Impact of Sea Level Rise on Intertidal Communities: Assessment to Inform Resilience Based Management and Conservation Priorities
With sea level rise (SLR) predicted to be between 0.5 and 2.0 meters above current levels by 2100, there is a need to determine how SLR will impact habitats and species found along California’s coast. Habitats and species under tidal influence, such as those in rocky intertidal systems, are particularly susceptible to SLR impacts. This project will provide a spatially explicit projection of the habitat and ecological consequences of SLR by linking species tidal ranges to new habitat mapping for the state of California. The project will cover all rocky intertidal areas in the state of California. Drones will be used to create high resolution digital elevation maps (DEMs) for all rocky intertidal areas. For species habitat association and tidal range data, the project will utilize the Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe)’s extensive 25-year
dataset. The DEMs will then be combined with MARINe species elevation datasets to produce 3D species distribution maps based on current sea levels. As a final product, this project will provide a tool that can be used to predict geographic consequences of SLR to the community of species that live along the coastline of California through Species Distribution Modeling. The resultant integrated and live interactive visualization tool will provide spatially explicit projections (i.e., 3D species maps) and derived datasets. These deliverables will be novel and essential for informing sound coastal policy and management on how SLR will impact California coastal habitats. Funding for the project is provided by the California Ocean Protection Council.
Monterey Bay White Sharks Project
Monterey Bay White Sharks is an interdisciplinary research program involving Stanford University, UC Santa Cruz, the University of Washington, and the Middlebury Institute. Scientists employ cutting-edge technologies, including satellite tags, genomics, environmental DNA, drones, and advanced ecological and oceanographic models, to study large predators in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. Policymakers contribute by recommending strategies to strengthen public outreach and awareness initiatives about white sharks. As part of the project our group use drones to conduct survey counts of marine mammals along the Central Coast and to predict key areas where these animals and sharks co-occur to model their presence and absence.
Our mission is to advance scientific understanding of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s complex ecosystem, from its oceanographic processes to interactions among top predators. We aim to raise public awareness to foster protection and appreciation of this vital marine environment. This research is supported by funding from the Ocean Protection Council, NOAA’s Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), Stanford University, and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Synchro Co-design Lab
Synchro accelerates technology solutions for ocean research. It does this by providing a testbed for previously-developed technology, and involving resource managers and other users who will ultimately use the technology to participate in its evaluation process. By involving these decision managers from the beginning, we synchronize technology testing in real-world conditions with a quicker uptake of these critical tools needed to measure a rapidly changing ocean. The Synchro Program office is implemented by the Central and Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) and housed at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. It cooperates closely with Stanford University’s new Oceans Department (including Hopkins Marine Station, in Monterey Bay) and the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (MLML) and the University of Washington. Our drone group provides support for the development of drone based approaches for coastal monitoring and data analysis. Funding for this project is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Oceankind Foundation and Schmidt Marine Technology Partners.
California Ocean Access and MPA Management
California’s coastline spans over 1,100 miles with 124 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), designed to protect biodiversity and vulnerable marine ecosystems. MPAs represent a management practice that can provide benefits to both the marine environment and to the human communities who use and/or value it. Though community co-management and ongoing communication between resource managers and diverse stakeholders have been identified as key contributors to the success of MPAs worldwide, there are ongoing concerns about who has a voice in the management of California MPAs. Here we use a cross-cultural comparative survey to investigate how coastal spaces contribute to human-wellbeing across underserved communities in central California and identify what factors function to mediate ocean access and benefits across different socioeconomic and cultural groups. Our goal is to investigate how California residents’ interactions with ocean spaces shape their priorities surrounding area-based coastal management. Utilizing a survey instrument (questionnaire), we engage with residents to collect their perspectives on ocean engagement. Preliminary results have shown contrasts between priority ranking attributes between ethnic and gender groups. This information will be of critical importance to resource managers seeking to develop adaptive management strategies so that MPAs and other ocean areas may benefit all Californians, now and in the future, regardless of how environmental and socioeconomic changes may function to transform local marine environments. Funding for this project is provided by the California Ocean Protection Council.