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Bi-National Review: Gulf of Maine
Monitoring & indicators to address management issues
NWQMC – July 26, 2005
Watersheds to the EEZ
Governors, Premiers & Federal Governments
Key points
How this region is self-organizing around monitoring & indicators development– What we are doing? – How are we proceeding?– Who is involved?– What are the lessons-learned?
Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
Context for action
Clean Water Action Plan (2000) & Coastal Monitoring and Research Plan
Coastal States Organization comments (2002) establish a national monitoring center integrate federal monitoring programs support regional monitoring create indicators of ecosystem health
• US Ocean Commission (2004) create national monitoring network (e.g., backbone) with links
to ocean observing, clear goals, meet regional information needs
Background: rationale for integration in the region
Monitoring occurring in silos Increasingly complex management issues
require more comprehensive analysis Incompatible data management & exchange is
impeding better decision-making
Principles for integration
Coastal management and policy needs are drivers; Effective interagency (e.g., local, state, regional and
federal) cooperation; Existing monitoring and research programs provide
the foundation for the effort; It’s sustained over the years, is interoperable (e.g.,
producing comparable data through standard procedures) and accessible to public and private sectors, and is cost-efficient; and
It’s phased in, evolves and innovates without losing the value of historical data sets.
Monitoring Management
Research Observing
Value-added Network
Notes: Coastal ocean observing – This is the routine collection of physical, chemical, biological, and oceanographic data that can be synthesized into information. (It is distinguished from monitoring that
often focuses on responding to a specific issue such as the effect of ocean discharges.)
Conceptual View
Possible benefits
Regional assessments Methods standardization & intercalibration New tools Information management Interaction Public awareness & commitment
Functions of Network
Scale Tidal and subtidal Near-shore & inshore Coastal Watersheds and Blue Water/Ocean
Scope/Reach State & federal marine monitoring programs
Government and volunteer Government, volunteer and academic programs
All monitoring data
Program design & implementation
Evaluate based on established protocols
Apply standardized protocols selectively
Amend programs to meet regional needs
Standardized protocols and regional needs
Data management
Rely on current mechanisms Web links to databases with spatial references & metadata
Distributed & linked (e.g., archival and retrieval)
Data synthesis and communication
Existing level of program activity
Embayment assessments by selected issue
Integrated multi-factor regional assessments
Biogeographical trends and assessment w/active marketing/dissem
Links to research
Spontaneous - no formal connection
Identifies priorities linked to monitoring
Active proponent for regional research
Supports and conducts research (e.g., cause & effect)
Services provided @ fee/consulting
Local scale assessments Gulfwide assessments Integrated multivariate assessments
Development of plans, strategies, BMPs, etc.
Costs, possible activities & products of a Gulf of Maine network
Activities/methods– Regional methods standardization– Shared training– Common quality assurance protocols
Possible products
Products requiring no “significant” new funding– Website with click-able map showing geographic
coverage, data collected, URL, library catalogue, etc.
– Networking of program staff via seminars, workshops, e-mail, etc.
– Description of metadata and on-line access
Products (continued)
Products requiring new funding– Integrated and synthesized data into information– Ability to compare data sets addressing different
issues (land use changes and water quality) and draw conclusions
– Enhanced predictive tools/modeling with more robust data inputs
– Searchable databases & data histories– State of the environment reporting
Costs and Impediments
Costs– Independence & freedom to act autonomously– Expenses of change
Impediments– Inertia– Funding– Institutional– Technical
Ingredients to catalyze a network
Program managers need to be involved in the formation of the network and affirm it will help them meet their program’s mission/objectives and enhance their efforts.
Seed funding is needed to challenge monitoring programs to expend their own resources toward creation of the network.
Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
A Sampling of Regional Activities
Gulf of Maine EcoSystem Indicator Partnership Gulfwatch Nutrient Monitoring Pilot
Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
EcoSystem Indicators Partnership
October 2004 Gulf of Maine Summit – six proposed sets of 5-10 indicators (Tier one – coastal development, contaminants and fisheries, Tier two – nutrients, aquatic habitats and climate change)
ESIP formed, co-chaired by federal agencies and staffed by Gulf of Maine Council
Commenced development of management strategy & listening sessions
Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
Gulfwatch
1989 desire to coordinate & expand monitoring Formation of Gulfwatch to prove to ourselves 12-years of contaminant data (fact sheet) Peer review Stepping stone to integrated effort
Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
Nutrient Monitoring – Gulf pilot
National Estuarine Eutrophication Assessment update with Gulf of Maine as pilot collecting data & basing new assessment
20+ nutrient data sets collected & assessed Proposal pending to organize, repair and
prepare to flow data electronically
Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment
Closing
Significant interest to improve management responses via indicators, monitoring & observing
Partnerships are central Boot-strapping is expected Reinventing is costly and time consuming