Research Activity Panel: FINAL Meeting Minutes
Long Marine Laboratory
University of California, Santa Cruz
Friday August 8, 1997
09:00 - 12:00

Introduction of members and guests (G. Cailliet)

Members Present:
	Greg Cailliet, Moss Landing Marine Labs- Chair
	Andrew DeVogelaere, MBNMS- RAP Coordinator
	Lisa Ziobro, MBNMS- SAC Coordinator
	Jane Caffrey, ESNERR and ESF
	Michael Field, USGS
	Deborah Johnston, CA DFG/ Monterey
	Rikk Kvitek, CSUMB
	Jennifer Nielsen, Hopkins Marine Station
	Laura Ehret, Naval Postgraduate School
	Mark Stephenson, CDFG/Mar. Pollution Studies Lab
	Geoff Wheat, NOAA/NURP
	Caroline Pomeroy, UCSC/CSUMB
	Gary Sharp, CIRIOS

Guests:
	Dan Costa, UCSC
	Kip Evans, MBNMS
	Bruce Heyer, UCSC
	Michele Jacobi, MBNMS
	John Robinson, MBNMS
	Vicki Takacs, CSU Stanislaus
	Dorris Welch, UCSC

CONSENT ITEMS:

Modifications to the agenda (G. Cailliet)

John Robinson will provide a legislation update during the Short 
Information Items.

Approval of the minutes for July 1997 (G. Cailliet)

The draft minutes from the July 11, 1997 meeting were approved as presented.

PRESENTATIONS

The new Sanctuary permit system (S. Kathey)

Scott Kathey, MBNMS, presented a background of the Sanctuary permitting 
process and an overview of the new permit system.  The most prevalent 
permit requests are for overflights and altering the seabed.  A permit is not 
required for doing research within Sanctuary boundaries unless it involves 
Sanctuary prohibitions.

The new Sanctuary permitting system - SPITS (Sanctuary Permits 
Information Tracking System) - is a central database that has been set up to 
standardize procedures and to provide data among sanctuary sites.
Eventually, there will be the capability to link the SPITS data with GIS 
software.  Researchers and the general public will be able to access some of the 
information stored in SPITS.

Scott provided a computer demonstration on how one permit request is 
processed by SPITS.  The greater the environmental impact of a project, the 
greater the involvement from Sanctuary Headquarters in the permit process.  
If SPITS classifies a request as an A class (A being the least impact, C the 
highest impact), the permit can be issued by the local Monterey office.

Someone who does not obtain a permit for a prohibited activity faces the 
possibility of a $109,000 fine per day; however, so far, the Sanctuary has not 
taken any legal action against violations by researchers.

Headquarters is hoping to have SPITS on-line by December 1997.  Greg Cailliet 
suggested running a few trial tests on the program so that the RAP can 
provide further input, and asked members to try the system in the MBNMS 
office.

RAP expressed concerns about the following:
 It is inappropriate to ask for detailed budget information; no other permit 
agency requests it; this is confidential information that would severely 
impact competing consulting firms; scientists often have to obtain permits 
before or during seeking funding;
 the idea of having institutions requesting extensive/multiple permits for 
ongoing research activities is still desirable (and perhaps possible with 
SPITS);
 GPS datum should be specified (ie., latitude, longitude and meters from 
equator).

ATOC and LFA experiments (D. Costa)

Dan Costa, University of California Santa Cruz, gave a presentation on ATOC 
experiments, with some insights into LFA (Low Frequency Active) studies.

The ATOC project is designed to answer the basic questions - Whos out 
there?  Where are they?  Will they hear it?  How do they react?  The ATOC 
source is located fifty miles west of Half Moon Bay, at 900 meters depth, at a 
frequency of 130 db.  The species of marine animals most likely to be affected 
by the source are deep divers with low frequency hearing - baleen whales and 
elephant seals.  Therefore, the project focused on these animals, as well as 
sperm whales who are deep divers.

Preliminary results from aerial surveys indicated an unexpected high 
occurrence of sperm whales in the region.  Moreover, sperm whales and 
humpback whales showed a small but statistically significant increase further 
from the sound source.  This was not true for blue and fin whales.  Costa does 
not know if the differences found in the preliminary work are biologically 
significant, but he is encouraged that the experimental design can detect 
differences.

