Managers of America’s Largest Marine Reserve, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument Rely on NOAA for Baseline Information
The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries have just published a detailed portrait of marine life and ecosystems in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument (PMNM) that will help to provide the baseline information called for in the reserve’s management plan, which was finalized in December of 2008. A Marine Biogeographic Assessment of the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands examines the geographic distribution of the island chain’s marine life and habitats and the conditions that determine where they are found. Monument managers will use the report to monitor changes in the PMNM, identify resource management and research priorities, and develop a Natural Resources Science Plan for conducting future studies in the reserve. To download the report or request a hard copy or CD, visit http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/sanctuaries/nwhi/ or contact Mark Monaco at (301) 713-3028 x160 or Mark.Monaco@noaa.gov.
Is It Safe to Eat? Alaskan Chugach Get Help from Mussel Watch
Scientists from the National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science (NCCOS) recently traveled to Seward, Alaska, to launch a collaborative research project with the Alaskan Chugach community to help them determine if their shellfish are safe to eat. For many Chugach, the harvest of chitons, littleneck clams, cockles, and other shellfish form an important part of their subsistence diet. There is no systematic testing of this harvest, however, and Chugach community members are concerned about the quality and safety of this food source, especially given persistent problems with contamination from the Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. NCCOS scientists have been training Native partners from the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery (APSH) in Seward to conduct sample collection and to perform other aspects of the research. As part of the study, scientists will be examining how to use contamination measurements in mussels and oysters (the traditional source of Mussel Watch data) to extrapolate contamination levels in the species the Chugach eat. For more information, contact Dennis Apeti at (301) 713-3028 x132 or Dennis.Apeti@noaa.gov or Gunnar Lauenstein at (301) 713-3028 x152 or Gunnar.Lauenstein@noaa.gov.
Study Evaluates Agricultural Best Management Practices in Jobos Bay, Puerto Rico
Scientists from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) recently completed a field mission designed to help determine the impacts of agricultural pollution on corals near the Jobos Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Working in collaboration with the Reserve and the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, scientists sampled 16 sites for coral tissues, which will be analyzed for a suite of contaminants including major and trace elements (including heavy metals), selected pesticides, polychlorinated biphenyls (better known as PCBs), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs or flame retardants). This field work is a component of a larger cooperative project with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Geological Survey and Puerto Rico’s Department of Natural and Environmental Resources to assess the effectiveness of agricultural best management practices in the watershed. For more information, contact Dave Whitall at (301) 713-3028 x138 or Dave.Whitall@noaa.gov, or Adam Zitello at (301) 713-3028 x 176 or Adam.Zitello@noaa.gov, or visit http://ccma.nos.noaa.gov/ecosystems/coralreef/CEAP.html
Coral and Sediment Sampling in Guanica Bay, Puerto Rico Will Provide Contamination Data Crucial for Watershed Restoration
’s Restoration Center. The samples are being analyzed for a suite of contaminants including major and trace elements (including heavy metals), selected pesticides, and flame retardants. These restoration activities would seek to reduce the impact of land based sources of pollution on the bay and on the coral reef ecosystems outside the bay. Project partners include NOAA, Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources (DNER), the Center for Watershed Protection, the University of Puerto Rico and other local partners. For more information, contact Dave Whitall at (301) 713-3028 x138 or Dave.Whitall@noaa.gov, or Chris Caldow at (301) 713-3028 x164 Chris.Caldow@noaa.gov.
