One of the most highest-attended seminars, it highlighted two recent projects with the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science —spatial statistical models of seabirds that have helped inform wind energy planning in the Mid-Atlantic, and ecosystem monitoring efforts at the Flower Gardens Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

The BOEM ESP conducts science to guide decisions on leasing the 1.7 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) for energy development. These environmental studies cover a broad range of disciplines, including physical oceanography, submerged cultural resources and the environmental impacts of energy development.

BOEM incorporates findings from the studies program into its environmental reviews and National Environmental Policy Act documents, which are used to determine steps to avoid, mitigate, or monitor the impact of energy and mineral resource development on the OCS.

For more information on NCCOS’ work with BOEM, contact Chris.Caldow@noaa.gov.  For a PDF copy of the presentation, contact Tracy.Gill@noaa.gov.

NCCOS scientists met with other scientists from the National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Center, NOAA’s Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorlogical Laboratory, the National Park Service, the University of the Virgin Islands, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, and NOVA Southeastern University during April 8-12 to finalize and field simulate the new seafloor community assessment procedures.

These were approved by all partners and will be implemented in a random sampling design in St Thomas and St. John during July 2013.

For more info please contact Randy.Clark@noaa.gov

Lake Erie is sick. A thick and growing coat of toxic algae appears each summer, so vast that in 2011 it covered a sixth of its waters, contributing to an expanding dead zone on its bottom, reducing fish populations, fouling beaches and crippling a tourism industry that generates more than $10 billion in revenue annually.

The spring rains reliably predict how serious the summer algae bloom will be: the more frequent and heavy the downpours, the worse the outbreak. And this year the National Weather Service says there is a higher probability than elsewhere of above-normal spring rains along the lake’s west end, where the algae first appear. The private forecaster Accuweather predicts a wetter than usual March and April throughout the region.

via Algae Blooms Threaten Lake Erie – NYTimes.com.

Note: Researchers from the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science contributed imagery and interpretation to an infographic related to this this article. Among other projects dedicated to improving the health of Lake Erie, we provide seasonal and near-real-time algae forecasts to officials in communities around the lake, especially Ohio, to help them plan long-term responses to the blooms and also save money on municipal water treatment.

The Great Lakes International Joint Commission relies on NCCOS-funded research to develop strategies to help the United States and Canada manage the growing HAB and hypoxia problem in Lake Erie.

Knowing the locations of various types of coral reef structure, as well as the different sea floor types around them, helps managers better focus limited conservation and restoration dollars. Story maps are interactive web tools that fuse maps, text, photos and other data in a format that is easy to navigate. Additionally, the code can be re-used to tell other interactive stories.

Many corals and reef fish reproduce by casting eggs and larvae into ocean currents where they drift until mature enough to settle down and attach to a surface.  Initial results suggest that the Marianas often seed their neighbors to the north and that larvae spawned in the southern part of the archipelago are also swept away from their “birth” reefs.

The six partners held project kick-off meetings in February 2012.

Knowing where the birds travel, coupled with knowledge of wind strength and seafloor depth, are critical parts of wind farm placement. Furthermore, maps of the migration routes and bird abundance evaluations help energy stakeholders build upon past surveys which reduces uncertainty about future survey requirements and costs while increasing efficiency.

The Department of Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management commissioned this report. They posted that study on their website, along with “Guidelines for Avian Surveys” revised to reflect the new information provided by NCCOS.

Developed by the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, the forecasts identify whether or not a bloom of algae is likely to contain toxic species, where it is, how big it is, where it’s headed, and if it could become more severe in the near future. Like weather forecasts, this system provides officials advance warning to test and close beaches and shellfish beds more precisely and for a shorter period of time.

Around 2000, the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services took them over and issued them on a regular basis as the scientists refined them. In a meeting between NOAA and Florida officials last August, National Weather Service participants agreed to add the red tide forecast to a new feature expected to provide citizens and tourists with a range of nontraditional weather as well as non-weather dangers they might face at their favorite sun-and-surf spot.

