Regional Connections And Observing Tools Frank Muller-Karger Chuanmin Hu And IMaRS Team College of Marine Science University of South Florida

Outline Introduction Introduction Regional setting Regional setting Coastal Ocean Observing Systems Coastal Ocean Observing Systems Conclusions and Action Recommendations Conclusions and Action Recommendations

Ecosystem Value Coral reef ecosystems: Coral reef ecosystems: –support a wide range of organisms –control water flow –important biogeochemical role –significant cultural, recreational, and economic value Coral reefs ecosystems: ~$220 ha-1 y-1 Coral reefs ecosystems: ~$220 ha-1 y-1 –Example: $2.5 billion y-1 by Florida reefs

Ecosystem-based management Activities that affect oceans and coasts may take place: Activities that affect oceans and coasts may take place: –Locally –far inland –in parts of the ocean and atmosphere far away Need to consider: Need to consider: –effects of interplay among social, economic, and ecological factors –the need to protect the resources for future use –origin of neutral, ameliorating or aggravating impact: natural or natural or due to human activities due to human activities We cannot manage one activity, or one part of the system, without considering its connections with all the other parts. We cannot manage one activity, or one part of the system, without considering its connections with all the other parts. Policies governing use of resources must: Policies governing use of resources must: –consider interactions (air, land, sea, people): ecosystem-based –based on information: science-based –adaptive

Regional setting Local, regional, and global scales Local, regional, and global scales Natural & anthropogenic forcings Natural & anthropogenic forcings –Short and event-scales weather, productivity, spawning and survival, circulation weather, productivity, spawning and survival, circulation Fishing, local nutrient inputs Fishing, local nutrient inputs Ship groundings Ship groundings –Seasonal and regional River plumes/Everglades discharge River plumes/Everglades discharge Florida Bay processes Florida Bay processes Hurricanes Hurricanes Tourism Tourism –Interannual: ENSO –Climate change (warming, sea level, storm frequency, etc.) (warming, sea level, storm frequency, etc.)

SE region is linked oceanographically, meteorologically and by land forcing (discharge, human factors). Loop Current/ Florida Current/ Gulf Stream

(Possible) Connectivity Assessment Priorities Prime concern: establish local patterns Prime concern: establish local patterns –Florida Keys and W FL Shelf Pollutant dispersal: septic tanks, non-point, point sources Pollutant dispersal: septic tanks, non-point, point sources Larval dispersal Larval dispersal Bleaching conditions Bleaching conditions Human health and safety Human health and safety Second tier: regional patterns Second tier: regional patterns –Gulf of Mexico, Mesoamerica, Caribbean Larval dispersal? Larval dispersal? Forcing of circulation Forcing of circulation Third tier: Third tier: –Global weather and climate

Regional setting requires tools that span range of space and time scales Ecosystem management requires integration of observations

Coastal Ocean Observing Systems Are components of “Regional Associations” (RA’s) of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Are components of “Regional Associations” (RA’s) of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) SEACOOS: Southeast Atlantic COOS SEACOOS: Southeast Atlantic COOS – GCOOS: Gulf of Mexico COOS GCOOS: Gulf of Mexico COOS –

COOS elements Observing elements Observing elements Modeling Modeling Data Management Data Management Product dissemination Product dissemination Outreach and Education Outreach and Education

Observing subsystem has two main components: The “Backbone” of federal observing (NOAA buoys, satellites, tide gauges, USGS river gauging network, EPA point sampling,…) Regional enhancements by academia, state agencies and private interests including: Buoys/moorings and existing fixed platforms – host a wide variety of sensors Remote sensing - coastal radar - regional satellite data capture/processing

Liz Williams and Ed Kearns University of Miami - RSMAS

Data sources: NDBC, Co-OPS, USGS, Metar, SEA-COOS

Remote Sensing for Regional Coastal Ocean Observing Systems Institutions around GoM: University of South Florida ( University of Miami Louisiana State University Naval Research Lab

Sea Surface Temperature: -Strong seasonal variation -Warm water via the Loop Current -Marked cold and warm events: -Tortugas eddy -NEGOM Cold tongue -Local upwelling

Pigment concentration: -Strong seasonal variation throughout interior of GoM -Clear water via the Loop Current -Marked turbid water or bloom events: Yucatan upwelling/Loop Current front NEGOM Cold tongue Rivers (Mississippi, Everglades) Tortugas eddy/Local upwelling Red tides and “Black Water” events

Regional Marine Bottom Assessments using historical Landsat data 10 Km N

Landsat Change Detection: Carysfort Reef 1984 N KEY: ‘coral-dominated’ ‘sand’ ‘covered substrate’ ‘bare substrate’ 100m

Landsat vs. CREMP Data Covered Substrate Sand Sparse Seagrass KEY: Coral Bare Substrate Dense Seagrass 200m Grecian Rocks m Alligator 200m Looe Key 1998 CREMP has conducted in situ video surveys of 40 reef sites within the FKNMS since 1996.

Regional Marine Bottom Assessments Major limitations: Major limitations: –Cost to access moderate volumes of Landsat-7 ETM+ data at USGS EDC (~100’s of scenes) –Funding to carry out systematic analyses

Conclusions Significant knowledge, experience, and infrastructure exists in the region Significant knowledge, experience, and infrastructure exists in the region –SEACOOS –GCOOS –Remote sensing helps address local to global processes and change over time

Action Managers need to convey requirements to scientists: Managers need to convey requirements to scientists: –Define critical areas in Keys Classify types of disturbance for different reefs Classify types of disturbance for different reefs –Fine tune COOS for monitoring and fast response assessments –Adapt policies for different reefs based on assessments Agencies should nurture and support capacity and infrastructure in regions Agencies should nurture and support capacity and infrastructure in regions –(as opposed to half-way across the country) Establish link between Monroe County SeaGrant and COSEE Establish link between Monroe County SeaGrant and COSEE –help educate others around the state and country on the Keys

Acknowledgements  NASA  Florida DEP  All unnamed colleagues and friends  USGS  NOAA and FKNMS  ONR