Saving Seafood

NOAA, NFWF to award $136 million for coastal resilience

November 30, 2022 — NOAA and The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) will award a record amount to support natural infrastructure projects in 29 states and U.S. territories. This investment in coastal resilience will fund projects that will help communities prepare for increasing coastal flooding and more intense storms, while improving thousands of acres of coastal habitats.

WHO

NOAA Administrator Rick Spinrad, Ph.D. NFWF Chief Conservation Officer Holly Bamford, Ph.D. Shell USA Chelsey Martin, Washington State Dept of Transportation  Cassidy Lejeune, Ducks Unlimited  Eric Sparks, Mississippi State University    WHEN 

Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 12:00 p.m. CST   

WHERE 

In-person: Hilton New Orleans, River Room (Two Poydras Street, New Orleans, LA, 70130)  Virtual option: click here to register – https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_5axFsbohQl67d-DzqLgHOw   The press conference will take place during the 2022 Coastal and Estuarine Summitoffsite link hosted by Restore America’s Estuaries.   

BACKGROUND 

The National Coastal Resilience Fundoffsite link invests in conservation projects that restore or expand natural features such as coastal marshes and wetlands, dune and beach systems, oyster and coral reefs, forests, coastal rivers and floodplains, and barrier islands that minimize the impacts of storms and other naturally occurring events on nearby communities. The National Coastal Resilience Fund is a partnership between NFWF, NOAA, the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), Shell USA, TransRe and Oxy, with additional funding this year from the Bezos Earth Fund. NFWF launched the National Coastal Resilience Fund in 2018, in partnership with NOAA and joined initially by Shell USA and TransRe

NOAA scientists propose more protection for right whales in offshore wind area

November 30, 2022 — The following is an excerpt from an article published by the New Bedford Light:

As America’s offshore wind industry gets ready to launch new clean energy projects off the coast of Martha’s Vineyard, conservationists and federal scientists have communicated worries over how the installations could harm the endangered North Atlantic right whale, now numbering an estimated 340.

In light of these potential threats, a federal scientist proposed a “conservation buffer” zone — or area of no wind turbines — of about 10 nautical miles adjacent to the Nantucket shoals and seemingly overlapping with offshore wind development planned in southern New England.

Sean Hayes, chief of the protected species branch at NOAA’s Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) and the letter’s signatory, proposed the buffer zone in a letter this spring to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) — the lead regulator for offshore wind development. According to maps of the wind lease areas, the proposed 20-kilometer buffer beginning at an area called the “30-meter isobath” in the shoals appears to overlap with an eastern portion of the Massachusetts-Rhode Island wind energy area.

Scientists in a 2022 New England Aquarium-led study found an increasing trend of right whales in the waters off of Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket during all seasons (instead of just in the winter and spring) and cited climate change as a possible driver with a warming ocean shifting the whales’ feeding and migration patterns.

NOAA Fisheries submitted a public comment to BOEM for the Mayflower Wind project several months before Hayes’ letter (sent in May of this year) that included a similar proposal. While not explicitly mentioning a conservation buffer zone, it recommended BOEM in its environmental impact statement (EIS) include a project alternative of no turbines in a portion of the lease.

“We recommend BOEM evaluate in the EIS an alternative that limits the portion of the lease where [wind turbine generators] can be installed, which would result in no [wind turbine generators] in the northern portion of the lease area,” said the comment letter. “This alternative would reduce project overlap with some of the highest documented densities of North Atlantic right whale aggregations in the lease area…”

The 800-megawatt Mayflower Wind project is currently under review by BOEM. Asked if the company is planning to establish turbine-free areas in the lease as a potential mitigating measure for the right whales, Daniel Hubbard, director of external affairs and general counsel for Mayflower Wind, said by email that they are reviewing information and that “as the permitting process progresses, as with all material presented, we will take it into consideration.”

