Marine Protected Areas
CONNECTIONS
Your news from the National Marine Protected Areas Center
National Marine Protected Areas Center
                                                                                                             Florida manatee in the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge
                                                                                                                                                                              Keith Ramos, USFWS                                                                                                                 
March 2016
In This Issue
Quick Links
Gallery

Diver observing a Ircinia campana (common vase sponge) in
Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, Photo: Greg McFall





To hear the calls of Black Oystercatchers click here. 
Photo: USFWS
Audio: Cornell Macauley Library
Team Makes an IMPACT on MPA Capacity Building 
MPA Training Course in Central Java
Photo: Anne Nelson
NOAA's National Marine Protected Areas Center is now home to the International MPA Capacity building Team (IMPACT). The team, originally established by NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' Anne Walton over a decade ago, brings technical assistance, resources and focused capacity building to improve protected area management effectiveness. It provides opportunities for marine resource managers to come together, directly experience and learn from one another, and apply the best available information, tools and skills necessary to support effective MPA networks.  Training programs are funded and implemented through partnerships with USAID, NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program, NOAA Fisheries, as well as international, regional and local NGOs.  The Team is currently working in the Coral Triangle (Philippines and Indonesia), Latin America (Peru and Chile), Kiribati, the Western Indian Ocean and the Gulf of California, and is actively seeking new partnership opportunities.  
Oregon Hosts Marine Reserves Summit
What do a marine reserve, the economy, tourism, and passionate coastal community advocates have in common? The Oregon Marine Reserves Partnership (OMRP), a consortium of nonprofit organizations, was eager to explore the answer as they hosted, 
"A Tide Change: Inspiring Engagement in Oregon's Marine Reserves," a marine reserve summit Feb. 24-25, 2016 in Cannon Beach, Oregon. The event focused on sharing information, fostering partnerships, and exploring the perspectives and challenges of businesses and coastal communities that have the potential to benefit from marine reserves. The summit kicked off with a visual tour of Oregon's marine reserves to develop a shared understanding of each of Oregon's five marine reserves and the ecological and human dimensions monitoring underway in each of these markedly different reserves.   

It also featured presentations on the relationship between sustainable tourism and marine reserves and other protected areas, and a panel discussion with business representatives connected to marine reserves. Guest speakers from the California Ocean Science Trust, Nature Conservancy, Portland Audubon, and US Forest Service challenged attendees to explore possible solutions to address the challenges of public engagement through citizen science. Staff from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans, and Oregon State University gave presentations on Oregon's Marine Reserves as living laboratories, exploring the ecological monitoring and what we've learning from Oregon's marine reserves. The summit concluded with a session that allowed people to share their perspectives on defining success with Oregon's marine reserves, including the role their organization seeks to play in the effort. As a result of the successful summit, OMRP is considering hosting the event annually.
 Red tree corals are a focal point of the expedition and have been shown to be the foundation of diverse deepwater communities in Alaska.  Photo: NOAA NMFS AFSC and DSCRT
From March 17-30, a University of Maine led team will conduct the first-ever deep water exploration of Glacier Bay National Park using diver-based surveys and a remotely operated vehicle (ROV). Located at the terminus of Alaska's Inside Passage, Glacier Bay National Park is part of a 25-million acre Kluane / Wrangell-St. Elias / Glacier Bay / Tatshenshini-Alsek World Heritage Site, a network of parks that together are one of the largest protected areas in the world and protect spectacular natural landscapes and local fauna. The unique deep-water fjords have long been internationally recognized as refuge for many species of marine mammals and seabirds, but little is known about the benthic habitats in this region. 

This expedition will collect data to help scientists understand how climate variability and change impact the marine environment, when coral first began to occur in the region, and will greatly contribute to ongoing population genetics of cold-water coral species. Operations will map and classify habitat- forming organisms within the park. Samples will be collected for taxonomy, genetic barcoding, and radiometric analysis which will feed into a suite of georeferenced products to inform resource management decisions for several federal agencies.  

