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Home  About  NOS Fiscal Year 2016 Year in Review
 NOS Priority: Place-Based Conservation NOS Fiscal Year 2016 Year in Review  Biodiversity Observing Network Gains Momentum in U.S. **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 Sea anemone in the kelp beds of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
	Sea anemone in the kelp beds of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, one of the sites of the 3 pilot Marine Biodiversity Observing Networks (MBON).  Photo Credit: Chad King/MBNMS
 The U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observing Network (MBON)--a partnership funded by U.S. IOOS®, NOAA's Office of Ocean  Exploration and Research, NASA, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)  has had a successful second year. Researchers are working toward establishing a  long-term national biodiversity monitoring network, through three pilot  projects. The projects are working in the Arctic Chukchi Sea, the Santa  Barbara Channel, and the Florida Keys, Flower Garden Banks, and Monterey Bay  National Marine Sanctuaries. The Arctic Marine Biodiversity Network (AMBON), a  partnership with a number of regional initiatives (including the NOAA-led  Distributed Biological Observatory), was selected as one of the projects that  will support deliverables from the White House Arctic Sciences Ministerial,  taking place in fall 2016.  The  Sanctuaries MBON project extended to include Flower Garden Banks. Work in  the Flower Gardens is timely, and MBON researchers are contributing to  understanding of the unprecedented coral bleaching event happening there.  An increase in availability of time-series data will make this event, and  future events, easier to understand and forecast. In the Santa Barbara Channel  MBON project, researchers are developing new technology and data handling  methods to identify and fill data gaps.    Maps of Living Marine Resources Support Development of Offshore Renewable Energy SUPPORTS **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation
 Modeled long-term relative abundance of Humpback whale around Main Hawaiian Islands in winter.  Credit: NOAA and University of Hawaii at Manoa
	Modeled long-term relative abundance of Humpback whale around Main Hawaiian Islands in winter.  Credit: NOAA and University of Hawaii at Manoa
 NOAA continues to work closely with the Bureau of Ocean  Energy Management (BOEM) to develop mapping products that support ocean energy  development. Accurate maps and predictions of living marine resource  distributions facilitate planning that reduces potential conflicts between  human uses and sensitive marine ecosystem components needed for healthy and  resilient coastal communities and economies. In 2016, NCCOS scientists published an environmental  assessment of the distribution of marine animals and benthic habitats around  the main Hawaiian Islands, with special consideration given to species likely  to interact with renewable energy infrastructure. These data will serve as  foundational material for BOEM’s renewable energy leasing process and help  identify potential issues for future National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)  analysis as Hawaii strives to generate 100 percent of its electricity from  renewable energy sources by 2045. Also in 2016, NCCOS and BOEM published an ecological study  of the seafloor in a proposed offshore wind energy area off the coast of North  Carolina. BOEM used these findings to modify the size and boundaries of the  original area of interest to minimize possible impacts to sensitive reef and  fishery habitats.   Science evaluation to inform future investments **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 This  year, the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program completed a science evaluation  to gain a better understanding of how the data, tools and products it provides  are used by stakeholders. A panel of leading, independent coral reef experts  investigated the accessibility of the information to coral reef managers and policy  makers, how helpful these products are for coastal management decision makers,  and how the data, information, and services are being used to support coral  reef conservation. This review covered NOAA Coral Reef Conservation  Program-funded ecosystem science only.  Reports from the panelists and the program’s  response, including an action plan for program adjustments based on panelists'  recommendations, are available on the program’s web site.   NOAA plays a key role at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium—bridging science to policy **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 NOAA’s coral reef research portfolio was well represented at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium in Honolulu Hawaii
	NOAA’s coral reef research portfolio was well represented at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium in Honolulu Hawaii
 NOAA’s  coral reef research portfolio was well represented at the 13th International  Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in Honolulu Hawaii with researchers joining  sessions and media events on the conservation, restoration, policy, and science  of coral reef and associated habitats. ICRS organizers also hosted a Leader’s  Summit with the presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia, Palau and  Republic of the Marshall Islands. These leaders issued a call to action  requesting increased collaboration between the scientific community and local  governments, acknowledging there needs to be more funding and a strengthened  commitment to protecting coral reefs. ICRS is the largest international meeting  focused on coral reef science and management. It was hosted by the  International Society for Reef Studies and was sponsored by the NOAA Coral Reef  Conservation Program. The symposium takes place every four years.   Partnership critical to coral reef ecosystem conservation in Asia-Pacific **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 A NOAA scientist works with the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to ground truth light signatures of fishing lights detected using visible infrared imaging technology.