Research has found turbines will likely affect tidal currents and the water column in which zooplankton (right whales’ food) are found. Whales require dense collections of zooplankton, and any disruptions to that could have “significant energetic and population consequences,” Hayes wrote, particularly for their winter feeding area.

“It’s like the perfect storm of what could go wrong,” said Erica Fuller, a senior attorney at the Conservation Law Foundation (CLF).

Fuller said the area in and around the New England waters where wind development is set to take place was poorly surveyed for right whales before the federal government identified it for multiple energy leases. In recent years, aerial surveys have shown it’s become a year-round foraging habitat for the whales.

Through federal authorizations, the government limits how many individuals of a given species can be incidentally (not intentionally) harassed, disturbed or injured by an activity. Commercial fishing is an existing industry that has operated with such authorizations, which are now being reviewed and given to wind developers.

Read the full story at the New Bedford Light

Forcing fishermen to pay for the privilege of being monitored

November 30, 2022 — Imagine you live somewhere in small-town America where residents routinely exceed the posted speed limits. To address this problem, the town council votes to require a police officer to ride along with each member of the community every time they venture out in an automobile.

The purpose of the new program is to make sure the speed limits are obeyed. Anyone caught speeding is fined to pay for the program. It sounds like a win-win for everyone, but there’s a problem: The people who designed the program underestimated how much it would cost — there being a fair number of people in the town who go places by car — but overestimated the amount of money it would bring in from fines assessed on people caught driving above the posted limits.

Read the full article at The Washington Times

NOAA Fisheries Announces Revised 2022 At-Sea Monitoring Coverage Target for Groundfish Sector Fishery

November 29, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries announces that for the remainder of fishing year 2022 (through April 30, 2023), sectors will be required to have human at-sea monitors on 80 percent of all vessel trips subject to the groundfish sector monitoring program (referred to as at-sea monitoring), a reduction from the 99-percent target implemented May 1, 2022. The coverage rate changed based on the specific direction in how the funds enacted in FY22 could be spent. This does not change the review rates for electronic monitoring video footage.

We will continue to reimburse 100 percent of sector at-sea monitoring costs, including electronic monitoring. The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission will continue to administer the reimbursement program for fishing year 2022.

For more information, please read our bulletin online. 

Greater Atlantic Regional Dealer Permits Are Going Paperless This Fall

November 29, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Apply Online

Greater Atlantic Region dealer permits for the 2022 permit year expire on December 31, 2022.

As of October 17, 2022, the Greater Atlantic Region switched over to using Fish Online for all dealer permit renewals. We are no longer mailing or accepting paper applications.

Fish Online is our secure online system that allows dealers a way to login using their own username and password, which is associated with their email address. Fish Online also allows owners to give access, or “entitlements,” to their office managers and other trusted people so they can submit and manage a dealer’s information through their own account.

  • Seafood dealers need to apply for and print their 2023 dealer permits from their secure Fish Online user account. This includes all permit holders, without exception.
  • We are no longer mailing issued permits, but they can be printed from the dealer’s Fish Online account.
  • A valid paper dealer permit is still required to be present and maintained at the dealer’s premises at all times. 

How NOAA Prepares for Entanglements During Whale Season in Hawaiʻi

November 25, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The team stands at the ready, each member with a specific role: grappling hook tosser, line and buoy handler, and experienced helmsperson. The grappler takes their first shot—and misses the target line. They pull the grapple back, with the line handler taking and giving slack as necessary. The grapple flies through the air once more, and this time it snags the line. In their excitement, the team members drop their gear and cheer.

“No, don’t drop the rope!” shouts Chad Yoshinaga, NOAA Fisheries Pacific Islands safety program manager. “That’s exactly what you don’t want to do.”

On this day in October, Yoshinaga is co-leading an on-land large whale disentanglement training for NOAA staff in Honolulu. A line of rope stands in for the fishing gear that would otherwise be tangling around and trailing a humpback whale. If this was a real-world event, the dropped grappling hook rope could have dragged someone off the boat as the whale pulled away.

