Projects for Developing Ecosystem IndicatorsSC Marine Resources

Charleston, SC

Projects for Developing Ecosystem IndicatorsSC Marine Resources

Charleston, SC

Estuarine ProjectsEstuarine Projects

The South Carolina Estuarine The South Carolina Estuarine and Coastal Assessment and Coastal Assessment

ProgramProgram

Objectives: Monitor the quality of all South Carolina estuaries

• Water and Sediment Quality• Biological Condition

Develop integrated measures of habitat condition

Report findings to the public in understandable formats

Biological Condition• Benthos

• Phytoplankton composition

• Finfish and crustaceans

Sampling ComponentsSampling Components

Sediment Quality• Contaminants (85 analytes)

• Toxicity (3 assays)

Water Quality• Continuous monitoring for salinity, DO, pH, temp

• Nutrients (total & dissolved nitrogen, phosphorus)

• BOD, fecal coliform bacteria, metals

• Phytoplankton (Chl-a)

Biological Condition• Used Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity (B-IBI) for biological

response

Indicator DevelopmentIndicator Development

Sediment Quality• Selected 24 priority pollutants with known bioeffects data

• Developed integrated measure of contaminant concentration (ERM-Quotient)

• Scored ERM-Q by published benthic effects ranges

• Scored toxicity assays by number of assays with “hits”

Water Quality• Selected 6 primary measures (DO, pH, TN,TP, Chla, fecal

coliform bacteria)

• Each scored and scores averaged for integrated water quality measure

Indicator DevelopmentIndicator Development

Overall habitat quality• Averaged scores of each subcomponent into an

integrated score for overall habitat quality

• Each component weighted equally

For more information on approach:

http://www.dnr.state.sc.us/marine/scecap/

Or Google SCECAP

Overall Index of Habitat QualityOverall Index of Habitat Quality

Sediment Quality

Biological Condition

Water Quality

Integrated Habitat Quality ScoreP

erc

en

t o

f T

ota

l Ha

bit

at

0

20

40

60

80

100

CreeksOpen

2001 - 2002

15%

2%

83%

22%

76%

Integrated Habitat Quality ScoreIntegrated Habitat Quality ScoreP

erc

en

t o

f T

ota

l Ha

bit

at

0

20

40

60

80

100

CreeksOpen

SCECAP Criteria

2001 - 200220012001 - 20022002

Fair

Poor

Good

15%

83%

24%

76%

Overall Habitat Quality ScoreOverall Habitat Quality ScoreP

erce

nt

of

Co

asta

l Hab

itat

20

40

60

80

100

1999 2000 2001 2002

Poor

Fair

Good

Per

cen

t o

f C

oas

tal H

abit

at

20

40

60

80

100

1999 2000 2001 2002

Poor

Fair

Good

20

40

60

80

100

1999 2000 2001 2002

Poor

Fair

Good

Poor

Fair

Good

Program BenefitsProgram Benefits

Incorporates new integrated measures of habitat condition

• For water quality, sediment quality, overall habitat condition

SCECAP provides good data on condition of the State’s coastal habitat

• Includes nursery habitats not previously monitored

• Provides estimate of proportion of state’s waters that meet or don’t meet desired conditions

• Provides data useful for assessing estuarine drainage systems as as an ecosystem unit

Utilizes resources of multiple state and federal agencies

Projects on Continental ShelfProjects on Continental Shelf

South East Area Monitoring & Assessment Program

Annual Trawl Survey1989-Present

Baited Hook (1977-2004)Trap (1977-2004)Trawl (1973-1987)Plankton (1973-1983)

Marine A Resources Monitoring Assessment Prediction

SEAMAP-SASEAMAP-SA(SouthEast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program)(SouthEast Area Monitoring and Assessment Program)

(South Atlantic)(South Atlantic)Shallow Water Trawl SurveyShallow Water Trawl Survey

The Shallow Water Trawl SurveyThe Shallow Water Trawl Survey• Funded by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries ServiceFunded by NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service

– State / Federal CooperationState / Federal Cooperation– Cape Hatteras, NC to Cape Canaveral, FLCape Hatteras, NC to Cape Canaveral, FL

• Provides fisheries managers with long-term dataProvides fisheries managers with long-term data– Fishery-independentFishery-independent– Monitor stocks year after yearMonitor stocks year after year– Able to provide historic data on a broad range of speciesAble to provide historic data on a broad range of species

• Only long-term trawl survey of near-shore South Atlantic Only long-term trawl survey of near-shore South Atlantic Bight Bight – Data from 1986 to presentData from 1986 to present

.

SEAMAP StationsSEAMAP Stations

Types of DataTypes of Data• Annual / Seasonal/ Regional Annual / Seasonal/ Regional

Species occurrenceSpecies occurrenceSpecies abundanceSpecies abundance

BiomassBiomass

• Life History Life History

Age-growthAge-growthMaturityMaturity

• Hydrographic Data Hydrographic Data

SalinitySalinityTemperatureTemperatureWave heightWave height

.