	A NOAA scientist works with the Philippines Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to ground truth light signatures of fishing lights detected using visible infrared imaging technology.
 2016  marked the third year of a $20 million dollar partnership between NOAA and the  USAID Regional Development Mission for Asia to strengthen local marine  conservation in an area with some of the planet’s most diverse marine habitats.  NOAA provided trainings on: Ecosystem approaches to fisheries management in the Philippines,
          Marine protected area management in the Philippines and Indonesia,
          Development of sustainable marine tourism in Indonesia, and
          Methods and technologies, like visible infrared imaging, to enhance  marine enforcement in the Philippines and Indonesia. The  NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program coordinates the agency’s engagement in  international coral reef issues. NOS, NMFS, OAR, and NESDIS play a key role in  implementing the trainings that are core parts of this five-year partnership  with USAID.   Coral reefs and conservation science make headlines around the globe **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation
 The redesigned www.coralreef.noaa.gov now makes learning about NOAA’s coral reef research easier.
	The redesigned www.coralreef.noaa.gov now makes learning about NOAA’s coral reef research easier.
 Educating  the public on the value of coral reef ecosystems and the threats they face in a  changing environment is key to their conservation. In 2016, the NOAA Coral Reef  Conservation Program continued efforts to engage the public in order to move  the conservation needle in a positive direction. In the spring, the program  launched its newly redesigned web site, www.coralreef.noaa.gov. With web stories, featured data products from  the Coral Reef Information System, and a multimedia library, the site lets  visitors dive right into what the NOAA coral reef research community is doing  on the ground and in the water. The program also joined the Twittersphere,  highlighting the latest news, findings, images and videos on @NOAACoral, and grew its following on Facebook to over  50,000 supporters. Successful efforts to draw media attention to the ongoing  threat of coral bleaching and what the agency is doing to address it continued  with press conferences, interviews with the media, the development of  infographics, and a popular “Ask Us Anything” session on “Coral bleaching and  why there’s hope”, that drew over 7.6 million Redditors.   **Data highlights status and trends in the coral reef  health** **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 A diver collects data on the condition of coral reefs in the Mariana Islands
	A diver collects data on the condition of coral reefs in the Mariana Islands
 Scientists  collected biological, climatic, and socioeconomic data in 2016 to measure  changes in U.S. coral reef ecosystems as part of the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program. In the Hawaiian Archipelago, NOAA scientists conducted hundreds  of fish and benthic surveys and recovered and re-deployed instruments to assess  impacts of ocean acidification and warming. In the Atlantic, scientists  gathered similar data at sites in Puerto Rico and Florida. Social science  researchers focused on the connections between coral reef ecosystems and  people, their communities and economies by completing resident surveys in Guam  and the Northern Marianas Islands. Satellite remote sensing provided data  across all U.S. reef areas, filling gaps between field sampling sites. The  National Coral Reef Monitoring Program is an integrated and focused monitoring  effort with partners across the U.S. and its territories. Outcomes will help  managers, decision makers, and communities better understand the condition of  their resources and take effective place-based conservation actions.   President Obama expands Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 Map showing the expanded area of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.
	Map showing the expanded area of Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. The new boundary extends out to the U.S. EEZ (shown in purple). The monument's original area is shown in blue
 On August 26, 2016,  President Obama signed a proclamation expanding Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.  Previously the largest contiguous fully-protected conservation area in the United  States at 139,797 square miles (362,073 km2), the expanded boundaries make it  once again the biggest protected area on the planet at 582,578 square miles  (1,508,870 km2), nearly the size of the Gulf of Mexico. Papahānaumokuākea is  globally recognized for its biological and cultural significance, being the  only mixed UNESCO World Heritage site in the United States and only one of 35  mixed sites in the world. This expansion not only provides direct protection to  this global resource, but also brings critical attention to the need for  increased ocean conservation and protection worldwide. Despite its remote  location in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands, PMNM faces a looming threat of global climate change  that will affect its land and marine ecosystems, as well as its cultural  resources -- a threat that ocean resources are facing across the globe.   Monitor and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuaries Expansions Proposed **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation, coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 USS Monitor.
