MBNMS RAP Meeting Summary May 8th, 2009

Research Activity Panel: Meeting Summary
Chris Harrold, RAP Chair

Host: Churchill Grimes - Fisheries (NOAA Fisheries Service)

Location: NOAA Fisheries Service,
110 Shaffer Road,
Santa Cruz, CA

Date: Friday, May 8th, 2009; 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 (John Hunt)

• Modification: SAC meeting debrief will be covered by Mike Eng

PRESENTATION

Causes of the Decline of Sacramento Fall Run Chinook Salmon Fishery (Churchill Grimes/NOAA Fisheries Service)

• Churchill presented the status of the fishery, and possible causes for the recent decline (including poor ocean conditions, declining fitness, habitat degradation, reduced diversity from hatcheries)

STAFF/SAC REQUESTS TO RAP

Info Request: SIMoN Update (Andrew DeVogelaere/Steve Lonhart/MBNMS)

• Steve and Andrew gave a brief overview of SIMoN including:
  • Purpose and structure of SIMoN
  • Resources (financial, personnel, R/V Fulmar)
  • Partnering Institutions, PIs, central coast NMS
  • Future for SIMoN: Major efforts/products, priorities, expansion

PRESENTATION

Zeppelin NT Airship: Research Platform Capabilities (Alex Travell/Airship Ventures, Inc.)

• Alex Travell presented aspects of the airship as they relate to research use, including airship specifications, research applications, and cost
• Several local scientists participated in a test ride, including Chris Harrold and Andrew DeVogelaere
• For more information see www.airshipventures.com

DISCUSSION ITEM

SAC Meeting Debrief (Mike Eng/MBNMS)

• Mike provided a recap of the April 17th SAC meeting (http://montereybay.noaa.gov/intro/advisory/sac_min.html)
• Major topics included: California's Introduced Species Strategy, Enforcement Working Group Report; Prioritization of MBNMS Action Plans (expected in June); and the MBNMS Federal MPA process

MBNMS FEDERAL MPAs INITIATIVE

Update: MBNMS Federal MPAs Initiative (Mike Eng/MBNMS)

• Mike provided an update on the MPA initiative
• The planning process is continuing to evolve
• Mike reviewed the generic steps in the NEPA process
• MBNMS is consulting with other agencies to integrate during the planning process (bringing this step in earlier here than in the generic NEPA process)
• Several next steps include:
  • Formation of a NMFS (Northwest and Southwest) and MBNMS/West Coast NMS team to explore opportunities for complimentary and/or collaborative, integrated planning and decision making processes that would transition towards more ecosystem based approaches to management
  • Potential opportunities for collaboration being explored
    • Coordinating and/or integrating MBNMS MPA planning process with EFH review process
      • Integrating west coast NMSs into development of an ecosystem fishery manage plan (EFMP) for WA, OR, CA
      • Integrating West Coast NMS into development of a fisheries ecosystem plan (FEP) for the CA current thru a programmatic EIS (PEIS)
      • Integrating MBNMS MPA planning process with a sub-regional (e.g., Cape to Cape) modular approach to development of a Fisheries Ecosystem Plan (FEP) for the CA current
      • Jointly sponsor an IEA to support and inform each agency's planning and decision-making process 
    • Additional possibilities to be explored:
      • Coordinating a federal/state approach to ecosystem assessment and planning for the CA Current LME using a nested set of IEAs conducted at different scales
      • Coordinating and/or integrating MBNMS MPA planning process with EFH Review Process and TNC-lead Conservation Fishing Agreement and Community Fishing Association initiative along Central Coast
  • Establishment of Working Group and Scientific Panel are postponed until interagency consultation is complete (~September)

DISCUSSION ITEMS

Sanctuary Currents Symposium Debrief (Steve Choy/MBNMS)

• More than 300 people attended
• A record number of research posters were presented (65)
• For more info, including abstracts, see: http://montereybay.noaa.gov/research/currsymp2009/welcome.html

SUGGESTED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

Grimes:

• CeNCOOS update (new website; activities)
• Analytical approach to MPAs: Alec MacCall (NOAA Fisheries)

Storlazzi:

• High-res models of CA: Cayan or Dettinger (USGS)

Future Agenda Items (running list):

• Water Quality
  • Critical coastal areas presentation (ASBS, areas water quality impaired, areas in good state; Ross Clark)
• SIMoN
  • SIMoN Special Status Species Project (Jennifer Brown)
  • Linking SIMoN to management (Amber Szoboszlai)
• MPAs
  • MPA science synthesis - MLPA (Mark Carr)
  • MPA monitoring projects (Jason Vasques)
• Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea (COMPASS)
• Wave Model Development and Implementation (Paul Wittmann/Fleet Numerical)
• Data integration across monitoring programs (e.g., water quality, PISCO, MARINe, IOOS), and availability to the public
• MARS cable (per Kildow, speaker = Marcia or other, schedule when MBARI hosts)
• Recent event: Supreme Court allows Navy Sonar (per John Hunt)
• NOAA Twin Otter plane comes to Monterey

• RAP identified priority of future agenda topics below (9/12/08):
  1. MPA Science Synthesis - MLPA (Mark Carr)