When disentangling a large whale, a simple mistake is all it takes for a potentially fatal accident to occur—and NOAA is taking no chances. From now through April, thousands of kolohā (humpback whales) will be using Hawaiian waters to mate, give birth, and raise their young. If one of these whales is entangled in fishing gear, NOAA and partners will be ready to try to free the whale—safely—thanks to comprehensive training.

“Large whale disentanglement is a high-risk, low-occurrence activity,” Yoshinaga said. “We have to train each year so that when we do respond to an entanglement, we’re familiar with the gear and processes and have the muscle memory to do the work.”

A Team Effort

The community-based Hawaiian Islands Large Whale Entanglement Response Network is responsible for whale disentanglement efforts in Hawaiʻi. Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary leads the network in partnership with NOAA Fisheries. The effort is part of a larger NOAA marine mammal health program.

The network relies on the help of many partners, including:

  • State of Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources
  • NOAA Office of Law Enforcement
  • U.S. Coast Guard
  • Marine mammal researchers
  • Fishermen and other members of the on-water community

Like any emergency response effort, whale entanglement response requires a number of roles. These partners fill the various roles, and are organized into different levels, depending on their training and experience. For example, first responders are considered Level 1. They are the first people on the scene, focusing on documenting the situation and helping other responders understand the entanglement before they arrive.

“The on-water community has and continues to perform this valuable role that is the foundation of our effort,” said Ed Lyman, Regional Large Whale Entanglement Response Coordinator. Members of the public can become first responders by completing an online training. This course teaches about whale identification and anatomy. It also instructs how to properly, safely, and legally assess, document (including with photos and videos), and report whale entanglements. They then share this information with highly trained and experienced disentanglement experts authorized to respond.

More advanced levels of responders, including NOAA staff and U.S. Coast Guard service members, go through years of training.

“The Large Whale Entanglement Response Program is standardized across the United States,” said Diana Kramer, NOAA Pacific Islands regional stranding coordinator. “There are some variations in techniques depending on the species and the behavior of the whales. But the underlying process, format of the training, response authorizations, the key concepts, and, most importantly, the safety and the gear are the same across the nation.”

Thorough Training

In the Pacific Islands region, NOAA holds training on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island, Maui, and Kauaʻi.

“Freeing a 40-ton, free-swimming whale, which likely does not realize you are there to help it, poses risks to whales and responders alike,” Lyman said. “Getting the appropriate experience, conducting training, and having the right tools can reduce those risks. In doing so, we may not only save some whales, but also gain valuable information towards reducing the risk associated with large whale entanglements.”

It all begins with classroom instruction. This includes an introduction to the network and the distinct roles, responsibilities, and authorization levels of responders. Case studies illustrate the various ways in which whales may be entangled and what can occur during entanglement efforts.

Next comes on-land training, during which participants learn how to use whale disentanglement tools. Working in small teams used in actual entanglement efforts, the trainees practice tossing grappling hooks and snagging a taut rope with hooks attached to long poles. They also learn how to set up and use satellite receivers that track entangled whales over several days, weeks, or months (and over large geographic areas). They also learn to use  important communication and monitoring technology.

“We have specialized tools and very specific procedures,” Yoshinaga said. “Our processes and tools are constantly evolving as technology evolves and in response to the gear and debris we’re seeing on the whales.”

There are no companies that make equipment for large whale entanglement response. NOAA modifies existing tools and purchases custom-made tools to fit disentanglement needs.  “Because of that, there’s a lot of innovation that goes on in the program,” Kramer said. Trainees are also encouraged to suggest novel techniques to improve on existing procedures. NOAA puts all new tools and techniques through rigorous vetting before sharing them with entanglement response programs across the nation. The safety of the disentanglement crew always comes first.

