RAP Meeting Summary November 16th, 2001

Research Activity Panel Meeting Summary
Chris Harrold, Monterey Bay Aquarium, RAP Chair
______________________________________________________________________________
NOVEMBER 2001 RAP MEETING

Host: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories
Friday, November 16, 2001 9am-12pm

In Attendance:

Members

• Jeff Paduan, Naval Postgraduate School – Vice Chair
  
• Andrew DeVogelaere, MBNMS – RAP Coordinator
  
• Greg Cailliet, Moss Landing Marine Labs
  
• Deborah Johnston, CA DFG/Monterey
  
• Rikk Kvitek, CSUMB
  
• George Somero, Hopkins Marine Station
  
• Fiorenza Micheli, Hopkins Marine Station
  
• Mario Tamburri, MBARI
  
• Kerstin Wasson, ESNERR
  
• Jim Harvey, Moss Landing Marine Labs
  
• Caroline Pomeroy, UCSC/CSUMB
  
• Ross Clark, CA Coastal Commission

Guests

• Erica Burton, MBNMS
  
• Kelly Newton, MBNMS
  
• Nancy Wright, CA DFG/Monterey
  
• Francisco Chavez, MBARI
  
• Kenneth Coale, MLML
  
• Kaya Pederson, PRBO
  
• Chris Essert, NMS/MBNMS
  
• Deirdre Hall, MBNMS
  
• Scott Benson, MLML
  
• Brad Damitz, MBNMS

Jeff Paduan acted as Chair of the RAP meeting in Chris Harrolds absence.

Jeff Paduan and George Somero introduced Fiorenza Micheli. She will be the Hopkins Marine Station alternate on the RAP.

PRESENTATIONS

Institutional Update: Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (Kenneth Coale)

Moss Landing Marine Laboratories was established in 1966. Six California State University schools are consortium members of the lab including San Jose, San Francisco, Hayward, Monterey, Stanislaus, and Fresno. San Jose State University acts as the administrative body. The labs emphasis is on applied and field research, marine ecology, biology, and oceanography. The labs were destroyed in the 1989 Loma Preita earthquake, temporarily moved to Salinas, and were reopened in Moss Landing in 2000. There are 100 graduate students, 20 undergraduates, 8 faculty, and 20 staff members at the lab. Future goals and projects at Moss Landing Marine Labs includes establishing a coastal observatory on the Moss Landing pier, developing joint programs with MBCORC and other institutions, and increasing the number of consortium institutions. For more information please see http://www.mlml.calstate.edu

SCOPE (Simulations of Coastal Ocean Physics and Ecosystems) Project (Francisco Chavez)

The SCOPE project is developing models to describe the Sanctuary coastal upwelling ecosystem with high spatial and temporal resolution. The models include interconnected physical, chemical, and biological processes. The models focus on simulating the observed seasonal and inter-annual variations in physical oceanographic forcing and the chemical and biological processes. Institutional partners in this project include: MBARI, JPL, NPS, UCLA, NRL, HOBI, UCSC, U of Maine, Duke, and MBNMS. All of the models will assist the Sanctuary with resource management. For more information please see: http://www.mbari.org/bog/NOPP

Update on MMUG (Marine Mapping Users Group) (Nancy Wright)

The Marine Mappers Users Group started 1 year ago to support other agencies, universities, and Sanctuaries with remote sensing & GIS. MMUG has grown from 12 to 40+ members in the last few months. The next quarterly meeting will be December 3, 2002 at Long Marine Lab. MMUG has several projects in the works, but their main goal is to map critical marine habitats. For more information please contact Nancy Wright, nmwright@dfg.ca.gov

DISCUSSION

MBNMS Institutional Permits for research (Deirdre Hall)

Deirdre reviewed current Sanctuary prohibitions and listed possible triggers for a sanctuary research permit. The Sanctuary is testing an institutional research permit with MBARI. It is possible that institutional permits will be available in the future. Deirdre presented the prototype of the online permit application database that could be available Spring 2002. The goals are to streamline, and increase value of the permitting process. For more information please contact Deirdre Hall 831-647-4207, deirdre.hall@noaa.gov, http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov/resourcepro/permits.html

Sanctuary Currents 2002 Ricketts Lecture & Research Award Nominations (Andrew DeVogelaere)

Andrew asked the RAP for suggestions on nominations for the two Sanctuary Currents awards. A list of names was generated & nomination paragraphs will be requested by Nov. 26 with anonymous voting to occur by December 1. To view past recipients of the awards please see http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov/research/MBNMSawards.html
http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov/research/ricketts.html

INFORMATION ITEMS

Management Plan Review Update – Scoping Meetings (Brad Damitz)

Brad came to the RAP to present the scoping meeting schedule & State of the Sanctuary Reports. He reviewed the timeline for the management plan review. For more information please contact Sean Morton, sean.morton@noaa.gov, http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/jointplan/

Cal COFI meeting Update (Greg Cailliet)

Greg gave the RAP a quick summary of the recent Cal COFI meeting. A committee has formed to try to move the Cal COFI lines north into the central California area. There will be a meeting early next year to discuss this plan.

Monterey City Council Meeting (Andrew DeVogelaere)

Andrew let the RAP know that the Monterey City Council will meet on November 20 to choose priorities and issues that the council will focus on for the Sanctuary’s management plan review.

Sanctuary Currents 2002 (Erica Burton)

Erica announced the call for posters for the Sanctuary Currents Symposium in March. Erica asked that RAP members take the announcement posters and place them at their institution.
For more information please contact Erica Burton, erica.burton@noaa.gov

SIMoN pre-proposals (Mario Tamburri)

Mario announced that the SIMoN pre-proposals were released at the beginning of the month. They are due by November 30 to the Sanctuary office.
For more information please contact Mario, mario.tamburri@noaa.gov, http://montereybay.nos.noaa.gov