[From the U.S. Government Printing Office, www.gpo.gov]







                                   Science for Solutions




                                                                            00 -T OF CO
        NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM                                                 Col.

        Technical Memorandum No. 1




                         COP FACTSHEETS


                           4/              J/
              Coastal           Coastal         CoastWatch          Estuarine
             Fisheries          Hazards                             Habitats
            Ecosystems


              Nutrient-        Resource        Environmental          Toxic
             Enhanced         Information        Valuation          Chemical
            Productivity-       Delivery                         Contaminants








                               U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
                          National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
           QH541 .5                   Coastal Ocean Office
           .C65
           N632
           No. 1
           C.1





















                                NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM
                               TECHNICAL MEMORANDUM SERIES


                This series presents pertinent research, data, and information materials that
                have been developed within the Coastal Ocean Program (COP).

                No. 1. 'COP Factsheets," has been developed as a quick guide to current
                projects.

                To learn more about the program or-about the projects listed, please write:

                                NOAA Coastal Ocean Office (NCOP)
                               1315 East-West Highway - Suite 15140
                                     Silver Spring, MD 20910

                                      Phone: (301) 713-3338
                                       Fax: (301) 713-4044










                                              Science for Solutions




         NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM

         Technical Memorandum No. 1




                                			COP FACTSHEETS






                                                   June 1994




                                                                                              
                                       	U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE                            
                                            Ronald H. Brown, Secretary                                                 
                                                                                                                                               Ronald H. Brown, Secretary                       to V.
                                                                                                
                                National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
                                             D. James Baker, Under Secretary
                                                 Coastal Ocean Office
                                                 Donald Scavia, Director
                   
 









                                                    NOTE TO READERS


               The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program (COP) provides a focal point through which the agency,
               together with other organizations with responsibilities for the coastal environment and its
               resources, can make significant strides toward finding solutions to critical environmental
               problems, By working together toward these solutions, we can ensure the sustainability of coastal
               resources and allow for compatible economic development that will enhance the well-being of
               the Nation now and in future generations.

               The goals of the COP parallel those of the NOAA Strategic Plan for 1995-2005. These goals
               center around Coastal Ecosystem Health, Fisheries Productivity, and Coastal Hazards Prediction.
               The vision of the program is to provide the highest quality scientific information in time for
               critical coastal decision making. The aim of the COP is to provide information that is predictive,
               and this predictive information builds upon research on impacts and natural variability,
               monitoring, and assessment. Toward this end, the COP supports a broad suite of projects ranging
               from scientific investigation to information delivery. Funding has generally been provided on
               about an equal basis to NOAA principal investigators and to academic researchers.

               Since its formation in 1990, the COP has pursued a proactive and innovative approach to
               studying the coastal ocean. Additionally, it. has provided a leadership role in focusing NOAA
               science on high-priority topics and on developing the coordination of federal coastal ocean
               science.


               The COP has many successes which we do not review here. COP FACTSHEETS is designed
               to acquaint readers with what projects the COP is funding today and in the near-term on the
               Nation's pressing coastal issues and to portray how the office is providing leadership in
               addressing these vital concerns. Projects are presented topically in relation to COP activities and
               goal areas. Each project is numbered in order of this topical presentation and appears under its
               appropriate grouping in the Table of Contents. To facilitate specific usage of the COP
               FACTSHEETS, the Index organizes projects by project title, by program area, by state@, by region,
               by COP theme, and by project application to specific scientific topics of interest.

               We welcome your interest in the. work we are doing. Therefore, we encourage you to write, fax,
               call, or Internet us with your comments or questions about our current activities presented here.
               Please be assured that we will appreciate these comments, either positive or negative, and that
               they will help us direct our future efforts. Our address and telephone and fax numbeks are on
               the inside front cover. My Internet address is [email protected].





                                                            Donald Scavia
                                                            Director
                                                            NOAA Coastal Ocean Program
                                                      @@Dnna @7,i












                                       NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM
                                                    FACTSHEETS
                                               TABLE OF CONTENTS



             L       NEW DIRECTIONS 04 COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE AND POLICY                                   1


                     Setting a Course for U.S. Coastal Ocean Science: Subcommittee on
                      U.S. Coastal Ocean Science (SUSCOS)      ................................           I
                     A National Agenda for Coastal Ocean Science:   National Science and
                      Technology Council Subcommittee (NSTC)       .............................          2
                     NOAA Center for Coastal Ecosystem Health      ............................           3
                     Florida Bay Research Program   ......................................                4
                     Cumulative Effects of Multiple Stressors  ................................           5



             IL      ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION                                                              6


                     Environmental Valuation Workshops    .....................          ............     6



             III.    COASTAL FISHERIES ECOSYSTEMS PROGRAM                                                 7


                     Coastal Fisheries Ecosystems (CFE)   ..........                                      7
                            South Atlantic Bight Recruitment Experiment (SABRE)      ................     8
                            Bering Sea Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (FOCI)      .... 9
                            Predation and Structure of the Georges Bank Ecosystem   .........    : ....  10



             TV. NOAA COASTWATCH PROGRAM                                                                 11


                     NOAA Coastwatch      ..............................................                 11
                            Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs)   ...............................             12
                            Red Tide Watch    ...........................................                13
                            El Nino Watch   ................      : ..........................           14
                            Zebra Mussel Predictions   ....................................              15
                            Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)   ...............................             16
                     Ocean Color Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SEAWIFS)         ...........     17



             V.      COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM                                                     18


                     Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP)      ............................           18
                            National Protocol Development    ...............................             19
                            Chesapeake Bay Region   .....................................                20










                           North Carolina   ...........................................                  21
                           Gulf of Mexico   ............................................                 22
                           Maine and Canada     ........................................             I . 23
                           Oregon and Washington      .....  I ..............................            24
                           Alaska  ............................                                    ....  25
                           Southern Florida   .....................         ......                .....  26
                           Massachusetts   ............................................                  27
                           Louisiana   ...............................................                   28
                           Georgia    .................................................                  29
                           New York     ...............................................                  30
                           New,Jersey     ..............................................                 31
                           Central California Coast    .....................................             32



             VL ESTUARINE RABI[TAT PROGRAM                                                               33


                    Estuarine Habitat Program (EHP)    ...................................               33
                           Restoration Technology
                                   Improving Methods for West Coast Marshes      .................       34
                                   Genetic Diversity in California Marshes   ....................        35
                                   Genetic Diversity of Florida/Caribbean Turtle Grass  .............    36
                                   Genetic Characterization/East Coast Seagrass Propagation Techniques   37
                                   Delaware Marshes    ....................................              38
                           Functional Value
                                   Northeastern Fisheries Recruitment  ........................          39
                                   East and West Coast  Salt Marsh Comparison    .................       40
                           Landscape Ecology
                                   North Carolina Salt Marsh-Seagrass Linkages     ................      41
                                   Habitat Function and Interaction Due to Land-Based
                                     Nutrient Loading in Massachusetts   .......................         42
                                   Columbia River Estuary and Willapa Bay     ....................       43
                                   Spatial Evaluation of Seagrass Ecosystems    ..................       44
                                   Salt Marsh Geomorphology     .............................            45
                           Integrative Modeling
                                   Coastal Landscape Dynamics of Maryland's Eastern Shore      .......   46
                                   Eelgrass in Great Bay, NE    ........  I.................       ; ... 47,



             VIL    TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM                                                  48


                    Toxic Chemical Contaminants Program       ...............................            48
                           Toxic Contaminant Bioeffects Surveys      ..........................          49
                                   Tampa Bay     .........................................               50
                                   Western Florida Panhandle    .............................            51
                                   Hudson@Raritan Estuary   ................................             52
                                   Boston Harbor    ......................................               53










                                    Southern California  ..........................             ........   54
                                    South Carolina Estuaries  ....  : ..........................           55
                                    South Florida   ........................................               56



              VUL TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM BIOEFFECTS RESEARCH 57


                     Bioeffects Indicator Development     ...................................              57
                     Bioeffects and Bioaccumulation Research      .............................            58



              IX.    NUTRIENT ENHANCED PRODUCTIVITY RESEARCH                                               59


                     Nutrient Enhanced Coastal Ocean Productivity (NECOP)        ....................      59
                     Mississippi River Flood Assessment Report      ............................           60
                     Atmospheric Nutrient Inputs to Coastal Areas (ANICA)       ...................        61
                     Maui Algal Bloom Studies     ........................................                 62



              X.     COASTAL HAZARDS RESEARCH                                                              63


                     Coastal Hazards: Extratropical Storm Surge Modeling       ....................        63
                     Coastal Hazards: Tsunami Hazards Reduction       ..........................           64
                     Coastal Forecast System (CFS)     ....................      I. . I ...............    65
                     Great Lakes Forecast System (GLFS)       .................................            66



              XL RESOURCE INFORMATION DELIVERY                                                             67


                     Coastal Ocean Management, Planning and Assessment System         ...............      67
                     Decision Analysis Series    .........................................                 68
                             Methodology and Mechanisms for Management of
                             Cumulative Coastal Environmental Impacts       .......................        69
                             Seagrass Restoration Technology     ..............................            70
                             Technology and Success of Sparlina allerniflora Marsh Restoration,
                              Creation, and Enhancement      ..................................            71
                             Habitat Requirements for Summer Flounder       ......................         72
                             Coastal Watershed Restoration and Community-Based
                              Aquatic Habitat Protection   ..................................              73
                             Restoring Streams and Anadromous Fish Habitat Affected by Logging        .... 74
                             Eutrophication and Phytoplankton Blooms     ........................          75
                     Bibliography of Synthesis Documents      ................................             76

              XILL   INDEX OF FACTSHEETS                                                                   77







    NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM



        New Directions in Coastal Ocean
                   Science and Policy





               Improved Planning, Coordination, and
                          Communication





                     Targeted Research Priorities




                    Improved Scientific Basis for
                  Environmental Management and
                          Policy Decisions











                            SETTING A COURSE FOR U.S. COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE:
                         SUBCOMMn-FEE ON U. S. COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE (SUSCOS)

              THEISSUE:


              The coastal ocean, comprised of the ocean from the shore to the continental shelf break, estuaries,
              embayments, and the Great Lakes, is of immense economic and environmental importance to the
              Nation. This diverse environment includes resources that represent the world's most biologically
              productive ecosystems, reserves of strategic minerals and other nonliving resources, and
              unparalleled opportunities for recreation and tourism. Over the next 50 years, almost half of the
              national population growth and development will take place immediately adjacent to the coastal
              ocean, producing enormous pressures on our coastal resources. In order to address the complex
              coastal issues that arise when economic development and environmental health must be balanced,
              new management approaches are required.

              -THE APPROACH:

              In 1991, the Federal Coordination Council on Science, Engineering, and Technology (FCCSET)
              established a Subcommittee on U. S. Coastal Ocean Science (SUSCOS) under the Committee on
              Earth and Environmental Sciences (CEES) to: (1) improve planning, coordination, and
              communication among Federal agencies involved in coastal ocean science, and (2) systematically
              improve the scientific basis for environmental management and policy decisions.               Wise
              stewardship of the coast'al ocean will ultimately require a policy of integrated management, which
              will demand support from a new approach to scientific research in the coastal ocean. SUSCOS
              evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of current U, S. coastal ocean science and has set the
              stage to pursue new approaches to science in support of improved management and stewardship
              of our coastal and marine resources.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              In Phase I of its work, SUSCOS completed an inventory of Federal programs supporting coastal
              ocean science. The SUSCOS inventory reports that total direct Federal research investment in
              the coastal ocean was $228 million in FY91, $218 million in FY 1992, and $226 million in FY
              1993. Contributing research (referring to U. S. research sponsored in non-U. S. waters or
              activities which provide supporting measurements, observations, or services crucial to the coastal
              ocean science framework) was $116 million, $98 million, and $119 million for the respective
              three years. The inventory also highlighted more than 40 significant research gaps in the coastal
              ocean science agenda that have been identified over the past five years by panels of the National
              Academy of Sciences and workshops of academics and Federal agency personnel. SUSCOS has
              also completed Phase 2 of its task in developing a national strategy for coastal ocean science,
              which is directed at integrating ongoing efforts and promoting the synergy required to tackle
              multidisciplinary problems that arise from complex societal issues. Publication of both Phase I
              and 2 are expected in 1994.









                                                               2


                             A NAT71ONAL AGENDA FOR COASTAL OCEAN SCIENCE:
                 NATIONAL SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL SUBCOMMITTEE (NSTC)


             THE ISSUE:


             The cumulative effects of accelerated development, human activities, and natural hydrologic and
             climatic patterns have resulted in degradation of many of the Nation's water resources and aquatic
             environments which has had a significant economic and social impact. While development offers
             benefits to society, the attendant needs for increased disposal of wastes, and consumption of
             energy, water, and food resources compel communities to manage that change more effectively.
             Managing for change includes balancing prevention, mitigation, and adaptation. To manage for
             change most effectively, one needs to observe, understand, and then anticipate. The role that
             science can play is to develop a scientific understanding of aquatic processes so that change may
             be predicted and management options evaluated.


             THE APPROACH:


             President Clinton established the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) and a series
             of committees to oversee all Federal R&D. The Committee on Environment and Natural
             Resources Research (CENR) was established under the NSTC to increase the overall effectiveness
             and productivity of Federal environment and natural resources R&D. The Water Resources and
             Coastal and Marine Environments Research Subcommittee (Water Subcommittee) of the C*ENR
             on which COP sits was established to: (1) assess the quality and integrity of the Nation's aquatic
             environments, (2) assess the adequacy and management of the Nation's freshwater resources to
             meet present and future needs, (3) predict the impacts of natural and anthropogenic changes on
             aquatic environments, and (4) assess the international water and aquatic environment resources
             of national and international economic and security interests.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             In April of 1994, an external science review was held at the National Academy of Sciences for
             the research and development plans created by CENR subcommittees. Based on the comments
             from this review process, FY94 research priorities were identified for each , of CENR's
             subcommittees, thus creating a National Environmental R&D Strategy. The goal of the Water
             Subcommittee, like the former Subcommittee on U.S. Coastal Ocean Science (SUSCOS), is to
             ensure reliable supplies of clean water as an economic resource and to ensure the integrity of
             aquatic ecological systems. The focus of the Water Subcommittee in this national environmental
             strategy is to center research around these national environmental goals and to target geographic
             locations for multidisciplinary research. This research- is targeted to develop a stronger scientific
             base for management decisions.         Specific areas of study include: the development of an
             interagency terrestrial and coastal observing and monitoring system; the investigation of mass
             balance studies which look at the flux and, fate of water and dissolved and particulate material
             from the atmosphere through the watershed and into estuaries and the coastal ocean; and the
             development of an interdisciplinary (physical, biological, and social) science program to guide
             the management and restoration of aquatic ecosystems.









                                                              3


                               NOAA CENTER FOR COASTAL ECOSYSTEM HEALTH


             THE ISSUE:


             Since 1960 the coastal population has increased by 32 million and if the trend continues, will
             increase by another 15 million in the next 20 years. This population growth generally has a
             positive impact on a region's economy by creating new local jobs and opportunities. A variety
             of environmental quality problems, like waste disposal, nutrient overenrichment, and habitat loss,
             and resource depletion problems, like declining fisheries, are also partially attributed to coastal
             population growth. To minimize, control, or mitigate these problems, Federal, State, and local
             resource managers need science-based information, data, and innovative strategies for establishing
             integrated policies and regulations to support sustainable development.

             THE APPROACH:


             The NOAA Center for Coastal Ecosystem Health is being established in Charleston, South
             Carolina. Congress appropriated new funding in 1994 to support development of improved
             coastal ecosystem monitoring, assessment, and management capabilities for the nation. NOAA
             has taken this opportunity to address the Nation's coastal environmental problems and to
             demonstrate innovative partnerships with Federal, State, local, and private institutions, The new
             Center will serve as a focal point for addressing coastal environmental quality problems in the
             nation such as nonpoint source pollution, nutrient overenrichment, and habitat loss and
             degradation. COP chairs the Management Committee for the Center

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

             The goal of the Center is to contribute to improved management strategies for achieving coastal
             biological, cultural, and economic sustainability. This will be achieved by bridging the gap
             between science and management to provide the technologies, methodologies, and information
             necessary to assess, predict, and improve the health -of the nation's regional coastal ecosystems
             and their living marine resources. It emphasizes NOAA commitmeritto achieving sustainable
             economic development while maintaining a healthy coastal environment.

             NOAA has established a policy level management committee of senior NOAA managers to
             oversee the Center's program and operations while also including State managers in the
             development process. Teams of NOAA and regional experts are developing work plans for initial
             Center efforts, These plans will define the preliminary facility, staffing, and other resource
             requirements associated with the Center's start up. Initial activities will include: monitoring
             activity (an interdisciplinary monitoring and prediction element, instrument technology
             development, and a remote sensing capability); restoration services (rehabilitation of impacted
             coastal habitats and improved management of coastal resources); and data and information
             management (a data and information system element, a-management information and synthesis
             element, and a data publishing and clearinghouse element).           Center staffing will include
             employees in fields ranging from science and engineering to data and information management.
             Start up activities in Charleston have gotten underway in the late summer of 1994.









                                                              4


                                        FLORIDA BAY RESEARCH PROGRAM


             THE ISSUE:


             Seagrasses in western Florida Bay have been dying since the summer of 1987. The Bay is
             important as a principal nursery for the Tortugas pink shrimp fishery and many important finfish
             species. The Bay also supports populations of the bottlenose porpoise and other noteworthy
             species. Changes in resident fishery populations associated with the Bay's habitat changes are
             occurring, while atypical phytoplankton blooms with attendant loggerhead sponge dieoffs have
             been reported across much of the western Bay. While the causes of these problems and the
             relationships among them are not well understood, there is no question that the Florida Bay
             coastal marine ecosystem is in jeopardy.


             APPROACH:


             In response to heightened local concerns about the deteriorating conditions in Florida Bay, a
             Federal-State agreement was signed establishing an interagency Task Force which then called for
             development of a Florida Bay Science Plan. The Coastal Ocean Program participated in the
             NOAA team to develop a research implementation plan with respect to the agency's interests and
             responsibilities in the Bay.      F.Y94 COP activities proposed in the Florida Bay research
             implementation plan will focus on the larger oceanographic, atmospheric, and fisheries context
             within which Bay restoration will proceed, including linkages with the adjacent Atlantic and Gulf
             of Mexico ecosystems. Florida Bay represents a, new program for COP and is expected to
             continue past FY94.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             The activities detailed in the NOAA implementation plan are organized into the categories of
             retrospective analyses, monitoring, modeling, and acquisition of critical new information'through
             both field studies and laboratory experiments. COP is funding several of the Florida Bay projects
             that will be undertaken - including an evaluation of seagrass habitat health and diversity,
             interpretation and groundtruthing of aerial photography of bottom habitat, and a pesticide analysis
             in Florida and their contribution to the. waters in Florida Bay. Most of the proposed NOAA' FY
             1994 activities are designed to. characterize and model the system and to build upon and be
             integrated with efforts already underway in NOAA and other agencies. Products from continued
             NOAA effort will include development of a remotely sensed (airborne and satellite) data archive
             of relevant Florida Bay data, development and adaptation of mesoscale and ocean circulation
             models, and technical publications to disseminate data and information on many Florida Bay
             parameters such as seagrass, zooplankton and macrobenthos abundance; biodiversity, fishery, and
             marine mamm    .al estimates; pollutant loadings; and ecosystem relationships.









                                                                5



                                  CUMULATIVE EFFEM OF MULTIPLE STRESSORS


              THEISSUE:


              The coastal region of the U.S. is rapidly changing. Since 1960, the coastal population has
              increased by 32 million and if the trend continues, will increase by another 15 million in the next
              20 years. The combined impacts of the anthropogenic pressures caused by this population shifts
              -- the impacts of habitat modification, nutrient and toxic inputs, and fresh water diversions -- are
              poorly understood. Traditional management responses to anthropogenically induced coastal
              degradation have been focused on individual potential causative factors (e.g., toxic, nutrients,
              habitat loss) rather than on the interactions of natural and anthropogenic stressors in nature.
              Better understanding of the cumulative effects and development of integrative approaches to
              manage these effects is needed for the wise use and protection of coastal resources.


              THE APPROACH:


              The COP is supporting an integrated multi-investigator, multi-disciplinary program of process
              studies, monitoring, modeling, assessment, and environmental valuation with the overall goal to
              predict impacts of multiple stressors on coastal resources, particularly in the context of integrated
              resource management assessment. Subgoals are to:

              0       quantify the magnitude and effects of specific natural and anthropogenic stressors and for
                      combinations of those stressors;

              0       identify integrated indicators of stress at individual, population, and ecosystem levels; and

              0       evaluate effectiveness of potential alternative mitigation approaches by combining where
                      possible the linkages between biological and human service functions of ecosystems.

              Over the course of these multi-year efforts, NOAA intends to strengthen its,internal capability
              to work at an integrated, ecosystem level together with external partners.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              An announcement of availability of funds to initiate one or more site-specific program was
              distri'buted by COP in FY94. Evaluation of proposals will be based on the conceptual model of
              the relationships among major components of the area's ecosystem, the design of the scientific
              program, and its application to management. COP anticipates funding at least one site-specific
              program for up to five years and additional site-specific programs if funding is available.
              Selection of FY94 proposals is expected by mid September 1994.






             NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM


                                                Environmental Valuation














                                                                                             .............








                                                 Ecosystem                                                                                            Human
                                                     Integrity                                                                       Needs/Preferences


                                                                      ............ .....


                                                                                                                                                                        . . . . ...... - - - - -. . . . .
                                                                      ..................