During the final part of the training, participants apply their knowledge and skills to a moving target—a buoy being dragged behind a small boat. Trainees must be able to catch the buoy’s rope with specialized tools and assist in supportive roles from both NOAA and U.S. Coast Guard boats.

“Our station crews are skilled in operating boats, but may not be familiar with whale behavior, operating around whales, and the latest entanglement response technology,” said Maile Norman, living marine resources specialist with the U.S. Coast Guard District Fourteen. “The annual training spearheaded by the Hawaiian Islands Large Whale Entanglement Response Network is absolutely critical to preparing our crews for the inherent risks associated with entanglement response so that it can be done safely.”

How You Can Help

Approaching a large, entangled whale is extremely dangerous for both people and the animals. The whales are unpredictable, and they’re also protected by law.  “Adaptability is key here, as is patience,” Yoshinaga said, explaining that disentanglement efforts can take days, if not weeks. Successful entanglement responses would not be possible without all of the partners in the network. This includes on-water members of the public, who should never attempt to approach or free an entangled whale.

“The most important thing that people can do if they’re out on the water and they see an entangled large whale—or any entangled marine mammal—is report it,” Kramer said. Those who have taken the online first responder training will know what to do. Call (888) 256-9840, or report to the U.S. Coast Guard on VHF CH-16, and provide as much information as you can to the operator, including:

  • Date and time you observed the whale
  • Type of gear (netting, rope, etc.) on the animal, including the color of the lines and buoys and any other identifying features
  • Condition of the animal, such as the color and texture of its skin and whether it looks emaciated
  • Relative size of the whale
  • Location of the animal—coordinates are ideal but a general area and distance from shore are also very helpful
  • Direction and speed the animal is moving
  • Behavior of the animal

Photos and videos from different angles—taken from a safe, legal distance of 100 yards or more—help responders determine if the entanglement is life threatening or not. “Sometimes the entanglements can actually come off the whale on their own,” Kramer explained. “We don’t want to put stress on the whale and risk the safety of responders if the entanglement can potentially come off without our help.”

If the Network responds, stay with the entangled whale (again from a safe, legal distance) as long as possible. This will make it easier for NOAA and partners to locate the whale. “If you do have to leave and there’s nobody else on the scene, let us know again the whale’s location and its direction and speed,” Yoshinaga said.

With your help, this whale season will be as safe and successful as possible—for both the whales and everyone who loves them.

Read the full release at NOAA

NOAA Fisheries Announces Final Rule to Implement the Atlantic Surfclam and Ocean Quahog Excessive Shares Amendment (Amendment 20)

November 22, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA Fisheries filed a final rule (Amendment 20) to establish limits on how much quota share or annual cage tags an individual or business can hold or control over the course of a fishing year. Amendment 20 was formally approved on November 10, 2022, and this rule implements all measures in the amendment.

This action establishes:

  • Caps on quota share of 35 percent for surfclam and 40 percent for ocean quahog.
  • Caps on annual cage tags of 65 percent for surfclam and 70 percent for ocean quahog over the course of the fishing year.
  • These caps would be monitored based on the total amount of  “potential control” an individual or business has over the course of the fishing year. Potential control refers to any allocation held directly or held by all owners (in the case of businesses) or all immediate family members (in the case of individuals).
  • The maximum duration of multi-year specifications actions to match the stock assessment schedule (four years for Atlantic surfclam and six years for ocean quahog).

For more information, read the final rule in the Federal Register or our bulletinposted on the web. The new measures become effective December 23, 2022. We will begin monitoring and enforcing the new caps when 2023 allocations are issued.

Today, NOAA Fisheries filed a final rule (Amendment 20) to establish limits on how much quota share or annual cage tags an individual or business can hold or control over the course of a fishing year. Amendment 20 was formally approved on November 10, 2022, and this rule implements all measures in the amendment.

