Kathryn

Transcription

1 Kathryn Univ of Rochester, 1995 BS Bio-Geo Isles of Shoals SIT, Australia Pennsylvania, Alaska Andros Island, Bahamas URI-GSO, 2003 PhD Geo Oce Thesis: RI salt ponds ODP Leg 210 RV Knorr RV Kilindi Goals: NGO/gov t/env consulting

2 Chris URI Mar Res Sci Postdoc on steroids Marriage (2004) Mass DMF 2005-now Started as analyst 2007 Program manager 2012 Sr. staff 2 kids (2006, 2008) Xander William

3 Mass. Division of Marine Fisheries Manage state marine fisheries resources for sustainability

4 DMF Habitat Program Protect and enhance marine fisheries resources of Mass. Environmental Review Construction (wind farms to docks) Harbor management plans Regulatory modifications (Army Corps, Mass DEP, Mass DMF) Research Eelgrass, reefs Climate change Ocean planning

5 Assessing eelgrass loss in Duxbury, Kingston, and Plymouth Bays, Massachusetts MAR URI NRS555 Kathryn Ford & Jill Carr Fisheries Habitat Program Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries Photo by Michael Turek, nshoremag.com

6 Why am I talking about eelgrass? Term Definition Explanation Applied Coastal Ecology put to practical use as opposed to being theoretical region of interaction of ocean and land processes branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings Eelgrass is an indicator in the Clean Water Act and is protected by the MA Wetlands Protection Act Eelgrass occurs in estuaries and nearshore We use eelgrass as an indicator of its physical surroundings

7 Eelgrass (Zostera marina) A perennial flowering plant Lives primarily subtidally from 0-20 feet deep. Higher biomass in eelgrass meadows. Adds structural complexity. Carbon sequestration. Promotes sediment stability. Rainforest of the coast!

8 Eelgrass is an ecological indicator Eelgrass needs much more light than algae. Increased nutrients = increased phytoplankton blooms = increased shading of eelgrass = less eelgrass Eelgrass is considered a sentinel species for embayment health. Losses of bed area and/or thinning of beds (decreases in density) are generally both linked to nutrient enrichment (Mass DEP Division of Watershed Management, CALM Manual 2016).

9 MADEP Eelgrass Mapping Mass Department of Environmental Protection Aerial mapping with fixed wing aircraft (camera on an airplane) State split into 3 regions Each region done every 6 years Targets specific monitoring sites north cape & islands Cycle 1 Cycle 2 Cycle 3 Cycle 4 North South Cape Data mgmt Approx. years

10 Photo analysis Raw imagery, recolored for presentation (using accent color 5 light setting in powerpoint)

11 Photo analysis Groundtruthing is done with a boat, u/w video, and visual assessment

12 Eelgrass extent interpreted from raw imagery Eelgrass extent available on MassGIS

13 This is a GREAT survey! But. It happens relatively infrequently What about annual and seasonal patterns? Only presence/absence Can density or other quality measures be used predictively? Doesn t map all eelgrass, only specific monitoring areas What about my favorite spot? Original imagery hard to access Does it matter?

14 We heard about a big eelgrass loss in Duxbury in 2014 DKP Embayment URI New Bedford VERY important area for aquaculture! Recent shellfish area openings/improvements in water quality

15 First we looked at DEP Trends ac ac ac ac 17 years, 337 acres lost 20 acres/yr Major loss between 1995 and 2001 Not too bad since then is there a problem?

16 Then we went out in the field Biosonics 420 khz single beam Humminbird 455 khz sidescan 6 beam 86 beam Point cover Mosaic eelgrass not eelgrass

17 Checked DEP 2012 polygons Lots of eelgrass missing No Way! Could DEP mapping be wrong?

18 Research goals 1. Determine if the loss is due to a mapping issue 2. Determine potential causative factors for loss 3. Make recommendations to help eelgrass

19 Mapping methods Remapped original aerial photos from DEP Received 1995, 2006, 2012 photos and groundtruth data (2001 not available) Added density classes Mapped an additional time point (2013/14) USGS photos on MassGIS (2013) Added information from acoustic surveys (2014) Used opportunistic data from CCS and DMF flights with LightHawk

20 Photo analysis

21 Photo analysis

22 Photo analysis

23 Results DEP (ac) DMF (ac) T -337 (-15%) -356 (-16%) DEP-DMF very similar results DMF (ac) T -934 (-49%) Big loss

24 Photo: CCS/LightHawk, Nov2008 Photo: CCS/LightHawk, Apr2014

25 Why? Variable Source Results/conclusion Wasting disease Stakeholders No data. Predators (green crabs) Stakeholders No data. Should look at waterfowl. Temperature Light (chl a, nutrients, turbidity, precipitation) Physical impact (wind, aquaculture, dredging, ice, boating) Embayment monitoring, NERACOOS buoys Embayment monitoring, USGS stream gage Stakeholders Higher summer temps ( ). Temperature tolerance for eelgrass occasionally exceeded. Increasing streamflow ( ), increasing chl. a ( ). Gen. not associated with embayment-wide long term eelgrass decline

26 Stakeholder input Herbicides Sedimentation shallowing and/or storm events Some areas definitely affected by sedimentation Fundamental ecosystem change Loss of softshells in 1930s, mussels in 1980s Oyster growth rates vary across the embayment

27 Summary Eelgrass is declining Meadows decrease in density for a few years before ultimately dying out Temperature & chl a significantly increasing, causing physiological stress on eelgrass Wasting disease cannot be ruled out In some areas, sedimentation is likely a problem

28 Recommendations Prevent direct physical impacts Reduce nutrient loading Routine eelgrass mapping Include density, assess wasting disease Continue light and nutrient monitoring Monitor/record aquaculture and dredging spatial patterns Digitally archive DEP photos

29 Acknowledgments MassBays and North & South Rivers Watershed Association (NSRWA) Michael McHugh and Charlie Costello, DEP; Amy Costa, PCCS; resource agents, harbormasters, aquaculturists, recreational fishermen, NGOs, others in Plymouth, Duxbury and Kingston Kathryn Ford, Mass DMF

30 Eelgrass extent is applied Federal Clean Water Act Restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation's waters The state evaluates if state waters attain their designated uses (wildlife habitat, fish/shellfish consumption, swimming) and reports to feds State Wetlands Protection Act Protects wetlands and the public interests they serve Includes protection for Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Eelgrass extent is used in the assessment of nutrient-related health of coastal embayments Eelgrass extent is used to determine if construction activities will impact SAV (including eelgrass)