News Archive: January - March 2008

 

New Jersey Adopts New Public Access Rules

On December 17, 2007, the New Jersey Coastal Management Program, within the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, published the adoption of amendments to the Coastal Zone Management rules relating to public access.  The adopted rules clarify the public’s rights to access and use tidal waterways and their shores, and incorporate standards to maintain these rights. The rules contain standards for coastal development as well as specific standards for municipalities accepting Shore Protection Program funding.  The rules also establish public access standards for municipalities, counties and nonprofit organizations that receive Green Acres Program funding for a land acquisition projects located along a tidal waterway. 

Contact:  Kris.Wall@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD)

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Session Recommends Top Actions to Help Coastal Managers Address Climate Change

OCRM's Coastal Programs Division staff partnered with NOAA’s Coastal Services Center to organize a breakout session at the 8th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment, which focused on climate change.  The January 17th breakout session brought together representatives from federal agencies, academia, private industry and nonprofit organizations to develop recommendations to address key coastal climate change needs. 

The recommendations specifically focused on: (1) addressing scientific needs of the coastal management community; and (2) better connecting climate change science with decision makers and the public.  Panelists from California’s and Maryland’s Coastal Management Programs, the Coastal States Organization and Rhode Island Sea Grant shared their experiences addressing climate change to kick off the discussion. 

Session participants identified ten priority recommendations that will be captured in a conference report and widely disseminated to Congress, government agencies, educational institutions, the media and the general public by the National Council for Science and the Environment. 

Contact:  Carrie.Hall@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD)

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Virginia Coastal Program Strategies Pay Dividends

Over the past several years, the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program has invested in a comprehensive assessment of the Commonwealth’s dunes and beaches.  The effort, supported by the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, was conducted as a Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) Section 309 Program Enhancement to protect barrier beaches and dunes in the state.  Through a series of studies, including monitoring, applied research, and assessments of management and policy, the State has been able to articulate the economic and ecological value of primary dunes and beaches and produce recommendations for their protection.  During the recently completed 2008 session of the Virginia General Assembly, the fruits of these efforts were recognized as the Coastal Primary Sand Dunes and Beaches Act was amended to broaden the definition of dunes and to include all coastal counties and cities, which had not previously been recognized in the Act.  The adoption of this new legislation later this summer achieves the ultimate outcome sought for the CZMA 309 process - changes in state coastal management policies. 

Contact:  John.Kuriawa@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD)

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Southeast Reserves Offer Diamondback Terrapin Workshop

Four southeastern National Estuarine Research Reserves hosted a workshop on the status of diamondback terrapin research, management and education in the Southeast on Wednesday, Feb. 27, in Charleston, S.C.

The North Carolina, North Inlet-Winyah Bay, ACE Basin and Sapelo Island Reserves organized the session to provide updates on regional accomplishments and needs in Diamondback Terrapin management and to facilitate networking among professionals responsible for terrapin management.

Topics included population research, including reasons for declines; crab trap clean-up and by-catch reduction and education efforts; mortality reduction and impacts of mercury on terrapin health.

Contact: Amy.Clark@noaa.gov, NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (ERD).

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CICEET-sponsored UNH Stormwater Center 2007 Report Now Online

The University of New Hampshire Stormwater Center 2007 Annual Report was recently released.  Produced in partnership with the NOAA/UNH Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), this publication contains performance data on the ability of stormwater treatment systems to treat water quality and manage water quantity.

To manage stormwater in a way that prevents flooding, protects infrastructure, and safeguards human and environmental health, coastal communities require science-based, independent information on the performance of stormwater treatment systems. The CICEET-sponsored UNH Stormwater Center is unique in its ability to conduct such evaluations in a side-by-side setting. Its field site is designed to test a range of stormwater treatment systems, from low impact development approaches to manufactured devices. This report is one of several tools the center uses to communicate the results of its research to coastal communities interested in designing stormwater projects that protect water resources and improve resilience in a time of rapid development and more frequent and intense storms.

In response to stakeholder feedback, the 2007 report includes information on the land use settings in which the evaluated systems are typically deployed, the type of application to which they are best suited, installation costs, and maintenance. If you have a suggestion for improving next year’s report, please take a few minutes to fill out this survey.

Contact: Dwight.Trueblood@noaa.gov, UNH/NOAA Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET)

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NOAA Meets with State Coastal Managers

More than 200 state, territorial, and NOAA coastal and ocean managers met in Washington, D.C. February 26-28, to discuss issues surrounding the management of U.S. coasts, estuaries and oceans through NOAA's National Coastal Management Program. The annual meeting brought together NOAA staff from the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, Coastal Services Center, as well representatives from the National Center for Coastal and Ocean Science and National Marine Sanctuary Program, and state managers from the 34 Coastal Zone Management Programs, and 27 National Estuarine Research Reserves.