This action establishes:

  • Caps on quota share of 35 percent for surfclam and 40 percent for ocean quahog.
  • Caps on annual cage tags of 65 percent for surfclam and 70 percent for ocean quahog over the course of the fishing year.
  • These caps would be monitored based on the total amount of  “potential control” an individual or business has over the course of the fishing year. Potential control refers to any allocation held directly or held by all owners (in the case of businesses) or all immediate family members (in the case of individuals).
  • The maximum duration of multi-year specifications actions to match the stock assessment schedule (four years for Atlantic surfclam and six years for ocean quahog).

For more information, read the final rule in the Federal Register or our bulletinposted on the web. The new measures become effective December 23, 2022. We will begin monitoring and enforcing the new caps when 2023 allocations are issued.

MSC Assessment of the California Market Squid Purse Seine Fishery Underway

November 21, 2022 — The following was released by Lund’s Fisheries, Del Mar Seafoods, and Silver Bay Seafoods:

The California market squid fishery has begun the MSC Fisheries Standard assessment process – the gold standard for seafood sustainability certifications. Del Mar Seafoods, Inc., Silver Bay Seafoods, LLC and Lund’s Fisheries, supplied by Sun Coast Calamari, engaged independent certification body SCS Global Services to complete the assessment of the fishery against the MSC Standard.

The California market squid fishery is the largest commercial squid fishery by tonnage in the United States. The fishery is comprised of 76 licensed vessels and managed by NOAA Fisheries, the Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. The species is a favorite for many calamari-lovers due to its mild and slightly sweet flavor.

In order for a fishery to achieve MSC certification, it needs to meet MSC standards on three principles: sustainable stock projections; minimal environmental impacts; and an effective, enforced management system. In its initial draft MSC assessment report for California market squid, SCS found that the fishery has many strengths, including “documented adaptable management strategies, monitoring, and enforcement” and “very little bycatch.” The fishery’s draft scores in every individual category, and its average scores across all three general principles, preliminarily qualify it for certification.

“The three members of this client group represent the majority of production and processing capacity within the industry, which is why this collaboration will have a positive effect on the entire fishery,” said Joe Cappuccio, president and founder of Del Mar Seafoods. “Sustainability has always been a key consideration in our business models, so obtaining MSC certification was a logical step for our companies to take to ensure we can continue to produce high-quality, sustainable products for the world.”

“Silver Bay Seafoods participates in many MSC-certified fisheries in Alaska,” said Cora Campbell, President and CEO of Silver Bay Seafoods. “Expanding our relationship to encompass the California market squid fishery is a natural next step to offering our customers across the globe access to a full suite of certified products.”

“Lund’s Fisheries is proud to come together with two other well respected California squid producers, and work with SCS and MSC again, this time to demonstrate and support the long-term viability of the California market squid fishery,” said Wayne Reichle, president of Lund’s Fisheries. “We have been a leader in sustainable seafood for three generations thanks to our fishermen, plant employees, and customers. Certifying the California market squid fishery will distinguish us as the only U.S. seafood producer offering all three MSC-certified domestic squid species here and overseas.”

With the release of SCS’ Announcement Comment Draft Report, the public has the opportunity to provide comments for 60 days. Following the consultation period, SCS will conduct the site visit for the audit. If the assessment process is successful, certification is expected for the fall of 2023.

Predicting Winners and Losers in a Warming Arctic

November 16, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

By the end of this century, Arctic ocean bottom temperatures may be too warm for most seafloor-dwelling invertebrates that currently reside there, a new study finds. Potential “losers” include snails, mussels, and other animals that are important prey for valuable commercial fish species and marine mammals such as endangered Pacific walrus. Arctic coastal communities also depend heavily on the arctic marine ecosystem for subsistence.