                                                                                                                          . . . . .. . . . I I I . . . . . . . . .
                                                                         W 1-11                      ............................            ----- -- -- --









                                                              6


                                    ENVIRONMENTAL VALUATION WORKSHOPS


             THEISSUE:


             The diverse needs and wants of a large and rapidly growing coastal population are now severely
             limited in many parts of the U.S. by the fixed supply of coastal resources and the limited capacity
             of natural ecosystems to assimilate human impacts. Exacerbating this problem is our inability
             to properly assign values to coastal environmental resources that can be compared with the value
             of these resources when traded in the market. The important costs and benefits of environmental
             resources must be taken into account for wise stewardship and management decisions.


             THE APPROACH:


             The COP is providing comprehensive information on the methods, assumptions, limitations, and
             applications of natural resource economic valuation to State and local planners, coastal zone and
             marine sanctuary managers, and natural resource trustees.           The COP is supporting the
             development of the curriculum and workbook for a series of regional workshops in order to
             deliver to these planners and resource managers the training in environmental valuation methods
             and applications that will provide them with tools for use in policy and decision making.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             After holding two pilot workshops in 1992 and 1993, a two-day Northwest Pacific Environmental
             Valuation Seminar with an improved curriculum and workbook was held in February 1994.
             Response to this seminar was so enthusiastic that it was followed by a Joint NOAA-EPA seminar
             in Seattle, WA in the summer of 1994 A seminar in Portland, OR is scheduled for fall 1994.
             Additionally, a joint NOAA-EPA seminar was held in Boston in May 1994. As an offshoot of
             these seminars, a two-day discussion of valuation techniques led by experts in the field was  * held
             in Casco Bay, ME in June 1994. Workshops in Columbia, SC; Chesapeake Bay, MD; 'and the
             Great Lakes are also being planned for the end of 1994 and early 1995.






     NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM


             Coastal Fisheries Ecosystems

                            Major Projects




                                     SABRE.



                                      
                                      






                             
                                                                                
                                                                                                        
                      
                      
                                                                                                    
             Bering Sea                                 Georges
                                                  
                  FOCI
                                                           Bank
 








                                                             7

                                     COASTAL FISHERIES ECOSYSTEMS (CFE)


             THEISSUE:


             Since 1991, the National Marine Fisheries Service annually reviews the status of more than 230
             groups of finfish, shellfish, corals, marine mammals, and sea turtles representing more than 450
             species. In the report issued for 1993, for those species having sufficient scientific information
             to determine their status, 28% were judged to be overutilized while 31% were fully utilized.
             There was insufficient information to make an informed judgment for another 29% of these U.S.
             living marine resources. The overutilized resources include some of the Nation's most valuable
             fisheries. To increase long-term potential yields of these fisheries with economic benefit to the
             Nation, stocks must be rebuilt. In addition, many other productive fishery resources     -are also
             threatened by the lack of information for stock size and condition and natural variability in the
             ocean environment..


             THE APPROACH:


             The overall goal of the Coastal Fisheries Ecosystems theme is to reduce uncertainty in resource
             management decisions through ecological research to improve the conservation and management
             of living marine resources. Study in three areas are being pursued to helpreduce this uncertainty:
             1) recruitment variability; 2) compensatory mechanisms; and 3) species interactions. Each effort
             addresses the need to understand the links between environmental variability and the biophysical
             processes controlling populations. Because these questions are difficult, a long-term research
             strategy and funding commitment is necessary with individual projects conducting research in
             parallel according to these three objectives on important species in different ecosystems.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

             Two CFE projects were initiated in FY .1991 in the South Atlantic Bight and in the Bering Sea,
             and one other was funded in 1993 in Georges Bank. Initial products from the program include
             the development of cost-effective techniques for assessing stock size and distribution;
             improvement of indices of fish abundance and forecasts of fishery recruitment; identification of
             the physical, chemical, and biological factors controlling population abundance; advancement of
             multispecies/yield models to help evaluate alternative management scenarios; development of a
             means for distinguishing between natural variability and changes in population size produced by
             human actions and/or activities;- development of scientific information that relates effects of
             anthropogenic stressors, including fishing, in "common currency" amenable for management
             decision input; and the enhancement of scientific exchange and publication output resulting in
             more credible scientific tools. It is anticipated that several additional projects can begin in
             outyears, thus allowing CFE to augment research over a more diverse array of ecosystems,
             taxonomic groups, and life history strategies and to improve the long-term body of knowledge
             available to decision makers.











                                          COASTAL FISHERIES ECOSYSTEMS
                         SOUTH ATLANTIC BIGHT RECRUITMENT EXPERIMENT (SABRE)


              THEISSUE:


              Atlantic menhaden is the most economically important fishery in the South Atlantic Bight. It is
              also the primary forage base for many game fishes in the region and critical to the community
              ecology of the South Atlantic Bight. Yet there is inadequate information on the impact of
              environmental factors on its maturation. Moreover, the estuarine dependent life history pattern
              of menhaden is typical of many commercially important fish along the East and Gulf coasts, and
              this species may serve as a model for understanding similar species.

              THE APPROACH:


              Critical phases in the life history of Atlantic menhaden --offshore spawning, onshore transport,
              estuarine development, and offshore transport and migration -- are being examined to determine
              when and where bottlenecks occur that limit recruitment. The project aims to improve the
              management of menhaden and similar commercial species through a better understanding of the
              ecological processes regulating population size. SABRE is a coordinated field and modeling
              effort including NOAA laboratories, academics, and State resource agencies.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              In FY91, a meeting supported by the Cooperative Institute of Fisheries Oceanography (CIFO) was
              held in February at North Carolina -State University to discuss research issues and priorities for
              the South Atlantic Bight, and to develop a project work plan. Eleven projects were selected for
              funding, and field sampling was initiated. Groundwork completed in 1991-93 include: a synthesis
              of available physical and biological background databases for the area; initiation of
              theoretical/modeling efforts focusing on physical dynamics and biological parameters; the design
              of protocols for field egg sampling and laboratory otolith (ear structure) analyses; field sampling
              to determine horizontal and vertical distribution of larvae; laboratory experiments to age fish
              through otolith analysis; synthesis of Atlantic menhaden population data and stage-within-age-
              based model; and development of field verifiable tests of the an optical video integrated ".smart-
              sampler."

              Plans for FY94 focus on initiating an integrated field/lab/model program to identify loci of
              recruitment variability in Atlantic menhaden along the North Carolina coast. Included in this task
              are: physical measurements to relate coastal current and inlet mouth dynamics; offshore biological
              sampling studies of egg and larvae; inlet sampling of larvae; further improvements in otolith
              analyses; and development of models inlet passage and physical circulation with the individual
              cohort models.










                                                              9-


                                          COASTAL FISHERIES ECOSYSTEMS
                 BERING SEA FISHERIES OCEANOGRAPHY COORDINATED INVESTIGATIONS
                                                            (FOCI)

             THE ISSUE:


             Bering Sea pollock provide the world's largest single-species fishery. Approximately half of the
             catch 'occurs within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. The remainder comes from both the
             western Bering Sea (Russian territory) and, at times, from an international fishery in the
             "doughnut hole" that lies 'outside the EEZ's of all nations. It is believes that two coastal stocks
             (eastern and western) provide the majority of fish. Present knowledge indicates the majority of
             animals result from spawning in the southeastern Bering Sea shelf. To what extent these stocks
             intermingle and provide the spatially complex fishery is not known. Furthermore, the natural
             factors which cause large interannual variations in year-class strength need elucidation to develop
             reliable estimates of recruitment. FOCI research provides information to resource agencies such
             as the International Convention on Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources and the
             U.S. North Pacific Fishery Management on the nature of stock structure, the contribution of
             spawning over the slope to shelf populations, and on survival of animals (eggs through
             young-of-the-year) in the three distinct habitats crf the eastern shelf.

             THE APPROACH:


             FOCI addresses questions of stock structure throughout the Bering Sea. and on survival of early
             life history stages in the eastern Bering Sea. Studies focus on genetics, transport phenomena both
             over the basin and slope and onto the eastern shelf, and biophysical processes in the three distinct
             domains extant on the shelf that impact survival of young animals. Ultimately, the project aims
             to provide information which will reduce the uncertainty of management decisions for the critical
             fishery through an improved knowledge of the ecological processes affecting population
             distribution and size. This will be accomplished by developing indices of various biophysical
             processes which occur during the early life history.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             In February 1991, NOAA co-sponsored an international workshop to assemble relevant data on
             the Bering Sea fishery and to develop a cooperative research plan. In August 1991, FOCI funded
             the first of several U.S, research cruises into the Soviet portion of the Bering Sea. In FY92, eight
             of the ten projects received continued funding, and one new project was funded in pollock larval
             growth, transport and mortality. In FY93, field monitoring and observations were used to
             develop a comprehensive view of upper ocean circulation. An improved meteorological, physical,
             and biological oceanographic mooring helped to understand how springtime eddies coincide with
             larval pollock. Sampling and modeling have helped to characterize and understand larval feeding
             and growth conditions. FY94 emphasized expanding and refining knowledge of processes
             affecting the survival of eggs, larvae, and juvenile pollock and comparing these processes on the
             slope and shelf. FY95 will look to complete research on genetics, larval feeding, and ocean
             transport, and focusing on egg to young-of-the-year life stages and processes affecting them in
             the three shelf domains. Spring and summer field work will involve U.S. and Japanese ships and
             a NOAA research aircraft to make synoptic measurements of low-level winds and ocean color.











                                                              10


                                          COASTAL FISHERIES ECOSYSTEMS
                      PREDATION AND STRUCTURE OF THE GEORGES BANK ECOSYSTEM


             THE ISSUE:


             Georges Bank, off the U.S. northeast coast, is one of the most biologically productive areas in
             the temperate coastal ocean. This ecosystem has undergone profound changes due to intensive
             exploitation during the last three decades. The arrival of distant water fleets on Georges Bank
             in the 1960s resulted in massive ecological shifts, resulting in significant changes in community
             dynamics. At the height of the fishery (1973), nearly one million metric tons of biomass were
             removed from.the system. Valuable species, such as Atlantic cod and haddock, have been
             depleted to near economic extinction and replaced by low-valued species of dogfish and skates
             which are important predators of commercially 'valuable species. During this period, the
             percentage of the region's total catch of cod and haddock has dropped from 70% to 15% as a
             result of overfishing.

             THE APPROACH:

             A COP-sponsored research project is examining the ecosystem characteristics which affect efforts
             to restore cod and haddock populations, including the feeding behavior of predators and the
             availability and distribution of food for young fish. The research addressing the above issues
             using a combination of. 1) retrospective studies of changes in biomass relative species
             composition and feeding interactions using multivariate time series of change, description of
             trophic structure of Georges Bank system, studies on specific compensatory processes for
             definition of stock recruitment, and preliminary consumption estimates for multi-species models;
             2) field and laboratory observations and experimentation designed to increase the precision of
             consumption rate estimates and to test competing hypotheses; and 3) development of multispecies
             models of Georges Bank for evaluating production potential of cod and haddock under alternative
             fishing strategies and fish community configurations representing different levels of predation
             stress.   The goal is to provide advice to fishery managers on harvesting strategies for the
             multispecies fish community as a whole.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

             The project was initiated in FY93. Lab studies are being initiated in FY94 to develop
             biochemical probes of identifying digested remains of larval cod in fish stomachs. Stomachs of
             major fish species will continue to be sampled during the fall, winter, and spring trawl surveys
             and special cruises to study predation. Development of multi-species models will continue with
             the following activities: evaluation of temporal/spatial characteristics of available databases on
             food habits and density distribution overlap of predators and prey; determination of possible
             structure and feasibility of parameterizing candidate multi-species models; evaluation of available
             modeling software packages to facilitate model development; exploration of properties of
             candidate models; sensitivity analysis to indicate critical parameters; and examination'of key
             questions such as relative importance of predation on pre-recruits vs. post-recruits, and
             implications of density -dependence and non-linear functional feeding responses.







          NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM


                                                     Coa*stWatch


                                              Regional Nodes





                                                                                        .....................







                                                                                           Ar r, MI              Narragansett, III




                La Jolla, CA                                                                                  eaufort, NC
                                                                                                          -----------------
                      .................
                                                                Stennis Space Center, MS
                           ...........





                                                                                                            Miami, FL
                                                                                          ----------------- ...........
                                  chorage, AK                      .........................................
                      .............. --------------------

                           -----------------------





                           Honolulu, Hl

                           -----------------------












                                                   NOAA COASTWATCH


              THEISSUE:


              In the fall of 1987, a "red tide" event, a toxic plankton bloom, occurred off the North Carolina
              coast, causing an estimated $25 million loss to fisheries and tourism f6r that area when State
              authorities had to close shellfish beds for several months. NOAA's polar orbiting satellites were
              able to detect ocean thermal features associated with the event in the data collected from the
              Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR). These were then translated into high
              resolution sea surface temperature (SST) images which provide the means for tracking this toxic
              marine algae as well as for many other activities and phenomena that are associated with sea
              surface temperatures.


              THE APPROACH:


              CoastWatch is designed to provide satellite remotely sensed and in situ environmental data and
              information to Federal and State decision makers and researchers in a timely and accessible
              manner. CoastWatch focuses on regional and national priorities, such as unusual enviro-nmental
              events and tracking algal biomass that contribute to toxic phytoplankton blooms. It is a
              cooperative effort involving the COP and all NOAA Line Offices including the National Weather
              Service (NWS), National Ocean Service (NOS), National Environmental Satellite, Data and
              Information Service (NTESDIS), Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR), and National Marine
              Fisheries Service (NMFS).

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              The CoastWatch program has made significant progress in its initial objectives: 1) to.provide
              access to near real-time and retrosp  ective satellite and in situ data and aircraft observations to
              decision makers and researchers; 2) to enhance communications systems supporting access to and
              distribution of near real-time and historical satellite and in-situ observations of coastal ocean
              users; and 3) to enhance workstations and associated software for integrated analyses of
              environmental quality, fisheries oceanography, and coastal hazards. Regional sites have been
              established to collect, process, calibrate, validate, archive, and distribute the data. Focus for the
              program now is to develop and apply products. Such applications include the Red Tide Watch,
              Turtle Excluder Devices Project, El Nino Watch, Zebra Mussel Predictions, and the Synthetic
              Aperture Radar Project.











                                                             12


                                                 NOAA COASTWATCH
                                        TURTLE EXCLUDER DEVICES (TEDs)


             THE ISSUE:


             Endangered sea turtles have been shown to exhibit a preference for warmer waters, and these
             turtles are often accidentally captured by trawlers fishing in these productive waters. If trapped
             in a trawl for an extended period of time, these turtles can drown. Information on sea surface
             temperature (SST), which is available from space-borne platforms, would enable fisheries
             managers to exercise adaptive management practices by requiring trawling operations with TEDs
             in areas of warmer water and allowing trawling without TEDs in areas of cooler water, thus
             reducing the likelihood of capturing, and possibly drowning, the endangered turtles.

             THE APPROACH:


             CoastWatch imagery, supplied by the Coastal Ocean Program, has been used extensively to
             understand the role of temperature in mediating the distribution and migration of sea turtles in
             the coastal ocean, and in a cooperative plan bet)Ween NMFS and the State of North Carolina, to
             monitor and protect them. NMFS uses a combination of available turtle observations and
             CoastWatch SST imagery to estimate the relative risk of trawling to turtles and adjusts the
             geographic requirements for TEDs. The application of research, satellite imagery, and other data
             to this problem facilitates an adaptive management. approach to the regulation of the trawling
             activities and protection of sea turtles.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES


             In December 1990, these data were instrumental in the decision by the State of North Carolina
             to suspend the fish trawling season in the Hatteras Bight. In 1991, SST imagery played a vital
             role in continued management of this fishery and in research to better our understanding of the
             factors affecting sea turtle distributions. Imagery from the winter of 1992-1993, coupled with
             1991 aerial observations on the temporal and spatial distribution of sea turtles, indicated that
             temperature conditions north of Oregon Inlet, NC, were similar to those observed in December
             1991. Based on those observations, NMFS expected that nearshore water temperatures north of
             Oregon Inlet would decline and that this decline would reduce the probability of sea turtle capture
             by summer flounder trawlers. This led NMFS to reduce the area where the use of TEDs was
             required by lifting the TED use requirement in the area north of Oregon Inlet to Cape Charles,
             VA.











                                                              13


                                                  NOAA COASTWATCH
                                                    RED TIDE WATCH


              THEISSUE:


              Paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) is a major public health risk in certain areas along the coast.
              It is caused by "red tides" or "blooms" of microscopic marine organisms, which develop under
              certain natural environmental conditions. The organisms that cause PSP are not harmful to the
              filter-feeding shellfish that concentrate the toxin, but it is highly toxic to humans. The "blooms"
              force State authorities to close shellfish beds for several months, thereby causing economic
              disaster for commercial fishermen. Satellite-derived sea surface temperature (SST) images
              provide the means for tracking this toxic marine algae.


              THE APPROACH:


              The goal of the CoastWatch Red Tide program is to achieve effective management of fisheries,
              public health, and ecosystem problems related to marine biotoxins and harmful algae to protect
              the public from tainted shellfish through monitoring programs and harvest restrictions. The
              development of forecasting capabilities for the occurrence and impacts of harmful marine algal
              blooms is needed. Investigations into the environmental conditions associated with toxic bloom
              episodes indicate that some "bloom" organisms are associated with identifiable water masses, and'
              oceanographic features such as fronts, or advected by coastally trapped river plumes. CoastWatch
              regional nodes distribute SST images and other environmental data to researchers and Federal and
              State resource managers to facilitate the identification of potential harmful bloom conditions.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              On the West coast, red tide efforts are concentrating on the feasibility of modeling the
              development of red tides, with the.goal of being able to predict potential areas and times that
              "blooms" may occur, based on critical environmental information. This was the subject of a
              Harmful Algal Bloom Workshop held August 17-19, 1993, at the NOAA CoastWatch Regional
              Node, La Jolla, Ca. Satellite images have been distributed to State public health officials who
              conduct monitoring programs for the occurrence in shellfish of PSP.

              In the Southeast, research efforts have focused on identifying the causes of a severe red tide off
              the North Carolina coast and on monitoring for new outbreaks. In the Chesapeake Bay, a.
              cooperative program between NOAA and the Chesapeake Bay Program has focused on improving
              the quality of information about spring algal blooms in the Bay. Researchers at Woods Hole
              Oceanographic Institute have shown CoastWatch SST imagery to be a useful tool in studies of
              "red tide" blooms and the onset of PSP in the southeastern Gulf of Maine. On a national scale,
              remotely sensed SST has great promise as a tool to provide early warning of the conditions
              conducive to bloom development. A reliable forecasting capability will allow managers to
              concentrate monitoring efforts in identifiable, high risk areas and reduce the need for
              geographically broad harvesting restrictions.











                                                             14


                                                 NOAA COASTWATCH
                                                    EL NINO WATCH


             THE ISSUE:


             Along the west coast of North America, there are major alterations in ocean conditions associated
             with El Nino events which can    cause drastic ecological and economic consequences -- e.g., the
             impacts on West Coast living marine resources may be disastrous or beneficial. West Coast
             Federal, State, and local agency managers and scientists require timely information concerning
             El Nino conditions for making decisions related to fisheries management, coastal zone
             management, water quality, and research.


             THE APPROACH:


             With Coastal Ocean Program support, the,El Nino Watch was started in January of 1992, in
             response to the onset of El Nino conditions in the Equatorial Pacific. One manifestation of El
             Nino events is the persistence of anomalously warm'surface water off the West Coast. Monthly
             El Nino Watch Advisory Charts are issued by the West Coast Regional Node, covering the
             coastal ocean conditions for the continental West Coast. These advisory charts summarize the
             sea surface temperature anomalies based on in situ data from the National Weather Service,
             describe the oceanographic conditions, and the potential impacts on living marine resources.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             The West Coast Regional Node prepares and issues El Nino watch advisories which include
             analyses of coastal ocean mean sea surface temperature (SST), deviations of SST from normal,
             information on ocean currents, thermocline structure, and other conditions as available. During
             1993, twelve El Nino Watch Advisories were issued to over 300 primary users who frequently
             distribute or post the information for further access by others. As-of Spring 1992, approximately
             125 users received these advisories. This number is expected to increase. Satellite images
             showing ocean temperature distribution are distributed electronically to a smaller riumber of users
             who require more detailed information. In addition to these advisory charts, the El Nino Watch
             functions as an information clearing-house,- makes data available from cruises conducted to
             evaluate impacts of El Nino conditions on selected fish stocks, and'gives presentations to the
             public.











                                                              15


                                                  NOAA COASTWATCH
                                             ZEBRA MUSSEL PREDICnONS


              THE ISSUE:


              The introduction of non-native species to eastern North America is a continuing concern to
              industries, coastal communities, and State and Federal resource managers. Since the 1800's over
              136 different species have been introduced into the Great Lakes basin, including the zebra mussel
              (Dressena polymorpha). Problems arise from zebra mussel colonization when they adhere to
              water intake pipes, thus reducing the flow through these pipes, and when they adhere to other
              structures in the water such as boats and docks. Problems also arise when the dead, sharp shells
              litter the shoreline and when the mussels are transported from one location to other inland rivers
              and lakes. As knowledge spread of the devastating impacts occurring at Detroit Edison and
              Monroe Michigan water utility in the fall of 1989, managers wanted to know what areas were
              likely to be impacted by zebra mussel colonization.

              THE APPROACH:


              Using Green Bay, Lake Michigan, as a test site, researchers evaluated th    'e physical parameters,
              water temperature during the spawning season, water depth, and available substrate to identify
              areas of probable colonization. These were then compared with other factors such as calcium
              availability and pH levels to develop a working model to estimate where zebra mussels are likely
              to occur in inland water bodies.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Surface water temperature data were obtained from the CoastWatch Advanced Very High
              Resolution Radar (AVHRR) images through the NOAA CoastWatch program. These data were
              received from the Coastal Ocean Program sponsored CoastWatch Regional Node at. the Great
              Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) in Ann Arbor. The AVHRR images were                I
              incorporated into a geographic information system (GIS) that combined sea surface temperature
              data with bathymetry to determine areas where zebra mussels are likely to colonize. Researchers
              also identified, based on cultural parameters (areas near urban expanses and river mouths), where
              problem areas are likely to be colonized.

