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HomeAboutNOS Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report

# National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

## NOS Fiscal Year 2014 Annual Report

## Maps and Predictions Inform Ocean Energy Development 

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, place-based conservation, coastal resilience 

NOAA’s  National Centers for  Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) works closely with the U.S. Department  of the Interior, including the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the  U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, to deploy  mapping tools that support environmental assessment and planning for ocean  energy development. Accurate maps and predictions of living marine resource  distributions foster effective coastal  and marine spatial planning, which reduces potential conflicts  between human uses and sensitive marine ecosystems—thereby supporting healthy  and resilient coastal communities and economies.

In FY14, NCCOS developed advanced statistical models  of seabird and deep-sea coral distributions for the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf  of Mexico. By merging large databases of seabird and coral observations with  environmental data gleaned from NOAA satellites and ocean  observations, NCCOS produced predictive maps of bird  and coral distributions and disseminated them through a joint NOAA–BOEM Web service.

Also  in FY14, a renewable energy transmission company used NCCOS’s coral  distribution maps to help evaluate routing alternatives for a proposed undersea  energy transmission cable into Maalaea Bay, Maui. The cable system under  consideration would transmit renewable wind power generated in Maui County for  consumption on Oahu, contributing to Hawaii’s 2030 goal of having 40 percent of  its electricity sales come from renewable energy.

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## NOAA Forecasts and Responds to Harmful Algal Blooms

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience 

In  August 2014, NOAA’s National  Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) supported the  response to a bloom of cyanobacteria, a toxic blue-green algae, that contaminated  drinking water in Lake Erie. The bloom left nearly 400,000 people in Toledo,  Ohio, without drinking water for two days.NOAA’s  weekly Lake Erie Harmful Algal Bloom Bulletin, produced by NCCOS and NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research  Laboratory, tracks the size and location of blooms and  predicts their movement until the bloom season ends in the fall. This year, in  response to requests from Ohio agencies, NOAA increased the frequency of the  bulletins from once to twice a week. The August 1 bulletin caught escalation of  the bloom and helped Toledo prepare for the hazard. NOAA currently provides, or  is developing, harmful  algal bloom and hypoxia (low dissolved oxygen) forecasts for Lake Erie, the Gulf of Maine, the  Chesapeake Bay, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Pacific Northwest.

Also  in FY14, NCCOS addressed paralytic  shellfish poisoning (PSP)—a public health threat that affects Alaska’s residents more frequently  than those residing anywhere else in the U.S. The remoteness of coastal  communities in Alaska makes monitoring this threat challenging. NCCOS worked  with the Food and Drug Administration and the biotechnology company Mercury  Science to develop rapid laboratory and field test kits capable of detecting  saxitoxins found in shellfish. Saxitoxins are produced by the microalgae *Alexandrium* and are the cause of PSP.  Shellfish accumulate saxitoxins as they feed on *Alexandrium*. The saxitoxin field test can be used with minimal  training, requires no expensive equipment, and is commercially available. 

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## Research Supports Climate Change Planning in the Gulf of Mexico

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, coastal resilience 

In  FY14, scientists funded by NOAA’s National Centers for  Coastal Ocean Science found that projected changes in coastal  Gulf of Mexico land use and land cover (e.g., urban development) could increase  the extent of storm surge flooding by up to 70 percent above the flooding that  might be expected from projected sea-level rise alone.

The  finding comes from a modeling study that investigated the ecological effects of  sea-level rise in the Gulf of Mexico. The study is yielding predictive tools  that assist coastal zone managers as they develop strategies to mitigate the  future ecological and socioeconomic impacts of climate change.            The  study is also the focal point of the Northern Gulf of Mexico Sentinel Site Cooperative,  a federal-state partnership established to advance prediction and assessment  capabilities for sea-level rise. The cooperative seeks to improve coastal data  and research products to foster planning and adaptation to sea-level rise and inundation. 

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## Research and Monitoring to Support U.S. Coral Reef Conservation

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence, place-based conservation, coastal resilience 

NOAA’s National Centers for  Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) works with federal, state, and  local management agencies to monitor and assess the condition of U.S. coral  reef ecosystems within sanctuaries, reserves, and other special places. These  productive ecosystems enhance biological diversity, fisheries, tourism, and cultural  heritage, and protect shorelines from storm damage.

NCCOS  and NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries  Science Center (SEFSC) co-lead major components of  NOAA’s National  Coral Reef Monitoring Plan (NCRMP) – a framework for  conducting sustained observations of biological, climate, and socioeconomic  indicators at 10 priority coral reefs across the U.S. and its territories. In FY14,  NCCOS and SEFSC conducted the first NCRMP fish and invertebrate monitoring  missions, in the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Flower Garden Banks National Marine  Sanctuary. Officials will use data from the missions to  update management plans and ensure continued protection of coral resources at  these locations. Also in FY 14, NCCOS conducted a biological assessment of the  Florida coral reef tract and paired it with human-use information to develop  management recommendations for the Florida  Keys National Marine Sanctuary.              NCCOS is also studying the social and economic conditions of communities that  depend on coral reefs in seven U.S. states and territories. In FY14, NCCOS  scientists surveyed a random representative sample of the adult populations in  American Samoa and South Florida. The survey data are being shared with local  resource managers and other interested partners who will be able to use the  information to improve a range of coral conservation efforts, including  education and outreach initiatives and program evaluation.

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## Marine Cage Aquaculture Report Addresses Environmental Concerns

            -  **Supports NOS priority**: coastal intelligence 

Marine  aquaculture has emerged as one of the fastest-growing  activities in the coastal zone. Even as resource managers strive to end  overfishing, the future seafood supply will rely on cultured seafood to meet  growing demands. More than half of global seafood production already comes from  aquaculture. While technological innovation has made it possible to grow  seafood in the coastal ocean, managers must weigh economic benefits against  environmental risks.             In  FY14, NOAA’s National  Centers for Coastal Ocean Science  (NCCOS) published the report *Marine Cage Culture and the  Environment: Twenty-First Century Science Informing a Sustainable Industry*,  which analyzes environmental concerns related to marine cage culture practices  around the world. This planning tool provides coastal managers and fish farmers  with a global perspective on the range and intensity of potential environmental  effects from cage aquaculture.             While  not all practices were found to be sustainable, the research concludes that  significant advancements of the past decade are addressing environmental  concerns about marine fish farms. With proper coastal planning tools and  environmental oversight, sustainable growth of aquaculture in the coastal ocean  can occur – promoting higher seafood production, supporting the growth of  coastal economies, providing healthier American diets, and increasing food  security in the United States.

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###### NCCOS **Highlights**

            - **Maps and Predictions Inform Ocean Energy Development
            - ** NOAA Forecasts and Responds to Harmful Algal Blooms
            - ** Research Supports Climate Change Planning in the Gulf of Mexico
            - ** Research and Monitoring to Support U.S. Coral Reef Conservation
            - ** Marine Cage Aquaculture Report Addresses Environmental Concerns

###### **NOS Accomplishments**

          -  Fiscal Year 2014 Highlights
          - Browse by  Priority :
          -  Coastal Resilience Priority
          -  Coastal Intelligence Priority
          -  Place-Based Conservation Priority
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          -  Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services Integrated Ocean Observing System
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