MBNMS RAP Meeting Summary July 8th, 2011

Research Activity Panel:
Meeting Summary
Chris Harrold, RAP Chair

Location:

Long Marine Lab
Center for Ocean Health Library, Rm 201
100 Sharffer Road
Santa Cruz, CA

Date: Friday, July 8th, 2011; 9:00 am to 12:00 pm

* Sanctuary Advisory Council Member: Research (Primary)

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

CONSENT ITEMS

Introductions/Modifications to the Agenda (Harrold)

HOST PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION

California Sea Grant Program Update (Pomeroy)

• Pomeroy provided brief overview of the California Sea Grant Extension Program (CASGEP)
• CASGEP separated from UC Davis 1 year ago (UC Cooperative Extension)
• CASGEP now at UC San Diego
• Rick Starr is now permanent Extension Director
• Focus Areas for 2010-2013 include:
  • Healthy Coastal and Marine Ecosystems
  • Resilient Coastal Communities
  • New Technologies and Products
  • Safe and Sustainable Seafood Supply
  • Effective Response to Climate Change
• For more info see, http://ca-sgep.ucsd.edu/

Integrated Baseline and Monitoring Studies of California's Network of Marine Protected Areas (Carr)

• Carr provided overview of the five study regions along California coast
• Purpose of baseline:
  • Characterize ecosystems to generate indicators of ecosystem state, and socio-economic indicators
  • Inform longer term monitoring program
  • Provide initial reference conditions
• Carr provide snapshot of results for select species and habitats
• PISCO-developed food webs for the MLPA are being used to help develop the California Current IEA by NOAA
• 5-yr review is ramping up, expected in fall 2012
• For more info see, http://www.piscoweb.org/policy/marine-protected-area-policy/monitoring-marine-protected-areas-/mlpa-marine-protected-area-m-0

STAFF REQUESTS TO RAP
RAP RESEARCH PRIORITIES: Ecosystem-Based Management Initiative (EBMI)

Research Areas Workshop Follow-up (John Hunt/MBNMS)

• John reviewed 4 objectives of EBMI (http://montereybay.noaa.gov/ebmi/welcome.html)
  • Maintain/restore marine ecosystem health, services, and function
  • Ensure protection of unique and rare features
  • Facilitate research to differentiate between natural variation and human impacts
  • Facilitate ecologically and economically sustainable uses, including fisheries
• Research Areas Workshop held in October 2010 at NMFS, Santa Cruz
• Goal of workshop was to review existing spatial management, determine how it affects marine science, and discuss what kinds of strategies, if any, could facilitate science that supports ecosystem-based management of MBNMS
• Workshop summary report submitted to ONMS Conservation Series for review (copy sent to RAP)
• John discussed the 6 key findings of report for RAP discussion
  • Better spatial management could facilitate science
  • Regulations and permits have both a real and perceived impact
  • Some questions difficult to pursue given current management structure
  • Areas needed for both applied and basic science questions, and in some cases to allow for manipulative experiments
  • Sentinel sites to protect equipment, add value by co-locating compatible studies, and share equipment and data
  • Scientists as stakeholders to facilitate research while maintaining objectivity
• ACTION: John asked RAP to comment on executive summary of report
• ACTION: John asked for input on next steps
  • Validate and expand workshop findings with research community (e.g., follow-up survey, presentations), perhaps facilitated by RAP
  • Create a task force to address concerns over research permitting
  • Create a task force to develop strategies to facilitate research in sanctuary (e.g., improved coordination, opportunities for collaboration, web portal activities related to ship time)
  • Integrate spatial data layers of research activities to identify research hotspots
  • Analyze spatial data to identify potential research areas and/or sentinel sites and evaluate potential conflicts with other sustainable uses
  • Develop management strategies to minimize conflicts
• ACTION: MBNMS staff will pull out the research needs from management plan, ask what RAP would like to add; ask other management agencies what theyíd like to add; and will create summary

RAP RESEARCH PRIORITIES: Ocean Acidification

List of Ocean Acidification Research within MBNMS (Burton)

• Ocean Acidification is a Research Priority for the RAP and Sanctuary Staff
• Purpose of RAP involvement is to highlight Monterey Bay as a center of Ocean Acidification studies, for Sanctuary Program and NOAA
• January 2011 RAP Meeting:
  • Ocean Acidification is a Research Priority for RAP (Advisors, Marketing)
  • Comment on ONMS plans
  • Compile info on regional assets and capabilities
• March 2011 RAP Meeting:
  • DeVogelaere announced that RAP would be asked to survey their institutions
    • What Ocean Acidification research is being done at your institution?
• April 2011 (email survey):
  • Burton sent an email to the RAP requesting:
    • Title of any ocean acidification project within the MBNMS, that you or your colleagues at institution are working on
    • Name of principal investigator and contact information
• June 2011: Burton sent out draft list to RAP and PIs for review
• July 2011 RAP Meeting (today):
  • Burton provided copies of vetted list to RAP (27 Projects; 13 institutions)
• ACTIONS (for Staff):
  • Provide list to MBNMS Deputy Superintendent to be used at upcoming Monterey Bay Climate Change Adaptation Workshop
    • 6 December 2011
    • Partners: MBNMS and Center of for Ocean Solutions (Adina Abeles)
  • Provide list to GFNMS Ocean Climate Center (Ocean Climate Initiative)
  • Send list to ONMS Research Coordinator: Steve Gittings
  • Incorporate list info into NOAA Ocean Acidification plan
  • SIMoN Staff (Steve Lonhart) will ask PIs with long-term monitoring projects to add project pages on SIMoN website