              The study demonstrates that CoastWatch data and GIS can be used to obtain quick first order
              identification of areas where zebra mussels are likely to colonize in large lakes or bays. Benefits
              to decision makers are that the results can be applied to establish monitoring locations or to
              decide which areas need further study. Such analyses are useful in reducing initial costs and
              increasing effectiveness.











                                                            16'


                                                 NOAA COASTWATCH
                                       SYNTHETIC APERTURE RADAR (SAR)


            THE ISSUE:


            Shipping, fishing, and recreational boating in areas where sea ice is prevalent can be treacherous
            and can constrain important economic activities in these areas.         Accurate and dependable
            information about the location of sea ice and the presence of fronts, eddies, and currents is
            needed to help protect human lives from danger, to protect natural ecosystems from harmful spills
            due to boating accidents and collisions, and to facilitate economic activity in these areas.

            THE APPROACH:


            The ability of SAR'instruments to view ocean, ice, and land surfaces at high resolution, day or
            night, and regardless of cloud cover makes this imagery a valuable tool for routine environmental
            monitoring. Sea ice applications of SAR data include measuring ice concentration, ice motion,
            detection of leads, iceberg tracking, and discrimination of ice type and age. Recent and near
            future launches of SAR instruments will make the data readily available. To prepare for the
            operational use of this data, the Coastal Ocean Program is supporting research for an applicati  ons
            demonstration of the use of SAR data in CoastWatch for the Alaska and Great Lakes regions.

            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


            The July 1991 launch of the European Remote Sensing Satellite (ERS-1) satellite has made
            routine SAR data available. With the SAR's 30 meter resolution, ice-edge, lead, concentration,
            and iceberg locations will be much more accurate than can be obtained with the CoastWatch
            Advanced Very High Resolution Radar (AVHRR) resolution of 1. 1 km. Open ocean applications.
            of SAR for monitoring swell length and direction, the presence of fronts, eddies, and currents,
            and the extent of oil spills are also promising.   The first year of the Alaska and Great Lakes
            applications demonstration project, begun in May 1992, assessed the usefulness of ERS-1 SAR
            data for CoastWatch management applications such as fisheries ecology, hazards to coastal
            transportation, assessment of ice jams and river flooding, and coastal ocean research. In FY93,
            an applications demonstration of the use of SAR data in CoastWatch was begun.











                                                              17


                                                      OCEAN COLOR
                             SEA-VIEWING WIDE FIELD-O&VIEW SENSOR (SEAWIFS)


              THE ISSUE:


              The importance of remotely sensed ocean color data to understanding the ocean's role in coastal
              areas and in global biochemistry, climate, and change became apparent to the oceanographic
              community through retrospective analyses of Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS) data. The Sea-
              Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SeaWiFS) will improve and renew this coastal ocean color
              remote sensing capability and will foster applications of SeaWiFS ocean color data to coastal
              science research efforts.


              THE APPROACH:


              COP'9 Ocean Color Project was initiated in FY 1993 to realize this coastal application by
              supporting the acquisition of high resolution coastal data at strategically located regional sites.
              The goal is to provide full coverage for the coastal U.S. The implementation @ of this project is
              designed around the following scientific objectives:

              0      to develop and validate regional coastal algorithms to improve the ability to use satellite
                     data to estimate , coastal ocean phytoplankton pigments, biomass, and ultimately
                     productivity;

              0      to promote research aimed at improving the understanding of physical and biogeochemical
                     processes in the coastal ocean, estuaries and Great Lakes; and

              0      to promote sci.ence application demonstrations utilizing ocean color data products to
                     facilitate coastal resource and ecosystem management.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              The CZCS experience demonstrated that much of the scientific utility of ocean color data is
              realized in retrospective analysis. For this purpose, NOAA and NASA are working together to
              develop SeaWiFS, and COP is funding the development of a Collaborative Archive at Goddard
              Space Flight Center. The archive will receive high-resolution coastal SeaWiFS data collected
              from around the U.S. from the regional receiving, processing, and distribution facilities. Three
              NOAA locations have been identified as strategic acquisition sites for regional collaborative
              research, directed toward local coastal algorithm development of the coastal data. These sites,
              funded by COP, are also CoastWatch Regional Nodes and are located at the National Marine
              Fisheries Service laboratories in Honolulu, HI, and La Jolla, CA, and at Stennis Space Flight
              Center, MS. Plans are in development to establish a fourth strategic site before launch at the
              NWS Forecast Office in Anchorage, AK. Three components have been identified for the
              investigation plan, including SeaWiFS data operations, non-NOAA collaborative research and
              NOAA research applications.








     NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM


       Coastal Change Analysis Program


                      Protocol Development



















        Regional Change                  Watershed and
            Analysis                     Habitat Mapping











                                                              18

                                 COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)


              THEISSUE:


              Although over 70 percent of economically important fisheries in the U.S. depend upon estuarine
              habitats during some life stage, these areas are being destroyed or degraded- by coastal
              development, bringing with it nonpoint source pollution, erosion, and environmental threats.
              Land cover changes due to human population growth and attendant impacts         on fishery habitat,
              adjacent uplands, water quality, and living marine resources occur faster and more pervasively
              than we previously have been able to monit   or. Information about the extent and rate of habitat
              degradation and loss is needed for sound resource management decisions.

              THE APPROACH:

              Quantifying changes in the areal extent of wetlands and adjacent uplands is critical for linking
              land-based human activities to coastal ocean productivity. The Coastal Change Analysis Program
              (C-CAP) uses satellite imagery and aerial photography to monitor areal extent, functional status
              and change in these critical habitats.      C-CAP is cooperating with EPA's Environmental
              Monitoring and Assessment Program, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlands
              Inventory, the U.S. Geological Survey, and other Federal and State agencies. Currently, C-CAP
              is divided into three project areas: protocol development, regional change analysis, and remote
              sensing of wetland health.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              The program has developed a standard, nationally accepted protocol for mapping submerged
              aquatic vegetation (SAV), emergent coastal wetlands, and adjacent uplands. The protocol
              includes sources and procedures for data acquisition, processing, and presentation and has been
              tested and refined in two prototype studies, one in the Chesapeake Bay region and one in coastal
              North Carolina.


              As the C-CAP protocol becomes more refined through research and input from regional projects,
              more effort is being focused on additional regional programs to expand the geographic coverage
              of the change detection database, including areal mapping of SAV. Researchers in Alaska,
              California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North
              Carolina, Texas, Oregon, Washington, and Canada have initiated regional land cover and change
              detection studies.


              A 1992 pilot study in Louisiana was conducted to determine the feasibility of remote sensing to
              measure the health of emergent wetland habitats. A final report relating spectral characteristics
              of marsh to aboveground biomass density is expected in 1994.











                                                           19

                               COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                      NATIONAL PROTOCOL DEVELOPMENT


            THE ISSUE:


            Changes due to human population growth and attendant impacts on fishery habitat, adjacent
            uplands, water quality, and living marine resources are occurring very quickly. Monitoring these
            changes too often produces,data and tools that are difficult for decision makers to use because
            of the complexities in understanding what these data mean. A standard protocol for detecting
            change in emergent coastal wetlands, adjacent uplands and submersed habitats is needed for
            producing comparable products that managers can use in making natural resource decisions.


            THE APPROACH:


            Development of the C-CAP protocol is based primarily on information generated by five regional
            workshops, topical meetings, and two prototype studies, one in the Chesapeake Bay region and
            the other in coastal North Carolina. The prototype studies -used Landsat Themati c Mapper (TM)
            imagery, aerial photography and field verification. Researchers from universities, State and
            regional organizations, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and NOAA have participated in this
            development. The protocol includes sources and procedures for data acquisition, processing, and
            presentation. Nationwide acceptance of the protocol will allow comparable data to be obtained
            regardless of the agency which funded or conducted the effort.

            ACCOMPLISHMENTSAND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


            Issues dealing with statistical validation and the development@ of a classification scheme for
            wetlands and uplands played a large role in protocol development as did the two prototype
            studies. The Chesapeake Bay was used as a prototype for change detection of emergent wetlands
            and uplands using satellite imagery, while coastal North Carolina was used as a prototype for
            mapping and change detection of submerged aquatic vegetation using aerial photography.
            Findings from these studies and from a field test in Salisbury, MD, have prompted C-CAP to
            fund projects to both expand the geographic coverage of the database and refine various aspects
            of the protocol.    Some of the refinements include testing change detection methodology,
            examining the influence of tides on TM data, and the development of improved methodology for
            detecting certain types of wetlands and for accuracy assessment of the change detection
            databases. The protocol will be published as a NOAA Technical Report in 1994.











                                                               20

                                 COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS, PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                CHESAPEAKE BAY REGION


              THEISSUE:


              Land cover changes due to human population growth and attendant impacts on fishery habitat,
              adjacent uplands, water quality, and living marine resources occur faster and more pervasively
              than. we previously have been able to monitor. Information about the extent and rate of these
              land-cover changes, habitat degradation and loss, and the effects of nonpoint source pollution is
              needed for sound resource Management decisions.


              THE APPROACH:


              A prototype change analysis for land cover in the Chesapeake Bay region was condpcted by
              researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory as part of an effort to develop a standard,
              nationally accepted protocol for mapping emergent coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands. The
              study compared Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery for 1984 and 1988/89.                      Nationwide
              acceptance of the protocol will allow comparable data to be obtained regardless of agency which
              funded or conducted the effort.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              The Chesapeake Bay data set constitutes one of the largest change detection efforts ever
              attempted, covering an area of approximately 30,000 square miles. Its greatest value is in its
              synoptic coverage and consistent classification over such a large area. The data set has been
              refined through a series of field and statistical validation projects consisting of: 1) initial field
              tests with existing wetlands data, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's National Wetlands
              Inventory map products; 2) preliminary field tests by Federal, State and local experts for the
              Salisbury, MD area; 3) an error estimation workshop to design an accuracy assessment approach
              for habitat change analysis; and 4) an accuracy assessment of the data set based on the findings
              of the above workshop and field work.

              As part of an effort by the wetlands subcommittee of the Federal Geographic Data Committee,
              a field verification of the Wicomico County portion of the data set was conducted in 1993 in
              order to identify the level of consistency between wetlands data collected by various government
              agencies and to determine cause of possible inconsistencies. U.S. Geological Survey's Eastern
              Mapping Center implemented the analysis through the use of geographic information system
              technology. Preliminary findings suggest that C-CAP data for forested wetlands are more
              accurate than previously thought. A final report of the Wicomico effort is scheduled for release
              in 1994.


              In order to expand coverage in the region, the Coastal Ocean Program is supporting the process
              of merging land use/land cover maps from the northern North Carolina coast with those produced
              for the Chesapeake Bay region.











                                 COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                    NORTH CAROLINA


             THEISSUE:


             Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) includes some of the most productive primary producers
             in the marine environment and provides habitat for juveniles and adults of many estuarine
             dependent fish and shellfish. SAV has been vulnerable to adverse effects from anthropogenic
             activities in the North Carolina coastal zone. These activities include the increasing development
             of coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands, excessive freshwater inflow, pollution, and turbidity.
             Data on spatial change of seagrass habitat is needed to improve the management of these habitats
             and the species they support.


             THE APPROACH:


             A prototype change analysis- for SAV along the North Carolina coast was carried out in order to
             develop a standard, nationally accepted protocol for mapping these habitats.             Nationwide
             acceptance of the protocol will allow comparable data to be obtained regardless of the-agency
             which funded or conducted the effort. C-CAP SAV efforts in North Carolina were co-funded by
             the Albemarle-Pamlico Estuary Study of the EPA National Estuary Program.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Beaufort Laboratory completed its effort to map
             SAV along the North Carolina coast from Bogue Inlet to the Virginia border with change analysis
             conducted from Cape Lookout to -Drum Inlet for 1985-88. SAV habitat charts were published
             for southern and northern Core Sound and southeast Pamlico Sound as well as a change detection
             map for southern Core Sound.

             Through this effort, researchers at the NMFS Beaufort Laboratory have refined change detection
             methodologies for SAV.    'Global Positioning System technology also has been used to verify
             locational information. Personnel from Oak Ridge National Laboratory are also assisting
             researchers at North Carolina State University to merge the land use/land cover maps from
             northeastern North Carolina with those produced f6r the Chesapeake Bay region. In 1994, effort
             is being focusing on building a standardized, digital, regional land cover change detection
             database for all of coastal North Carolina. The change detection will use Landsat Thematic
             Mapper (TM) data and will reflect land.cover changes from the 1997-90 time frame to
             contemporary TM data (1993/94).

             The North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural Resources will continue to
             incorporate these data into its geographic information system database in order to resolve fishery
             questions related to land development, water rights, etc. The State, using this data, has established
             certain coastal water bodies as outstanding resource waters deserving extra protection.











                                                          22

                               COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                 GULF OF MEXICO


             THE ISSUE:


             Marsh habitat loss in the Gulf of Mexico is a prevalent problem. Wetland areas including the
             Galveston Bay area, Sabin Lake wetlands, Bessie Heights Marsh, Port Arthur, and Corpus Christi
             area are suffering from both subsidence and salt water intrusion. The causes of these can be
             attributed to oil pumping activity as well as to groundwater extraction to meet the demands of
             a growing population along the coast as well as further inland where freshwater is scarce.
             Adding to these problems are the attendant habitat alterations and nonpoint source pollution
             associated with population growth along the coast.

             THE APPROACH:


             In FY 1991, C-CAP began a cooperative project with the State of Texas to perform a change
             detection analysis for emergent wetlands and adjacent uplands for two initial Landsat Thematic
             Mapper scenes in the Galveston Bay area. This work is being expanded to include additional
             scenes along the Gulf of Mexico coast. The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is performing
             the image processing following the guidelines of the C-CAP protocol with technical assistance
             from Oak Ridge National Laboratory.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             In FY93, C-CAP purchased a 1992 Landsat scene for one side of the Bay, and in 1994 the State
             of Texas completed a 1999-1992 change analysis. At the end of 1993, surveying started in the
             Sabin Lake wetlands area where marsh acreage has been undergoing losses for the past five
             years. Work continues on the imagery for the area and preliminary groundtruthing has been
             completed. Maps are expected in the surnmer of 1994. In August of 1994, change detection
             analyses will begin for the Corpus Christi area where the growing demand for water is
             threatening the functional health of the Natches River and estuary.











                                                            23

                                COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                MAINE AND CANADA


             THEISSUE:


             The St. Croix River historically has provided valuable habitat for salmon. Land use changes
             from the large forestry industry in both Maine and Canada have threatened this habitat. The
             logging facilitates runoff of sediment, damages the river's clarity and depth, and inhibits the
             ability for the salmon to survive upstream. Also damaging the quality of the St. Croix River and
             Passamaquoddy Bay is human development that contributes other nonpoint source pollutants from
             septic tanks, urban runoff, etc. Understanding how and where these types of land use changes
             are occurring can help managers ameliorate the damage and prevent further degradation.


             THE APPROACH:


             At the end of FY92,    a regional change analysis project in the St. Croix River estuary and
             Passamaquoddy Bay in Maine and Canada-was initiated using.the C-CAP protocol. This is a
             cooperative effort involving C-CAP, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Gulf of Maine
             Program, and Environment Canada.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             A change analysis will be completed using Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery from 1985 to
             1992. , In FY93, the following was accomplished: 1) image acquisition; 2) preliminary image
             analysis; 3) initial field verification; and 4) production of preliminary map pro ducts to be' used
             in upcoming field verification work. Image analysis and field verification will continue and a
             final change detection product will be available late in 1994. Researchers at the University of
             Maine have contributed to the change detection protocol development by improving
             methodologies for detecting forested wetlands.











                                                             24

                                COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                             OREGON AND WASHINGTON


             THE ISSUE:


             Land use changes from the forestry industry in both Oregon and Washington are seriously
             affecting the functional integrity of fishery habitat in the Columbia River. Sedimentation from
             logging clouds the streams and reduces depth, especially in the small tributaries of the Columbia
             River that are essential to salmon spawning. This runoff also adversely effects the coastal bays
             where productive shellfish beds lie. By analyzing these land use changes, managers can perhaps
             improve techniques that will protect these habitats as well as ensure the economic productivity
             of the fishing and shellfish harvests.


             THE APPROACH:


             Protection of salmon stocks is one of the critical elements related to C-CAP's involvement in
             habitat mapping. At the end of FY92, C-CAP initiated a regional change analysis project in the
             lower Columbia River, Willapa Bay, and Tillamook Bay and in 1994 initiated a seagrass rii-apping
             initiative in Willapa Bay. This is a cooperative effort involving the National Marine Fisheries
             Service Point Adams Field Station in Hammond, OR, NOAA Office of Coastal Resource
             Management, the cooperating agencies within the Columbia River Estuary Study Task Force
             (CREST), and the States of Oregon and Washington.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             In FY93, the following was accomplished for the regional change analysis: I)- image acquisition;
             2) preliminary image analysis; 3) initial field verification; and 4) production of preliminary map
             products to be used in upcoming field verification work. Image analysis and field verification will
             continue and a final change detection product will be available by the summer of 1994. A
             workshop to demonstrate the product to State, regional, and Federal groups is planned.

             CREST, as an outgrowth of this change analysis mapping, is initiating a project to map the
             distribution of seagrasses in Willapa Bay. These baseline maps will be used to monitor the
             effects of management decisions such as nonpoint source pollution reduction strategies on the
             seagrass Zostera. The project will test the C-CAP mapping protocol on the West Coast and will
             use aerial photographs, photointerpretation, and field monitoring to develop the digital and hard
             copy maps that will be' made available to regional resource managers. Expected completion date
             for the project is September 1996.











                                                             25

                                 COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                          ALASKA


             THE ISSUE:


             The Hubbard Glacier in Alaska is moving very rapidly and within the next ten years is
             threatening to close off the Russell Fiord which provides important habitat for a variety of marine
             life. More importantly, if the Hubbard Glacier does indeed trap the Fiord, the water level will
             rise within the Fiord and may cause the water to discharge elsewhere. This would adversely
             affect the Situk River, an important run for the area's salmon fishery. The logging industry has
             also had multiple effects on these stream ecosystems and salmon fisheries through its effects on
             the riparian zone and on upland areas.


             THE APPROACH:


             At the end of FY92, C-CAP initiated a mapping eff6rt in the area of Hubbard Glacier and Russell
             Fiord. This is a cooperative effort involving the National Marine Fisheries Service Auke Bay
             Laboratory. Cloud cover problems in this areChave made image acquisition difficult. The
             present effort is being conducted with a 1986 Landsat Thematic Mapper image. C-CAP is
             searching for a more recent image to conduct a change analysis. It is hoped that if the glacier
             does close off the fiord, another image can be obtained to monitor the effects of rising water on.
             surrounding habitats and the Situk River.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             In FY93, the following was accomplished for the regional change analysis: 1) image acquisition;
             2) preliminary image analysis; 3) initial field verification; and 4) production of preliminary map
             productsto be used in upcoming field verification work. Image'analysis and field verification will
             continue and a final change detection product will be available by the summer of 1994.










                                                              26

                                 COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                  SOUTHERN FLORIDA


              THEISSUE:


              Seagrass habitats in South Florida have been extensively modified by human development and
              from the freshwater flow alterations through the Everglades. Florida Bay, in particular, is
              suffering extensive ecological damage from this alteration of freshwater flow. The lack of
              freshwater has changed the salinity content of the water, thus shifting the seagrass species
              composition and causing seagrass die offs. This then facilitates a spiral effect as the increased
              turbidity and phytoplankton blooms from these changes increase the likelihood for further
              seagrass die offs.


              THE APPROACH:


              In response to the dramatic declines in submerged seagrass beds in South Florida and Florida
              Bay, research has been initiated to focus on- better understanding the primary factors that control
              seagrass distribution 'and productivity (e.g., water clarity and nutrients), on developing better
              methodologies for creating or evaluating newly constructed seagrass ecosystems, and on
              methodologies to map, monitor, and assess the health of seagrass ecosystems.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              C-CAP principal investigators have been assisting the Florida Department of Environmental
              Protection to determine status and the health of the southern Florida ecosystem by helping to
              interpret aerial photography to map seagrass beds in Florida Bay. A project using Landsat
              Thematic Mapper imagery to map emergent wetlands is also in the planning stage. These maps
              will help to pinpoint where restoration efforts and better management practices are needed. This
              project is being conducted under the auspices of the Federal Geographic Data Committee and is
              bringing together Federal, State, and local agencies that have digital spatial data for South
              Florida. The goal of the project is to utilize these data to help ansWer pertinent, management
              questions.

              Work on an inventory of seagrass habitats in Florida Bay will also be conducted in 1994. The
              data source is aerial photographs acquired through a photo mission funded jointly by C-CAP and
              the State of Florida and conducted by the NOAA Photogrammetry Unit. Photographic data will
              be supplemented and verified with field data to be collected this year. This effort is part of a
              larger South Florida project to perform a comprehensive inventory of an extremely valuable
              resource threatened by an ongoing die-off of seagrasses and reduction in associated fisheries.











                                                             27

                                COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                   MASSACHUSETTS


            THEISSUE:


            The coastal areas of Massachusetts are highly developed and thus contribute many point and
            nonpoint source pollutants into the estuarine habitats and bays. The results of this pollution are
            evidenced by wetland and seagrass habitat reduction. One example of this is in Boston Harbor
            where the sewage discharges are one of the major causes of environmental degradation and where
            very little of the historic level-of seagrasses still remains healthy. By mapping seagrass habitat,
            managers can hopefully track the environmental health of the area and can use these seagrasses.
            as an indicator of success for management decisions.


