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Description:
Project Manager:
Tye Kindinger
Project Years:
2019
2020
Project Summary:
To better understand ecosystem dynamics and relationships, particularly in the face of climate change, we aim to assess the status and trends of marine communities in response to multiple ocean warming events at scales useful for management. In order to best characterize such responses, we will combine the spatially and temporally large-scale national data from the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) with finer scale data collected by local institutions and U.S. jurisdictional partners, leveraging disparate monitoring efforts to enhance the likelihood of capturing responses following discrete thermal events by forming a more comprehensive time series of surveys across a variety of reef locations and habitats. In FY20, we will form a collaborative working group with a wide spread of partners across federal, local government, and academic organizations that monitor reefs across the Marianas Archipelago with the future intent of collating and synthesizing our data to (1) quantify the extent of impact on benthic communities following ocean warming events, and (2) understand whether fish communities have responded either directly to such thermal events and/or indirectly following changes in benthic composition. In FY20, we will also assess potential patterns in benthic and fish communities through time in the Manell-Geus focal areas to address a specific management need identified by the NOAA Pacific Islands Regional Office.
Expected Outcome:
Given the scale of effort required to collect, collate, and analyze disparate datasets for both benthic and fish communities, this project will be a multi-year effort in order to sufficiently address our research questions. Importantly, this project will provide NOAA with a model of how to leverage our national survey data for analyses at scales that are more relevant for managers via collaboration with a variety of partners throughout local jurisdictions that could be applied to other U.S. jurisdictional regions. Through this project, we are also largely focused on enhancing partner, stakeholder, and public engagement, with continued efforts to strengthen relationships with partners across the Marianas Archipelago in FY20.
Project Locations:
- Guam
- Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands
Project Category:
Fishing
Project Status:
Completed
Associated Products:
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