The 11th and final science grant was announced Thursday to collect ecological information on mid-depth and deep-water (65 – 1,650 feet) ecosystems inside and outside North Coast marine protected areas, or MPAs.
The project will use remotely operated vehicles to survey these often inaccessible and thus difficult to monitor habitats.
“This project adds an important component to the program because it includes habitats that sustain California’s recreational and commercial fisheries,” said Erin Meyer, an associate scientist from the California Ocean Science Trust, one of the collaborating partners launching this program.
“As we work in partnership with the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Ocean Protection Council, and California Sea Grant to steward this program, we are excited to broaden the range of projects and scientific information that are part of this important baseline program,” Meyer said.
“As a member of the North Coast community, I’m excited about the opportunity to explore deep-water habitats in the region’s MPAs,” said Andy Lauermann, with Marine Applied Research and Exploration and the ROV project lead. “Having surveyed California’s other MPA regions, I have learned to expect the unexpected. I look forward to sharing new discoveries from seafloor ecosystems in my own backyard.”
This project is part of a comprehensive baseline monitoring program for the North Coast region.
Scientists, fishermen, tribal governments, and citizen groups from 32 organizations will work together to develop a baseline of ocean conditions and human uses.
Over the course of the next three years, projects will monitor habitats inside and outside MPAs including kelp forests, rocky shores and beaches as well as commercially important fish populations and iconic seabirds.
Projects also will document human uses and the socioeconomic dimensions of MPAs, including changing patterns of fishing and recreational ocean use, and examine patterns of ocean currents across the whole region.
These awards are the culmination of 18 months of collaborative planning, informed by extensive input from the North Coast community and tribal governments.
Many local organizations and institutions, tribal governments (four projects), and commercial and recreational fishermen (six projects) will participate in the program…
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