Expedition partners include NOAA, the US Geological Survey and National Park Service. Background essays, near-real time mission logs, photos, and an education module for this expedition are available on the expedition website.
Restore America's Estuaries and Partners To Host Blue Carbon Workshops 
Learn how blue carbon ecosystem services can increase prioritization of and investment in coastal wetlands by attending a blue carbon workshop. Blue carbon refers to the carbon and other greenhouse gases captured, stored, and emitted by tidal wetlands, salt marshes, sea grasses, mangroves and other coastal ecosystems. The workshop is geared toward coastal managers, academics, state/federal/local government, non-profits, consultants, restoration practitioners and others interested in the topic. Participants will learn the basic concepts of blue carbon and its importance to conservation and restoration efforts; applications of blue carbon as a management tool; opportunities for coastal wetlands to earn carbon finance; and, how to assess opportunities in your region to implement projects.

Workshops are organized by Restore America's Estuaries (RAE) and local partners, with additional support provided by the USFWS Coastal Program, NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation, and Gulf of Mexico Coastal Training Program. Workshop information and registration can be found here. 

April 6,    Texas City, TX
May 10,   Tampa Bay, FL
June 28,  Baton Rouge, LA
MPA Federal Advisory Committee to Meet May 23-25 
The MPA Federal Advisory Committee will meet on May 23-25 at the Schoodic Institute in Acadia National Park in Maine. The MPA FAC is currently advising NOAA and the Department of the Interior on three issues: 1) enhancing connectivity among MPAs; 2) strengthening external financing for MPA programs; and 3) moving toward a network approach for Arctic MPAs. The meeting will be open to the public and there will be an opportunity for public comment at the meeting and via email. Details of the meeting will be posted here when available. 
NPS Makes a Centennial Splash for Ocean and Coastal Parks
Cape Cod National Seashore        NPS Photo      
In 1872 when Congress conserved the marvels of Yellowstone in the first National Park, the nation could not have imagined the spectacular seascapes lying under the oceans. Future parks along the coast had yet to be envisioned and created. This year the National Park Service celebrates its 100th birthday and the wonders of 88 ocean and coastal parks that attract over 88 million visitors per year. NPS invites you to Find Your Park and join the celebration of these special places during the 2016 National Park Service Centennial. Coral reefs and kelp forests teem with vibrant marine life. Tidewater glaciers form the majestic seascape for generations of native Alaskan culture. Quiet bays framed by remote barrier islands provide a haven for shorebirds and schools of fish. Lighthouses, shipwrecks and memorials tell of centuries of maritime commerce by seafarers and sacrifice by servicemen and women during our nation's wars. 

Find Your Park introduces these special places with the goal of connecting with and creating the next generation of park visitors, supporters, and advocates. Every Kid in a Park program provides free admission to parks for 4th graders and their classes or youth groups, along with transportation grants and educational curricula to support schools and teachers. Bioblitzes are events in parks where teams of volunteer scientists, students, and teachers search for and identify as many species of plants, animals and micro-organisms as they can find, and discover ones new to science, culminating in the National BioBlitz and Biodiversity Festival May 20-21, 2016 on the National Mall. Parks will celebrate with their partners in the National Marine Sanctuaries, National Wildlife Refuges, National Estuarine Research Reserves and state and local marine parks. See findyourpark.com or nps.gov or visit park web sites for more information on events and activities.
On Feb. 25, NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer began a series of expeditions to explore America's vast marine protected areas in the central and western Pacific Ocean. A multidisciplinary team of scientists, technicians, and engineers - both on board the ship and on shore - are conducting undersea mapping and remotely operated vehicle (ROV) explorations of the geological, biological, 
archaeological, and chemical features of these areas.
ROV Deep Discoverer being recovered after a dive on the Hohonu Moana expedition.    
Photo: NOAA OER
The expeditions will operate in and around the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument, and Wake Atoll section of the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.

On the first ROV expedition of the season, 2016 Hohonu Moana: Exploring the Deep Waters off Hawaii, while exploring over 4,300 meters (2.7 miles) below the ocean surface, scientists found what they believe to be an undescribed species and perhaps a new genus of octopod! Read more about the discovery and watch the video here.

The 2016 field season marks the second year of the Campaign to Address Pacific monument Science, Technology, and Ocean NEeds (CAPSTONE). CAPSTONE focuses on systematically collecting baseline information to support science and management needs within and around the U.S. Marine National Monuments and other protected places in the Pacific. It also serves as an opportunity for NOAA and the Nation to highlight the uniqueness and importance of these places for ocean conservation.

