Lookup table containing a list of North Coast (NC) Marine Protected Area (MPA) baseline program projects and associated information.

MPA Baseline Program Information - North Coast

ROV Surveys of the Mid-depth and Deep Subtidal Ecosystems, California North Coast MPA Baseline Study, 2014 to 2015

rov-surveys-of-the-mid-depth-and-deep-subtidal-ecosystems-california-north-coast-mpa-basel-2015

Baseline Characterization of Estuarine Ecosystems

The North Coast has many major estuaries that support a wide diversity of plant and animal life, including salmon. The focus of this project is to describe and assess the ecological status of estuaries in the region by surveying marine life in tidal mudflats and eelgrass beds in four estuaries. In addition, researchers will trap, identify, measure, and release fish during high tides at multiple times throughout the year to characterize fish communities. These surveys will document seasonal and interannual variability in the abundance, diversity, and size of a variety of species, such as clams, eelgrass, and fishes. Estuarine ecosystems are driven by a variety of complex, environmental conditions, including freshwater flows, winds and upwelling. These variables will be combined with ecological data to describe the conditions in each estuary. This project is a collaboration among academic scientists, North Coast tribes, a non-profit, and ecological consultants.

Baseline Characterization of Sandy Beach and Surf Zone Ecosystems

This project aims to provide the first comprehensive baseline characterization of sandy-beach and adjacent surf-zone ecosystems along the North Coast. This characterization will be based on biodiversity surveys of 12 sites inside and outside the newly established MPAs, including both long and pocket beaches. The beach surveys will focus on documenting abundance and diversity of large intertidal invertebrates, including sand crabs talitrid amphipods (sandhoppers) and birds that forage along beaches, including shorebirds, seabirds, and terrestrial birds. Researchers will also describe the abundance and composition of beach wrack (piles of seaweed that wash up on the beach), as well as observed human activities at the survey sites. The surf-zone surveys will focus on estimating abundances of key surf-zone fishes, including night smelt and surfperch, both of which are important to recreational and commercial beach fisheries, as well as for tribal traditional and subsistence activities. A limited number of fishes caught at the reference sites will be dissected to document the reproductive capacity (e.g., weight of their gonads, number and sizes of embryos) and diet (i.e., stomach contents). In the last year of the project, researchers will perform data analyses to examine critical linkages in beach and surf-zone ecosystem functioning and will evaluate the baseline ecological status of sandy-beach and surf-zone ecosystems. They also will identify candidate indicator species that could be used for long-term monitoring of sandy-beach and surf-zone ecosystem health. This project is a collaboration among academic scientists, North Coast tribes, commercial and recreational fishermen, and citizen scientists.

Baseline Surveys of Rocky Intertidal Ecosystems

The North Coast region's rocky intertidal habitat is home to an exceptional diversity of algae and invertebrates. The main objective of this project is to produce a baseline characterization of this important ecosystem in the region and compare sites inside and outside of MPAs. Researchers will document abundance, and distribution of invertebrates and algae, and will describe the rocky habitat (e.g., rock type and surface roughness). In addition, this project will generate a fish biodiversity baseline and monitor rockfish recruitment. Newly collected data will be analyzed in conjunction with existing Partnerships for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO) data to identify potential indicator species of ecosystem health. This project is a collaboration among academic scientists and North Coast tribes.

Baseline Characterization of Nearshore Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests

The overall goal of this project is to provide a summary description, assessment, and understanding of ecological conditions within nearshore rocky reef and kelp forest habitats both inside and outside of MPAs in the region. Researchers will document size, abundance, and distribution of fishes, invertebrates, and algae, as well as characterize substrate and reef rugosity (i.e., surface roughness). This project also aims to provide data on ecologically and economically important invertebrates found in nearshore rocky reef habitats of the North Coast, including red abalone and red sea urchins. These data will provide a benchmark against which future MPA performance can be measured. To document initial ecological changes, trends of species densities and community composition will be mapped over time, incorporating both new data collected as part of this project and also past data collected by scientists at Humboldt State University. This project is a collaboration among academic scientists and commercial urchin divers.

Baseline Characterization of Rocky Reefs and Kelp Forests by Reef Check California

Scientists and volunteer divers with Reef Check California will survey rocky reefs and kelp forests to document distribution and abundance of fishes, invertebrates and algae. Data will be collected both inside and outside of MPAs to provide a baseline characterization of this important ecosystem feature in the region. In addition to the above metrics, researchers will also document size for economically important species, such as red sea urchins and abalone. Engaging and educating the public is another important outcome of this project. The volunteer diver trainings include scientific training on reef ecology and conservation, along with techniques for identifying and collecting data on 73 species. Strict quality assurance and control procedures ensure that the collected data are of high quality and scientifically useful. Researchers will integrate six years of data collection (2006-present) with newly collected data to evaluate changes over time. Reef Check will also make recommendations for long-term monitoring metrics of rocky reef and kelp forest ecosystem health.