Major discussions included reauthorization of the Coastal Zone Management Act; best practices for stakeholder involvement in research, and linking research to policy development and decision-making; and a discussion moderated by the Moore Foundation on using area-based management techniques to manage ocean uses.  Deputy Undersecretary Mary Glackin and NOS Assistant Administrator Jack Dunnigan spoke to the managers on NOAA’s coastal strategy in preparation for an administrative transition, and legislative concepts for a new Coastal Zone Management Act, respectively.

Contact: Kate.Barba@noaa.gov, NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (NPED)

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19th U.S. Coral Reef Task Force Meeting: Celebrating 10 Years and IYOR 2008

This year, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force (USCRTF) marks ten years of collaborative research, management, and conservation of coral reef ecosystems.  On Wednesday, NOAA co-chaired the 19th Task Force meeting in Washington, D.C. at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History in the Baird Auditorium.  At this meeting, the USCRTF assessed its collective efforts and accomplishments, highlighted remaining needs and challenges, and began to develop a foundation for a renewed commitment to action for the next ten years. 

To this end, the President of the Republic of Palau introduced a moderated panel discussion, ‘Coral Reef Ecosystem Management – The Next Ten Years: Challenges, Key Priorities, and Innovative Solutions.’  Wyland, the official artist of International Year of the Reef  2008, unveiled an original commemorative painting “Year of the Reef”.  Dr. Nancy Knowlton, the Sant Marine Science Chair at the Smithsonian Institution, was the keynote speaker and highlighted the importance of local management to the conservation of coral reefs in the context of global change. Coral reef ecosystem management was the focus of a panel led by H.E. Tommy Remengesau Jr, President of the Republic of Palau, following Knowlton's address.

The meeting also highlighted International Year of the Reef 2008 (IYOR 2008) with the unveiling of a “Year of the Reef” by Wyland, the IYOR 2008 official artist.   Updates on both the recent International Coral Reef Initiative meeting and the U.S. IYOR Messaging Campaign were provided during the meeting.  A meeting summary and all presentations will be posted here in the near future.

This public meeting featured a look at the 10-year history of the Task Force and a projection of the challenges ahead in coral reef management. Meeting highlights included the unveiling of a commemorative painting in honor of 2008 International Year of the Reef by noted marine artists Wyland, an update on the Global International Coral Reef Initiative, and jurisdictional activity reports.

Dr. Nancy Knowlton, the Sant Marine Science Chair at the Smithsonian Institution, was the keynote speaker, discussing a new science paper co-authored with noted coral ecologist Dr. Jeremy Jackson, pointing to the difficulties regarding the importance of local management to conserve coral reefs in the context of global change. Coral reef ecosystem management will be the focus of a panel led by H.E. Tommy Remengesau Jr, President of the Republic of Palau, following Knowlton's address. Additional panelists are Noah Idechong, Speaker of the Palau House of Delegates; Marea Hatziolos, World Bank; and Billy Causey, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

Contact:  Beth.Deiveny@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CRCP)

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Workshop Held in Guam on Managing Island Watersheds

A three day workshop was held on February 11-13, 2008 at the University of Guam as part of a project funded by the NOAA Coral Program to enhance the effectiveness of local management and planning for addressing land-based sources of pollution that threaten coral reefs ecosystems. The workshop, conducted by the Center for Watershed Protection (CWP) in conjunction with the Guam Coastal Management Program, aimed to improve local understanding of watershed management and provide enhanced technical knowledge in erosion control and innovative stormwater management and site design practices.

All three days were well-attended by engineers and key resource, regulatory and technical staff from numerous local agencies and academic institutions.  A series of recommendations and timeline were produced for addressing specific critical watershed issues in Guam, including incorporating storm water measures and better site design principles into existing regulations, updating erosion and sediment control (ESC) regulations, and improving ESC site inspections and compliance.  An action plan is being developed to address key recommendations and to implement select innovative practices at a demonstration site.

This workshop falls at a critical time for Guam.  In an effort to fulfill federal security and alliance requirements, the U.S. Department of Defense plans to move approximately 26,000 military personnel and dependents to Guam by 2014. This relocation will result in a 38% increase to the existing population in less than 10 years, and lead to more than $15 billion in development projects. The proposed build-up will have significant social, economic, and environmental impacts, so implementing a proactive approach for watershed planning to reduce impacts to coral is very important.