            THE APPROACH:


            ,Studies of seagrass habitats have been initiated in response to this dramatic decline in submerged
            seagrass beds around the Massachusetts coastline. Research in Massachusetts is focused on
            understanding the primary factors that control seagrass distribution and productivity (e.g., water
            clarity and nutrients), on developing better methodologies for creating or evaluating newly
            constructed seagrass ecosystems, and on using seagrass distribution and productivity as an
            indicator of ecosystem health.


            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


            Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) mapping of coastal Massachusetts is a cooperative effort
            involving the. Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The State is
            developing a multipurpose wetlands inventory. During 1993, photography was flown for
            preliminary test areas in Buzzards and Massachusetts Bays. Additionally, C-CAP personnel have
            instructed DEP personnel in the use of C-CAP protocols for mapping SAV and in the procedure
            for conducting preliminary field investigations in the test areas. Final map products for the
            Buzzards Bay test site are aviilable, while final map products for the Massachusetts Bay test sites
            will be made available in the summer of 1994. Another project for mapping SAV near Nantucket
            Island and the north shore of Cape Cod has already begun. This project is a cooperative effort
            between C-CAP, DEP, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. Field verification,
            photointerpretation and compilation will take place in 1994. In addition to the DEP, the State
            Office of Coastal Zone Management, the Division of Marine Fisheries, and the Department of
            Environmental Management will also use the data.











                                                           28

                               COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                      LOUISIANA


            THEISSUE:


            Historically, the coastal marshes of Louisiana have been the recipient of plentiful supplies of
            sediment from the Mississippi River. The series of dikes built to protect the growing populations
            along the River, however, have retained the majority of this sediment essential for the functional
            health of these coastal marshes. The wetlands have, therefore, undergone sediment starvation,
            resulting in marsh sediment settlement and subsidence and altering the functional capacity of the
            coastal marshes in Louisiana.,


            THE APPROACH:


            In addition to change detection analysis, C-CAP is also interested in developing new and easier
            techniques for mapping and measuring the health of emergent wetland habitats. A feasibility
            study was funded in Louisiana to determine if this monitoring can be made from using remotely
            sensed data. This is a cooperative effort between-the University of Delaware and Louisiana State
            University. C-CAP is also working with NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal
            Resource Management to build a geographic information system (GIS@ to detect land cover
            changes along the Louisiana coast.


            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


            As a preliminary effort in this study, scientists at the University of Delaware completed in FY92
            a literature search and review to summarize thei feasibility of remotely sensing biomass,
            productivity, and functional health of coastal marshes. Also in FY92, a pilot study in Louisiana
            marshes was conducted jointly by scientists from the University of Delaware and Louisiana State
            University (the latter funded by EPA's Environmental Mapping and Assessment Program) to
            relate spectral characteristics of marsh to above ground biomass -density. To date, relative
            biomass maps have been completed, but the more difficult task of coordinating the calibration
            of the remotely sensed data to field data is still underway. Work is also continuing to correct
            the model in order to accurately characterize surface features for the mapping. A final report is
            expected in 1994.

            In cooperation with this remote sensing effort, the National Wetland Research Center is building
            a comprehensive standardized GIS to detect and assess changes in land cover and habitat in the
            Mermentau River Basin and within the Chenier Plain of coastal Louisiana. Imagery sources
            include Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data and photography. C-CAP protocols will be used
            to classify the TM data with the 1993/94 images providing the base and 1990 images providing
            the change comparison. Field data will also be collected to verify the classifications made from
            the imagery. Results for this study will provide a baseline for change detection and a standard
            format for incorporating databases and results from current programs and future data sources.
            It will especially benefit development of Louisiana's coastal nonpoint source program and will
            provide baseline information and protocols with Gulf-wide or national applications.











                                                              29

                                 COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                         GEORGIA


              THEISSUE:


              The salt marshes, brackish marshes, and tidal swamps that line the Georgia coast between the
              mainland and the barrier islands are vital ecosystems that buffer upland run-off to the coastal
              estuaries and provide habitat for fish and shellfish populations. The entire coast, however, faces
              development pressure from a rapidly growing State populationand nonpoint sources of pollution
              due to important agriculture and forestry activities.


              APPROACH:


              C-CAP in cooperation with NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal Resource
              Management has initiated a one-year project with the University of Georgia's Center for Remote
              Sensing and Mapping Science (CRMS) to collect land cover/habitat information for the coastal
              and adjacent upland areas of the Georgia coast over a 10-year period. Georgia data will be used
              to expand C-CAP's digital database on the southeastern Atlantic coastal zone area.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIE&


              CRMS and C-CAP hope to develop a digital database and employ geographic information system
              technology for Georgia coastal change analysis over the ten-year period from 1984-1994.
              Historical imagery of coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands will be obtained from 1984 Landsat
              Thematic Mapper (TM) data and 1983 aerial photography, and the 1993/94 baseline will be
              obtained from TM data and aerial photography. Field work will be conducted to verify the
              classifications made from the imagery. Color-coded hard copy maps and digital datasets
              depicting coastal land cover change between 1984-1994 will be developed by the project and will
              be made available to resource managers responsible for management decisions affecting the
              Georgia coast.











                                                              30

                                COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                        NEW YORK


             THEISSUE:


             Measuring the success of the Coastal Zone Management Act Section 6217, Coastal Nonpoint
             Contamination Program, can be done by. monitoring the health and distribution of coastal
             wetlands, adjacent uplands, and submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV). A baseline knowledge of
             the current conditions are therefore needed on which to measure changes. Knowledge, however,
             of the current distribution and species composition of SAV in the Hudson River is site-specific
             and incomplete, and on Long Island, no digital database exists documenting wetland and upland
             areas.


             APPROACH:


             C-CAP, in cooperation with NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal Resource
             Management, initiated two projects in New York in 1994: 1) large-scale mapping of the current
             distribution and species composition of SAV in the Hudson River; and 2) establishing a digital
             database for coastal wetlands and adjacenf uplands for Long Island Sound. The New York Sea
             Grant College Program is conducting the SAV mapping study using aerial photography and field
             verification. The New York State Coastal Management Program is looking at change in emergent
             wetlands and uplands using Landsat Thematic Mapper imagery, aerial photography, and field
             verification.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Two final products are expected from the 2-year SAV project: 1) 9" x 9" true color photographic
             prints and transparencies at the scale of 1:24,000 and 2) NOAA shoreline maps at the scale
             1:20,000 upon which the database of community composition and distribution of SAV have been
             mapped. The SAV data will also be provided in digital format.

             For Long Island, digital and hard copy maps will be created. The digital database will use 1994
             as the base year and will be updated at five year intervals. It will be used by New York State
             and regional agencies to assess current wetland and watershed conditions and characteristics and
             for future change detection efforts. Use of the resulting database will be facilitated by developing
             a protocol for and sample output of data files for input to selected regional geographic
             information system (GIS) platforms.         In addition, this remote sensing database will be
             incorporated intoexisting and planned wetland-related GIS databases.











                                                             31

                                COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                                       NEW JERSEY


             THEISSUE:


             New Jersey is the most heavily urbanized State in the nation. Its coastal zone has experienced
             tremendous development in the last two decades. The loss of coastal wetland and upland habitat
             and the increase of nonpoint source pollution has negatively affected adjacent estuarine systems,
             leading to a decrease in productivity and biodiversity.


             APPROACH:


             In 1994, C-CAP, with the cooperation of NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal
             Resource Management, initiated with the New Jersey Sea Grant College Program a project to
             expand the C-CAP database coverage. The goal of the project is to develop a standardized
             information base on the present land cover of the New Jersey Atlantic Outer Coastal Plain to
             serve as the basis of future C-CAP change detection efforts.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Evaluation of the utility of established C-CAP protocols to New Jersey's heavily urbanized coastal
             zone will include classifying summer 1994 Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery using the
             C-CAP Land Cover Classification System. The project will investigate the incorporation of
             additional data sets such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife- Service's National Wetlands Inventory
             and/or soil maps in the context of a geographic     information systern (GIS) to provide further
             classification improvement. Also, a retrospective change detection analysis using TM imagery
             from 1984, 1988, and 1992 for the New Jersey coastal region that spans a gradient of human
             disturbance will be conducted.


             The products developed from the project will be shared with       the New Jersey Department of
             Environmental Protection and Energy and will be integrated into the New Jersey Ecological
             .Spatial Data Base Project that is being developed, maintained, and distributed by the Rutgers
             University Center for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis.











                                                               32

                                 COASTAL CHANGE ANALYSIS PROGRAM (C-CAP)
                                             CENTRAL CALIFORNIA COAST


              THE ISSUE:


              Along the West Coast of the U.S., California contains more coastal wetland acreage than Oregon
              or Washington. However, California has lost 75% of its original coastal wetlands. Rapid
              population growth, freshwater diversions, increase in urban/agri cultural run-off, and destruction
              of natural habitat has a direct effect on the extent of sensitive habitat, species, and water quality.
              The cumulative effect of these impacts upon the remaining wetlands is not well understood on
              a regional watershed basis.


              APPROACH:


              In 1994, C-CAP, in cooperation with NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal
              Resource Management, initiated a study with the California Coastal Commission to test the
              applicability of the C-CAP protocol in a West Coast wetland ecosystem by the classification of
              Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) data and visualization of C-CAP products.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Objectives of the project are: 1) to determine TM data capabilities and limitations for land cover
              identification and mapping, with particular emphasis on wetland habitats in the Elkhorn Slough
              watershed; 2) to develop a land cover database of the Elkhorn Slough drainage area for two dates
              of TM imagery; 3) to demonstrate the integration of C-CAP digital products with existing
              geographic information system databases for cumulative impact assessment, control of nonpoint
              source pollution, and pollutant loading models; and 4) to identify the utility of the C-CAP
              protocol products for long-term monitoring and assessment of cumulative impacts, particularly
              with respect to nonpoint source pollution monitoring requirements of CZARA Section 6217, and
              to cumulative impact monitoring of CZMA Section 309.

              Expected results include a quantified geographically specific land cover change for the entire
              Elkhorn Slough watershed between 1985 and 1993, identification of spatial and spectral
              limitations of the TM data for land cover inventory in terms of a minimum measurement unit for
              California wetlands, and the identification of the potential usefulness of the C-CAP data for
              cumulative impact assessment and monitoring of nonpoint source pollution.

              Results of the study will be provided to C-CAP and the California Coastal Commission in the
              form of digital land cover databases, land cover change databases, ground observation
              coordinates, accuracy assessment matrixes, and ancillary data necessary for file management and
              archiving. A full report of the findings will be presented, and a local demonstration workshop
              will be held to present the findings and the application of C-CAP land cover change data in
              visualization of pollutant data within the watershed.








   NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM


         Estuarine Habitat Program











            * Restoration Technologies
            * Functional Value Comparisons
            * Landscape Ecology
            * Integrated Modeling











                                                             33

                                       ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM (EHP)


             THE ISSUE:


             It is estimated that three-quarters of the Nation's marine harvestable species are at some point in
             their life cycle dependent on estuarine habitats for food and shelter or as migratory routes and
             spawning grounds. Generally, estuarine habitat is being lost or degraded in direct proportion to
             human population density in coastal areas and at rates that concern coastal scientists and mangers.
             Much of the decline of salt marsh and seagrass systems has been through some type of alteration
             to the flow of water to these habitats, such as dams, levees, dikes, dredge and fill operation,
             drainage, roadways, etc. It is important for resource managers to understand the importance of
             these habitats to the long-term support of fish populations. A better understanding of the
             location, extent, and rate at which critical habitats are being altered will provide managers with
             an enhanced ability to improve habitat and fishery restoration and management techniques and
             thus maximize social and economic benefits to the Nation.


             THE APPROACH:


             EHP research is centered on specific seagrass or salt marsh habitats and is focused on
             understanding the mechanisms and impacts of habitat alteration and restoration, the functional
             value and role of these habitats, and the linkages between these habitats. Another focus for
             research is the development of spatially based, generic, functional ecosystem model applications
             to seagrass and salt marsh habitats that couple relatively small-scale models to landscape- or
             regional-scale spatial models. These models can provide for the integration of EHP functional
             research with mapping and geographic information system (GIS) information in order to analyze
             regional-scale changes on living marine resources.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

             Research on salt marsh and seagrass environments has produced a body of knowledge that
             contributes to a better understanding of the these habitats, and how they can be maintained or
             restored. Manuals that help determine the structure and functional health of natural and restored
             wetlands have been produced, as has a document examining the capability of water quality
             criteria to protect seagrasses. With the progress made in these two areas, a 1992 workshop
             recommended that greater emphasis be placed on the impact of seagrass and wetland habitats on
             living marine resources; the interaction of these habitats with surrounding habitats; and the
             integration of the habitat function research results with the Coastal Change Analysis Program
             (C-CAP) change detection analyses. As a result, the mix of fourteen current EHP projects is
             highly weighted toward innovative approaches. Four of the five Restoration Technology projects
             deal with genetic variability.     Two projects relate to Functional Value, one of which is
             specifically aimed at comparing various habitats for their functional value as nursery areas for
             fish recruitment. Five projects deal with various aspects of Landscape Ecology, one of which
             is focusing on the critical area of the Columbia River Estuary. Two projects are dealing with
             Integrative Modeling, Several of the projects across the categories will employ C-CAP analyses
             as part of their activity.











                                                             34


                                           ESTUARINE HAB11TAT PROGRAM
                                             RESTORATION TECHNOLOGY
                               IMPROVING METHODS FOR WEST COAST MARSHES

             THE ISSUE:
             The ultimate. goal of we'tiand restoiation is to provide self-sustaining ecosystems that 'closely
             resemble the natural systems being replaced in terms of both structure and function. Southern
             California!s salt marsh restorati,on sites do not function as well as natural wetlands. A 1992
             transplantation of approximately 11,000 plugs of cordgrass at the Santa Ana River mouth (near
             Los Angeles) experienced 100 percent mortality; in San Diego Bay, the three marshes that were
             planted to attract Light-footed Clapper Rails to nest have failed to attract this endangered bird.
             New methods are needed to improve the success of coastal wetland restoration', and the resulting
             information needs to be transferred to users.


             THE APPROACH:


             The overall goal of this project is to improve the potential         for habitat construction and
             manipulation to produce functional ecosystems more rapidly. Researchers in southern -California
             are conducting studies with the following objectives: 1) measuring rates of ecosystem
             development in constructed wetlands by comparing sites of different age and comparing
             individual sites through time; and 2) looking at ways to accelerate ecosystem development of
             constructed wetlands by augmenting soils with organic matter and nitrogen.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             To date, the, research has shown that cordgrass in constructed west coast marshes is too short to
             function as suitable nesting areas for clapper rails, but that nitrogen addition can improve the
             cordgrass growth. Scale insects can become serious pests in some of the constructed marshes,
             causing significant damage to the cordgrass, and research is underway to determine how to avoid
             the problem. Products generated by this project include a book of guidelines on salt marsh
             restoration.











                                                            35


                                          ESTUARINE HABrlFAT PROGRAM
                                            RESTORATION TECHNOLOGY
                             GENETIC DIVERSI71Y IN CALIFORNIA SEAGRASS BEDS


             THEISSUE:


             To provide continued support for living marine resources, seagrass populations must remain
             viable. In southern California, transplanted seagrass beds have been found to have reduced
             genetic diversity relative to beds with no known history of transplantation, although they are
             undoubtedly stressed. Genetic diversity is essential to the long-term survival of populations,
             providing the variation necessary for adaptation to new environmental conditions, including
             marine pollution. Despite the ecological importance of aquatic plants, their population biology,
             particularly population genetics, is relatively unknown. The genetic approach is important because
             it provides a tool for predicting whether current reductions in seagrass populations are likely to
             result in future losses.


             THE APPROACH:


             The goal of this project is to determine the degree* of genetic diversity necessary to ensure
             survival of transplanted eelgrass beds over a desirable time frame. Researchers in. southern
             California are conducting studies to determine why transplanted eelgrass beds are deficient in
             genetic diversity compared to natural beds; whether reduced genetic diversity is a local
             phenomenon; the mechanisms creating the deficit; and the significance of reduced genetic
             diversity for eelgrass bed development, maintenance, and persistence, and the ecological
             consequences.    This approach provides practical ways in which seagrass viability can be
             increased and restoration success maximized.


             ACCOMPLISHIIvIENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             The project will use the information generated to develop management strategies that preserve
             nIatural levels of genetic diversity in eelgrass populations so that long-term viability, and thus
             associated living marine resources, is not compromised. To this effect, the project is developing
             recommendations on the population size and levels of genetic diversity to include in eelgrass
             transplantations to ensure reasonably long-term persistence and adjustment to environmental
             changes. In addition, the project will provide a demographic model to predict eelgrass bed
             development and recommendations on possible revisions of permit requirements for eelgrass
             habitat modifications.











                                                                36


                                             ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                               RESTORATION TECHNOLOGY
                          GENETIC DIVERSITY OF FLORIDA/CARIBBEAN TURTLE GRASS


             THE ISSUE:


             Seagrass communities exert a major influence on estuarine and coastal environments because of
             their rapid growth and high net productivity. Turtle grass, Thalassia testudinum, dominates the
             shallow coastal and estuarine communities of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean and serves as
             a nursery and habitat for a wide variety of fishes and crustaceans*. Vegetative propagation
             appears to be the primary -method used by most seagrasses to             expand, resulting in genetic
             uniformity that can result in communities that are vulnerable to disease or environmental changes
             such as global warming. There is a need to know the amount of genetic diversity that exists
             between and within beds of T. lesludinum, and whether this diversity is correlated to specific
             locations and abiotic factors, in order to ensure that restoration projects using turtle grass, or other
             seagrass species, will achieve a higher success rate by using clones of individual plants that are
             compatible with the mitigated site.

             THE APPROACH:


             The overall goal of this project is to assess the genetic diversity of T. testudinum in Florida and
             the Caribbean. Researchers in Florida are conducting a systematic examination of the genetic
             diversity of populations of T. testudinum on the west coast of Florida, the Florida Keys, and the
             Caribbean island of Jamaica using anonymous nuclear DNA, markers. The work includes a
             determination of the genetic separation of populations, genetic diversity of individuals growing
             in similar, local habitats. and a correlation of the genetic information with morphology and
             habitat.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Most importantly, the study should yield insights into the significance of the clonal. nature of
             turtle grass beds. The procedures developed for genetic differentiation of T. testudinum would
             give managers of coastal systems tools to determine genetic diversity in other species of
             seagrasses as well. This determination of genetic diversity will aid in strain selection for
             mitigation projects. Ultimately, a genomic library will be constructed to support future activities.











                                                             37


                                           ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                            RESTORATION TECHNOLOGY
                            GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION/EAST COAST SEAGRASS
                                             PROPAGATION TECHNIQUES


             THEISSUE:


             Marine habitat restoration is important from recreational, ecological, and fisheries perspectives.
             A number of techniques have been developed for planting marine seagrasses, and protecting them
             during the initial stages of establishment. Concerns have developed over the quality and sources
             of the transplants, and the environmental effects,of disturbing donor beds for transplant material.
             Over the last few years, researchers have been developing methods for horticultural propagation
             of seagrasses, with the primary focus on in vitro propagation, which offers a potentially low-cost,
             highly efficient technique at rates that are much higher than those obtained from other methods
             of propagation.


             THE APPROACH:


             The overall goal of this project is to develop techniques for in vitro propagation of seagrasses.
             Researchers in North Carolina and Florida are collaborating to further develop both in vitro
             propagation technology for seagrasses and procedures for transplanting cultured plants to the
             field. In addition, data will be collected on the productivity of seagrasses in more diverse field
             locations. A second focus is to begin to characterize the degree of genetic diversity that occurs
             within two seagrass species, eelgrass Zostera marina and shoal grass Halodule wrighth in the
             Chesapeake Bay region.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             New methods for seagrass habitat restoration and creation based on a blotechnological approach
             will be developed. This new technology -could be used to produce large numbers of plants for
             seagrass restoration projects and provide information towards filling gaps in our knowledge on
             how to achieve effective habitat restoration. In addition, the project will develop a genotype map
             of Z. marina for the Chesapeake Bay region to characterize degree of genetic diversity. Genotype
             maps can be integrated within remote sensing programs (such as the Coastal Change Analysis
             Program) and GIS models to help predict best management practices to maintain genetic diversity
             of seagrass populations.











                                                                 38


                                              ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                                RESTORATION TECHNOLOGY
                                                    DELAWARE MARSHES


              THE ISSUE:


              The goal of wetland creation and replenishment is the enhancement of valuable wetland functions
              by restoring wetland ecosystems that have been damaged and by creating new communities from
              other more abundant or less critical habitats. To this effect, high performance varieties (i.e.,
              genotypes) of plant species that can accelerate and sustain the functional efficiency of created and
              restored marshes are needed. Research has identified different varieties of the salt marsh plant
              Spanina altemiflora that have different functional potentials (capacity to support living marine
              resources) that directly or indirectly affect the degree of planted marsh development. The next
              step, is to determine if the different potentials exhibited by plant varieties result in' different
              realized support functional levels for living marine resources.


              THE APPROACH:


              The overall goal of this project is to ident4i the impact of the varieties of native          salt marsh
              plants on marsh support functions and to develop varieties of salt marsh grasses with properties
              most desirable for restoration. Researchers in Delaware are comparing the functional potential
              of S. altemiflora varieties by using a series of models to assess changes in potential for living
              marine resources support functions through time as the planted marsh develops, measuring how
              plastic the varieties of S. altemiflora are in their growth patterns in several geographic locations,
              examining and comparing the natural genetic variability available for selecting varieties of S.
              foliosa collected on the California coast,,and determining if the different potentials exhibited by
              the plant varieties result in different realized sup port functional levels for living marine resources.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Products will include information on the effect of plant varieties of S. allemiflora on fish
              utilization of the marsh surface and on the rate of development of created marshes to achieve
              functional equivalency with natural salt marshes.. In addition, simulation models for the various
              wetlands will provide comparative projections on the potential of each variety to influence the
              rate of development of wetland functions, thereby providing a format for future comparisons as
              other varieties or species are studied.