NOAA Fisheries is working with our partners to understand how climate change is transforming arctic marine ecosystems. Our goal is to help the fisheries and communities that are part of them to prepare for the future. This new collaborative study is the first to look at climate change impacts on the entire suite of arctic seafloor invertebrates. An international team of scientists combined biological and climatological data to project how the thermal habitat available to these animals could change over time.

“Our models predict major changes in the seafloor invertebrate fauna that could reverberate through the whole arctic food web,” said study leader Libby Logerwell, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center. “If warming continues, it is potentially going to make it very difficult for a lot of invertebrates to live there—and for the birds, mammals and humans that rely on them.”

Partnerships Combine Capabilities to Predict Ecosystem Change

The research was a collaborative effort that brought together the biological and climatological expertise needed to understand ecosystem change in the Arctic. Research partners included:

“I learned so much working with Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory’s Muyin Wang. I’m a biologist; she’s an atmospheric scientist and climatologist,” Logerwell said. “It was exciting to find out that you could project warming so far. It was sobering to see how much warming is predicted.”

“I was really excited when Libby talked to me about starting this project together,” Wang said. “As a climate scientist, I am also interested in how the changing Arctic climate would impact the components of the ecosystem. This project demonstrated a powerful tool we have to examine that—climate model projections at regional scales.”

Past Surveys Help Forecast the Future

The predictions were based on a decade (2009–2018) of existing data from Alaska Fisheries Science Center fish surveys in the Bering and Chukchi seas.  The team analyzed invertebrate catch and bottom temperature data to determine the “preferred” temperature for different animals. They categorized species into warm and cold water groups. Using eight climate models, they projected mean increases in summer bottom temperature to years 2050 and 2100. Based on these projections, they looked at how availability of thermal habitat for warm and cold water invertebrate groups might change with ocean warming.

“This is one of the first times anyone has analyzed invertebrate data from these surveys in this way. When they started the surveys, they weren’t focusing on most of these invertebrates, just fish and crab. But the data are there,” Logerwell said. “The long time series of survey data contains a wealth of information. We were able to use some of that to make these predictions.”

Rising Temperatures Decide Future Winners and Losers

The climate models predict that the Bering and Chukchi seas will heat rapidly if we remain on the current climate change trajectory. Average summer bottom temperature over the entire region is projected to rise by 2.3°F by mid-century, and 8.1°F by the end of the century.

Under this “business-as-usual” climate change scenario, thermal habitat for all but the few most heat-tolerant arctic invertebrates is projected to shrink dramatically northward.

The “losers”—cold water species—would lose 50 percent of their thermal habitat by mid-century. By the end of the century, habitat for these animals would be virtually gone. Only 2 percent of the entire Bering and Chukchi sea region would be within their temperature range.

The “winners” included only a few arctic invertebrates that can tolerate a wide range of temperatures. By 2100 this group is projected to have suitable thermal habitat throughout most of the Bering and Chukchi Seas, except nearshore coastal regions.

The study did not examine whether more southerly invertebrates might expand north into a warming Bering Sea.

“The shallow depth of the Bering Sea shelf compared to their habitat to the south might make it unsuitable for southern species,” Logerwell said. “The Bering shelf break and slope may act as a barrier to new species coming north.”

“The magnitude of warming and habitat loss we projected was beyond anything I imagined,” Logerwell said. “It’s alarming to see how rapidly things will change, particularly in the last half of the century, if warming continues on the current trajectory.”

Changes to Seafloor Fauna Reverberate Through the Food Web

The most abundant animals among the losers were snails and mussels. They are among the most frequently eaten prey of commercially valuable fish such as yellowfin sole, Alaska plaice and Pacific halibut. They are also prey for endangered Pacific walrus, which are harvested as a food resource by many native Alaskan communities.

The main winner was the basket star, a plankton-eating relative of seastars. Basket stars have little nutritional value, and likely few predators. Other potential winners included shrimp, barnacles, sea anemones, and brittle stars.