	USS Monitor. This famed Civil War ironclad sank during a storm on December 31, 1862, and wasn't found again until 1973. Its discovery prompted the creation of our first national marine sanctuary, Monitor National Marine Sanctuary! Photo Credit: NOAA Monitor Collection
 For  more than 40 years, Monitor  National Marine Sanctuary has served as a special  place honoring the iconic Civil War ironclad, USS*Monitor*, and the  memory and service of Civil War sailors. The proposed  expansion, announced in January 2016, is an opportunity to honor  another generation of mariners that helped defend the nation during both World  Wars. An expansion of this historical site just off of North Carolina’s coast  would protect a collection of historically significant shipwrecks vessels,  including vessels sunk during World War II’s Battle of the Atlantic. 
        Building  on more than 30 years of scientific studies, including numerous reports  released in the last decade and in the aftermath of the 2010 *Deepwater  Horizon*oil spill, NOAA announced in June 2016 to expand Flower Garden Bank National  Marine Sanctuary. The preferred scenario would cover an extra 383  square miles, including 15 reefs and banks that provide habitat for  recreationally and commercially important fish, as well as 15 threatened or  endangered species of whales, sea turtles, and corals. This scenario also calls for  comprehensive management and protection of these important habitat sites and  cultural resources, and would provide more opportunities for research and  recovery of resources.   U.S. and Cuba to Cooperate on Sister Sanctuaries **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation,coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 Red grouper and boulder star coral photographed in the Upper Keys, at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
	Red grouper and boulder star coral photographed in the Upper Keys, at Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
 Less  than a hundred miles south of the reefs and mangrove forests of Florida Keys  National Marine Sanctuary are the marine ecosystems  of our neighboring nation, Cuba. In November 2015, a Memorandum of  Understanding (MOU) was signed by NOAA, the National Park Service, and Cuba’s  Ministry of Science, Technology, and Environment. This new MOU includes the establishment  of sister-sanctuary relationships between Guanahacabibes  National Park in Cuba, including its offshore Bank of San Antonio, and Florida  Keys and Flower Garden Banks national marine  sanctuaries in the United States. 
        Recognizing  that these protected areas are all inextricably linked by ocean currents and  animal migrations, and threatened by some of the same environmental stressors  (such as ocean acidification), this MOU is an opportunity for marine protected  area managers and scientists in the U.S. and Cuba to learn from one another’s  experiences, benefiting and improving the health of coral reef resources in  both countries.   Discovery of the Wreck of the USS Conestoga **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation
 The officers and crew of USS Conestoga, in San Diego, California in 1921.Credit: Naval Historical Center Photograph NH 71503
	The officers and crew of USS Conestoga, in San Diego, California in 1921.Credit: Naval Historical Center Photograph NH 71503
 "In  remembering the loss of the Conestoga, we pay tribute to her crew and their  families, and remember that, even in peacetime, the sea is an unforgiving environment,"  said Dennis V. McGinn, Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy,  Installations and Environment. In March 2016, NOAA and the U.S. Navy announced  thediscovery of theUSS *Conestoga**(AT 54)* in the Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary,  95 years after the Navy tugboat disappeared with 56 officers and sailors  aboard.
