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December 2015
In This Issue
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Virgin Islands National Park
Steven Simonsen

Annual Christmas Bird Count
National Audubon Society
Dewees Island, SC - 2011
Cathy Miller
Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee to Meet on Dec. 17 via Webinar 
Humpback Whale Tail
Stellwagen Banks National Marine Sanctuary
The MPA Federal Advisory Committee, which advises NOAA and the Department of the Interior on issues related to MPAs, will meet via webinar on Dec 17. The meeting will focus on reports from Subcommittees and working groups addressing enhancing MPA connectivity, options for sustainable financing, and working toward an Arctic MPA network. All meetings are open to the public, and there will be an opportunity for public comment. To register, click here.
NOAA, National Park Service to Partner with Cuba on Marine Parks
In November, NOAA, the National Park Service and Cuba's National Center for Protected Areas signed a  groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding to share information -- ranging from scientific research to education and outreach on marine protected areas -- to help better manage some of the most
Guanahacabibes National Park Shoreline, Gonzalo Cid/NOAA 
ecologically-significant ocean places in both countries. This new MOU also establishes sister-site relationships between the two countries.The first of these relationships will be between Guanahacabibes and Banco de San Antonio in Cuba, and Florida Keys and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuaries as well as Biscayne and Dry Tortugas National Parks in the United States - recognizing that these places are all inextricably linked through the ocean currents. Want to learn more about this new partnership? Check out the webinar on this subject on January 14, 2016.
NOAA's International MPA Capacity building Program Conducts Workshops and Training for Indonesia and the Coral Triangle
  Participants interview patrol member from
Bunaken National Park. Photo: Gabrielle Johnson
In collaboration with Indonesia's Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries conservation division and NGO partners, NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' International MPA Capacity Building Program held a series of November workshops and trainings in Indonesia to support effective management of MPA networks. The workshops held in Jakarta focused on program effectiveness and institutionalizing MPA capacity development efforts within the ministry under the USAID Indonesia project. In addition, two trainings were held- Planning for Effective Enforcement and Ridge to Reef Watershed Planning for MPA Managers. Planning for Effective Enforcement is part of an on-going effort under USAID Indonesia to improve MPA management effectiveness in MPAs throughout Indonesia; while Ridge to Reed Watershed Planning supports efforts by the USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia (RDMA) to advance MPA goals for the entire Coral Triangle Region. Both these trainings are part of ongoing capacity development programs that provide participants with practical tools and skills for MPA management, as well as sharing of lessons learned and experience between MPA practitioners. 
In collaboration with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California's Department of Parks
Northern Elephant Seal
Photo: Rolf Ream/NOAA NMML
and Recreation's innovative distance learning program PORTS (Parks Online Resources for Teachers and Students) has debuted new MPA content for four of the 13 units of study: Elephant Seals (Ano Nuevo), Tide Pool Ecology (Crystal Cove State Park), Salmon (North Coast Redwoods), and Science of Habitat Restoration and Protection (Crystal Cove State Park). During its first year, the MPA-themed units of study reached 13,600 students in 27 California counties. The two agencies are continuing to collaborate on enhancing existing study units and a new study unit featuring Point Lobos, one of the oldest and most biologically diverse MPAs in California. To see examples of the MPA PORTS project in action, check out https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DuaDcu6ZgIk. 
Happy (3rd) Birthday to California's MPA Network 

This December, California celebrates its third anniversary of implementation of the largest science-based and stakeholder driven network of marine protected areas (MPAs) in the contiguous United States.  Since 2012, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in collaboration with our partners, has been focused on baseline monitoring, research, education and outreach, and enforcement of the statewide network.   
 
CDFW has been working on amending current MPA regulations to refine MPA language and boundaries to improve compliance and facilitate enforcement.  The proposed regulations will be voted on by the California Fish and Game Commission (FGC) on December 9, and if adopted they will go into effect spring 2016. 

