Overview of a Biogeographic Assessment for the Cordell Bank, Gulf of Farallones, and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries

摘要

In the spring of 2001 the National Ocean Service's (NOS), National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) in consultation with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) launched a 24 month investigation to define the biogeography of selected marine species and assemblages of species found within and nearby the boundaries of three west coast national marine sanctuaries. These sanctuaries, Monterey Bay, Gulf of the Farallones, and Cordell Bank are currently going through a joint management plan review process to update sanctuary management plans. The joint management plan revision process requires a biogeographic assessment of the spatial and temporal distributions of living marine resources off north/central California. The study area was restricted to the area from Pt. Arena (northern boundary) to Pt. Sal, California (southern boundary). NCCOS's Biogeography Program is leading the partnership effort to define important biological areas and time periods within and outside current sanctuary boundaries based on the biogeographic patterns of fishes, macroinvertebrates, marine mammals, and seabirds. The biogeographic assessments are based on a synthesis of data provided by the partners (e.g., NMFS fishery independent surveys). The major components of the investigation are: 1) Ecological Linkage Report, 2) Biogeographic Analyses, and 3) GIS Tool Development. The Ecological Linkage Report is a comprehensive synthesis of existing information on the ecological relationships between flora and fauna and the environments and habitats they utilize along the California coastline. The biogeographic assessment component is a suite of statistical analyses based on the distribution and abundance of fishes, macro-invertebrates, marine birds, and marine mammals found throughout study area. A GIS tool is under development to house and disseminate analytical results. The results of this scientific assessment will aid the NMSP in addressing issues such as, modification of sanctuary boundaries and changes in management strategies or administration based on the principles of biogeography.