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Seafloor Habitat Data Now Available to Assist Resource Management of Puerto Rican Conservation Areas
Spatial data on high-resolution bathymetry, habitat hardness and habitat roughness, along with complementary underwater video from Puerto Rican Conservation Areas are now available online to advance management of these areas. Scientists from the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment conducted a scientific research mission on board the NOAA ship NANCY FOSTER from April 14 - 24, 2007. The purpose of the mission was to explore and characterize near shore habitats (10 - 300 meters) within Bajo de Cico, Abrir La Sierra, and Isla de Mona Conservation Areas which are high priority marine protected areas on Puerto Rico's western coast. The mission explored and characterized grouper spawning grounds and high density coral reef habitats. For more information contact Tim Battista at (301) 713-3028 x171 or Tim.Battista@noaa.gov.
Vieques Lagoonal Restoration Activities Supported by Contaminant Level Characterization
Scientists from the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA) conducted a follow up mission to Vieques, Puerto Rico on October 19 ñ 25 to characterize sediment contamination in area lagoons. Working in close cooperation with NOAA's Office of Response and Restoration and Navy personnel, CCMA researchers sampled nine inland lagoons to quantify chemical contaminants in marine sediments around the island and to compare contaminant levels among lagoons in different regions. The sediments collected will be analyzed for over 150 chemical contaminants, including 15 compounds termed ìenergetics,î used in munitions. Results from this mission and the initial mission in May 2007 will be incorporated into an assessment that will help target restoration efforts and facilitate management of marine resources. Between 1940 and 2003, portions of the island of Vieques were used for the storage and firing of munitions for military training purposes. For more information, contact Tony Pait at (301) 713-3028 x158 or Tony.Pait@noaa.gov, or John Christensen at (301) 713-3028 x153 or John John.Christensen@noaa.gov.
NOAA Offices Collaborate to Enhance Data and Information in the Great Lakes Region
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) staff are integrating efforts in theGreat Lakes region to provide technology, information, and indicators to support sound decision making. Several NOAA projects and activities in the Great Lakes were reported at the US/Canada Regional Data Exchange meeting on October 29 in an effort to improve development and delivery of regional products and services. The presentation titled ì Ecological Monitoring and Reporting: Integrated NOAA Information and Indicators to Support Decision Making for the Great Lakes Region î was one component of this meeting, presented by a Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment researcher. Other NOAA partners that participated include the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, National Geophysical Data Center , and the Office of Response and Restoration. For more information contact Gunnar Lauenstein at (301) 713-3028 x152 Gunnar.Lauenstein@noaa.gov or Mary Baker at (206) 526-6315 Mary.Baker@noaa.gov.
University Team Completes Benthic Inventory for Bioeffects Assessment
The Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment led a team of benthic biologists to complete a final examination of a large collection of samples from the central California coast. These data will be combined with chemical and physical data to assess habitat quality, advance bioeffects indicator development, and inform management decision-making in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Samples from the 75 stations on the continental shelf, slope, and canyons included a total of 41,981 animals from 793 taxa, including previously undescribed species. This is part of a broader effort to understand sediment dynamics and contaminant fate and effects along the central California coast in collaboration with the U.S. Geological Survey. For more information contact Ian Hartwell at (301) 713-3028 x137 or Ian.Hartwell@noaa.gov.