Throughout the field season, telepresence technology will allow you to follow discoveries via the NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research website. Click here for more details about the Okeanos Explorer 2016 field season.

White Squall, a bark-rigged sailing craft made of iron, lost in 1867 in the Atlantic Ocean off Wellfleet, MA.
Photo: MBUAR
The Massachusetts Board of Underwater Archaeological Resources (MBUAR) has begun the process of designating the iron bark White Squall as its first Underwater Archaeological Preserve (UAP); these are sites of substantial historical and/or archaeological value. The White Squall is located in the waters of Atlantic Ocean off Wellfleet, Massachusetts. It was one of the last iron ships built in England, in 1864 by William Patterson and Son in Bristol. Subsequent steel vessels brought in the era of scientific design by naval architects. When lost in 1867, the White Squall was headed from Singapore to Boston.

UAPs allow continued public recreational access (i.e., scuba diving, boating. etc., but not artifact collecting) and scientific investigations. In January, MBUAR voted to accept the White Squall for designation as an UAP, beginning a public review process that closes on April 29, 2016. A public meeting is scheduled for March 31 at 10:30 AM for verbal testimony to MBUAR, or written comments can be submitted via email by April 29 to: victor.mastone@state.ma.us. After reviewing public comments, MBUAR will take its public vote to approve the nomination at its regularly scheduled meeting on May 26, 2016.
California Department of Fish and Wildlife Updates MPA Network Master Plan
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), in collaboration with partners inside and outside government, have updated the programmatic guidance document for California's MPA Network. The updated  Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) Master Plan will be the foundational document guiding California's approach to managing its statewide MPA network and is up for adoption by the Fish and Game Commission at their April 2016 meeting. The updated document shifts the focus from regional siting and planning guidance to providing specific guidance to stakeholders on the priorities and approaches CDFW will use to adaptively manage California's MPA network moving forward.
Calling on all Federal, State, Territorial Marine Agencies - MPA Partners Group
The MPA Center coordinates a semi-annual call of federal, state and territorial MPA programs to exchange information and experiences through a "community of practice." Agencies who manage coastal and marine protected areas are welcome to join us -- please contact: lauren.wenzel@noaa.gov
Upcoming Webinars from the MPA Center and Partners   
The MPA Center monthly webinar series is co-sponsored with EBM Tools and OpenChannels and held the second Thursday of each month from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. Eastern. The series is focused on building and strengthening MPA networks. 

April 14
Dr. Alan Leonardi, Director, NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research

Ocean exploration advances in technology are allowing us to reach new depths and areas previously unknown. As these doors open what does the interface between ocean exploration and the MPA community mean and how can state-of-the art ocean exploration support the research and policy decisions surrounding the nation's system of marine protected areas.
 
May 12 
Mark Young, Senior Officer, Conservation Enforcement at the PEW Charitable Trusts

The Pew Charitable Trusts has partnered with the Satellite Applications Catapult to pioneer Project Eyes on the Seas, a cutting-edge technology platform that combines satellite monitoring and imagery data with other information, such as fishing vessel databases and oceanographic data, to help authorities detect suspicious fishing activity. Illegal fishing is a global concern that threatens the long-term health of our oceans, worsens the impact of overfishing on critical marine ecosystems, and costs up to an estimated $23.5 billion annually. It accounts for 1 of every 5 fish taken from the world's seas and jeopardizes the livelihoods of tens of millions of people who depend on the oceans' resources.

June 23 

To relieve fishing pressure and provide supplementary income to coastal communities surrounding MPAs, the Eastern Caribbean Marine Managed Areas Network (ECMMAN) is implementing sustainable, alternative livelihood projects on six islands. Supported by the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), small livelihood grants were made available to qualified applicants selected by a regional committee. Projects range from eco-tourism cooperatives, agriculture projects, mooring sites, and training a network of fishers and vendors to catch and market invasive lionfish. The projects have effectively equipped displaced fishers and community members with the skills and investment needed to launch micro-enterprises. In this webinar we will hear about the Livelihood Support Fund concept and implementation, as well as from the facilitators of two national projects.
Click to Sign-Up

 NOAA National Marine Protected Areas Center