Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation f... more Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for their use by the United States government.
Ma.y 27, 7993 SIS. GWENDOLYN HULL Church Clerk Go ye ~he~e6o~e, and ~eaeh all na~ion~, bap~izing ... more Ma.y 27, 7993 SIS. GWENDOLYN HULL Church Clerk Go ye ~he~e6o~e, and ~eaeh all na~ion~, bap~izing them in ~he name 06 ~he Fathe~, and 06 ~he Son, and 06 ~he Holy Gho~~-The Piigkim Ba.pti6t Chukeh wiii hold it6 Ba.pti6ma.i Sekviee6 on Sunda.y, June 6, 7993 in the Eduea.tiona.i Building, 665 Miehiga.n Avenue, a.t 10:00 a..m. Ca.ndidate6 6houid bking with them a. eompiete eha.nge o 0 eiothing (both undek a.nd outek ga.kment6), two towei6, a.nd one 6heet. Fema.ie ea.ndida.te6 6houid a.i6o bking a. 6Wimming ea.p. Piea6e be at the Chukeh by 9:30 a.m. 60 that 6inai in6tkuetion6 may be given. Piea6e 0 eei 0 nee to ea.ii me at 897-1880, i6 theke ake any que6tion6.
Acute climate events like marine heatwaves have the potential to temporarily or permanently alter... more Acute climate events like marine heatwaves have the potential to temporarily or permanently alter community structure with effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. We aimed to quantify the magnitude and consistency of climate driven community shifts inside and outside Marine Protected Areas before and after a marine heatwave using a kelp forest fish community dataset in southern California, USA. Abundance, biomass, diversity and recruitment of warm-water affinity species during the marine heatwave were significantly greater compared with prior years yet cool-water affinity species did not show commensurate declines. Fish communities inside MPAs were not buffered from these community shifts. This result is likely because the particular species most responsible for the community response to environmental drivers, were not fisheries targets. Resource managers working to preserve biodiversity in a changing climate will need to consider additional management tools and strategies i...
Additional larval, juvenile, and adult specimens and live photographs of the Caribbean Kuna Goby,... more Additional larval, juvenile, and adult specimens and live photographs of the Caribbean Kuna Goby, Coryphopterus kuna, expand the known geographic range for the species and allow a comprehensive description of all the life stages for this recently-discovered species, including age and growth estimates from daily otolith increments. The Kuna Goby is found widely throughout the tropical western Atlantic, including southern Florida, Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Panama, San Andres Island, Bonaire, and Guadeloupe. The additional specimens indicate that C. kuna has a pelvic frenum and that females have a black flag on the outer portion of the first two spinous dorsal-fin membranes, while males have a dark stripe along the mid-length of the spinous dorsal fin. The development of melanophores on pelagic larvae through the transition to settled juvenile is described. The Kuna Goby is a notably small goby: larvae settle around 7–9 mm SL, adults mature at 1...
The priority management goal of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP) is to protect mari... more The priority management goal of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP) is to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity. This goal requires an understanding of broad-scale ecological relationships and linkages between marine resources and physical oceanography to support an ecosystem management approach. The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) is currently reviewing its management plan and investigating boundary expansion. A management plan study area (henceforth, Study Area) was described that extends from the current boundary north to the mainland, and extends north to Point Sal and south to Point Dume. Six additional boundary concepts were developed that vary in area and include the majority of the Study Area. The NMSP and CINMS partnered with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Biogeography Team to conduct a biogeographic assessment to characterize marine resources and oceanographic patterns within and adjacent to the sanctuary. This assessment includes a suite of quantitative spatial and statistical analyses that characterize biological and oceanographic patterns in the marine region from Point Sal to the U.S.-Mexico border. These data were analyzed using an index which evaluates an ecological “cost-benefit” within the proposed boundary concepts and the Study Area. The sanctuary resides in a dynamic setting where two oceanographic regimes meet. Cold northern waters mix with warm southern waters around the Channel Islands creating an area of transition that strongly influences the regions oceanography. In turn, these processes drive the biological distributions within the region. This assessment analyzes bathymetry, benthic substrate, bathymetric life-zones, sea surface temperature, primary production, currents, submerged aquatic vegetation, and kelp in the context of broad-scale patterns and relative to the proposed boundary concepts and the Study Area. Boundary cost-benefit results for these parameters were variable due to their dynamic nature; however, when analyzed in composite the Study Area and Boundary Concept 2 were considered the most favorable. Biological data were collected from numerous resource agencies and university scientists for this assessment. Fish and invertebrate trawl data were used to characterize community structure. Habitat suitability models were developed for 15 species of macroinvertebrates and 11 species of fish that have significant ecological, commercial, or recreational importance in the region and general patterns of ichthyoplankton distribution are described. Six surveys of ship and plane at-sea surveys were used to model marine bird diversity from Point Arena to the U.S.-Mexico border. Additional surveys were utilized to estimate density and colony counts for nine bird species. Critical habitat for western snowy plover and the location of California least tern breeding pairs were also analyzed. At-sea surveys were also used to describe the distribution of 14 species of cetaceans and five species of pinnipeds. Boundary concept cost-benefit indices revealed that Boundary Concept 2 and the Study Area were most favorable for the majority of the species-specific analyses. Boundary Concept 3 was most favorable for bird diversity across the region. Inadequate spatial resolution for fish and invertebrate community data and incompatible sampling effort information for bird and mammal data precluded boundary cost-benefit analysis.
