NORTH COAST, Calif. – The 11th and final science grant was announced Thursday to collect ecological information on mid-depth and deep-water (65 – 1,650 feet) ecosystems inside and outside North Coast marine protected areas, or MPAs.
The project will use remotely operated vehicles to survey these often inaccessible and thus difficult to monitor habitats.
“This project adds an important component to the program because it includes habitats that sustain California’s recreational and commercial fisheries,” said Erin Meyer, an associate scientist from the California Ocean Science Trust, one of the collaborating partners launching this program.
“As we work in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Ocean Protection Council, and California Sea Grant to steward this program, we are excited to broaden the range of projects and scientific information that are part of this important baseline program,” Meyer said.
“As a member of the North Coast community, I'm excited about the opportunity to explore deep-water habitats in the region's MPAs,” said Andy Lauermann, with Marine Applied Research and Exploration and the ROV project lead. “Having surveyed California's other MPA regions, I have learned to expect the unexpected. I look forward to sharing new discoveries from seafloor ecosystems in my own backyard.”
This project is part of a comprehensive baseline monitoring program for the North Coast region.
Scientists, fishermen, tribal governments, and citizen groups from 32 organizations will work together to develop a baseline of ocean conditions and human uses.
Over the course of the next three years, projects will monitor habitats inside and outside MPAs including kelp forests, rocky shores and beaches as well as commercially important fish populations and iconic seabirds.
Projects also will document human uses and the socioeconomic dimensions of MPAs, including changing patterns of fishing and recreational ocean use, and examine patterns of ocean currents across the whole region.
These awards are the culmination of 18 months of collaborative planning, informed by extensive input from the North Coast community and tribal governments.
Many local organizations and institutions, tribal governments (four projects), and commercial and recreational fishermen (six projects) will participate in the program.
“I’ve invested many years of my life supporting community partnership-building during the MPA creation process for the North Coast region. I look forward to volunteering with the collaborative fisheries project to help contribute data that will show the benefits, or not, of the MPAs. The ocean is my church; I want to see that it stays healthy,” said Brandi Easter, member of the North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group and North Coast community liaison.
"The importance of long and short-term monitoring is extremely valuable to the overall management of our marine resources. Throughout the entire scoping and Request for Proposals process, the focus has been on what's best for our coastal environment. With the research projects now funded we can begin the work necessary to take the pulse of the habitats and species that are invaluable to people and, ultimately, the planet," said Bill Lemos, member of the North Coast Regional Stakeholder Group and North Coast community liaison.
Baseline MPA monitoring provides a benchmark against which future MPA performance can be measured, and a more thorough understanding of the condition of ocean ecosystems and ocean-based human activities.
This information is vital to help inform adaptive management and guide long-term MPA monitoring. It provides a foundation for science-informed decision making on ocean issues including fisheries management and climate adaptation.
The North Coast region encompasses approximately 1,027 square miles of state waters from the California/Oregon border south to Alder Creek near Point Arena in Mendocino County.
A regional network of 20 MPAs and seven Special Closures went into effect on Dec. 19, 2012, completing California’s redesigned statewide network.
The North Coast MPA Baseline Program is overseen by a partnership among the California Ocean Protection Council, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Ocean Science Trust and California Sea Grant. The announced projects were solicited through a public call for proposals and selected through a competitive peer-review process.
Visit www.oceanspaces.org to view descriptions of the awarded projects, receive news and updates about the baseline program and learn more about California’s statewide network of MPAs.