Recommended Study Area for the CINMS Management Planning Process: Ecological Linkages in the Marine Ecology from Point Sal to Point Mugu, Including the Marine Sanctuary

摘要

The purpose of this report is to assist the management of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) in identifying a study area for the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) and the CINMS Management Plan. The management of the CINMS is considering four alternative study areas for the DEIS: 1) existing CINMS boundaries, 2) from Point Mugu to Cambria (southern boundary of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary), 3) from Point Mugu to Point Sal, and 4) from Point Mugu to Point Conception. In order to assist the management of CINMS, this report: (1) reviews information on the linkages in the marine environment from Cambria to Point Mugu, including the CINMS; (2) describes the approach used to make the recommendation; and (3) characterizes the recommended study area from Point Mugu to Point Sal. This report describes information on the ecological linkages in the marine ecology from Cambria to Point Mugu, including the CINMS. In addition, a section of this report describes scientific information that shows large-scale changes in primary and secondary productivity throughout the SCB between 1951 and 1993 (McGowan et al. 1998). Large-scale biological changes in the marine environment are due to climatic variations in the atmosphere and changes in the oceanographic conditions. These climatic and oceanographic variations have resulted in changes to biogeographical ranges and spatial patterns of marine species and in community structure.