Elephant seals with time/depth/sound recorders demonstrated no deviation 
in migration patterns, or diving patterns when near the sound source.

The LFA Project will use a towed array of sources rather than a single fixed 
source (as the ATOC project uses).  The project is designed for the location of 
small-scale submarines and will use low frequency below 500 hz (250 db will 
be the highest level used).  The project consists of three phases to determine if 
the sound impacts wildlife.

Phase 1 is located off San Nicholas Island and will target blue and humpback 
whales.  Dan Costa expressed concern that pinnipeds in this critical breeding 
area were not carefully considered in environmental documents.

Phase 2 is located off Soberanes Point, in MBNMS, and will target California 
grey whales.

Phase 3 is located in the Hawaiian islands and will target humpback whales 
during breeding season.

Socioeconomic studies and the Monterey Bay Regional Studies Program (C. 
Pomeroy)

Caroline Pomeroy presented an overview of socioeconomic studies in the  
Monterey Bay region.  The Monterey Bay Regional Studies Program (MBRS) 
is a research and teaching program that focuses on linkages between land and 
sea within the Monterey Bay region through integrated use of the natural and 
social sciences.  There are currently four projects being conducted through 
UCSC:

1. The uncertainties, values, goals, and outcomes of steelhead management 
(Ann Mullen).
2. Citizen action and political culture of conservation in the Monterey Bay 
region (Michelle Knight).
3. Exploratory study to look at the human side of resource use and 
management at Big Creek - the cooperative agreement between the Big 
Creek manager, John Smiley, and local fishermen (Caroline Pomeroy, 
Julie Beck and Chris Wilcox).
4. Socio-economic analysis of the California market squid fishery (Caroline 
Pomeroy and Margaret Fitzsimmons).

DISCUSSION

Summary of the last SAC meeting/MBNMS Superintendent status (G. 
Cailliet)

Greg Cailliet provided an oral and written summary of the July 31, 1997 SAC 
Retreat and August 1, 1997 SAC meeting in Cambria with Stephanie 
Thornton and Jeff Benoit.

Sanctuary Currents format (L. Love, D. Welch, C. Pomeroy)

Dorris Welch and Caroline Pomeroy provided a quick overview of next years 
Sanctuary Currents program.  Presently, the three dates being considered, in 
order of preference, are:  March 14, March 7, February 28.  The theme of the 
symposium will be Human Impacts on the Sanctuary.  Please provide 
Caroline with ideas for sub-themes and speakers.  The RAP also needs to start 
thinking about the Ricketts nominee.

SHORT INFORMATION ITEMS

Verbal items:

Central Coast Regional Monitoring Program (M. Stephenson)

Mark Stephenson and Jane Caffrey reported on the status of the Central Coast 
Regional Monitoring Program, which is in the very early stages and does not 
have extensive funding at this time.  The region is from Santa Barbara 
through San Francisco.

Status of proposed marine legislation (J. Robinson)

John Robinson reported on proposed marine legislation.  Of particular 
interest, Mussel Watchs $700,000 request dropped to $150,000.

Written items (no discussion unless there are questions):

Sound in the Sea Bibliography (A. De Vogelaere/M. Jacobi)
	Michele Jacobi and Dan Costa have completed a draft bibliography on 
the topic.  Comments on the draft are due July 8.

Great American Fish Count (M. Jacobi/A. De Vogelaere)
	RAP members completed their review and a draft letter has been 
written.

The Sanctuary Scientific Research Plan (A. De Vogelaere/M. Jacobi)
	Authors have been sent their old appendices which list research needs 
for different disciplines.  They will determine if these sections of the Plan 
should be updated. 

MBNMS Research Coordinator contract (A. De Vogelaere)
	The deadline for contract bids has passed.  WASC is processing the bids 
and a decision is expected by August 21.

Light in the Deep Sea Report (R. Kochevar)
	In progress

Research Institution Video (K. Evans)
	See NMS Research Report handout

NMS Research Reports, see handout (A. De Vogelaere/J. Roletto)
	See handout

Permit Report (S. Kathey)
	See handout

Legislation Update (J. Robinson)
	See handout

New Business

The next RAP meeting is scheduled for September 12 at Moss Landing Marine 
Labs in the El Norte Building.

ADJOURN