Data UseData Use• Stock Assessments Stock Assessments

Atlantic CroakerAtlantic CroakerWeakfishWeakfishBluefishBluefish

Spanish and King MackerelSpanish and King MackerelHorseshoe crabHorseshoe crab

• Life History Life History

Age-Length KeysAge-Length Keys

• Hydrographic Data Hydrographic Data

Abundance relationship to temperature and salinityAbundance relationship to temperature and salinity

.

Southeast Shelf Ecosystem: SCDNR Southeast Shelf Ecosystem: SCDNR Offshore Fisheries Research and MonitoringOffshore Fisheries Research and Monitoring

Marine Resources Research Institute, SCDNR

Blake Plateau

Blake Spur

Bla

ke

Es

carp

men

t

Flo

rid

a-H

atte

ras

Slo

pe

Charleston Bump

South Carolina

Cape Canaveral

Cape Hatteras

What We What We Know:Know:MARMAP: MARMAP:

Marine Marine Resources, Resources,

Assessment & Assessment & PredictionPrediction

Samples from Samples from 1973 - present1973 - present

MARMAP Sampling

1973 - 2004

Baited Hook (1977-2004)Trap (1977-2004)Trawl (1973-1987)Plankton (1973-1983)

MARMAP Trawl Survey, 1973-1980

MARMAP Trawl Survey, 1973-1980

MARMAP MARMAP Trawl DataTrawl Data1973-19871973-1987

(Yankee and Fly Nets)(Yankee and Fly Nets)

Forage Fishes Taxa:Forage Fishes Taxa:

Ammodytidae Ammodytidae ArgentinidaeArgentinidaeBranchiostomatidae Branchiostomatidae ClupeidaeClupeidaeEngraulidaeEngraulidaeMugilidaeMugilidaeMyctophidaeMyctophidaeDecapterusDecapterus spp. spp.

1

2001-2003

Charleston Gyre

Charleston Bump

2005—Deployment of 2005—Deployment of Satellite-Tracked Drifters on Deep Satellite-Tracked Drifters on Deep

Reef Spawning Grounds (Winter and Reef Spawning Grounds (Winter and Summer)Summer)

Where do the eggs and larvae go?Where do the eggs and larvae go?

Spawning Locations in Relation to Proposed MPA Sites off SC

What We What We Know:Know:MARMAP: MARMAP:

Marine Marine Resources, Resources,

Assessment & Assessment & PredictionPrediction

Hydrocast & CTD Hydrocast & CTD Samples From Samples From 1973 - Present1973 - Present

SEA-GeoFish DatabaseSEA-GeoFish Database

http://ekman.csc.noaa.gov/seageofish/seageofish.htm

= Black Sea Bass= Snowy Grouper

"SEAGeoFISH"

Ocean Observing Ocean Observing SystemsSystems

"SABSOON""SABSOON"

http://www.skio.peachnet.edu/research/sabsoon/fishwatch/

Regional Regional Outreach and Outreach and

Education Education LinkagesLinkages

EcoGenomics: Examining ecosytem dynamics and species

within communities.

STIMULUSPHYSIOLOGICAL•Hormonal, •Metabolic

INFECTION

Functional Genomics paradigmFunctional Genomics paradigm

RESPONSE

ENVIRONMENT•Physical, •Chemical,•Biological stress

SYSTEMIC:•Development?•Differentiation?

IMMUNITY:•Survival?•Mortality?

STRESS:•Physiological?•Pathological?

GENOME

GENEEXPRESSION

Marine Organisms as Vectors of Disease PathogensMarine Organisms as Vectors of Disease Pathogens

Stressor

• O2 • pH

• Metals • PAHs

Oyster Measurements:In vivo fate of V. campbellii

Physiological responsesImmunological responses

Analysis(w/ Data Management Team)

•Transcriptional responses(w/ Marine Genomics

Core)

• Metals & PAH tissue loads (w/ Chemistry Core)

PathogenVibrio campbellii

HostC. virginica

Laboratory Laboratory ExperimentsExperiments Field TestsField Tests

Monitoring,Monitoring,Assessment,Assessment,

And PredictionAnd Prediction

The ApproachThe Approach

MicroarraysMicroarrays Physiological Physiological AssessmentAssessment

Chemical AnalysisChemical Analysis PathogensPathogens

Lab ExperimentsLab ExperimentsControlled ExposuresControlled ExposuresCd, Cu, Zn, PathogensCd, Cu, Zn, Pathogens

Data Management Data Management

ANN and other Analysis ToolsANN and other Analysis ToolsMonitoring, AssessmentMonitoring, Assessment

And Prediction And Prediction

BenefitsBenefits

• Early Warning of Stress- Genome responds in Early Warning of Stress- Genome responds in minutes to hoursminutes to hours

• Duration of response can be as long as the Duration of response can be as long as the duration of the stressduration of the stress

• Can detect any type of stressCan detect any type of stress• Provides the connection between the stressor and Provides the connection between the stressor and

the organism responsethe organism response

Selection of indicators depends on the questions to be answered.

What are the questions that need to be answered in evaluations of ecosystem

condition?

What are the attributes to measure that provide answers to these questions?

How are the attributes measured (what indicator to use)?

Indicators

EnvironmentEnvironment SocietySociety

ResourcesResources

Ecosystem Ecosystem ServicesServices