PAHs) than in sediments. The levels of PCBs and DDT in coral tissues appeared higher just outside... more PAHs) than in sediments. The levels of PCBs and DDT in coral tissues appeared higher just outside of Guanica Bay, and there was evidence of a downstream concentration gradient for these two contaminant classes. The trace elements copper, zinc and nickel were frequently detected in coral tissues, and the concentration in the corals was usually comparable to that found in adjacent sediments. Chromium was an exception in that it was not detected in any of the coral tissues analyzed. Additional work is needed to assess how spatial patterns in chemical contamination affect coral condition, abundance and distribution.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 39Mention of trade names or commercial products does not cons... more NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 39Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for their use by the United States government. Citation for this Report
Guánica Bay is a major estuary on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. Significant coral reef ecos... more Guánica Bay is a major estuary on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. Significant coral reef ecosystems are present outside the Bay. These valuable habitats may be impacted by transport of sediments, nutrients and contaminants from the watershed, through the Bay and into the offshore waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), in consultation with local and regional experts, conducted an interdisciplinary assessment of coral reef ecosystems, contaminants, sedimentation rates and nutrient distribution patterns in and around Guánica Bay. This work was conducted using many of the same protocols as ongoing monitoring work underway elsewhere in the U.S. Caribbean and has enabled comparisons among coral reef ecosystems between this study and other locations in the region. This characterization of Guánica marine ecosystems establishes benchmark conditions that can be used for comparative documentation of future ch...
Since 2001, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitorin... more Since 2001, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment’s (CCMA) Biogeography Branch (BB) has been working with federal and territorial partners to characterize, monitor, and assess the status of the marine environment across the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). At the request of the St. Thomas Fisherman’s Association (STFA) and NOAA Marine Debris Program, CCMA BB developed new partnerships and novel technologies to scientifi cally assess the threat from derelict fish traps (DFTs). Traps are the predominant gear used for finfi sh and lobster harvesting in St. Thomas and St. John. Natural phenomena (ground swells, hurricanes) and increasing competition for space by numerous user groups have generated concern about increasing trap loss and the possible ecological, as well as economic, ramifications. Prior to this study, there was a general lack of knowledge regarding derelict fi sh traps in the Caribbean. No spatially explicit infor...
This chapter covers coral reef areas under the jurisdiction of the USA in the Wider Caribbean: Fl... more This chapter covers coral reef areas under the jurisdiction of the USA in the Wider Caribbean: Florida; Flower Garden Banks; Puerto Rico; U.S. Virgin Islands; and Navassa. The following information is condensed from six chapters of The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008. Access to the full text of this comprehensive report is available at: http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/stateofthereefs.
