kildow
• Filling the "Fisheries - Alternate" membership will be completed following the established RAP protocols
  • Fisheries seat will be decided by subcommittee and email
  • Pat Coulston suggested Jason Vasquez (CDFG) who is currently involved with MLPA issues

Future Agenda Items (running list):

• Water Quality
  • Findings on tracking pathogens in sea otters and connection to FW flows (CDFG, UC Davis?)
  • Critical coastal areas presentation (ASBS, areas water quality impaired, areas in good state; Ross Clark)
• Food Safety Measures and Affected Wildlife (requested by Mary Yoklavich)
• SIMoN
  • SIMoN: future monitoring (JMPR or beyond)
  • SIMoN Special Status Species Project (Jennifer Brown)
  • Linking SIMoN to management (Amber Szoboszlai)
• MPAs
  • The first five years of monitoring the Channel Islands Marine Protected Areas Network (Chris Harrold or Satie Airame)
  • CINMS MPA evaluation (Mark Carr/NCEAS)
  • MPA science synthesis - MLPA (Mark Carr)
  • MPAs Monitoring Enterprise (Cheri Recchia/California Ocean Sciences Trust)
  • MPA Social Science (Carrie Pomeroy)
  • MPA monitoring projects (Jason Vasquez)
• Coastal armoring and coastal erosion (Ed Thornton)
• Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS)
• MLML expansion, Sustainable Seafood Process Plant (Kenneth Coale)
• Wave Model Development and Implementation (Paul Wittmann/Fleet Numerical)
• Light Brown Apple Moth spraying (requested by Judith Kildow; Henric Kbiek; Ingrid Parker): aquatic/marine research issues/impacts?