                                                               39


                                            ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                                   FUNCTIONAL VALUE
                                     NORTHEASTERN FISHERIES RECRUITMENT


              THE ISSUE:


              Significant gaps exist in our knowledge of how estuarine habitats are utilized by many resource
              species and how habitat quality affects recruitment succes& This is especially true for the
              recently settled juveniles of many species that are the basis for commercial and recreational
              fisheries. This type of information is critical to our ability to rationally manage these resources.


              THE APPROACH:


              The overall goal of this project is to identify critical habitats for fishes in northeastern estuaries
              and assess their functional value as nurseries. Researchers from New Jersey and NOAA are
              collaborating to conduct a study based on the premise that growth rates of young-of-the-year
              fishes vary as a function of habitat quality. The project involves identifying critical habitats (e.g.,
              eelgrass beds, mudflats, and salt marshes) in three northeastern estuarine systems having similar
              habitats (Great Bay--Little Egg Harbor and the Hudson-Raritan systems in New Jersey and the
              Connecticut coast of Long Island Sound) and assessing their functional value as nursery areas for
              winter flounder and tautog. Habitat use patterns for young-of the-year fishes and movements and
              growth of recently settled fishes in the three estuarine systems are being compared in an effort
              to define differences in habitat quality that could be related to recruitment processes.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              This project provides an essential first step toward developing management strategies for fisheries
              and related habitats. By determining growth of a species at the same life stage across habitat
              types among estuaries that are geographically close, a comparison of the functional value of those
              habitats will be possible and appropriate for incorporation into a spatially oriented ecosystem
              model. Determining movements among these habitats will allow linkages between the primary
              habitats to be defined in concert with an analysis of trophic relationships. Quantification of the
              relative importance of specific habitats will provide a valuable tool toward making decisions for
              managing, conserving, and restoring coastal habitats critical to the support of living marine
              resources. In addition, the techniques developed as part of this project may provide excellent
              biomonitoring tools for tracking the health of the estuaries.











                                                              40


                                           ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                                  FUNCTIONAL VALUE
                               EAST AND WEST COAST SALT MARSH COMPARISON


             THE ISSUE:


             Research has emphasized east and Gulf coast salt marshes with far less emphasis being placed
             on salt marsh systems of the west coast. It has been assumed that observations on plant
             developnient, nutrient cycling, faunal development, and food webs are readily transferable from
             coast to coast. However, there are climatic and geomorphological differences between estuarine
             wetlands on the two coasts which lead to differences in species composition and diversity, tidal
             zonation of vascular plants, and potentially important differences in  production and trophic food
             webs.


             THE APPROACH:


             The overall goal of this project, initiated in 1994, is to compare salt marshes on the east and west
             coasts in terms of primary produc    'ers, infauna, and trophic linkages. Academic and NOAA
             researchers from North Carolina and California are collaborating to address the habitat and
             trophic linkages within salt marshes on both geographic and developmental scales. Three priority
             areas are being addressed: the role of estuarine habitats in supporting living marine resources; the
             linkage between habitats (salt marsh and tidal mudflat); and comparisons of        'salt marsh and
             mudflat function with respect to geographic location and developmental stage (i.e., natural vs.
             transplanted or invasive species marshes).

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

             The data will be utilized to develop a conceptual model describing the effects of interaction       s
             among Spanina spp, irradiance, tidal regime, and sediment physico-chemical properties on salt
             marsh primary production and secondary producers. Additionally, the project will provide data
             that can be used to d6termine how coastal and estuarine habitats function to suppott living marine
             resources, including development of methods for habitat restoration and creation, and
             incorporation of functional information into. quantitative and qualitative models for use by habitat
             managers in protecting, conserving, and restoring critical habitats.











                                                              41


                                           ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                                 LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
                             NORTH CAROLINA SALT MARSH-SEAGRASS LINKAGES


             THEISSUE:


             Intertidal salt marshes and subtidal seagrasses, mud flats, and sand flats come together in a
             mosaic of patterns to create heterogeneous estuarine landscapes. Many fishery species and. other
             living marine resources are highly mobile and utilize each of these habitats for foraging and/or
             predator avoidance either on a daily basis or during parts of their life, cycles. Linkages between
             the landscape components have not been well studied, but are potentially important in the transfer
             of energy through the estuarine food web and the resultant production of living resources.
             Understanding the role of linkages among the component habitats on the growth and survival of
             prey organisms and foraging of predators is essential as we strive to manage entire ecosystems
             and not just individual habitats.


             THE APPROACH:


             The overall goal of this project is to assess the advantage to fishes and crabs of being able to
             utilize both salt marsh and seagrass habitats, rather than being confined to one or the other'
             Researchers in North Carolina are examining trophic linkages and multi-species predator-prey
             interactions between salt marshes and adjacent subtidal habitats using field and laboratory
             experiments. Whether or not growth of forage fish and/or juvenile blue crabs differ bet        ,ween
             marshes with and without adjacent submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) will be tested, Field
             sampling will also determine if utilization of marshes by forage fish and blue crabs differs
             between marshes with and without SAV and/or if predators alter their time spent foraging
             between these two landscape types. Mesocosm studies will be used to examine the influence salt
             marshes with and those without adjacent SAV have on predator-prey interactions among several
             estuarine species and multiple trophic levels.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Results will aid directly in making predictions co 'ncerning the relative contribution within existing
             estuarine landscapes to living marine resources and fishery production. Findings will also aid
             resource managers in making decisions based on habitat functionality concerning site selection
             for restoration and/or preservation projects to maximize production of living marine resources.











                                                             42


                                          ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                                LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
                                     HABrFAT FUNCTION AND INTERACTION
                                    DUE TO LAND-BASED NUTRIENT LOADING


            THEISSUE:

            The area and configuration of subtidal habitats of bays of the Cape Cod region have changed
            over the past four decades from eelgrass meadows to a seaweed canopy. This shift is linked to
            increased nutrient loadings from watersheds subject to urban development around the margins of
            the estuaries. There is evidence that salt marshes can significantly intercept land-derived nitrate
            before it reaches the estuarine water column by converting it to N2 through the process of
            denitrification (considered a "bottom-up" mechanism), and therefore act as a control. However,
            "top-down" mechanisms such as grazing pressure also exert control on abundance of vegetation.
            It is important to learn the relative importance of each of these mechanisms.

            THE APPROACH:


            The overall goal of this project is to develop an understanding of'how fringing salt marshes
            modify the effects of land-derived nutrients on adjacent seagrass beds. . Researchers in
            Massachusetts are conducting an effort to document the couplings among adjoining habitat
            parcels and are examining how these couplings affect the assemblages of animals, plants, and
            seaweeds that live in the systems. The study is considering natural and anthropogenic inputs of
            nitrogen from land, focusing on the transformation of nitrogen during passage through salt marsh
            parcels, and investigating how the aquatic ecosystem responds to the transformed inputs. The
            extent and location of adjoining coastal habitats is being determined by in situ mapping and data
            processing by a geographic information system. This work expands and takes advantage of the
            Waquoit Bay Land Margin Ecosystems Research project.

            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

            The program will produce a detailed map of habitats in Waquoit Bay, insights as to -how
            adjoining habitat parcels interact with each other, a description of benthic fauna in different
            habitats and in water bodies subject to different nitrate loading rates, information as to how
            denitrification rates change as nitrate loading increases, and how loading rate changes water
            quality. The data will aid in the formulation of models that incorporate function and spatial
            arrangement of:habitat mosaics of different habitats.











                                                               43


                                            ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                                  LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
                                  COLUMBIA RIVER ESTUARY AND WILLAPA BAY


              THEISSUE:


              Coastal managers usually must consider the ecological and economic functions of coastal
              wetlands as comparable over broad geographic regimes despite often-substantive regional
              differences in factors that influence wetland processes. One consequence of this lack of regional
              specificity is that wetlands are often managed as static systems when, in fact, they are dynamic.
              This is particularly true of the coastal estuaries of the Pacific Northwest, which are different from
              marshes in other regions of the United States. Application of many of the existing conceptual
              models about coastal wetland function, which have largely been based on Gulf of Mexico
              marshes, may be inappropriate because they originate from studies in less dynamic systems.
              Understanding how these dynamic factors influence natural successional processes in Pacific
              Northwest estuaries is critical to revising these models and their contribution to estuarine
              management.


              THE APPROACH:


              The overall goal of this project, initiated in 1994, is to assess the effects of increasing Spartina
              growth on mudflat ecosystems and the estuarine system. Researchers in the states of Washington
              and Louisiana, and from NOAA and USGS, are evaluating sedimentation processes that influence
              marsh expansion and erosion on a variety of time scales (historical and recent), and the ecological
              implications to estuarine consumers of changing regimes of marsh and unvegetated (mudflat)
              habitats in the Pacific Northwest region. The research focuses on two estuarine emergent marsh-
              mudflat systems, the Columbia River estuary and Willapa Bay.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Comparisons of the processes of expansion at work in emergent marshes and -of the relative
              ecological role of marsh vs. mudflat habitats in the two estuaries will provide information of
              direct importance to estuarine resource management issues in the region. This work will also
              provide a detailed understanding of habitat function in an area where the Coastal Change
              Analysis Program (C-CAP) is already conducting large-scale land cover mapping.











                                                           44


                                          ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                               LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
                              SPATIAL EVALUATION OF SEAGRASS ECOSYSTEMS



            THE ISSUE:


            Information on the functional role of living marine resources has been based largely on research
            conducted at less than a one square meter scale extrapolated up to two meters and beyond. Few
            studies examine directly the consequences of habitat heterogeneity across spatial scales.
            Although our understanding of plant-animal relationships over small scales has increased, our
            ability to apply findings is limited. This is especially true at scales at which management
            decisions are made: from ten to 1000 meters for regulatory actions and possibly up to an entire
            estuarine basin for regional planning. Landscape ecology may provide a vehicle with Which to
            overcome scale-dependent limitations. More specifically, it may provide us with conceptual and
            analytical tools to evaluate seagrass ecosystems in a spatial as well as temporal context.


            THE APPROACH:


            The goal of this 1994 initiative, which is based on past research funded by COP, is to assess
            seagrass bed plant and animal communities on a variety of spatial scales. Researchers from
            Florida and NOAA are proceeding to determine whether landscape patterns of seagrass
            ecosystems can represent functional attributes when examined across multiple spatial scales. To
            this' effect, the project will address whether seagrass bed functions derived at the one square
            meter scale can be resolved by coarser grain representations of the landscape.

            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


            The findings will be directly applied to habitat restoration and conservation. By employing
            simulation and statistical analyses, how physical energy regimes and accompanying landscape
            patterns influence living marine resource utilization can be shown, and thus the scale of impacts
            to seagrass ecosystems can be better defined and defended in management strategies.











                                                              45


                                           ESTUARINE HABffAT PROGRAM
                                                 LANDSCAPE ECOLOGY
                                           SALT MARSH GEOMORPHOLOGY


             THEISSUE:


             The importance of morphology (form and structure) to the function of ecosystems has recently
             been realized, opening the new field of landscape ecology. This new field has applications not
             only to natural landscapes but also to developed landscapes. The concept that salt marsh function
             may  be controlled by marsh morphology has been the subject of research along the Atlantic coast
             of the United States. However, a weakness in the pursuit of supporting evidence for this concept
             has been the lack of a suitable means of quantifying differences among marsh morphologies.

             THE APPROACH:


             The overall goal of this project, initiated in 1994, is to assess the relationship among various
             descriptors of salt marsh morphology and functional characteristics such as nutrient and material
             flux and fisheries. Researchers from South Carolina and NOAA will establish a series of
             objective, ecologically relevant spatial indices of marsh geomorphology and vegetation patterns,
             and broadly apply them to disparate salt marsh systems in an attempt to explain overall habitat
             quality and important functions. Using remotely sensed imagery, a geographic information
             system, and image analysis, spatial indices will be determined and combined with biological,
             hydrological, and other information from a series of salt marsh estuaries to quantify habitat
             linkages. Using multivariate statistical methods, the relationship between the indices developed
             and the structural (habitat quality) and functional (nutrient flux) natures of the ecosystem will be
             explored.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             A predictive model of habitat-specific and system-wide nutrient flux will be established, based
             upon the various indices and historical flux data from the series of salt marshes examined under
             the project. This landscape analysis Approach can be used to monitor regional salt marsh wetland
             status, predict impact of changes in salt marsh systems to coastal ocean marine resources, provide
             information that will enhance the effectiveness of marsh mitigation and restoration practices, and
             investigate factors influencing ecosystem function.











                                                            46


                                          ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                              INTEGRATIVE MODELING
                    COASTAL LANDSCAPE DYNAMICS OF MARYLANDS EASTERN SHORE


            THE ISSUE:


            Although some of the environmental damage suffered by the Chesapeake Bay area has been
            reversed, the future threat posed by land subsidence and rising sea-level in the next century to
            the Bay's biological and physical systems is largely unknown. Many tidal marshes around the
            bay are presently losing ground to rising sea levels and land subsidence. Rates of erosion in the
            Blackwater River system on Maryland's Eastern Shore are so high that it appears to be much less
            desirable fish habitat. Since this part of the Chesapeake Bay area is the center of marsh loss, it
            will be the first test case for development and testing of management scenarios.

            THE APPROACH:


            The overall goal of this project is to develop a spatial modeling approach that will enable
            functional models to be combined with geographic information system (GIS) data to predict
            landscape dynamics and the resultant effects on living marine resources. A specific objective is
            to apply this approach to the Blackwater River watershed. Researchers from Maryland. and
            NOAA are assessing historical changes in the watershed from 1903 to the present by creating a
            GIS database of these changes, and assembling the database necessary for creation of a process-
            based, spatially explicit ecological model incorporating forcing functions at seaward and landward
            boundaries to explain these historical changes. 'The project is being integrated with the EPA-
            funded Multiscale Experimental Ecosystem Research Center, and will provide the macroscale
            application missing from that effort.


            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


            Coordinated with Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) investigators, the project will
            explore ways that the models can be combined with remote sensing and GIS data of habitat
            change in a unique package developed for broad application. Digital overlays of marsh loss in
            the Blackwater system from 1903 to 1990 will be prepared using U.S. Geodetic Survey maps and
            recent color aerial photography to facilitate comparisons with recent rate of change maps prepared
            for C-CAP.











                                                             47


                                           ESTUARINE HABITAT PROGRAM
                                               INTEGRATIVE MODELING
                                            EELGRASS IN GREAT BAY, NH


             THEISSUE:


             Seagrass beds are critical coastal habitats that currently are being degraded and lost due to
             pollution and disease. Work supported by the COP has led to important advances in our
             understanding of the mechanisms underlying the control of eelgrass habitat distribution and
             population health'by disease and nutrient loading. It is now appropriate to incorporate this
             knowledge into quantitative models, address the most important remaining gaps in our knowledge
             through continued experiments. A methodology will be developed to create a spatially based
             habitat- function model that can assess habitat, change within known error and ultimately predict
             losses in living marine resources based on our knowledge of the importaAt functions and
             processes that regulate vegetated habitats.

             THE APPROACH:


             The overall goal of this project is to develop a spatial simulation model that predicts changes in
             eelgrass distribution in an estuarine system. Researchers from New Hampshire and NOAA are
             building on previously funded COP research, creating a model based on the factors and processes
             that regulate eelgrass habitat persistence and loss through the simulation of previously conducted
             mesocosm experiments. The eelgrass habitat model is being formulated as a sector for the multi-
             habitat Generic Ecosystem Model (GEM) developed at-the Chesapeake Biological Laboratory,
             and will become part of a larger national effort to develop an easily applicable multi-user coastal
             ecosystem model. Additionally, the eelgrass-GEM will form the basic unit of a spatial model for
             a case study and validation to simulate the eelgrass distribution in Great Bay, New Hampshire.
             A geographic information system (GIS) for Great. Bay will tie field verification data and
             experimental results to the operation of the model.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             The primary product will be a user-friendly spatial simulation model for Great Bay that can be
             adapted to other estuarine systems and accessed by managers and scientists to predict the effects
             of human activities and natural phenomena on the survival of eelgrass habitats. The model will
             be utilized by the Great Bay Estuarine Research Reserve to examine how the effects of
             development pressure, increased nutrient loading, and other human activities will impact eelgrass
             and the resources supported by this habitat.







       NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM



                   Toxic Chemical Contaminants
                                                 Program

                   Toxic Contaminant Bioeffects
                                                  Surveys






                                                                                    Boston Harbor




                                                                                Hudson-Raritan Estuary



               Southern California                                            South Carolina Estdarlei
                     Bight


                                                                            South Florida
                                    Florida Panhandle           Tampa Bay











                                                             48


                                  TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM


              THE ISSUE:


              The technologically advanced society of the United States releases'many different potentially
              toxic substances to the environment, many of which find their way into coastal and estuarine
              waters. Little is known about the ultimate fates of these contaminants and their effects on living
              resources and other organisms. Toxic contaminants may cause undesirable biological effects to
              organisms in the environment. Further, toxic contaminants may also accumulate in living marine
              resources at levels that pose a threat to human consumers of these resources. The resource
              managers who make vital decisions on regulation and protection of our coastal environments need
              accurate and reliable information on toxics, their sources, loading rates, and fate and effects in
              the environment.


              THE APPROACH:


              In 1991, the Toxic Chemical Contaminants Program was created under the NOAA Coastal Ocean
              Program (COP) to develop the information needed by decision makers concerning the effects of
              contaminants on coastal resources. It is designed to augment, integrate, and expand the efforts
              of the National Status and Trends Program in NOAA's National Ocean Service and National
              Marine Fisheries Service. Three major activities are being funded: 1) a national survey of toxic
              contaminant bioeffects; 2) bioeffects indicator. development; and 3) bioeffects and
              bioaccumulation research. The COP hopes to assess the status and trends of environmental
              quality in relation to levels and effects of toxic contamination in U.S. marine, estuarine, and
              Great Lakes environments, as well as develop a predictive capability for effects of toxic
              contamination on marine resources and human uses of these resources.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Major progress has been achieved in all three elements, The first element is directed at a
              cumulative national assessment of the extent and magnitude of environmental degradation related
              to contamination by toxic chemicals. Progress to date in these bioeffects surveys is the near-
              completion of peer-reviewed summary reports from Long Island Sound, Tampa Bay, Hudson-
              Raritan Estuary, and Boston Harbor. FY94 activity will see the completion of these status
              reports, the continuation of surveys in the Southern California Bight, coastal South Carolina, and
              northwest Florida bays, and an initiation of a survey in South Florida. The development of new
              and improved methods for quantifying bioeffects of toxics is the major objective of the second
              element in this program'. The studies in this element have established dose-response relationships
              for three bioindicators. This element has developed assays for each of the three major components
              of the immune system in flatfish and a database on the magnitude and extent of exposure of
              mussels and oysters to chemical contaminants. The bioeffects research to establish links between
              contaminant exposure and significant effects, such as population declines and community
              alterations, is still underway.











                                                           49


                                 TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM
                                 TOXIC CONTAMINANT BIOEFFECTS SURVEYS


            THE ISSUE:


            The technologically advanced society of the United States releases many different potentially
            toxic substances to the environment, and much of this materiat finds its way into coastal and
            estuarine waters. We still have much to learn about the ultimate fates of these contaminants and
            their effects on living resources and other organisms. Toxic contaminants may cause undesirable
            biological effects to organisms in the environment. Further, toxic contaminants may also
            accumulate in living marine resources at levels that pose a threat to the human consumers of
            these resources. The resource managers who make vital decisions on regulation and protection
            of -our coastal environments need accurate and reliable information on toxics, their sources,
            loading rates, and fate and effects in the environment.


            THE APPROACH:


            A series of systematic multi-year field surveys has been initiated to estimate magnitude and
            extent of ecological degradation in coastal areas as a result of exposure to anthropogenic toxic
            materials. Biological indicators are being monitored in areas identified by the NOAA's National
            Status and Trends Program to,have elevated levels of toxics. The results are being used to
            develop local and national assessments of toxic impacts on coastal ocean resources. These
            surveys also provide a means to field test new bioeffects indicators. The bloeffects surveys
            include sampling and analyses to determine such properties as indicators of contaminant exposure
            and contamination-induced stress, reproductive impairment and genetic damage in important fish
            species, sediment toxicity to sensitive organisms, and community structure of bottom fauna.
            related to contaminant levels.


            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

            Field-work in Tampa Bay, Hudson-Raritan Estuary, and Boston Harbor was largely completed
            in FY93, while surveys began in Southern California in FY92 and will continue through FY94.
            Studies were initiated during FY93 in coastal South Carolina and in the bays of the Florida
            panhandle and will continue through FY95. A new study began in FY94 in the coastal systems
            of South Florida, encompassing Biscayne Bay to the east and Florida Bay to the west. It is
            anticipated that several more sites will be chosen for study, and that at the completion of such
            investigations, a more detailed national assessment of the extent and magnitude of contaminant-
            related biological effects in the nation's coastal waters will be prepared.











                                                             50


                                  TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM
                                         TAMPA BAY BIOEFFECTS SURVEY


             THEISSUE:


             Contaminant concentrations in parts of Tampa Bay are relatively high. Especially high are
             concentrations of lead, mercury, arsenic, zinc, and chlorinated pesticides, including DDT and
             chlordane. These contaminants may be toxic to living natural resources in the Bay and therefore
             warrant an intensive research effort to determine their distribution, concentration, and effects.
             Very little quantified information exists on adverse biological effects attributed to toxicants in
             the Bay. A variety of biological resources in the Tampa Bay region have undergone gradual
             declines in abundance or commercial landings.