ABSTRACT Background/Question/Methods Land based sources of pollution, including nutrients, sedime... more ABSTRACT Background/Question/Methods Land based sources of pollution, including nutrients, sediments and toxics, have the potential to adversely affect coastal ecosystems. In tropical waters, these impacts can include disruption of valuable, yet fragile, coral reef ecosystems. In Guanica Bay (Puerto Rico), a large effort is underway to reduce land based sources of pollution through watershed restoration activities, such as WWTP improvements, changes in agricultural management practices and stream bank stabilization. In order to be able to measure improvements to the ecosystem, it is critical to have a baseline assessment against which to measure change. The goal of this study was to construct an interdisciplinary environmental baseline, including information on coral reef ecology, surface water nutrients, sedimentation rates and contaminants in surficial sediment and coral tissues. Additionally, we wanted to determine if the Bay is a source of pollutants to the offshore reef system. Here we present information on two components of this project: contaminant stressors and indices of coral reef ecosystem health. Using a stratified random sampling design, divers collected data on benthic cover, fish and selected macroinvertebrate presence at 61 survey sites. Also using a stratified random design, surface sediments were collected for analysis of over 100 contaminants from 33 sites. Results/Conclusions The coral reef community offshore from Guanica Bay was similar to what had been observed elsewhere in Puerto Rico. Hard coral cover was relatively low (2.2%) and the bottom community was dominated by algae. Sediment contaminants in the Bay were significantly higher (α=0.05, Wilcoxon test) than the offshore sites for all analytes except Ag and total hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH). Targeted sampling in the tributaries of the Bay suggests that some contaminants are coming from watersheds sources (e.g. Cr), whereas, some contaminants are deposited directly into the Bay (e.g. PCBs). Comparing sediment contaminant concentrations to previously published sediment quality guidelines (SQG) revealed that 22 (of 33) sites had at least one analyte that exceeds the ERL (Effects Range Low; including As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Hg, total PAHs, total PCBs and total DDT) and 17 (of 33) sites had at least one analyte that exceeded the ERM (Effects Range Median; including Cr, Ni, total DDT and total PCBs). Multiple sites within the Bay had extremely high (>10 times the ERM) levels of PCBs. These data provide elements of an ecological baseline assessment which will be invaluable for detecting future change in the ecosystem, including potential benefits from ongoing watershed restoration activities.
Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation f... more Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for their use by the United States government.
Ma.y 27, 7993 SIS. GWENDOLYN HULL Church Clerk Go ye ~he~e6o~e, and ~eaeh all na~ion~, bap~izing ... more Ma.y 27, 7993 SIS. GWENDOLYN HULL Church Clerk Go ye ~he~e6o~e, and ~eaeh all na~ion~, bap~izing them in ~he name 06 ~he Fathe~, and 06 ~he Son, and 06 ~he Holy Gho~~-The Piigkim Ba.pti6t Chukeh wiii hold it6 Ba.pti6ma.i Sekviee6 on Sunda.y, June 6, 7993 in the Eduea.tiona.i Building, 665 Miehiga.n Avenue, a.t 10:00 a..m. Ca.ndidate6 6houid bking with them a. eompiete eha.nge o 0 eiothing (both undek a.nd outek ga.kment6), two towei6, a.nd one 6heet. Fema.ie ea.ndida.te6 6houid a.i6o bking a. 6Wimming ea.p. Piea6e be at the Chukeh by 9:30 a.m. 60 that 6inai in6tkuetion6 may be given. Piea6e 0 eei 0 nee to ea.ii me at 897-1880, i6 theke ake any que6tion6.
Acute climate events like marine heatwaves have the potential to temporarily or permanently alter... more Acute climate events like marine heatwaves have the potential to temporarily or permanently alter community structure with effects on biodiversity and ecosystem services. We aimed to quantify the magnitude and consistency of climate driven community shifts inside and outside Marine Protected Areas before and after a marine heatwave using a kelp forest fish community dataset in southern California, USA. Abundance, biomass, diversity and recruitment of warm-water affinity species during the marine heatwave were significantly greater compared with prior years yet cool-water affinity species did not show commensurate declines. Fish communities inside MPAs were not buffered from these community shifts. This result is likely because the particular species most responsible for the community response to environmental drivers, were not fisheries targets. Resource managers working to preserve biodiversity in a changing climate will need to consider additional management tools and strategies i...