Contact: Jennifer.Kozlowski@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD)

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Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee Publishes Recommendations from 2006-2007

Last week, the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (MPA FAC) published its second set of recommendations entitled “Toward a National System of Marine Protected Areas: A Report by the MPA Federal Advisory Committee, Recommendations from 2006-2007”.  The recommendations are provided to the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior, and focus on the development and implementation of the national system of MPAs.  Recommendations include developing processes for determining which existing MPAs will constitute the initial national system; developing plans for effective MPA management; incentives for participation in the national system; and regional approaches to planning and coordinating MPAs.  The MPA FAC was established in 2003 under Executive Order 13158, and is made up of 30 appointed marine stakeholders from a broad variety of ocean interests. 

Contact: Lauren.Wenzel@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (MPA)

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Florida and South Carolina Receive Full Approval of their Coastal Nonpoint Programs

On March 27th, NOAAís Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, in partnership with the Environmental Protection Agency, fully approved Floridaís and South Carolinaís Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Programs. The Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program was established by Congress in 1990 to encourage better coordination between state coastal zone managers and water quality experts to reduce polluted runoff in the coastal zone. Coastal states must develop programs, backed by enforceable authorities, to implement a suite of management measures that will control runoff from six main sources: forestry, agriculture, urban areas, marinas, hydromodification (shoreline and stream channel modification), and the loss of wetlands and riparian areas. South Carolina and Florida are the 20th and 21st coastal states or territories to receive full approval for their Coastal Nonpoint Programs.

Contact: Allison.Castellan@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD).

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Coastal Zone Management Programs Discuss Performance Measurement at Annual Meeting

The Coastal Programs Division held a performance measurement session during last week's Annual Ocean and Coastal Program Managers Meeting to support efforts by the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) Program to implement a system of performance measures and environmental and socio-economic indicators. The performance measurement session highlighted common monitoring and assessment approaches to better track status and trends of resources in the coastal zone. Presentations included Oregon's new shoreline monitoring program to provide state and local managers with erosion rate data; NOAA's research on tidal streams as sentinel habitat for coastal ecosystems and the development of a quality of place index in the Southeast; and an initiative by the South Carolina CZM Program to partner with state and federal monitoring programs to develop a 'State of the Coast' report. The session concluded with a presentation of initial results for the national Coastal Zone Management Program performance measures and a discussion of enhancements and strategies for communication.
                          
Contact: Laurie.Rounds@noaa.gov, NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CPD), 240-753-4471.

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More Than 40 to Participate in New England Seamless Network Workshop

This Thursday and Friday, March 6 & 7, more than 40 people from NOAA’s Estuarine Reserves Division, National Marine Sanctuaries, National Park Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will discuss priorities for collaborative initiatives, projects and programs in a New England Seamless Network Workshop at the Wells Reserve in Maine.

The workshop is the first of a series around the country to bring together agency officials with responsibilities for managing the nation’s protected coastal areas, including research reserves, sanctuaries, marine protected areas, wildlife refuges and national parks and seashores.

Participants in this two-day conference will discuss existing and potential partnerships in managing cultural and natural resources, science programs and education programs. Workshop organizers hope to strengthen relationships among regional managers and establish foundations for greater support for collaborative coastal management activities.

OCRM participants include Laurie McGilvray, Tina O’Connell and Amy Waggener from ERD, and Lauren Wenzel from the Marine Protected Areas Center.

Contact: Laurie.McGilvray@noaa.gov, NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (ERD), 301-713-3155 x 158.

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NOAA Names 23 New Graduate Research Fellows

NOAA has named 23 new Graduate Research Fellows who will conduct their master’s or doctoral research at National Estuarine Research Reserves in 2008-2009. The new fellows will join 28 graduate students who will return for the second or third years of their fellowships next year.

The new fellows will study a variety of coastal and estuarine topics, ranging from the composition of phytoplankton communities relative to salinity, nutrient and light gradients to the impact of shoreline modification on animals living in eelgrass beds.

Seven of the new fellows have three-year fellowships, nine have two-year fellowships, and another seven are on one-year projects. A list of all new fellows is available on line with their respective institutions and project titles.

NOAA supports up to 54 total Graduate Research Fellowships annually – two for each of the 27 reserves – with stipends of $20,000 per year to conduct studies in the research reserves. Fellows are chosen in a competitive process based on the strength of their research proposals. Many past fellows are now working in academia, as well as for NOAA and other federal and state agencies. At least six former fellows currently work in the reserve system.

The program was established in 1997 and recently celebrated its 10th anniversary with a commemorative publication.

Contact: Alison.Krepp@noaa.gov, NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (ERD), 301-713-3155 x 105.