             TBE APPROACH:


             In 1990, the NOAA Coastal Ocean Program (COP) initiated multi-disciplinary surveys measuring
             biomarkers of contaminant effects in three species of fishes (hardhead catfish, mummichogs, and
             red drum) and in the blue crab. In addition, indicators of oyster health throughout the Tay and
             sediment chemistry and toxicity were measured. The COP is cooperating with the Florida
             Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to determine:

             0      the severity and geographic extent of problematic contamination of Tampa Bay by
                    toxicants;

             0      the severity and geographic extent of adverse biological effects associated with toxicants
                    in Tampa Bay; and

             0      how concentrations of potentially toxic substances in Tampa Bay have changed over time.

             ACCONTLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Studies completed include: three years of assessment of biomarkers in fishes and crabs; two years
             of study of indicators of oyster health; and a survey of sediment toxicity and chemistry at 30 sites
             throughout the Bay. Through the cooperation of the DEP, chemical analyses of sediments have
             been carried out by the Skidaway Oceanographic Institute of the'University of Georgia. The
             biomarkers study in oysters was completed in 1993, as were the analyses of sediment and tissue
             samples collected earlier in the survey. The COP is placing major emphasis on the synthesis of
             the results of these effort's and the preparation of summary reports so that the information may
             be transferred to resource managers and other interested parties in the region in 1994.











                                                               51


                                    TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM
                              WESTERN FLORIDA PANHANDLE BIOEFFECTS SURVEY


              THEISSUE:


              Oyster samples collected from the area extending from Appalachicola Bay to Pensacola Bay,
              including St. Andrew Bay, Panama City,'and Choctawatchee Bay, have contained very high
              concentrations of pesticides, aromatic hydrocarbons, and many trace metals. The concentrations
              of some chemicals have been the highest observed nationwide in some years. With reference to
              contamination by toxicants, the State of Florida ranks this area as a very high priority.


              THE APPROACH:


              The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program has initiated a multi -disciplinary series of bloeffec'ts surveys
              in the bays of the western Florida panhandle, Surveys of bioeffects are being carried out for
              demersal fish, oysters, and sediments. The data from the demersal fishes are expected to
              demonstrate the occurrence of bioeffects in relatively mobile species that integrate the effects of
              contaminants over large areas. The data from oysters will provide information from a sessile
              feeder, and the data from the sediment toxicity tests will provide the best 'resolution on the spatial
              extent of toxic chemical bioeffects.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:

              Surveys in the western Florida panhandle study area began in 1993. Sediment toxicity samples
              have been collected from about 40 sites in the Pensacola Bay area, and about 31 sites in the St.
              Andrew Bay area. The data will be evaluated to'identify spatial pattern's in toxicity, the severity
              of toxicity, and the relationships between toxicity and chemical concentrations. An oyster
              bioeffects survey has@been initiated in FY94. Also in FY94'bioeffects studies on fishes are being
              carried out in representative sites in East Bay, Escambia Bay, Pensacola Bay, Bayou Grande, and
              Bayou Chico. Length, weight, gender, condition indices, and general condition of each fish is
              being recorded. Liver, kidney, and bile samples are being taken for analysis as well.











                                                             52


                                  TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM
                               HUDSON-RARITAN ESTUARY BIOEFFECTS SURVEY


             THE ISSUE:


             Data from NOAA's National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program have consistently shown that
             sites in the Hudson River/Raritan Bay Estuary are relatively highly contaminated with a variety
             of chemicals. For a suite of toxic metals and several categories of toxic organic compounds, both
             in sediments and bivalve mollusks, the Hudson-Raritan Estuary sites consistently appear in the
             top 25th percentile of all NS&T sites analyzed, suggesting that the potential for contaminant
             associated biological effects is very high.


             THE APPROACH:


             The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program has initiated a series of multi-disciplinary surveys at various
             sites in the estuary. The surveys hope to:

             0      determine contaminant effects on reproductive processes in winter flounder;

             0.     survey distributions of.sediment-associated toxicity, relative to gradients of contamination
                    concentrations;

             0      determine potential occurrence of toxicity related to presence of free ionic metals in the
                    water column; and

             0      examine composition of benthic infaunal communities in relation to distribution of
                    sediment toxicity and contamination.


             ACCONTLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Work completed from 1990-93 includes measurements of a number of bloindicators of
             reproductive impairment in winter flounder, acute sediment toxicity to several indicator
             organisms, contaminant trends in sediment cores, and ambient water toxicity of copper and zinc.
             Also included were a major sediment toxicity survey and a complement@ary study to investigate
             the occurrence of sediments contaminated with sublethal levels of toxics. Chemical analyses and
             toxicity studies of sediment samples were completed during FY93, and a major effort is being
             placed on the synthesis of results from the efforts of all previous studies, Chemical analyses and
             toxicity studies of sediment samples collected early in 1993 have been completed, and summary
             reports are being prepared in 1994 in order to disseminate this information to resource managers
             and other interested parties in the Hudson-Raritan region.











                                                              53


                                   TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM
                                       BOSTON HARBOR BIOEFFECTS SURVEY


             THEISSUE:


             Boston Harbor is located in a highly urbanized area and is thus subject to accumulation of many
             contaminants. The Inner Harbor, Northwest Harbor, Central Harbor, and Southeast Harbor all
             contain high levels of toxic contaminants. The spatial patterns of contaminants and severity in
             toxicity with the attendant biological effects are not well known and are thus in need of
             investigation.


             THE APPROACH:


             The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program has carried out a series of multi -disciplinary surveys
             measuring bioeffects in winter flounder, reproductive impairment in bivalves, and sediment
             toxicity. Data from these surveys are being evaluated along with data from several dredging and
             construction projects in the Harbor in order to link severity and location of toxicity to biological
             response.


             ACCONIPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Bioeffects studies have   . been carried out in Boston Harbor to survey the incidence of
             histopathological disorders in winter flounder and better understand the biochemistry of possible
             reproductive impairment in resident mussels and soft-shell clams. Studies to scope the growth
             of these shellfish species have been completed as well. To complete the assessment of Boston
             Harbor, an intensive survey of,sediment toxicity was carried out in which tests were performed
             with invertebrate organisms. Sediment samples were taken from the Inner-Harbor, Northwest
             Harbor, Central Harbor, and Southeast Harbor. Analyses of these samples are still underway.
             Following the completion of the chemical analyses of the samples from the 1993 survey, the data
             will be analyzed and a major effort will be placed on the synthesis of the results along with those
             of previous studies.











                                                             54


                                  TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM
                                  SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA BIOEFFECTS SURVEY


             THEISSUE:


             Numerous benthic community and sediment studies have been conducted in coastal southern
             California, especially in Santa Monica Bay and on the continental shelf adjacent to the large
             municipal treatment plants in Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego. These studies have
             demonstrated significant biological responses to contaminants. While these areas have received
             the most attention thus far, very little information exists for other areas in southern California.
             Many of these lagoons and bays receive runoff from large upland areas, and inputs of toxicants
             from industry, residential areas, and boats. More information is needed to estimate the magnitude
             and extent of effects in southern California in order to be able to make appropriate decisions on
             how to remediate the toxicant effects and initiate clean-up actions.


             THE APPROACH:


             The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program (COP), in cd-operation with the California Water Resources
             Control Board, has initiated a series of systematic multi-year field surveys to study bioindicators
             of contaminant exposure and effects in fishes and on the distribution of sediment contamination
             and toxicity. The research hopes to determine:

             0       the presence or absence of adverse biological effects in selected onshore and coastal areas
                     of Southern California;

             0       the relative degree or severity of toxicant effects;

             0       the spatial distribution of toxicant-associ-ated effects in Southern California;

             0       the relationship between toxicants and measures of effects in Southern California; and

             0       the relative performance of a battery of biomarkers.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Sediment chemistry and toxicity bioassays have been performed at 29 sites distributed between
             Los Angeles and Huntington Harbor. These observations have also been conducted at 32 sites
             in San Diego Bay and Mission Bay. The relationship between the spatial extent of sediment
             toxicity and contaminant bioeffects in fishes are being explored in these surveys. In 1994, a
             smaller number of sites is being evaluated in other coastal embayments in the study area. Pilot
             studies have been conducted to evaluate biomarkers of contaminant stress in bivalve mollusks.
             The COP is also supporting the preparation of summary reports for use by resource managers and
             other interested parties in the region in 1994 as well as supporting the initiation of sampling for
             the third year.











                                                               55


                                    TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM
                                SOUTH CAROLINA ESTUARIES BIOEFFECTS SURVEY


             THE ISSUE:


             Several estuaries along the South Carolina/northern Georgia coast are known to be relatively
             highly contaminated and under intense pressure from urbanization. Oysters sampled as part of
             the National Status & Trend's Mussel Watch Program show relatively high concentrations of
             aromatic hydrocarbons, detectable levels of several pesticides, and very high concentrations of
             arsenic, silver, and other trace metals. These contaminants can be very harmful if consumed by
             humans. Therefore, it is necessary to understand what the specific effects of urbanization on the
             coastal estuaries are in order to make appropriate decisions for the protection from and mitigation
             of harmful effects on marine life and human health.


             THE APPROACH:


             The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program (COP) is initiating a series of surveys consisting of sediment
             toxicity testing, and oyster and fish bioeffects determinations. A cooperative effort between the
            ,University. of South Carolina and the Charleston Laboratory of the National Marine Fisheries
             Service entitled "Urbanization and Southeastern Estuarine Systems" is underway. This effort
             focuses on the effects of urbanization on estuaries along the South Carolina/northern Georgia
             coast. The Jacksonville and Charleston districts of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have also
             begun a series of surveys of sediment toxicity in the Federal channels of the estuaries along the
             South Carolina and northern Georgia coasts with which the toxics effort is being coordinated.
             The potential to cooperate with these programs affords the COP an excellent opportunity to
             provide very useful information for this study area., The following estuaries will be surveyed
             over a three-year period: Winyah Bay, Charleston Harbor/Cooper River estuary/Ashley River
             estuary, Savannah River estuary, and (in Georgia) St. Simons Sound/Brunswick Harbor.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             In FY93, sediment samples were taken from about 30 sites in the Charleston, Harbor area,
             including the lower Cooper, Ashley, and Wando Rivers, Charleston Harbor, and the Harbor
             entrance, while demersal fishes were taken from six sites in the same area. In 1994, an oyster
             bloeffects survey is being conducted to measure their size and condition, histological evaluations
             of their fecundity and reproductive condition, incidence of histopathological disorders, incidence
             of cytogenetic/cytologic disorders, incidence of DNA anomalies, and impairment of
             immunological competence; The sediment toxicity survey collected samples that are being tested
             and evaluated to identify spatial patterns of toxicity, the severity of toxicity, and the relationships
             between toxicity and chemical concentrations., Samples of liver and kidney tissues, bile, and
             other selected tissues are being examined for indication of adverse contaminant responses.











                                                              56


                                   TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS PROGRAM
                                       SOUTH FLORIDA BIOEFFECTS SURVEY


             THEISSUE:


             Biscayne Bay is known to have extremely elevated concentrations of toxicants, including
             pesticides and trace metals in water, sediments, and biota. Fish with high incidences of
             pathological disorders have been observed. In Biscayne and Florida Bays, major environmental
             quality problems have been identified, including contaminants and concurrent problems of habitat
             disruption, nutrient additions from fertilized agricultural lands, runoff and diversion  'of surface
             waters, and fisheries exploitation. The South Florida area has, therefore, been identified by the
             Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) as a high priority area for potential
             toxicity.


             THE APPROACH:


             The NOAA Coastal Ocean Program (COP) has initiated a series of multi -disciplinary surveys
             consisting of sediment toxicity testing and fish/invertebrate bioeffects studies. The COP is
             cooperating with the DEP and regional paiticipants (South Florida Water Management District
             and Dade County Environmental Resource Management) in an initial survey of sedimenit toxicity
             by assisting in the planning and survey design, participating in the sample collection, data
             analysis, and reporting. A preliminary reconnaissance survey of fish/invertebrate biomarkers is
             being conducted in Biscayne Bay during FY94 to ascertain the extent to which contaminant-
             related bioeffects are evident in resident organisms of the Bay.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             These first year studies will be supplemented in FY95-96 with a follow-up (more intensive)
             sediment toxicity survey in Biscayne Bay, a preliminary sediment toxicity survey in Florida Bay,
             and chemical analyses of selected biomarkers in Biscayne and Florida Bays. Detailed planning
             of the second and third year studies will depend on results of the first year's efforts. It is
             anticipated that the preliminary surveys will assist in the interpretation and assessment of
             cumulative effects in this region and will form a much improved basis for design of future
             studies. Most importantly, efforts in this area will contribute to the interagency effort to restore
             environmental quality to South Florida.







             NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM


                           Toxic Chemical Contaminants
                                                                 Program

                                            Bioeffects Research




                                                                Toxic Contaminants







                                                                       . ..... . .....



                                                             . . . . . . . . . . . . .



















                                                                                                                          Indicator
                Research                                               Bioeffects
                                                                 Bioaccumulatio
                                                                                                                          Development











                                                            57


                                        TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS
                                     BIOEFFECTS INDICATOR DEVELOPMENT


            THEISSUE:


            Current monitoring efforts lack sensitive indicators of the biological imp acts of toxics and do not
            provide the information needed to assess and predict the ecological impacts of toxic
            contamination.


            THE APPROACH:


            This project aims to improve our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that govern
            contaminant-induced changes in marine organisms. Bloindicators are indices that measure these
            changes in marine organisms, including measurements of contaminant exposure and responses
            at the biochemical, physiological, and organismal levels. Bioindicators allow monitoring of
            indigenous organisms, improved understanding of cause and effect, and development of early-
            warning signals of effects. Such indicators would expand the utility of current NOAA and EPA
            monitoring programs.

            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


            In FY91, NOAA began testing recently developed bioindicators in target fish species. These
            indicators include: an enzyme that increases when exposed to low levels of a broad spectrum of
            chemical contaminants, providing a sensitive response to exposure; genetic damage in liver that-
            may be important in linking contaminant exposure to cancer and other damage to living marine
            resources; and chemical levels in bile, indicative of exposure to polynuclear aromatic
            hydrocarbons which have been linked to liver cancer and impaired reproductive processes in
            fishes. A major focus has been the systematic validation and comparison of these three indicators
            in target fish species used in NOAA's National Status and Trends Program. Laboratories in three
            regions, Northeast (winter flounder), Northwest (starry flounder and English sole), and Southwest
            (white croaker), were supported to facilitate these analyses for FY92.

            New bioindicators developed and evaluated in FY91-92 incl     'uded effects on fish immune systems
            and biochemical disorders. In FY93, a draft final report on validation of recently developed
            bioindicators was generated, the methodology development and initial validation of candidate
            bioindicators were completed, and a study plan for completing validation of promising candidate
            bioindicators in fish was developed. In FY94, activity 1-S continuing to develop and test
            bioindicators in fishes and in invertebrates.











                                                              58


                                          TOXIC CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS
                                 BIOEFFECTS AND BIOACCUMULATION RESEARCH


              THEISSUE:


              Although populations of marine fishes and invertebrates have declined significantly in many
              urbanized coastal and estuarine areas due to chemical pollution, habitat loss and degradation, and
              harvesting practices, it is not known to what extent chemical contamination contributes to this
              problem. Moreover, the rates of uptake of toxic substances by marine organisms are known to
              be influenced by physical, chemical, and biological factors, yet little is known about the
              mechanisms and impacts of these factors.


              THE APPROACH:


              Research on the bioaccumulation and bioeffects of toxic contaminants is a step toward a better
              understanding of the fate and effects of toxics in the marine environment. The ultimate goal of
              the Bioeffects Research Project is to determine contaminant-induced effects at the population
              level in marine fishes and invertebrates. Initially, however, the link between contaminant
              exposure and its impacts must be demonstrated in individuals.           Research is focusing on
              contaminant-induced effects on the survival, growth, and fecundity of individuals having
              implications at the population level. Bloaccumulation research focuses. on a particular aspect of
              contaminant behavior: the biogeochemical mechanisms controlling the bioaccumulation of toxic
              substances Jn fishes and invertebrates.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Bioeffects research was initiated in FY91, and research proposals were solicited from within
              NOAA and the academic community. Selection criteria required that studies be limited to species
              and locales for which there is documented evidence that biological, effects are occurring and may
              be linked to contaminant exposure. Of the 50 preproposals received, 14 were reviewed by a
              panel of NOAA and non-NOAA scientists as full proposals and five were funded.

              The five studies funded represent a broad range of species, locales, types of contaminants, and
              types of biological effects. Several represent cost-effective NOAA/University or EPA/University
              collaborative efforts. Bioaccumulation research was a FY92 planning initiative. Initial efforts
              have been built on the intensive surveys being conducted in selected estuaries around the country.
              In FY93, sampling locations were added to improve the understanding of the physical, chemical,
              and biological factors that control uptake and bioaccumulation of toxic materials. Similar studies
              with fishes were undertaken to better understand the relationships between uptake of contaminants
              .and biological and biochemical. responses.       In addition, physical factors (e.g., salinity,
              temperature) that may influence the bioavailability of contaminants' were measured.






   NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM


        Nutrient-Enhanced Productivity


           Key Projects and Locations






                            FNIII


                                                       A







                                    NECOP



           Maui Algal
            Bloo"mS











                                                              59

                       NUTRIENT ENHANCED COASTAL OCEAN PRODUCIWITY (NECOP)


              THEISSUE:


              Nutrient loadings from land-based pollution sources can greatly enhance coastal primary
              productivity, often with adverse impacts. One common effect of nutrient enrichment, increased
              algal production, often results in the depletion of oxygen from bottom waters (hypoxia), which
              can kill benthic marine organisms.


              THE APPROACH:


              The Mississippi River is the single largest source of anthropogenic nutrients to the coastal waters
              of the U.S. NECOP is a five-year study on the physical, chemical, biological, and geological
              processes that relate to anthropogenic nutrient enrichment and productivity in the vicinity of the
              Mississippi/Atchafalaya River outflows. NECOP aims to determine the extent to which land-
              based nutrients enhance coastal productivity, and impact water quality.              The NECOP
              Mississippi/Atchafalaya River Program began in 1990 to examine the effects of nutrients
              transported by these river systems on Gulf of Meiiico waters. The project is a collaborative field,
              modeling, and synthesis effort among NOAA and academic scientists.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              The NECOP Program, through field studies within the shelf waters of Louisiana and Texas
              affected by the outflows of the Mississippi and the Atchafalaya Rivers, has demonstrated that
              seasonal hypoxia is driven by river -nutrient load. Among the findings is that the area's
              production has been increasing during the past century. Primary summer productivity rates'in
              the outflow are exceptionally high and are driven by river-born nutrients including fertilizers from
              the drainage basin. An initial water quality computer model has been developed which allows
              analyses of the northern Gulf and the testing of various nutrient'control strategies. This model
              has been made available to EPA's Gulf of Mexico Program to determine the effects of nonpoint
              source loads in the Gulf and to develop a nutrient enrichment action plan.

              NECOP scientists are completing process stu.dies'and field monitoring in their analysis of
              remaining samples to assure the quality of existing data. These activities have included the study
              of the productivity of the Gulfs shelf/plume system, the impact of extensive hypoxia areas on
              the shelf, the flux of carbon through the system, and the description of the flow field in the
              Louisiana Bight through lagrangian-based study. NECOP scientists will synthesize their results
              into an understanding of the impact of nutrient enhancement, which will support and improvethe
              existing models of the Louisiana shelf ecosystem. A full year past FY94 will be required to
              successfully accomplish a synthesis of the multiple but inter-related research projects in the
              NECOP program. Researchers will finalize the analysis of remaining samples, and workshops,
              working groups, and scientific meetings will be conducted to integrate the data sets.











                                                            60


                                MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOOD ASSESSMENT REPORT


            THE ISSUE:


            The Great Mississippi River Flood of 1993 caused significant changes to the landscape
            throughout the Midwest and ultimately to the coastal zone. Since the flooding occurred at the
            time of year when flows into the Gulf of Mexico are normally lowest, the timing of the event
            and its oceanographic effects are of particular interest because of the exposure of marine
            ecosystems to abnormally large amounts of diluted seawater and the associated pulse of land-
            based pollutants.


            THE APPROACH:


            The Coastal Ocean Office acted as the NOAA lead for a comprehensive assessment -of the
            oceanographic effects of the flood water inputs. The assessment integrated results of NOAA
            scientists and a diverse set of investigators in the academic community, as well as facilitated
            study coordination among agencies at both the Federal and State levels.

            ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


            The assessment found that the effects of the freshwater inflow into the Gulf of Mexico were
            detected not only in the northern Gulf but also in the Florida Keys and along the U.S. East Coast.
            The mass transport of Mississippi River water from the Gulf of Mexico through the Straits of
            Florida to the mid-Atlantic via the Gulf Stream is not a new phenomena, though the COP effort
            documented the far-reaching effects of the extreme outflow from the Mississippi in a
            comprehensive manner that has not been done previously. A concerted effort to track the effects
            of this major natural event on the coastal ocean required a broad spectrum of information from
            Federal and State agencies and universities. As a result of this study, it is now becoming
            apparent that the movement of Mississippi River water onto the west Florida shelf and beyond
            may be a much more common event than previously believed.                 The study has further
            demonstrated the interconnectedness of these large-scale coastal systems and has advanced our
            understanding of how an'event in the Mississippi River watershed can directly affect coastal
            systems up to several thousand miles away.

            The results of the findings have been published in a joint document with the National Weather
            Service and was released in May 1994. The report has a wide applicability to planning in coastal
            zone areas, and the cooperative approach taken to complete this assessment should prove
            beneficial as scientists continue to study the impacted coastal environments for longer term
            effects.











