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NCCOS Scientists Develop Cost-effective Fish Mapping Technique to Assist Coral Reef Resource Managers
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) researchers have developed a novel, cost-effective and multi-scale statistical technique for predicting fish species richness across coral reef ecosystems to assist resource managers in identifying species diversity hotspots in surveyed areas and to predict such hotspots in unsurveyed areas. The technique spatially integrates a wide range of NOAA data sets including field survey data, NCCOS’ benthic habitat maps, and National Geophysical Data Center bathymetry in a Geographical Information System and applies predictive modeling algorithms to produce maps of fish species richness for Buck Island, St. Croix, southwestern Puerto Rico and St. John (US Virgin Islands).The results were published in a recent issue of Ecological Modelling. For more information, contact Simon Pittman at (301) 713-3028 x147 or simon.pittman@noaa.gov . [03M00043, 04M00057] (CCMA)
NCCOS Tracking of Reef Fishes to Inform Management and Design of Marine Protected Areas
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science scientists, in cooperation with the National Park Service and US Geological Survey, recently completed the second phase of a study that will support management of fishes and habitats by characterizing reef fish distributions and defining species’ habitat utilization patterns. The scientists deployed 30 underwater hydro-phones (receivers) along the south shore of St. John, US Virgin Islands to listen for the passage of fishes with surgically implanted sonic tags. Data were retrieved from nine previously deployed receivers. To date, 19 species of reef fishes (123 individual fish) representing species with wide ranging habitat requirements and home ranges have been acoustically “tagged.” The next field mission will download information from the 30 receivers while an additional 10 receivers will be deployed to monitor inshore-offshore movements of reef fishes. For more information, contact Mark Monaco at (301) 713-3028 x160 or Mark.Monaco@noaa.gov. [06M00092] (CCMA)
NCCOS Report Helps NMFS Protect Endangered Whales in the Gulf of Maine
A recent National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science report has been used by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Protected Resources to evaluate potential impacts and design appropriate monitoring and mitigation measures for a proposed liquefied natural gas (LNG) facility in Massachusetts Bay, MA. Spatial analyses and data from the recently released “An Ecological Characterization of the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Region” is assisting managers in protecting endandered whales in the Gulf of Maine. The report is considered the best available synthesis of information on seasonal distribution and abundance of cetaceans in the southern Gulf of Maine. The report can be downloaded from http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/products/biogeography/stellwagen/ . For more information contact Simon Pittman at (301) 713-3028 x147 or simon.pittman@noaa.gov, or Tim Battista at (301) 713-3028 x171 or tim.battista@noaa.gov. [03M00032] (CCMA)