Baseline Characterization of Nearshore Fish Communities Associated with Rocky Reef Habitats

This collaborative fisheries research project will provide a quantitative baseline characterization of nearshore rocky reef fish communities, including rockfishes and lingcod. Hook-and-line surveys by volunteer anglers will follow the standardized sampling protocol developed by the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program. Surveys will be conducted at sites inside and outside four MPAs within the depth range of 10 to 50 meters. Fish will be identified to species, measured, and released. To monitor fish movement patterns, those longer than 23 centimeters will be tagged and released at depth. The tagging efforts will be widely publicized within local the local fishing community. Prizes will be offered for returned tags, and researchers will share information back to anglers about fish caught. Marine mammals and seabirds will also be surveyed during each trip. This project is a collaboration among academic scientists, recreational anglers, and sport fishing boat captains.

Baseline Characterization of Mid-depth and Deep Ecosystems Using a ROV

Researchers will use a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) to capture video and still images of seafloor communities from 20 to 500 meters depth along the North Coast, with an emphasis on characterizing species and habitat features within mid-depth rock, soft-bottom subtidal and deep ecosystems. These important ecosystems sustain the states vibrant commercial and recreational fisheries. The media will be used to identify and count fishes and macroinvertebrates and to document physical features of the seafloor. These data will be collected along "visual strip transects" and will provide a permanent archival record of sea floor communities that can be used for a variety of purposes in addition to baseline analyses, such as public education or future reanalysis using refined techniques.

Baseline Characterization of Seabirds

Seabirds depend on nearshore and coastal habitats for foraging, roosting and breeding. As top predators, seabirds serve not only as vital components of marine ecosystems but may also be important indicators of ocean conditions. This project will focus on five species of seabirds that breed and nest within the North Coast region: Common Murre, Brandt's Cormorant, Double-crested Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, and Western Gull. Abundance, reproduction, and foraging habits will be documented over two years to establish a baseline of conditions for seabirds in the region. In addition, a region-wide census of seabird breeding populations will be taken through aerial surveys, and trends in seabird breeding populations will be assessed using existing photographs taken from 1996-2013. Researchers will also assess how seabirds use habitat in the region as well as rates of human disturbance at major breeding colonies. This project is a collaboration among academic scientists, non-profits, consultants, and federal agencies.

Baseline Characterization of Human Uses and the Socioeconomic Dimensions of MPAs

Understanding human uses of coastal ecosystems is an integral component for establishing baseline conditions in the North Coast. This project aims to document historic trends and initial changes since MPA implementation for the region's major commercial and CPFV fisheries. In addition, this project will describe the socioeconomic dimensions of MPAs, including economic trends for these fisheries, demographic characteristics, and community perceptions related to MPAs. As part of this project, researchers will collaborate with the North Coast fishing community by establishing a Fishermans Advisory Council (FAC), conducting interviews, and hosting focus groups. Commercial landings data from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife will be analyzed to chronicle recent trends in target species and catches. Researchers will map coastal areas of high importance to the fishing industry before and after the MPAs went into effect. This project is a collaboration among academic scientists, commercial and recreational fishermen, and state agencies.

Traditional Ecological Knowledge of Keystone Marine Species and Ecosystems

Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) can be defined as the cumulative body of scientific knowledge, passed through cultural transmission by indigenous peoples over many generations. TEK is what informs customary management of natural resources by indigenous peoples, and it can be a highly credible means of understanding ecological features and species, identifying areas of concern and related threats. This project is being led by Smith River Rancheria, in partnership with the Intertribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council, a consortium of ten federally recognized Tribes; the Cher-Ae Heights Indian Community of the Trinidad Rancheria, and the Wiyot Tribe. The main goal of this project is to draw on tribal knowledge to enhance the baseline characterizations of six species that are both ecologically and culturally important within the beach, intertidal, kelp and mid-depth rock ecosystems. The method for acquiring this information will include an extensive review of archival ethnographies, as well as conduct interviews from citizens of local, federally recognized Tribes who are culturally knowledgeable and are active harvesters. Participants will be queried about their perceptions and knowledge of ecosystems and keystone species (such as sea lettuce, clams, abalone and mussels) that may be indicators of MPA performance. The interviews will include short map-based interviews with focus groups and long oral history interviews. This project's approach seeks to recognize and support the political and cultural sovereignty of each participating Tribe and its communitys intellectual property, while maintaining consistency in the research methodology and data collection across the region. Data collection will occur during the first two-years of the project. To aid in standardization, Ecotrust will develop a data survey tool and assist in data analysis in year 3.

Characterization and Indicators of Oceanographic Conditions

Oceanographic conditions vary widely from season to season and from year to year, affecting temperatures, currents, and upwelling patterns that in turn affect marine life. Accounting for this environmental backdrop is essential to assessing the impact of MPAs. This project will develop indicators of environmental conditions at local and regional scales that affect marine life in the region. Indicators will include data on sea surface temperature, salinity, waves, surface currents, and time series of winds. These processes drive the region's biological variability. This assessment will characterize ocean conditions for the 20-year period leading up to implementation of the MPAs. Results from this work will provide context for comprehensive analyses of baseline and future MPA monitoring.

MPA Baseline Program Information - North Coast

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