CDFW has also been updating the 2008 Master Plan for MPAs to shift the focus from siting and designing the new network, to managing the network to meet the goals of the Marine Life Protection Act and the Marine Managed Areas Improvement Act. A first draft of the 2015 Master Plan will be presented to the FGC on December 9, 2015. 
Anthropocene Institute, in partnership with NOAA's MPA Center is developing new data and visualization tools to inform mariners and other ocean users about MPAs and other managed area boundaries and regulations on the West Coast (California, Oregon and Washington) and Hawaii. Leveraging and building upon NOAA's MPA Inventory dataset,these new tools allow users to view managed area boundaries, explore details on site regulations and allowed/restricted activities, as well as access governing statute and code information and managing agency points of contact. Available now as downloadable GIS and via online mapping applications, these data will also be made available to the navigation and charting industry for inclusion on digital nautical charts. The project aims to produce these tools for all U.S. waters.The West Coast and Hawaii products have been released as a beta version for review and feedback.

December 10
Dr. Fran Ulmer, Chair of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission

An overview of the rapid changes taking place in the Arctic, and a discussion of the Arctic Council history and current agenda. 

December 15, 9:00 - 10:30 a.m. EST 
Financing MPAs - Smart Investments in Ocean Health
Melissa Moye, Senior Director of WWF's Conservation Finance Program

Sustainable Financing includes long-term (multiple-year or even permanent) sources of revenue to cover the costs of MPAs or full MPA networks. Governments often lack the finances to cover the management costs, so engagement with the users or interested investors is essential. Moreover, many stakeholders benefit from a protected status: we need to build the business case to allow for financial mechanisms that support management activities in the MPA. Sharing the good practices will help MPA managers to better understand how sustainable financing works and what forms of mechanisms could be applicable. This webinar will present best practice case studies from around the world, i.e. Meso-American Reef, Mediterranean, Netherlands Antilles, Mozambique. Sponsored by WWF. For more information on the webinar or to register, contact: ereuchlin@wwf.nl

January 5, 12:00 - 1:00 EST
Coral Reefs in a Changing Climate: Combining Indigenous Traditions and Western Science for Sustainable Coral Reef Management in the Micronesian Outer Islands
Nicole L. Crane, Oceanic Society and Cabrillo College 

The Yap outer islands (Federated States of Micronesia) encompass more than 250,000 Km2 of the tropical western Pacific.  Outer Islanders depend on their coral reefs for food and other environmental services, but cultural and ecological change are compromising the reef ecosystems.  In recognition of this, communities on Ulithi Atoll are working with a team of scientists to combine western science with traditional practices to address ecological and resource issues while strengthening communities and governance.  It is a unique partnership to identify changes in resource extraction and management, and the impacts of those changes on the reef system-leading to depleted resources and in some cases poor reef health.  Timely implementation of management has seen rapid results, and may well be key to reef recovery after the recent devastating typhoon Maysak.  This successful model has inspired other outer island communities to model Ulithi, and has great potential to enhance adaptive management throughout the region. For Audio dial toll-free (U.S.) 1-877-708-1667. Enter code 7028688#  For Webcast: go to http://www.mymeetings.com. Under "Participant Join", click "Join an Event", then add conf.no: 744925156.

January 14, 1:00 - 2:00 EST
Billy D. Causey,  Director of Southeast, Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Region of NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries; Pedro Ramos, Superintendent of Everglades National Park and Dry Tortugas National Park, National Park Service; and Daniel Whittle,  Director of EDF's Cuba Program. 
 
NOAA and the National Park Service recently signed a memorandum of understanding with Cuba's Ministry of Science, Technology and Environment to cooperate on the conservation and management of Marine Protected Areas - one of the first bilateral arrangements following the recent renewal of diplomatic relations between the US and Cuba.  This groundbreaking accord follows years of work by EDF and others to bring together marine scientists, resource users and managers in both countries to develop joint conservation strategies for the marine ecosystem of the region.  This presentation will highlight Cuba's spectacular marine environments, the development of the system of MPAs in Cuba and how the establishment of sister sanctuary programs under the agreement will facilitate greater understanding and protection of the marine resources our two countries share.  
Click to Sign-Up

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