STAFF REQUEST TO RAP

2012 Sanctuary Currents Symposium Theme Ideas (Burton)

• Symposium Committee is requesting ideas from RAP for 2012 theme
• Lindholm: From mountains to deep-sea (watershed connections; habitat connections)
• DeVogelaere: how to engage public in 5yr review of MPAs
  • Vasques: 5 yr MPA review may happen in fall 2012; so 2013 may be better year to highlight at Symposium
• Grimes: salmon as a topic, including agriculture impacts; water removals; habitat modifications; management in holistic fashion (mountains to sea); crosses many agencies
• ACTION: Burton will send email of past and new ideas, and solicit others

SANCTUARY RESEARCH UPDATE

Sanctuary Research Update (DeVogelaere)

• Staff working on follow-up to Unique and Rare Workshop (24 May 2011)
• Aerial survey scheduled at Davidson Seamount 6 July 2011:
  • Area was fogged in, so surveyed nearshore area instead
  • Observed basking and white sharks
  • Information reported to MLML ìSpot a Basking Shark Projectî
  • Observations reported on SIMoN Webite: http://sanctuarysimon.org/news/index.php/2011/07/white-and-basking-sharks-seen-off-big-sur-coast-after-marine-mammal-aerial-survey-over-davidson-seamount-aborted/
• Recent Lost Container Survey:
  • We want to add this to the international discussion on shipping and impacts to deep-sea
  • Lots of interest from the public and industry
  • DeVogelaere shared one-pager created for ONMS and larger NOAA
• One priority for ONMS HQ and Superintendent is to have a fully-developed, unified dive program
  • MBNMS staff working on NOAA dive manual
  • Staff collaborate with PISCO divers and program
  • Recent closing of highway one (landslide) brought PISCO PIs and MBNMS staff together to provide nearshore info, and future monitoring (PISCO is nearshore partner; monitoring in intertidal and kelp subtidal)
• CSUMB continues to be partner for continental shelf characterization

SANCTUARY ADVISORY COUNCIL UPDATE

None

SUGGESTED FUTURE AGENDA ITEMS

• Update on upcoming central coast MPA 5yr review (per Carr; by Vasques), only a handful of projects have been identified; perhaps there are additional data sources that could feed into 5yr review; Vasques will talk with colleagues to get info on data need
• Combine several sea level rise talks, including southern Monterey bay group, tidal wetland plan (Largay), and Breakerís talk (not urgent)
• RAP Membership Committee update

Future Agenda Items (running list):

• Data integration across monitoring programs (e.g., water quality, PISCO, MARINe, IOOS), and availability to the public
• Predicting sea level rise for the state of California (Larry Breaker, JPL, OPC)
• EBMI/IEA presentations
  • IEAs, including those that have been implemented (e.g., Phil Levin, Frank Schwing, John Stein; per Yoklavich)
• MPAs
  • State MPA monitoring projects (Jason Vasques)
• Ken Johnson work in Elkhorn Slough (per McPhee-Shaw)
• Marine Policy issues (Sacramento; D.C.) that may need science input (per Ramp; Aimee David volunteered; or Adina Abeles)
• Climate Change
  • Rather than MBNMS tackle all climate change topics, perhaps let GFNMS/CBNMS continue as lead on climate change issues (per DeVogelaere), and request the following presentations:
    • GFNMS/CBNMS Ocean Climate Initiative (speaker: Higgason)
    • GFNMS/CBNMS Climate Change Impacts Report (speaker: Largier)
  • Perhaps tackle what GFNMS/CBNMS not working on (e.g., low oxygen; per Kudela)
  • Storlazzi is willing to help organize a general meeting on climate change science; State of the Science of climate change; adaptation plans; Perhaps MBCORC hosts a 1 or 2 day science meeting
    • CA coast (Lisa Sloan, UCSC; sea level rise, Breaker)
    • High-res climate models of CA (UCSC; or Dan Cayan or Dettinger/USGS)
    • What differences MBNMS might observe (per Starr)
    • NOAA Coastal Services Center putting together climate adaptation visualization tool (per Hunt)
• Beach COMBERS Program
  • How Beach COMBERS program linked to oil spill response (GFNMS) and how Beach COMBERS data fits into response (per Hunt)
• Desalination update (per Abeles); things have changed since Brad Damitz talked to the RAP; get speakers who lead projects (MBNMS staff to determine; ask Raimondi for advice...Cambria)