Besides potentially dire effects on the arctic food web, warming could drastically diminish arctic species diversity. By the end of the century, most of the region south of the Arctic Circle may only be suitable thermal habitat for the winners.

Logerwell stresses the importance of continued monitoring to track changes and refine predictions about the future of arctic seafloor invertebrates and their predators.

”Long time series are the best tool we have to detect climate impacts and predict future change,” Logerwell said. “Our research contributes to NOAA Fisheries’ ecosystem approach to management. The more we understand what may be coming, the better we can help fisheries and communities to be ready.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Partnership to Improve Conservation of Nearshore Habitat

November 10, 2022 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Kelp, eelgrass, and other submerged aquatic vegetation provide vital habitat for many protected and native marine species. As critical parts of nearshore habitat, areas with aquatic vegetation host numerous species and life stages of fish and invertebrates. They contribute to the health of the Pacific Coast marine ecosystem and human communities. West Coast nearshore habitat faces increasing pressure from development and climate change. A new effort to better define the ecological value of nearshore habitat will ensure that its full value is recognized and replaced when the habitat is damaged or developed.

“As human development of the nearshore continues, there’s a growing need to protect and restore high-value habitats for protected species and sustainable fisheries,” said Elizabeth Holmes Gaar, NOAA Fisheries West Coast Region Habitat Program Lead. “We want to provide a full, transparent, user-friendly, and effective toolbox for managers to do that more easily and accurately, especially when it comes to living habitat components like kelp, eelgrass and other submerged aquatic vegetation.”

Nearshore Habitat Assessment Tools

NOAA Fisheries is joining the Pew Charitable Trusts, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and other partners. They will identify and share the latest and most effective tools, science, and practices for recognizing and objectively assessing the ecological value of submerged aquatic vegetation in nearshore habitats.

“The primary goal of this effort is to provide coastal communities with a shared, consistent toolset for considering the ecological value of habitats. Nearshore habitats support sustainable fisheries, protected species, and provide coastal resilience,” said Steve Marx, a coastal habitat and fisheries expert with Pew. “The outcomes of this effort will provide a list of tools for making decisions about land and water use and habitat conservation,”

The group’s work will provide broad ecosystem and societal benefits. It will help coastal communities identify the most effective options to avoid and minimize impacts from development. Where impacts are unavoidable, it will help to offset impacts by restoring habitat of comparable value elsewhere. For example, development project proponents in Puget Sound, Hood Canal, and places on the California coast, have increasing options to purchase credits in conservation banks and in-lieu fee programs. These options make up for unavoidable habitat losses associated with the projects.

Engaging Science and Management

Partners will refine and standardize tools to assess nearshore habitat value. This will help ensure that protected and managed species, from salmon to groundfish to shellfish, have the healthy habitat they need to thrive, even in the face of climate change.

The partnership involves three main activities:

  1. Reviewing the scientific literature on habitat evaluation
  2. Surveying non-NOAA partners for evaluation frameworks or tools
  3. Engaging partners through listening sessions and workshops

Engaging the science and management community and other key partners is critical to the partnership’s success.

The tools and approaches identified through this project may also serve as models for recognizing habitat values beyond the West Coast. They will provide new opportunities to protect valuable habitat elsewhere. “This effort will help us to value these important habitats effectively and to provide sufficient mitigation and restoration actions to, at a minimum, restore the species to its baseline, before the injury or impact,” said Jennifer Steger of NOAA’s Restoration Center.

Why Is This Important?

Comparing and contrasting these tools and approaches, gathering feedback on the use of each, and identifying conditions under which specific approaches or tools best meet shared goals, can help make management more efficient.

“When partners use a shared suite of approaches and tools to assess ecological value, the objectivity, repeatability, and comparability of assessments increases, and the assumptions are laid bare,” said Bryant Chesney, NOAA Fisheries Senior Marine Habitat Resource Specialist. “This makes fair treatment of project proponents transparent, bolstering trust in the process.”