        The  process leading up to the final discovery began in 2009, when NOAA’s Office of  Coast Survey documented a probable, uncharted shipwreck. In September 2014,  NOAA launched a two year investigation to document historic shipwrecks in the  Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and nearby Golden Gate National  Recreation Area. Finally, in October 2015, NOAA confirmed the identification  and location of*Conestoga*. In recognition of this historical  discovery, ONMS released a short documentary,“Three Miles from Safety: The Story of theUSS *Conestoga,*” on Memorial Day in May 2016, honoring the memory of the naval veterans who  perished on board. This discovery solves one of the top maritime mysteries in  U.S. Navy history.   MPA Federal Advisory Committee approves “Guiding Principles” for Arctic MPAs created by participatory process **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation,coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 A female bowhead whale and her calf in the Arctic
	A female bowhead whale and her calf in the Arctic
 The  U.S. has identified advancingmarine protected areas (MPA) networks as a  priority under its chairmanship of the Arctic Council during 2015-2017.  The Arctic is experiencing rapid changes due to climate impacts,  including receding sea ice which will open sensitive ecosystems to human uses.  While MPAs are effective marine conservation tools, many stakeholders in  Alaska are concerned about potential restrictions on access to ocean resources.  To provide an opportunity for dialogue and consensus building on this  issue, NOAA and the Department of the Interior asked the MPA Federal Advisory  Committee to develop guidance on MPAs and MPA networks in the Arctic. The  “Guiding Principles for Marine Protected Areas and MPA Networks  in the Arctic” were developed by the Committee’s Arctic MPA Working  Group, representing diverse U.S. Arctic stakeholders. The “Guiding  Principles” note the impacts and implications of climate change already being  felt, the role of MPAs as a conservation tool, and strongly emphasize the  importance of engagement with Alaska Natives and local stakeholders.   Inaugural Issue of Earth is Blue: Magazine of the National Marine Sanctuaries **Supports NOS priority**: place-based conservation,coastal resilience,  place-based conservation
 The  inaugural issue of *Earth is Blue: Magazine of the National Marine  Sanctuaries*was released in June 2016. Following on the footsteps of ONMS’  social media campaign Earth  is Blue, the magazine covers a broad range of topics and everything  that the sanctuary system has to offer. The beauty and economic benefits of our  country’s underwater parks are highlighted through mesmerizing photographs and  stories. Expect to learn about our nation’s indigenous cultures, maritime  heritage, conservation of vital marine areas and the wide variety of  recreational activities that visitors can enjoy responsibly. The *Earth  is Blue: Magazine of the National Marine Sanctuaries*is available in hard  copy and online.   Trash Talk Video Receives Regional Emmy® **Supports NOS priority**: Place-Based Conservation Priority
 The 'Trash Talk' series is an excellent tool for educators that includes hands-on exercises
	The “Trash Talk” series is an excellent tool for educators that includes hands-on exercises
 Ocean  Today teamed up with the NOAA Marine Debris Program to create the  widely-successful 15-minute video, “Trash Talk”, which explains  what marine debris is, how it affects our ocean, and what people can do to  prevent it.  Nominated by the National  Capital Chesapeake Bay Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts and  Sciences, the video received a Regional Emmy® in the category of Informational/Instructional  Program or Special. This is exciting recognition of outstanding work and an  important acknowledgment of the value of increasing public awareness about the  issue of marine debris.   NOS Reaches Larger Audience with Web, Social Media **Supports NOS priority**: coastal resilience, place-based conservation, coastal intelligence
 NOS  uses its online presence to reach the ocean-interested public. Traffic to the NOS websiteincreased 38% during FY 2016 compared to FY 2015; monthly website  traffic peaked at an all-time high 2.4 million visits in May, 2016. The number  of Facebook “likes” grew more than 57%  (from 64,413 to 101,262) and the  number of Twitter followers grew more than 13%  (from 129,480 to 146,820). During  its 30-day National Ocean Month campaign, NOS  reached more than1.4million users on Facebook. Alsoin FY 2016, NOS completed several  Reddit 'Ask Us Anything' sessions featuring NOS scientists.The AUA on Harmful Algal Blooms  reached an estimated 10.36 million people and includedmore than 180  questions.NOS launched its  Instagram in June 2015, which closed out FY 2016 with 13,060 followers.
  NOS Priority: **Land-Based Conservation**  Biodiversity Observing Network Gains Momentum in U.S.
                Maps of Living Marine Resources Support Development of Offshore Renewable Energy SUPPORTS
                
                 Science evaluation to inform future investments
            NOAA plays a key role at the 13th International Coral Reef Symposium—bridging science to policy
            Partnership critical to coral reef ecosystem conservation in Asia-Pacific
            Coral reefs and conservation science make headlines around the globe
            Data highlights status and trends in the coral reef health
            
               President Obama expands Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument
            Monitor and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuaries Expansions Proposed
            U.S. and Cuba to Cooperate on Sister Sanctuaries
            Discovery of the Wreck of the USS Conestoga
            MPA Federal Advisory Committee approves “Guiding Principles” for Arctic MPAs created by participatory process
               Inaugural Issue of Earth is Blue: Magazine of the National Marine SanctuariesCoastal

            Trash Talk Video Receives Regional Emmy®         
            NOS Reaches Larger Audience with Web, Social Media
  **NOS Accomplishments**  Fiscal Year 2016 Highlights
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          YOU ARE HERE: Place-Based Conservation Priority
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