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MPA Center Partners with Filmmaker to Highlight Importance of MPAs in Conserving the Northern Elephant Seal

The MPA Center has partnered with California filmmaker Drew Wharton, writer, producer, and director of “A Seal’s Life: The Story of the Northern Elephant Seal” on an educational DVD insert illustrating and explaining the importance of MPAs to the Northern Elephant Seal’s life cycle and survival. Dr. Mimi D’Iorio, GIS Database Manager for the MPA Center, created a map that illustrates the relationship between northern elephant seal haul out and rookery sites and MPAs along the California coastline. The DVD insert includes the haul out and rookery site map and explains how beach MPAs provide habitat protection, while offshore MPAs help protect elephant seal feeding grounds (both along the west coast of the United States and in international waters).  The educational insert and DVD will be distributed to 1,000 nonprofit and educational associations this spring.  You can find out more about “A Seal’s Life” at www.whartonmedia.com.

Contact: Kara.Schwenke@noaa.gov, NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (MPA Center), (301) 713-3155 x162.

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NOAA Releases First Report to Congress on Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Program

On March 13, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released the first report to Congress on the Implementation of the Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, called for in the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Reauthorization Act of 2006 (MSRA). Prepared under the auspices of NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program and in consultation with the Nation's eight Regional Fishery Management Councils, the report provides information on steps taken by NOAA and its partners to identify, monitor, and protect deep sea coral areas. Sections provide a brief discussion of current knowledge and knowledge gaps about deep sea corals (also known as deep water or cold-water corals), NOAA’s expertise and authorities to conserve deep sea coral communities, and summaries of management actions taken by NOAA, the Fishery Management Councils, other federal agencies, and international organizations in 2007. The final section highlights research priorities for 2009 and recommendations for addressing knowledge gaps. The report includes an initial list of areas known to contain deep sea corals that NOAA recommends the Regional Fishery Management Councils evaluate in considering zones to protect deep sea corals as allowed in discretionary provisions of the MSRA. Click here to view the report.

Contact: Karen.Palmigiano@noaa.gov, Office of Habitat Conservation (NMFS OHC), (301) 713-3459 x 107; and Lauren.Chhay@noaa.gov, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (CRCP), (301) 713-3155 x120. 

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CICEET-sponsored Technology Provides Early Harmful Algal Bloom Warnings for Texas Coastal Managers

A CICEET-sponsored, early warning system for harmful algal blooms (HAB) passed its first test recently as Texas A&M University researchers were alerted to an impending bloom of toxic algae on the Texas coast, prompting the closing of Aransas, Corpus Christi, and Copano bays to shellfish harvesting.

The new technology— the Imaging FlowCytobot—is being developed by Rob Olson and Heidi Sosik at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and tested at the Texas Marine Sciences Institute Pier in Port Aransas, part of the Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve. The FlowCybot captures cell images from a continuous stream of seawater that flows through the system, and relays these images by Internet to the lab, where they are classified into taxonomic groups.

In mid-February, researchers observed elevated counts of Dinophysis acuminate, an alga that produces okadaic acid, which can accumulate in shellfish and can cause diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP). Water and oyster samples were collected from the monitoring site and sent to the Food and Drug Administration for confirmation of toxin content. The Texas Department of State Health Services issued a recall of Texas oysters, clams, and mussels, and the Aransas, Corpus Christi and Copano bays are now closed for shellfish harvesting.

Although Dinophysis species occur throughout the Gulf of Mexico, the Texas A&M researchers say they have never seen D. acuminate at such concentrated bloom levels in the Gulf.

Contact: Dwight.Trueblood@noaa.gov, UNH/NOAA Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET)

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NOAA Collaborates to Implement Sentinel Climate Change Monitoring Network

The National Ocean Service’s National Geodetic Survey (NGS) and the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) will offer training in geodetic and tidal datum concepts and high accuracy surveying techniques for staff members from five National Estuarine Research Reserves at the NGS training facility in Corbin, Va., the week of April 7. Some training sessions will also take place at the Chesapeake Bay Virginia Reserve.

The training session will kick off a new collaboration with the National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) to establish and monitor coastal land elevations in relation to local sea level throughout the reserve system. This partnership will provide the spatial framework and training required to establish the reserves as sentinel sites for measuring and monitoring the impacts of climate change on estuarine systems.

As resources are available, this program will be expanded to all 27 reserves in the system in support of the NERRS Habitat Mapping and Change Plan.

Significance: This vertical control framework is a critical component in the climate change monitoring toolbox and the Integrated Ocean Observing System. Enhanced capacity within the reserve system will facilitate the reserves’ ability to study and monitor vertical changes in coastal elevation with respect to local sea level, subsidence, erosion and other issues.  It will also enable the reserves to act as sentinel sites for understanding sea level rise-related risk, and facilitate their role in disseminating and training regional stakeholders in climate change and sea level rise monitoring and planning in local areas.

Contact: Nina.Garfield@noaa.gov, NOAA Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (ERD).

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