Download 2005_0819FORUMPresentationWetlandsAdded

Marine Nearshore Indicators Subcommittee
Report to the Governor’s Forum on Monitoring
July19, 2005
Task of Subcommittee
This subcommittee is to bring recommendations to the Forum at its next regular meeting
on a specific indicator or set of indicators to be included in the State of Salmon report
that would characterize marine conditions in Puget Sound, the coast, and the lower
Columbia River estuary.
Members and meetings held
The subcommittee met on July 12th, from 10:00-3:00
A second meeting took place on July 14, 10:00-1:00.
Subcommittee members:
Jan Newton, UW
Tom Mumford, DNR
Curtis Tanner, US F&W
Michael Rylko, EPA
Casey Rice, NOAA
Scott Redman, PSAT
Wayne Palsson, DFW
Brian Grantham, Ecology
Margaret Dutch, Ecology
Kim Stark, King County
Lydal Johnson, NOAA
Russell Stranton, NOAA
Jim West, DFW
Sandra O’Neill, DFW
Mary Lou Mills, DFW
Dave Nysewander, DFW
Sarah Brace, PSAT
Steve Leider, GSRO
Terry Wright, NWIFC
Tim Determan, DOH
Recommended Options
In the process of developing indicators for the estuary and marine waters, the
subcommittee agreed that one or a few indicators was not sufficient to characterize the
ecosystem of the estuaries and coastal waters of Washington. The subcommittee
Estuary Subcommittee Report
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July 13, 2005
developed a suite of indexes that more fully reflect the complexity of the estuary and
marine ecosystem. The indexes fall under the main categories of “Inputs from
Watersheds”, “Habitat” and “Ecosystems, Communities and Species”.
These indexes are integrators of many key components of the ecosystem and data
availability for these components is variable. The table below provides a summary of:
 information the index provides,
 key components of the index,
 availability of data for the index, and
 next steps needed to complete the index including estimated level of funding.
To fully characterize the condition of the estuary and how it relates to effort to recover
salmon, marine birds, orcas and other species, one or two indexes alone will not be
sufficient. However, the subcommittee recognizes that the effort to develop the full suite
of indexes listed below will require significant time, staff resources and funding
investments.
The Subcommittee will work with the Forum to develop a strategy (with options and
proposed timeline) for prioritizing and completing the development of the indexes.
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July 13, 2005
Category
Habitat
Indicator
Shoreline modification
index
Components of
indicator
Extent of altered and
shoreline, bulkheads,
armoring, etc.
What does this tell us?
Characteristic of shoreline
and nearshore – altered drift
cells, changes in gravel size,
sediment structure, etc.
Also track where shoreline
relatively intact/natural.
Inventory of restoration
efforts?
Aquatic and wetland
habitat composition index
Relative abundance of
intertidal and subtidal
habitat types (such as
marine riparian
vegetation, tidal saline,
brackish and freshwater
wetlands, kelp,
eelgrass, mudflats,
marshes, rocky habitat.
Condition of habitat for
forage fish, salmon, and other
organisms that utilize the
aquatic and emergent
vegetation, and unvegetated
areas (i.e. mudflat/sandflats,
etc.)..
.
Readiness of indicator
Next steps and their
Associated costs.
(Still needed: coastal and
Columbia R input.
Low $ = 10s of K
Mod $ = $100 of K
High $ = Millions of K
Shoreline inventory should be
continued and repeated at a regular
frequency - every 5 years (moderate
$)
DNR – one time shoreline
inventory (ShoreZone)
(2000).
Counties – shoreline
inventories variable
depending on county.
Other:
MRCs
Academia
Tribes
Columbia R. Estuary
DNR/PSAMP on-going
eelgrass; one-time shoreline
modification
AG: on-going aquatic and
wetland nuisance species,
invasives
DFW/PSAMP: Data for San
Juan
(10% of WA ecosystem).
Additional data needed from
remainder of the
estuary/coastal waters
Other:
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July 13, 2005
Analysis of 2000 data to refine
the ShoreZone index. Product:
description of the condition
(moderate $)
Develop index (one
time low-med $)
Continue with existing
Species (no new $)
Add new species (moderate –
high $)
MRCs, local governments
Academia
Tribes
Columbia R. Estuary
Ocean and deeper water
(+30 ft)
Seafloor, substrate
type, habitat type,
Condition of habitat for
forage fish, salmon, and other
organisms that utilize the
deeper water habitats.
DFW/PSAMP data for San
Juans seafloor map
Continue existing monitoring
(no new $)
Patchy data from Navy,
Build a consortium or fund
all at once (high $)
Other?
Measure human impact (low $)
Marine water quality
index
Sediment Quality Index
Extent of eutrification,
info on physical
properties
(temperature, nutrients,
DO, salinity, fecal
contam.)PSP.
Chemistry, toxicity,
infauna (triad index),
other
Eutrification changes primary
productivity, changes food
availability, oxygen
availability.