Bonus: Here’s the full story about how these bloom forecasts work.

USA Today wrote about how the close cooperation between NOAA offices led to  this recent service to the people of southwest Florida and tourists to the area.

Furthermore, the maps will support ongoing management of Puerto Rico’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and priority watersheds. The maps and data mark an improvement over NOAA’s previous maps because they contain more detailed habitat descriptions, higher resolution maps, and more recent aerial images. All of these improvements assist regional managers in directing conservation efforts.

A summary report (33 MB PDF) and data are available for download.  To supplement the report and data, the scientists created an interactive, web-based map that allows users to search and see the maps, imagery, and underwater video.

The report found that overfished species — including red and black grouper, yellowtail and mutton snapper — have increased in abundance and size inside the reserve and throughout the area, according to a statement from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). In other words, there are more, and bigger, fish.

The mutton snapper, once thought to be fished into oblivion in the area, has also been spotted spawning inside the Tortugas Ecological Reserve, which is part of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the release noted.

Meanwhile, commercial catches of reef-dwelling fish in the area have increased, and continue to rise, according to the statement.

via Florida Keys marine reserve a keeper: Fish rebounding – NBC Science blog.

The report, “An Integrated Biogeographic Assessment of Reef Fish Populations and Fisheries in Dry Tortugas: Effects of No-take Reserves,” is the first to evaluate how the 151-square nautical mile Tortugas Ecological Reserve affects the living marine resources of the region and the people whose livelihoods are connected to them.

via NOAA: Tortugas marine reserve yields more, larger fish.

They found that concentrations were generally below limits of detection in both groundwater monitoring wells and surface water ditches, which is good news for the reserve. However, if the field has just been treated before a tropical storm, the chemical may wash into the estuary.

Atrazine is a known endocrine disruptor, which can kill or alter hormones in fish, invertebrates, and other species living in Jobos Bay. The findings–part of a larger ecological characterization of the reserve’s marine resources–are published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin.

The report encompasses 10 areas of highly productive reef regions. The new report serves as a summary of the previous studies and provides key information in a single document. This effort was led by NCCOS, Coral Reef Conservation Program, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and the Coastal Services Center.

“I would say that we were right on with what we tried to do,” Reutter, Ohio Sea Grant & Stone Lab’s Director, says. “The rationale behind the press conference was to let people know that, based on phosphorus loading and concentrations in the lake, things were looking really good for the summer.”

The forecast predicted a mild bloom for the western basin, similar to conditions last seen in 2007 and about one-tenth the size of the 2011 bloom. While it was somewhat larger than predicted, the bloom was still 70% smaller than last year. “It was a welcome bit of relief, and the key point is the model was accurate,” Reutter says.

via Fact-checking the Forecast: July’s harmful algal blooms forecast turns out to have been highly accurate | Ohio Sea Grant Twine Line

The report indicates that there seemed to be an early increase in certain fish species within a few years, a sign that the reserve was working. It also notes that despite losing valuable fishing grounds, people employed in commercial fishing activities in the area did not experience any short-term financial losses. Local charter fishing and dive operators seemed to neither benefit nor lose out from the reserve the National Park Service established in 2001.

The integration and analysis of historical and current biological, physical, and economic data represents the first effort to evaluate the impact reserve designation has on both the living marine resources of the Tortugas region and the people whose livelihoods are connected to them.

The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science and Office of National Marine Sanctuaries contributed to this report.

Additionally, differences between lagoons could be explained by lagoon depth and its proximity to the ocean. These findings suggest that the elevated nutrient concentrations in the lagoons are the natural state of the systems rather than human-induced pollution.

This study was part of a larger environmental assessment which examined the biological condition and contaminant stressors on the island.  Baseline data such as these are critical for detecting changes in coastal ecosystems over time.