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Data Type: Peer-Reviewed Publication

Effective, Science‐Based Fishery Management is Good for Gulf of Mexico’s “Bottom Line” – but Evolving Challenges Remain

The northern Gulf of Mexico (GoM) is an ecologically and economically productive system that supports some of the largest volume and most valuable fisheries in the United States. The benefit of these fisheries to society and to the surrounding Gulf communities has varied historically, commensurate with the fish population sizes and the economic activities they … Read more

An integrated assessment of habitat quality of national estuarine research reserves in the southeastern United States

Multiple indicators of water quality, sediment quality, and biological condition were used to assess the status of ecological condition of National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) sites in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia relative to a suite of corresponding scoring criteria. All measurements were made in subtidal aquatic habitats. Calculated scores were integrated into … Read more

Sediment quality benchmarks for assessing oil-related impacts to the deep-sea benthos

Paired sediment contaminant and benthic infaunal data from prior studies following the 2010 Deepwater Horizon (DWH) oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico were analyzed using logistic regression models (LRMs) to derive sediment quality benchmarks for assessing risks of oil‐related impacts to the deep‐sea benthos. Sediment total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) and total petroleum hydrocarbon … Read more

A Benthic Terrain Classification Scheme for American Samoa

Coral reef ecosystems, the most varied on earth, continually face destruction from anthropogenic and natural threats. The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force seeks to characterize and map priority coral reef ecosystems in the U.S./Trust Territories by 2009. Building upon NOAA Biogeography shallow-water classifications based on Ikonos imagery, presented here are new methods, based on acoustic … Read more

Managers, modelers, and measuring the impact of species distribution model uncertainty on marine zoning decisions

Marine managers routinely use spatial data to make decisions about their marine environment. Uncertainty associated with this spatial data can have profound impacts on these management decisions and their projected outcomes. Recent advances in modeling techniques, including species distribution models (SDMs), make it easier to generate continuous maps showing the uncertainty associated with spatial predictions … Read more

Using bathymetric lidar to define nearshore benthic habitat complexity: Implications for management of reef fish assemblages in Hawaii

Habitat complexity plays a major role in determining the distribution and structure of fish assemblages in the aquatic environment. These locations are critical for ecosystem function and have significant implications for conservation and management. In this study, we evaluated the utility of remotely sensed lidar (light detection and ranging) data for deriving substrate rugosity (a … Read more

Defining reef fish habitat utilization patterns in Hawaii: comparisons between marine protected areas and areas open to fishing

Over the past 4 decades, Hawaii has developed a system of Marine Life Conservation Districts (MLCDs) to conserve and replenish marine resources. These MLCDs vary in size, habitat quality, and management regimes, providing an excellent opportunity to test hypotheses concerning marine protected area (MPA) design and function using multiple discreet sampling units. Digital benthic habitat … Read more

Coupling ecology and GIS to evaluate efficacy of Marine Protected Areas in Hawaii

In order to properly determine the efficacy of marine protected areas (MPAs), a seascape perspective that integrates ecosystem elements at the appropriate ecological scale is necessary. Over the past four decades, Hawaii has developed a system of 11 Marine Life Conservation Districts (MLCDs) to conserve and replenish marine resources around the state. Initially established to … Read more

Understanding differential patterns in coral reef recovery: chronic hydrodynamic disturbance as a limiting mechanism for coral colonization

Coral reefs are subject to numerous physical disturbances, and post-disturbance coral recovery potential depends on subsequent re-colonization of impacted habitat. We examined divergent recovery trajectories at 2 proximal reefs disturbed by ship groundings that resulted in clearly delineated areas of altered substrate. Post-disturbance measurements of coral recruitment, survival, and changes in community structure were made … Read more

Benthic habitat contaminant status and sediment toxicity in Bristol Bay, Alaska

A baseline environmental characterization of the northeastern reaches of Bristol Bay, Alaska was conducted using the National Status and Trends’ sediment quality triad approach. The study area was subdivided into 6 strata based on geophysical and hydrodynamic patterns (the upper and lower reaches of Nushagak and Kvichak Bays, Dillingham Harbor and the mouth of the … Read more