Sediment quality and
contaminant effects on
benthic biota
ECY/PSAMP:on-going water
quality
UW/PSAMP/PRISM:
ongoing water quality
DOH/PSAMP: on-going fecal
Other:
Academia
Tribes
Columbia R. Estuary
Some local gov’ts
ECY/PSAMP ongoing.
Suspended sediments –
needed.
Measures of contamination in
the sediments
Continue existing monitoring (no new
$)
Expand spatial coverage (mod $)
Develop index (one-time
low-mod $)
Continue on-going sediment sampling
(no new $)
Develop additional indexes on
for other seafloor organisms. (mod $)
Look at different strata – focus
studies to look at nearshore. (mod $)
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Ecosystems,
communities
and species
Community integrity
Taxa richness,
diversity, trophic
structure (relationship
between trophic levels
in the food web; i.e.
producers and
consumers)
Large scale changes in the
ecosystem communities
affected by climate change,
habitat change, contaminants,
invasives, etc.
.
Species condition (status)
Harmful Algal Blooms
All major biotic
groups, salmon,
groundfish, forage fish,
marine birds,
shorebirds, marine
mammals, invertebrates
and plants.
PSP, domoic acid,
others
Other invasives (i.e.,
Spartina sp., European
green crab, mitten crab,
colonial tunicate, etc.)
Abundance biomass, and
population health for all
stages of life history
Presence of biotoxins
Food model tools but have
not been applied – data are
available. Partial data exists;
more integration needed
Academia
DFW
DNR
ECY
NOAA Fisheries
EPA IBI Modules for
wetlands (see BAWWG on
EPA website)
Academia
DFW/PSAMP
DNR
ECY
NOAA Fisheries
EPA/PSAMP
USGS/US F&W
Tribes
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Continue with existing
Species (medium $)
Expand food web studies to include
plankton, additional key species,
(mod-$)
Develop index (one
time low-med $)
Continue with existing
Species (medium $)
Augment existing
Programs (mod $)
Other:
Olympic Coast Marine
Sanctuary
NGOs
Northwest Straits
Commission
Plankton studies needed (mod $)
DOH /PSAMP : ongoing
PSP
Continue on-going monitoring (no
new $)
NOAA Fisheries: on-going
PSP
Expand coverage to include other
regions (Mod $)
Other:
Estuary Subcommittee Report
Develop index (one
time low-med $)
July 13, 2005
Inputs from
Watersheds
Marine biota contaminant
index
Fish and wildlife,
invertebrates, plankton
and
plants
Movement of contaminants
through
biota and effects
(exposure and effects)
Are contaminates increasing
or decreasing?
Is the ecosystem
contaminated ? (PS eco
System more contaminated
than the Columbia River
Est.?
Extent and magnitude of
contaminants through the
food web.
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Academia
Tribes
EPA – EMAP
DFW/PSAMP: Ongoing fish
contaminant
NOAA Fisheries: Ongoing
fish contaminant
USGS/US F&W: terrestrial
bird and mammal data
other:
Academia
Tribes
July 13, 2005
Develop index (one-time
low-mod $)
Continue with existing
Species (no new $)
Add new species (med-high $)
Issues Critical for Success




Marine and estuary ecosystems too complex to be characterized by one or two
indicators.
Data on many of the important indicators exists – funding needed to take to next
step and develop integrated models
Need to tie indicators to management activities and to stressors.
Use indices as “fuel” for an adaptive management process
Costs to accomplish the task
See table above.
Approach
A possible approach is to prioritize the indices as to their degree of readiness and
importance;
1. Relatively ready to create (low hanging fruit)
a. Marine water quality index
b. Sediment quality index
c. Biotic contaminant index
2. Moderate to high cost but important
a. Aquatic habitat composition index
b. Community integrity index
c. Species condition index
3. Wish list
a. Harmful algal bloom index
b. Shoreline modifications index
c. Ocean index
Players and their part of the solution
Players
Proposed Role
(Lead, or support)
Ocean and deeper water (+30 ft) (lead)
Marine biota contaminant index (lead)
Harmful Algal Blooms
Species condition
Community integrity
Sediment Quality Index (lead)
Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program
Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership
Estuary Subcommittee Report
Shoreline modification index (Lead)
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July 13, 2005
Aquatic habitat composition index
White papers linking VEC’s to ecological
processes, structures, and habitats
Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership
Species condition?
Aquatic habitat index
Community integrity
Sediment Quality Index?
Oregon Watershed Enhancement Board
Species condition?
Academia
Marine water quality (lead)
Marine biota contaminant index
Harmful Algal Blooms
Species condition
Sediment Quality Index
Tribes
Species condition
Community integrity
Sediment Quality Index
Marine water quality
Local government, MRC’s, LE’s
Species condition
Community integrity
NGOs
Species condition
Community integrity
USGS, US F&W, other federal partners
Marine biota contaminant index
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July 13, 2005