                                                               61

                        ATMOSPHERIC NUTRIENT INPUTS TO COASTAL AREAS (ANICA)


              THE ISSUE:


              Atmospheric inputs of nitrates, primarily from automobile exhaust and power plant emissions,
              are important but poorly understood sources of pollutants entering estuaries and coastal waters.

              THE APPROACH:


              ANICA combines monitoring.and modelling to quantify the contribution of atmospheric nitrate
              to coastal areas, and to estimate the impacts of increased nitrogen oxide emissions. The program
              is initially focusing on the Chesapeake Bay, assessing the contribution of wet and dry deposition,
              and developing models of atmospheric deposition that can be applied to other coastal areas.
              Atmospheric studies will also be linked to terrestrial studies, such as the retention capacity of
              soils. - NOAA works with the many agencies studying nutrient inputs to the Bay in order to
              complement ongoing research efforts.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Initiated in FY91, ANICA organized a series of workshops to focus on atmospheric modeling
              needs. Accomplishments and activities from 1991-93 include: assembling a database on wet
              deposition; measuring atmospheric nitrogen fluxes to a single calibrated catchment area within
              the Chesapeake Bay watershed; conducting dry deposition studies at two Bay sites; completing
              initial analyses to identify source regions and estimate total deposition; synthesizing existing
              atmospheric deposition information for the Bay in order to make it available for the development
              of control, strategies; and completing a first assessment of area] wet deposition and its probability
              distribution for the Chesapeake Bay watershed. These activities have increased the awareness
              of the nitrogen air deposition to such a level that NOAA now co-chairs the newly formed inter-
              State/agency Air Subcommittee of the Chesapeake Bay Program.

              FY94 initiatives aim to fill the information gaps that have been identified through the program.
              Researchers will work to produce areal representations of deposition velocities for the entire
              catchment area, to evaluate the accuracy of these quantifications through field testing, and to
              work with other agencies to produce strategic plans for assessing the contribution of atmospheric
              deposition to coastal ecosystems with initial focus on the Chesapeake Bay, but with subsequent
              attention to Pamlico Sound (North Carolina) and the Gulf of Maine.

              ANICA hopes to publish, through a cooperative effort with several U.S. and Canadian
              organizations, the program's field studies to produce profiles of atmospheric deposition for the
              Bay and for other watersheds and coastal areas in the Northeast, to make avdilable the refined
              results from modeling in the Bay, and to integrate ANICA results with other coastal ocean and
              Clean Air Act-mandated research to achieve a comprehensive overview of the impact of nutrients
              on the marine environment.











                                                             62


                                            MAUI ALGAL BLOOM STUDIES


             THE ISSUE:


             Since 1989, the shallow waters and beaches on the west side of the Hawaiian island of Maui
             have been plagued by episodic blooms of macroalgae.             There is concern that continued
             overgrowths of the macroalgae may threaten living coral reefs, the core of Hawaii's nearshore
             ecosystems. In addition, large accumulations of macroalgae in nearshore waters and on beaches
             have had a direct negative impact on Maui's tourist.trade.


             THE APPROACH:


             Reports of macroalgae accumulations have been largely limited to the west side of Maui which
             has a relatively broad, shallow shelf in the lee of the Tradewinds. Some investigators believe that
             the biomass accumulations are the result of increased nutrient loading from terrestrial sources.
             However, a direct cause and effect linkage has not yet been established. NOAA will assist the
             State of Hawaii Department of Health by providing scientific information leading to an
             understanding of the cause(s) and ultimately a reduction in the severity of these macroalgal
             blooms.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             The COP is currently coordinating NOAA's participation with the EPA, the State of Hawaii
             (Department of Health--DOH), and local officials in examining the algae problem in West Maui.
             NOAA's role-is to assist the DOH by providing scientific information leading to an understanding
             of the cause(s) of the macroalgal blooms. With its 1993 Congressional appropriation, NOAA will
             fund research in three areas. The first area of COP-sponsored research will address mapping the
             algal blooms. Funds will be added to current mapping efforts which will allow the algal mapping
             to be expanded in both areal coverage and frequency. A, second area of research includes
             proposed investigations by researchers of NOAA's National Ocean Service--Coastal and Estuarine
             Oceanography Branch into possible physical oceanographic and meteorological forcing factors
             which may contribute to macroalgal blooms. This effort will include an analysis of existing data
             for the Maui region to look for events or changes in the ocean circulation and climate around
             Maui that might affect macroalgal growth, biomass -transport, nutrient retention in coastal waters,
             or-other related environmental influences. Finally, the COP is funding research at the University
             of Hawaii to investigate the fate of land-derived nutrients in the coastal ocean off west Maui and
             to evaluate the degree to which nutrient enrichment may contribute to macroalgal blooms.






           NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM



                                                    Coastal Hazards


                                                           Project Sites

                                      ......... . ............ . ....................................................................... . ... .......... . .........................................................................................................












                         1       Tsunami deep-ocean measurements
                         2       Tsunami inundation modeling
                                                           -tropical storm                                                                     .......
                         3       Hurricane and extra
                                 measurements and modeling
                         4       Great Lakes forecasting system
                                 Great Lakes wind field analysis
                                                                                                                                         is
                                                                                                                                      1ï¿½ï¿½:
                         5       Sea level variability climatologies
                                                                                                                                            gi@

                                                                                          COASTWIDE
                                                                             Coastline variability and erosion
                                                                                                                                 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
                                                                             Coastal wind and wave fields






                                                                                                    Z. ....................
                                                                                                        ........... ......
                                                                                        .............

                                                                                                   . .. ..........
                                                                                                                   ......... .


                                          ...........
                                           ..........                                                                 ......
                                .....                                                                                 ................. ......
                                                                                                                             ..... . ......


                                                                                                                            . . . . . . . . . . . .


           ....... . . . . . . . ........ . .......... . . ............... . .......................... . ... . . . .. . ....... . . . ........... . ... ...................... . ..... . ..................................... . . . ... . ...... . .











                                                             63


                                                  COASTAL HAZARDS
                                   EXTRATROPICAL STORM SURGE MODELING


             THEISSUE:


             In one way or another, all U.S. coastal populations, resources, and environments are periodically
             impacted by extreme natural phenomena, often resulting in loss of life and extensive property
             damage. Unlike tropical storms and hurricanes, which raise water levels in the vicinity of a
             storm as it moves ashore, extratropical storms are of relatively long duration, cover a much larger
             area, and can impact several tidal cycles. Therefore, while NOAA has developed a dynamical
             tropical storm surge model to assist in the hurricane program, this predictive tool cannot be
             readily applied to the extratropical flooding situation.


             THE APPROACH:


             The extratropical storm surge modeling effort is designed to develop a forecast method which can
             be incorporated into the operational framework of the National Weather Service (NWS). The
             goal of this project is to develop an operational, dynamical extratropical storm surge model
             capable of running on NOAA's computers in real time. To accomplish this goal: 1) Miodel input
             and output will be standardized; 2) a rudimentary model, based on the SLOSH model (Sea, Lake,
             and Overland Surges from Hurricanes), will be used as a first generation extratropical model; and
             3) other models will be acquired through open competition from academia and/or industry for
             evaluation as possible operational surge models.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             With minimal changes, the SLOSH model has been adapted to run with given meteorological
             input and improved for emergency preparedness and realtime forecasting for severe coastal storms
             like the Eastern seaboard Halloween Storm of 1991. Data have been generated for defining the
             grid parameters of the models. During FY 1993, the extratropical storm surge modeling effort
             concentrated on developing a complete set of data for testing extratropical storm surge models
             for model validation. A publication was written which contains the input wind and pressure data
             necessary for driving the model, and upgraded hurricane track books were produced for use by
             emergency management agencies in preparing for disasters along the Eastern and Gulf of Mexico
             coasts. The Techniques Development Laboratory (TDL) of the NWS solved the difficulties
             surrounding boundary conditions used in the "baseline" model which have improved the accuracy
             of the model. FY94 milestones include running a quasi-operational model on NOAA's mainframe
             computers daily, adapting the model to cover the Gulf of Mexico, and testing more complex
             models to determine the necessity of using such models.for the improvement of storm surge
             forecasting.











                                                              64


                                                   COASTAL HAZARDS
                                            TSUNAMI HAZARD REDUCTION


             THE ISSUE:


             Coastal communities of the United States are threatened by tsunamis that are generated by local
             and distant earthquakes. For local tsunamis, residents have less time to evacuate threatened
             coastal areas and require timely and accurate assessment of each tsunami threat. The present
             tsunami warning system can provide only. a few of the essential pieces of quantitative information
             required for hazard reduction: 1) identification that a potentially tsunamigeni,c earthquake has
             occurred; and 2) issuance of the.predicted arrival times. The system, however, cannot predict the
             size of the tsunami and the tsunami's impact when it reaches shore. The tsunami hazard
             reduction project is working to gather and link all the pieces of information required fb@r improved
             hazard reduction.


             THE APPROACH:


             NOAA scientists and coastal managers have developed two tools for dealing with tsunami
             hazards--inundation maps and warning systems.           Inundation maps identify areas that are
             susceptible to flooding before a tsunami occurs and are used to develop evacuation and land-use
             plans. The second tsunami hazard mitigation tool is a warning system to alert populations that
             threatened areas must be evacuated. The warnings are delivered through NOAA's Pacific and
             Alaska Tsunami Warning Centers. Efforts in tsunami research will provide quality control on
             existing NOAA products and facilitate the transfer of new technologies into warning operations.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             The COP, in partnership with NOAA OAR and NWS, has supported a research project to
             develop a standardized method for using numerical models to estimate tsunami inundation. From
             these models, scientists can produce inundation maps which indicate areas susceptible to flooding
             -during a tsunami.     These maps are used by coastal managers and planners to assist in
             development- and evacuation planning. NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
             (PNIEL) recently developed a deep-water pressure sensor capable of detecting a tsunami in the
             open ocean. Sensors are currently in place in the seismically active Aleutian Trench which has
             a high potential for generation of tsunamis threatening Hawaii, Alaska, and the U.S. West Coast.
             In real time, these data will provide earlier detection of the tsunami, thus, increasing the warning
             lead time and providing quantitative information on the tsunami heights. This increases the
             accuracy of the prediction of the tsunami impact. In 1994, observation experiments in the AASZ
             will continue to help produce maps of tsunami inundation estimates for Hilo, Hawaii, and Eureka
             and Crescent City, CA. The instrumentation will be upgraded to improve the data quality and
             instrument pool reliability. An investigation of background sea level effects on the tsunami hazard
             at Crescent City, CA, and a workshop of tsunamis inundation modeling will be held.











                                                             65

                                         COASTAL FORECAST SYSTEM (CFS)


             THEISSUE:


             Daily operational activities, ma 'nagement decisions, long-range planning, and regulation in the
             coastal zone typically require knowledge of a myriad of environmental conditions, including
             weather, water levels, waves, currents, water temperature, chemical composition, and biology.
             A review of the current state of environmental prediction clearly shows that over the past 30
             years major strides have been made in weather observing and prediction. We do not have an
             equivalent forecast system in place that translates the variations in weather to corresponding
             responses in the coastal ocean.


             THE APPROACH:


             NOAA, with the assistance of the COP, is actively pursuing the development of a system which
             would provide more specific and accurate predictions of coastal weather and ocean conditions.
             This forecast system would link the weather forecast system to the coastal ocean, provide
             feedback to the weather systems, and ultimately fie coupled to biological ecological models. As
             coastal predictions become available and increasingly reliable, the nation will find them a
             necessary part. of our daily lives.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             COP has facilitated a strategic plan for the Coastal Forecast System. The development-of such
             a system involved organizing the efforts of all NOAA line offices into a comprehensive and
             integrated plan. When operational, the CFS will consist of all those components required to
             observe and predict atmospheric and oceanic conditions that impact the ecosystem and human
             well-being at or near the coastal boundary. Briefly, the CFS design of the future will: 1) be built
             on existing capabilities; 2) integrate oceanic and atmospheric observations, knowledge, and
             models where appropriate; 3) depend on continued R & D for many critical components; and 4)
             be flexible enough to accept proven new technologies and methods with little or no disruption
             to ongoing services.

             COP is funding a feasibility study of an operational coastal nowcast/forecast system.
             Accomplishments to date of the,study include progress on the development of an operational East
             Coast forecast system. Objectives for 1994 are to continue this system development, continue the
             establishment of data flow and access, continue skill assessment, complete the introduction of
             tidal capability into the model, complete a common visual ization/graphics/data, distribution
             system, begin model sensitivity experiments, conduct predictability studies, and begin
             development of four-dimensional data assimilation,











                                                                 66

                                        GREAT 1AKES FORECAST SYSTEM (GLFS)


              THEISSUE:


              In the Great Lakes, physical processes have a major impact on environmental, chemical, and
              biological processes, influencing activities such as water supply management, waste water
              management, power plant sitings, shipping, recreational and commercial boating and fishing,
              shoreline erosion, and redistribution of sediments. Planners and managers responsible for aspects
              of the Great Lakes ecosystems affected by lake circulation, such as transport of toxic materials
              or nutrients, need more information on these physical processes.

              THE APPROACH:


              The Great Lakes Forecasting System combines data from satellite, land, and lake-based systems
              with computer models for real-time prediction of the physical status of the Great Lakes. The
              system, linking existing models, computer systems, and data networks, is ajoint NOAA/academic
              program at NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and Ohio State
              University. The forecasting system will consist of four components: data assimilation, modeling,
              data display, and distribution. The data assimilation component assembles data needed for model
              input:    National Weather Service surface and marine observations, satellite-derived water
              temperature data, wind forecasts, lake level observations, and other relevant data. The
              three-dimensi  onal numerical model predicts currents, temperatures, and water levels. Output from
              the forecasting system includes maps and data sets tailored to display specific information
              required by particular user groups. These products will be distributed initially through GLERL
              and other individual CoastWatch sub-nodes.


              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              During FY91, daily hindcast (simulations of past conditions) and nowcast (observation and
              modeling of existing conditions) of the 3-dimensional distribution of water levels, currents, and
              water temperature were developed for Lake Erie. In FY92, the nowcasts were distributed to test
              sites, allowing Great Lakes CoastWatch users to evaluate their accuracy, utility, and timeliness.
              In addition, forecasting capability was attained which provided wave directional spectra and wave
              heights for Lake Erie. Transfer of this capability to Lake Michigan began in FY92, enabling
              evaluation of the Lake Michigan experimental forecasts during FY93. In FY93, investigations
              into the coupling of wind wave dynamics with three-dimensional circulation were initiated, and
              a suite of sample products from GLFS for display on PC-based GLFSVIEW were developed.
              FY94 funding will extend the GLFS nowcasts for either Lake Huron or Michigan, and nowcast
              surface temperature fields will be evaluated as a supplement       'for CoastWatch AVHRR imagery
              on cloudy days. Also in 1994, nowcast and 2-day forecasts of surface temperature fields,
              currents, and wind waves will become available for users at Lake Erie. Some of these potential
              users are shoreline residents, boaters, spill response teams, and commercial and recreational
              fishers.







      NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM


               Resource Information Delivery






                                                 Cumulative Impact
                                                      Analysis



             Eutrophication and                                                               ea Grass
            Phytoplankton Blooms                                                             Restoration




                                                     Practical
       Stream and Anadromous;                   Information for                         Salt Marsh Restoration,
       Fish Habitat Restoration               Decision Making                 few         Enhancement, and
                                                                                               Creation








                              Coastal Watershed                         Summer Flounder
                                  Restoration                         Habitat Requirements











                                                            67

                 COASTAL OCEAN MANAGEMENT, PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT SYSTEM


             THE ISSUE:


             Resource managers and policy makers need information about estuarine and coastal ocean
             resources in readily accessible forms.


             THE APPROACH:


             The Coastal Ocean Management, Planning and Assessment System (COMPAS) is a user-friendly,
             microcomputer-based desktop information system that allows managers to access and manipulate
             existing coastal resource data sets. NOAA works with States to select a lead State agency to
             implement the project, provide matching funds, create a working group to discuss inf6rmation
             needs and capabilities, and provide for development, training, and distribution of COMPAS. To
             date the system has been developed in three States with the idea of moving the program from one
             that needed to be developed with programmer assistance to a program that could be used by a
             State resource department with little outside help.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             In FY90, NOAA began working with Texas to develop a customized COMPAS for the State.
             The system includes NOAA data for nine estuaries on: physical and hydrologic characteristics;
             land use; habitats; shellfish growing waters; fish distribution and abundance; and point and
             nonpoint sources of pollution. In addition, the system includes Statewide data on water quality
             monitoring; freshwater withdrawal permits; strearnflow monitoring; and wastewater discharges.
             The system has been completed and is now operated by the State on its own.

             In Florida the COMPAS system under development is complex enough that it requires some
             programmer assistance but is 'Simple enough that it is also do-it-yourself. The system should
             prove a powerful management tool for South Florida and the Keys. Much of the non-NOAA data
             has come from the Marine Research Institute of the Florida Department of Natural Resources and
             provides a comprehensive view of natural coastal resources in the entire area of South'Florida
             in which the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is located. The system has uses for the
             State management of coastal protected areas and should prove valuable as a coordination tool in
             the interagency restoration effort in South Florida. It will be used by NOAA and the State for
             the management of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary when fully developed. Projected
             uses in the Sanctuary'are for law enforcement, to store emergency response data, and to store
             user information for educational purposes.

             A generic system of COMPAS is being developed in Oregon with much of the work being done
             by the State itself.   A skeleton system has been put in place using data sets containing
             information on beach access, land use, nonpoint source assessment, and river reach. Projected
             uses of the system are for: 1) regulation of construction of beachfront structures; 2) fill and
             removal of sand/soil in seacoast areas; 3) watershed planning and management; and 4) estuarine
             program management.











                                                           68


                                            DECISION ANALYSIS SERIES


             THE ISSUE:


             Assessment, synthesis and dissemination of existing coastal resource information is needed to
             ensure that decision makers have access to appropriate, useful information for management
             decisions.


             THE APPROACH:


             Through a peer review process, NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program has selected the following
             synthesis and assessment topics for funding:
             0      cumulative coastal environmental impact analysis;
             0      seagrass restoration technology;
             0      technology and success of Spailina alterniflora marsh restoration, creation, and
                    enhancement;
             0      summer flounder habitat requirements;
             0      coastal watershed restoration information-;
             0      techniques for restoring streams and anadromous fish habitat and the use of buffer zones
                    as a regulatory control;
             0      eutrophication and phytoplankton blooms.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             COP is supporting research which will synthesize the existing information in the areas listed
             above. Each of these projects will produce results which will be disseminated in the form of a
             report, manual, or annotated bibliography evaluating all current relevant information. This
             information will be used by resource managers as guides which will be of practical assistance in
             decision making.











                                                               69


                                              DECISION ANALYSIS SERIES
                  METHODOLOGY AND MECHANISMS FOR MANAGEMENT OF CUMULATIVE
                                        COASTAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS


              THEISSUE:


              Land and water development activities continue to threaten living marine and estuarine resources
              along the coastal United States and the Great Lakes in three principal ways: 1) through
              destruction or alteration of habitat; 2) through degradation of water quality, and 3) through
              changes in salinity of estuarine waters. These threats are posed not only by large, new
              developments but also by the combined effects of multiple small development projects undertaken
              over a period of time.'


              THE APPROACH:


              Most regulatory programs still assess impacts on a case-by-case basis. The assessment of the
              cumulative impacts of multiple stressors,.- however, is key to the success of regulatory and
              management programs for the protection of the marine and estuarine environments. The scientific
              community has recognized the need for the,study of cumulative impacts of coastal development,
              and there is a fair amount. of literature on assessment methodologies.            These assessment
              approaches need to be systematically evaluated and circulated to resource managers for
              integration into regulatory programs.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              A principal investigator from the University of Maine Marine Law Institute is leading a study on
              managing cumulative coastal environmental impacts. Two documents will be produced under
              this project. The first will be a report designed for use by Federal, State, and local resource and
              land use managers involved in decisions affecting or regulating coastal development. The second
              product, an executive summary, will guide resource managers to more detailed discussions in the
              report and will serve as a self-contained document for, lay readers. The report will consist of-
              1) a critical synthesis of the literature on cumulative impact methodologies, including extensive
              references to studies, statutes and regulations, gray literature, case law, journal articles and other
              sources; and 2) a guidance document on the application of cumulative impact analysis to
              permitting processes in a fisheries habitat context, including cumulative impact assessment
              protocols and case studies. The report will address commonly asked questions such as the nature
              of the legal authority needed to consider cumulative impacts in specific programs; how the
              cumulative impact assessment authorization in one program differs from that in another; what the
              methodological options for projecting cumulative impacts on particular resources are; what the
              state-of-the-art models for impact assessment are; and where the sources of additional information
              are to be found. Because this is an evolving field, the report will be designed so it can be
              updated annually through the issuance of supplements keyed to specific text. Publication of this
              synthesis is expected in spring of 1995.











                                                             70


                                             DECISION ANALYSIS SERIES
                                      SEAGRASS RESTORATION TECHNOLOGY


             THEISSUE:


             Substantial losses of highly productive seagrass habitat from anthropogenic impacts have been
             documented globally. Recognizing these losses, NOAA has targeted research on seagrasses as
             a priority. within the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Coastal Ocean Program.


             THE APPROACH:


             A synthesis of applied research and practical experience is needed for the last ten years of study
             on the subject. This synthesis should provide uniform, scientifically' defensible criteria *for
             judging project performance, compliance, and success which will be invaluable to managers at
             NOAA and other Federal and State agencies dealing with management of submerged aquatic
             vegetation. These resource managers will be able to use this synthesis to focus on problems
             specific to their region of the country, but still reference the commonality of problems and
             solutions facing any seagrass project.