Additional larval, juvenile, and adult specimens and live photographs of the Caribbean Kuna Goby,... more Additional larval, juvenile, and adult specimens and live photographs of the Caribbean Kuna Goby, Coryphopterus kuna, expand the known geographic range for the species and allow a comprehensive description of all the life stages for this recently-discovered species, including age and growth estimates from daily otolith increments. The Kuna Goby is found widely throughout the tropical western Atlantic, including southern Florida, Quintana Roo on the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Panama, San Andres Island, Bonaire, and Guadeloupe. The additional specimens indicate that C. kuna has a pelvic frenum and that females have a black flag on the outer portion of the first two spinous dorsal-fin membranes, while males have a dark stripe along the mid-length of the spinous dorsal fin. The development of melanophores on pelagic larvae through the transition to settled juvenile is described. The Kuna Goby is a notably small goby: larvae settle around 7–9 mm SL, adults mature at 1...
The priority management goal of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP) is to protect mari... more The priority management goal of the National Marine Sanctuaries Program (NMSP) is to protect marine ecosystems and biodiversity. This goal requires an understanding of broad-scale ecological relationships and linkages between marine resources and physical oceanography to support an ecosystem management approach. The Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) is currently reviewing its management plan and investigating boundary expansion. A management plan study area (henceforth, Study Area) was described that extends from the current boundary north to the mainland, and extends north to Point Sal and south to Point Dume. Six additional boundary concepts were developed that vary in area and include the majority of the Study Area. The NMSP and CINMS partnered with NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Biogeography Team to conduct a biogeographic assessment to characterize marine resources and oceanographic patterns within and adjacent to the sanctuary. This assessment includes a suite of quantitative spatial and statistical analyses that characterize biological and oceanographic patterns in the marine region from Point Sal to the U.S.-Mexico border. These data were analyzed using an index which evaluates an ecological “cost-benefit” within the proposed boundary concepts and the Study Area. The sanctuary resides in a dynamic setting where two oceanographic regimes meet. Cold northern waters mix with warm southern waters around the Channel Islands creating an area of transition that strongly influences the regions oceanography. In turn, these processes drive the biological distributions within the region. This assessment analyzes bathymetry, benthic substrate, bathymetric life-zones, sea surface temperature, primary production, currents, submerged aquatic vegetation, and kelp in the context of broad-scale patterns and relative to the proposed boundary concepts and the Study Area. Boundary cost-benefit results for these parameters were variable due to their dynamic nature; however, when analyzed in composite the Study Area and Boundary Concept 2 were considered the most favorable. Biological data were collected from numerous resource agencies and university scientists for this assessment. Fish and invertebrate trawl data were used to characterize community structure. Habitat suitability models were developed for 15 species of macroinvertebrates and 11 species of fish that have significant ecological, commercial, or recreational importance in the region and general patterns of ichthyoplankton distribution are described. Six surveys of ship and plane at-sea surveys were used to model marine bird diversity from Point Arena to the U.S.-Mexico border. Additional surveys were utilized to estimate density and colony counts for nine bird species. Critical habitat for western snowy plover and the location of California least tern breeding pairs were also analyzed. At-sea surveys were also used to describe the distribution of 14 species of cetaceans and five species of pinnipeds. Boundary concept cost-benefit indices revealed that Boundary Concept 2 and the Study Area were most favorable for the majority of the species-specific analyses. Boundary Concept 3 was most favorable for bird diversity across the region. Inadequate spatial resolution for fish and invertebrate community data and incompatible sampling effort information for bird and mammal data precluded boundary cost-benefit analysis.
PAHs) than in sediments. The levels of PCBs and DDT in coral tissues appeared higher just outside... more PAHs) than in sediments. The levels of PCBs and DDT in coral tissues appeared higher just outside of Guanica Bay, and there was evidence of a downstream concentration gradient for these two contaminant classes. The trace elements copper, zinc and nickel were frequently detected in coral tissues, and the concentration in the corals was usually comparable to that found in adjacent sediments. Chromium was an exception in that it was not detected in any of the coral tissues analyzed. Additional work is needed to assess how spatial patterns in chemical contamination affect coral condition, abundance and distribution.
NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 39Mention of trade names or commercial products does not cons... more NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 39Mention of trade names or commercial products does not constitute endorsement or recommendation for their use by the United States government. Citation for this Report
Guánica Bay is a major estuary on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. Significant coral reef ecos... more Guánica Bay is a major estuary on the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. Significant coral reef ecosystems are present outside the Bay. These valuable habitats may be impacted by transport of sediments, nutrients and contaminants from the watershed, through the Bay and into the offshore waters. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), in consultation with local and regional experts, conducted an interdisciplinary assessment of coral reef ecosystems, contaminants, sedimentation rates and nutrient distribution patterns in and around Guánica Bay. This work was conducted using many of the same protocols as ongoing monitoring work underway elsewhere in the U.S. Caribbean and has enabled comparisons among coral reef ecosystems between this study and other locations in the region. This characterization of Guánica marine ecosystems establishes benchmark conditions that can be used for comparative documentation of future ch...
Since 2001, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitorin... more Since 2001, NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment’s (CCMA) Biogeography Branch (BB) has been working with federal and territorial partners to characterize, monitor, and assess the status of the marine environment across the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI). At the request of the St. Thomas Fisherman’s Association (STFA) and NOAA Marine Debris Program, CCMA BB developed new partnerships and novel technologies to scientifi cally assess the threat from derelict fish traps (DFTs). Traps are the predominant gear used for finfi sh and lobster harvesting in St. Thomas and St. John. Natural phenomena (ground swells, hurricanes) and increasing competition for space by numerous user groups have generated concern about increasing trap loss and the possible ecological, as well as economic, ramifications. Prior to this study, there was a general lack of knowledge regarding derelict fi sh traps in the Caribbean. No spatially explicit infor...
This chapter covers coral reef areas under the jurisdiction of the USA in the Wider Caribbean: Fl... more This chapter covers coral reef areas under the jurisdiction of the USA in the Wider Caribbean: Florida; Flower Garden Banks; Puerto Rico; U.S. Virgin Islands; and Navassa. The following information is condensed from six chapters of The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States: 2008. Access to the full text of this comprehensive report is available at: http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/stateofthereefs.
ABSTRACT Background/Question/Methods Land based sources of pollution, including nutrients, sedime... more ABSTRACT Background/Question/Methods Land based sources of pollution, including nutrients, sediments and toxics, have the potential to adversely affect coastal ecosystems. In tropical waters, these impacts can include disruption of valuable, yet fragile, coral reef ecosystems. In Guanica Bay (Puerto Rico), a large effort is underway to reduce land based sources of pollution through watershed restoration activities, such as WWTP improvements, changes in agricultural management practices and stream bank stabilization. In order to be able to measure improvements to the ecosystem, it is critical to have a baseline assessment against which to measure change. The goal of this study was to construct an interdisciplinary environmental baseline, including information on coral reef ecology, surface water nutrients, sedimentation rates and contaminants in surficial sediment and coral tissues. Additionally, we wanted to determine if the Bay is a source of pollutants to the offshore reef system. Here we present information on two components of this project: contaminant stressors and indices of coral reef ecosystem health. Using a stratified random sampling design, divers collected data on benthic cover, fish and selected macroinvertebrate presence at 61 survey sites. Also using a stratified random design, surface sediments were collected for analysis of over 100 contaminants from 33 sites. Results/Conclusions The coral reef community offshore from Guanica Bay was similar to what had been observed elsewhere in Puerto Rico. Hard coral cover was relatively low (2.2%) and the bottom community was dominated by algae. Sediment contaminants in the Bay were significantly higher (α=0.05, Wilcoxon test) than the offshore sites for all analytes except Ag and total hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCH). Targeted sampling in the tributaries of the Bay suggests that some contaminants are coming from watersheds sources (e.g. Cr), whereas, some contaminants are deposited directly into the Bay (e.g. PCBs). Comparing sediment contaminant concentrations to previously published sediment quality guidelines (SQG) revealed that 22 (of 33) sites had at least one analyte that exceeds the ERL (Effects Range Low; including As, Cr, Cu, Ni, Hg, total PAHs, total PCBs and total DDT) and 17 (of 33) sites had at least one analyte that exceeded the ERM (Effects Range Median; including Cr, Ni, total DDT and total PCBs). Multiple sites within the Bay had extremely high (>10 times the ERM) levels of PCBs. These data provide elements of an ecological baseline assessment which will be invaluable for detecting future change in the ecosystem, including potential benefits from ongoing watershed restoration activities.
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