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Principal investigators at the National Marine Fisheries Service's Beaufort Laboratory are
             preparing a synthesis of the information on seagrass restoration technology. This project is
             providing a- significant analysis of over a decade of seagrass restoration research. This synthesis
             of applied research and practical experience will be presented in a modular form. Each module
             will represent a region of the country which can be defined based on life history strategy,
             population growth, and coverage rates of the seagrass involved. The document will discuss
             explicit environmental requirements and planting methods of each seagrass species. The project
             will take the ecoregional approach because all of the environmental parameters which affect
             seagrass habitat act together to produce regionally specific management and logistic
             considerations that cannot be easily generalized. Each module will contain the following topics:
             1) a generic review of the ecology of indigenous seagrass species, common aspects of seagrass
             restoration, and management activities which have led to failures and successes; 2) a review of
             ecoregional activities (projects), information sources, and a summary of achievements and
             information gaps; and 3) an outline of the-design of specific seagrass restoration/mitigation
             projects. Publication 'of this synthesis is expected by spring of 1995.











                                                              71


                                              DECISION ANALYSIS SERIES
                      TECHNOLOGY AND SUCCESS OF SPARTINA ALTERNIFLORA MARSH
                                  RESTORATION, CREATION, AND ENHANCEMENT


              THEISSUE:


              Coastal development, sea level rise, and land subsidence have resulted in extensive losses of
              estuarine salt marsh habitat throughout much of the United States. Concomitant with this habitat
              loss is the loss of salt marsh functions. In many areas marshes provide a protective habitat with
              an abundance of food for shrimp, crabs, and fish. Efforts to implement a "no net wetland loss"
              policy in the United States will require a continuation and expansion of programs to restore and
              create salt marshes in regions of deteriorating coastal wetlands. 'Resource managers, habitat
              researchers, and coastal planners need assistance in developing marsh restoration projects.


              THE APPROACH:


              Restoring the functional value of salt marshes often requires more than replacing or creating
              vegetative cover, but the literature documenting the necessary further efforts is scattered and not
              readily available. A synthesis of these data would be valuable for         'determining the most
              appropriate restoration and. creation techniques applicable to different coastal areas.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Two principal investigators at the National Marine Fisheries Service's Galveston Laboratory are
              producing a synthesis on salt marsh restoration, enhancement, and creation technology. This
              project will produce two electronic databases and three products that will be useful in the
              development of future projects to restore, enhance, and create salt marsh habitats in the estuarine
              or coastal environment. The synthesis will concentrate on SpaHina allerniflora and summarize
              information from past projects conducted throughout the coastal United States. It will include
              the identification of all sites in the coastal U.S. where SpaHinaallerni ra has been transplanted.
                                                                                    fflo
              Information will include the time of planting (year and season), size of the project (hectares),
              coastal conditions (wave energy, fetch, exposure, salinity regime, sediment characteristics, tidal
              amplitude, and elevation), and the success of the project in terms of short-term growth, coverage
              of vegetation, and the longevity of the marsh. In addition, any information on use of the marshes
              by estuarine animals will be recoided and summarized. The document will be available in
              September 1994.











                                                               72


                                              DECISION ANALYSIS SERIES
                                HABITAT REQUIREMENTS FOR SUMMER FLOUNDER


             THEISSUE:


             The summer flounder (Paralichthya dentalus) is heavily over exploited. Commercial landings in
             1989 were the lowest in the past 15 years, and recreational landings in 1989 were 20% of the
             average for the last decade. In response to this well-documented decline, the Mid-Atlantic
             Marine Fisheries Council is preparing Amendment #2 to the Fishery Management Plan for this
             species. This amendment will have a major impact on all aspects of the fisheries for this
             important species.

             THE APPROACH:


             Despite the importance of the management plan to the future status of summer flounder
             populations and fisheries, there are important gaps in our knowledge such as estimates of
             recruitment. Some of the major unknowns concerning appropriate management for summer
             founder are habitat related. Results from habitat related studies need to be summarized so that
             habitat managers can use this information to protect or enhance important nursery habitats.'

             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Two principal investigators at the Institute- of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers University
             have produced a document on the habitat requirements of the summer flounder. This includes a
             synthesize of available literature on habitat requirements of all life history stages (egg, larvae,
             young-of-the-year, adult) of summer flounder throughout its range (Georgia to Massachusetts),
             including maps of distribution of each life history stage where appropriate. This project also
             incorporates unpublished data from Federal, State, and academic institutions into the synthesis
             and a detailed listing of user groups for the synthesis. Further, a list of individuals with expertise
             in the habitat requirements of all life history stages of summer flounder has been compiled. This
             document has been published and is available from the Coastal Ocean Program Office upon
             request.











                                                             73

                                             DECISION ANALYSIS SERIES
                 COASTAL WATERSHED RESTORATION AND COMMUNITY-BASED AQUATIC
                                                 HABITAT PROTECTION


             THEISSUE:


             Close to 60 percent of California's 113 native fish groups are at risk of becoming extinct, or have
             already become extinct, through the degradation of their habitat. The California legislature has
             funded a number of watershed and fisheries restoration efforts in recent years, through the
             Departments of Fish and Game and Forestry and the State Coastal Conservancy, while many
             grassroots organizations have formed to investigate concerns over proposed development projects
             that may damage this habitat.


             THE APPROACH:


             A document in a format where timely and focused information is accessible and easy to
             disseminate has the potential to enhance watershed and fisheries restoration and advocacy for
             coastal stream protection.     Such a document would also contribute significantly to the
             implementation of State coastal management programs as well as to the efforts of NOAA, the
             U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and other State resource agencies.


             ACCOWLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             A private - consulting firm is producing a document on coastal watershed restoration and
             community-based aquatic habitat protection. This project will develop and disseminate to
             resource managers and interested . individuals timely and focused information regarding the
             regulatory, funding, and technical tools available to aid coastal watershed restoration. This
             manual will: 1) focus on best management practices/restoration techniques that have been
             demonstrated to be effective in other watershed restoration projects; 2) present methods for
             determining where improvements are needed; 3) present specifications for the appropriate
             application of the techniques; 4) identify technical resources to assist restoration programs; 5)
             present a bibliography for further research; 6) provide a primer on programs that offer grants to
             assist restoration efforts; and 7) identify permit requirements and agency certifications needed in
             order for a restoration project to go forward. Publication of this synthesis is expected in the
             winter of 1994.











                                                               74


                                               DECISION ANALYSIS SERIES
                   RESTORING STREAMS AND ANADROMOUS FISH HABITAT AFFECTED BY
                                                           LOGGING


              THE ISSUE:


              In the past two centuries, land-use activities, including logging, have degraded the majority of
              this Nation's streams and fish habitat, especially anadromous fish habitat. Logging has multiple
              effects on stream ecosystems through its effects on the riparian zone and on upland areas. Much
              is known about the habitat requirements of salmonids and the response of these fish to
              environmental change. Because of this knowledge and the magnitude of habitat loss, there is a
              great opportunity for effective habitat restoration.


              THE APPROACH:


              Many techniques exist for restoring logged streams to a natural condition, resembling their
              pristine state, but many techniques have not been thoroughly evaluated as to their effectiveness
              in restoring fish habitat. There is a need to synthesize the important information on stream
              restoration into a single document for resource managers.

              ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


              Principal investigators at the National Marine Fisheries Service's Auke Bay Laboratory are
              compiling a synthesis on the techniques for restoring streams and anadromous fish habitat and
              the use of buffer zones as a regulatory control. Because restoration is needed on the many
              streams logged without strearnside protection and because the use of buffer zones as a
              management tool will increase in the future, there is adopportunity to synthesize into o          'ne
              document: 1) the effectiveness of different restoration techniques in restoring fish habitat; and 2)
              the design and effectiveness of buffers in protecting fish habitat from logging. Sources for
              compiling information on stream restoration techniques and buffer zone design and effectiveness
              will include consultation/interviews with associates and noted experts, specific literature searches,
              and the unpublished literature of the many State and Federal agencies. Information on the
              impacts of logging on fish habitat and on stream rehabilitation will be synthesized and directed
              at resource managers. A panel of experts on stream restoration and buffer zone protection will
              be convened to identify' critical needs for the Pacific Northwest and Alaska region with
              application nationwide. The document will be published with a format'for being updated every
              five years. Publication of this synthesis is expected in the winter of 1994.











                                                              75


                                             DECISION ANALYSIS SERIES
                               EUTROPHICATION AND PHYTOPLANKFON BLOOMS


              THEISSUE:


             Human activities have greatly increased the loading of nutrients to the estuaries and coastal zone
             in the United States. Two of the symptoms attributed to nutrient enrichment are increases in
             phytoplankton biomass and the occurrence of nuisance phytoplankton blooms. These can lead
             to loss of valuable food resources and human poisoning. While the discovery of the relationship
             between phosphorous loadings and phytoplankton abundance has greatly aided in the management
             of lakes and reservoirs, this understanding is not nearly so advanced in coastal ecosystems.


             THE APPROACH:


             While it is generally found that nitrogen is the limiting nutrient in coastal waters, attempts to
             relate nutrient loading to phytoplankton abundances frequently have not yielded particularly
             useful relationships. There appear to be a number of factors that must interact to cause a bloom.
             Thus, an assembly of papers that investigate the relationships between nutrient loading and total
             phytoplankton abundance and those that consider the occurrence of nuisance species in coastal
             ecosystems would be useful for managers to determine the critical factors.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             Two principal investigators at the University of Rhode Island are producing two documents on
             eutrophication and phytoplankton blooms. The first will compile an annotated bibliography of
             references pertaining to two topics in marine eutrophication: 1) investigations of the relationships
             between nutrient loading and total phytoplankton abundance; and 2) studies of the occurrence of
             nuisance species in coastal ecosystems. Management options for reducing problems will be the
             focus in presenting both topics. Both hard copy and electronic versions of the bibliography will
             be prepared. The second document will review the current understanding of the relationships
             between nutrient loadings to coastal ecosystems, phytoplankton abundance, and the occurrence
             of 'nuisance and toxic blooms. Publication of this synthesis is expected in the fall of 1994.











                                                              76


                                    BIBLIOGRAPHY OF SYNTHESIS DOCUMENTS


             THE ISSUE:


             The use of books and articles on topics which relate to the coastal ocean is limited by the
             plenitude of available materials. It is hard for a coastal resource manager working independently
             to get the right pieces of information, for a decision from all the material available.


             THE APPROACH:


             The Coastal Ocean Program had funded the NOAA Library to undertake bibliographic searches
             of important databases containing scientific and management materials regarding the coastal
             ocean over the last ten years and then to distill the results of these searches and present them in
             a bibliography.


             ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND CURRENT ACTIVITIES:


             The database searches which were conducted in 1993-94 turned up thousands of citations on a
             limited number of search terms. These have been distilled to about 500-600 key articles or article
             collections and are being formatted into a number of keyword categories. The document is
             scheduled for publication in fall of 1994.










                                       NOAA COASTAL OCEAN PROGRAM
                                              INDEX OF FACTSHEETS



            1. BY PROJECT'TITLE

            A National Agenda for Coastal Ocean Science: National     Science and
              Technology Council Subcommittee (NSTC)       .................................               2
            Atmospheric Nutrient Inputs to Coastal Areas (ANICA)      ..............        .........   61
            Bibliography of Synthesis Documents     .....................................               76
            Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP)       .................................             18
                  Alaska   .......................................................                      25
                  Central California Coast ..........................            ................       32
                  Chesapeake Bay Region    ............................................                 20
                  Georgia    ......................................................                     29
                  Gulf of Mexico    ...................................................                 22
                  Louisiana   ......................................................                    28
                  Maine and Canada    ...............................................                   23
                  Massachusetts   ..................................................                    27
                  National Protocol Development   .......................................               19
                  New Jersey   ....................................................                     31
                  New York    .....................................................                     30
                  North Carolina    .................................................                   21
                  Oregon and Washington    ...........................           I ...............      24
                  Southern Florida   ................................................                   26
            Coastal Fisheries Ecosystems (CFE)    ........................................                 7
                  Bering Sea Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (FOCI)     ............     9
                  Predation and Structure of the Georges Bank Ecosystem    .................       I .. 10
                  South Atlantic Bight Recruitment Experiment (SABRE)       ......................         8
            Coastal Forecast System (CFS)     .............................................             65
            Coastal Hazards: Extratropical. Storm Surge Modeling     .........................          63
            Coastal Hazards: Tsunami Hazards Reduction       .................................          64
            Coastal Ocean Management, Planning and Assessment System        ....................        67
            Decision Analysis Series    ..............................................                  68
                  Coastal Watershed Restoration and Community-Based
                   Aquatic Habitat Protection   ........................................                73
                  Eutrophication and Phytoplankton Blooms     ..............................            75
                  Habitat Requirements for Summer Flounder      ..............................          72
                  Methodology and Mechanisms for Management of
                   Cumulative Coastal Environmental Impacts      ..............................         69
                  Restoring Streams and Anadromous Fish Habitat Affected by Logging       ..........    74
                  Seagrass Restoration Technology    ......................................             70
                  Technology and Success of Spailina alterniflora Marsh Restoration,
                   Creation, and Enhancement     ........................................               71
            Cumulative Effects of Multiple Stressors   ....................................                5
            Environmental Valuation Workshops     .......................................                  6











                                                            78
                                                  INDEX - Continued

             Estuarine Habitat Program (EHP)     .........................................              33
                  Functional Value
                        East and West Coast Salt Marsh. Comparison    ............       ...........    40
                        Northeastern Fisheries Recruitment   ...............................            39
                  Landscape Ecology
                        Columbia River Estuary and Willapa Bay     ...........................          43
                        Habitat Function and Interaction due to Land-Based
                          Nutrient Loading in Massachusetts    ..............................           42
                        North Carolina Salt Marsh-Seagrass Linkages    ........................         41
                        Salt Marsh Geomorphology    .....................................               45
                        Spatial Evaluation of Seagrass Ecosystems   ..........................          44
                  Integrative Modeling
                        Coastal Landscape Dynamics of Maryland's Eastern Shore      ...............     46
                        Eelgrass in Great Bay, NH   .....................................               47
                  Restoration Technology
                        Delaware Marshes     ...........................................                38
                        Genetic Diversity in'California Marshes  ............................           35
                        Genetic Diversity of Florida/Caribbean Turtle Grass   ...................       36
                        Genetic Characterization/East Coast Seagrass Propagation Techniques    .......  37
                        Improving Methods for West Coast Marshes      ..........................        34
             Florida Bay Research Program     ...........................................                 4
             Great Lakes Forecast System (GLFS)     .....................................               66
             Maui Algal Bloom Studies     .............................................                 62
             Mississippi River Flood Assessment Report     .................................            60
             NOAA   'Center,for Coastal Ecosystem Health    .................................             3
             NOAA Coastwatch       ....................................................                 11
                  El Nino Watch     ..................................................                  14
                  Red Tide Watch      ................................................                  13
                  Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR)    .....................................               16
                  Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs)    .....................................               12
                  Zebra Mussel Predictions    ...........................................               15
             Nutrient Enhanced Coastal Ocean Productivity (NECOP)      ........................         59
             Ocean Color Sea-Viewing Wide Field-of-View Sensor (SEAWIFS)          ................      17
             Setting a Course for U.S. Coastal Ocean Science:  Subcommittee on
              U.S. Coastal Ocean Science (SUSCOS)       ....................................              I
             Toxic Chemical Contaminants Program      ....................................              48
                  Bloeffects and Bioaccumulation Research    ...............................            58
                  Bioeffects Indicator Development    ....................................              57
                  Toxic Contaminant Bioeffects Surveys     ................    I .................      4 9
                        Boston Harbor    ..............................................                 53
                        Hudson-Raritan Estuary    .......................................               52
                        Tampa Bay     .................................................                 50
                        South Carolina Estuaries  .......................................               55











                                          79
                                    WDEX - Continued


                Southern California ..........................................  54
                South Florida ...............................................  56
                Western Florida Panhandle .....................................  51


         Il. BY PROGRAM AREA


         Coastal Fisheries Ecosystems:
             7,8, 9, 10


         Coastal Hazards:
             63, 64, 65, 66


         CoastWatch:
             11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32


         Estuarine Habitats:
             4, 5, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 407 41, 42,
             43, 44, 45, 46, 47

         Nutrient-Enhanced Productivity:
             59, 60, 61, 62

         Resource Information Delivery:
             67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74,75, 76


         Environmental Valuation:
             6


         Toxic Chemical Contaminants:
             48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58


         M.  BY STATE


         Alaska: 7, 9, 11, 16, 17, 18, 25,. 64, 68, 74

         California: 11, 13, 14, 17, 32,.33, 34, 35, 40, 48, 49, 54, 64, 68, 73

         Canada: 18, 23


         Delaware: 33, 38


         Florida: 4, 11, 18, 26, 33, 36, 37, 44, 48, 49, 50, 51, 56, 60, 67











                                                          80
                                                 INDEX - Continued


             Georgia: 11, 29, 48, 49, 55

             Hawaii: 11, 17, 62, 64

             Louisiana: 11, 18, 28, 33, 43, 59, 60


             Maine: 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 18, 23, 61, 68, 69

             Maryland: 6, 11, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 33, 46, 61

             Massachusetts: 6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 18, 27, 33, 42, 48, 49, 53, 61

             Michigan: 6, 11, 15, 16, 66

             Mississippi: 11, 17, 59, 60

             New Hampshire: 33, 47

             New Jersey: 11, 31, 33, 39, 48, 49, 52, 68, 72

             New York: 11, 30, 48, 49, 52

             North Carolina:  7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21@ 33, 37, 40, 41, 61, 68, 70

             Oregon: 6, 11,  14, 18, 24, 64, 67

             Rhode Island:  11, 68, 75

             South Carolina: 3, 6, 11, 33, 45, 48, 49, 55


             Texas: 11, 18, 22, 59, 67, 68, 71

             Virginia: 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 61

             Washington: 6, 11, 14, 18, 24, 33, 43, 64


             IV. BY REGION


             Bering Sea/Arctic Environments:
                  7, 9, 11, 16, 17, 18, 25, 64, 68, 74

             Chesapeake Bay:
                  6, 11, 13, 18, 19, 20, 33, 46, 61











                                                            81
                                                   INDEX - Continued


             Great Lakes:
                   6, 11, 15, 16, 66


             Gulf of Maine:
                   6, 10, 11, 13, 18, 23, 27, 48, 49, 53, 61, 68, 69


             Gulf of Mexico:
                   4, 11, 18, 22, 26, 28, 33, 36, 43, 48, 49, 50, 51, 56, 59, 60, 63, 67, 68, 71


             Mid-Atlantic:
                   6, 11, 12, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 33, 38, 40, 41, 46, 48, 49, 52, 61, 68, 72


             Northeast:
                   6, 7, 10, 11, 13, 18, 23, 27, 30, 31, 33, 39, 42, 47, 48, 49, 53, 57, 61, 63, 68, 69, 75


             Northwest:
                   6, 11, 14, 18, 24, 33, 40, 43, 57, 64, 67, 68, 74


             Southeast:
                   3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26, 28, 29, 33, 36, 37, 40, 41, 44, 45, 48,
                   49, 50, 51, 53, 55, 56, 59, 60, 61, 63, 68, 70


             Southwest/Pacific:                                                              -
                   11, 13, 14, 17, 32, 33, 34, 35, 40, 48, 49, 54, 57, 62, 64, 68, 73


             V. BY THEME


             Coastal Ecosystem Health:
                   1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 11, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
                   33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56,
                   57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75

             Coastal Forecast System:
                   11, 14, 15, 16, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67

             Build Sustainable Fisheries:
                   7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30. 31, 32, 33,
                   35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47

             Research Planning and Coordination:
                   1,2











                                                           82
                                                  WDEX - Continued


             V1. BY PROJECT APPLICATION


             Assessment:
                  2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 18, 26, 28, 32, 33, 35, 36, 40, 41, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 52, 53, 54,
                  55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75


             Cumulative Effects:
                  5, 32, 56, 68, 69


             Databases:
                  4, 7, 8, 10, 11, 17, 18, 19, 21, 29, 30, 312 32, 33, 37, 46, 48, 61, 67, 68, 71, 76

             Ecosystems/Watersheds:
                  2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 102 11, 13, 17, 26, 27, 30, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42,
                  43, 44, 45, 46, 472 59, 61, 67, 68, 70, 75

             Endangered/Threatened Species:
                  112 12, 34


             Environmental Valuation:
                  5, 6


             Fisheries Habitat:
                  3, 4, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 302 31, 32, 33, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40,
                  41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74


             GIS:
                  11, 15, 18, 202 21, 28, 29, 302 31, 32, 33, 45, 46


             Human Health:
                  11, 13, 55

             Indicator Development:
                  52 27, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 57

             Information Management:
                  3, 35, 40, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75


             Mapping:
                  11, 15, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 20, 30, 31, 32, 33, 37, 42, 45, 46, 62,
                  64,66


             Modeling:











                                                            83
                                                   INDEX - Continued

                  4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 15, 28, 32, 33, 35, 38, 40, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 59, 61, 63, 64.,
                  65, 66

             Monitoring:                                -
                  2, 3, 4, 5, 7, @, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 32,
                  33, 39, 45, 59, 61, 64, 65, 66

             Nonpoint Source Pollution:    -
                  3, 28, 32, 33, 42, 47, 59, 61, 62, 67, 681, 75


             Prediction Tools:
                  3, 5, 11, 12, 13, 15, 33, 35, 38, 41, 45, 47, 63, 64, 65, 66

             Protocol Development:
                  7, 8, 18, 19, 20, 23, 33, 34, 36, 69

             Remote Sensing:
                  3, 4, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32,
                  33,45,46,66


             Restoration:
                  2, 3, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 44,45, 68, 70, 71, 73, 74

             Sediment Quality:
                  33, 34, 43, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56

             Technology Development:
                  3, 33, 37

             Water Quality:
                  2, 4, 13, 33, 42, 47, 52, 59, 62, 67










                                                                                  F











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