U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

Information About Estuaries
and Near Coastal Waters
October 2002 - Issue 12.5

Table of Contents

•	Americorps and Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program Partner to
Restore Wetlands

•	Protecting Least Terns in Southwest Florida

•	BRACE for the Future

•	Strategy and Funding Guides Available for Restoring America's Estuaries

•	Presumpscot River Stakeholders Plan the Future of a Changing River

•	World Oceans Atlas Goes On-line

•	River to Bay Restoration in the Guadalupe River Watershed, California

•	SeagrassNet: Assessing a Critical Coastal Resource on a Worldwide Scale

•	Evaluation of Statewide Watershed Management Approaches


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o



U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

Americorps and Barataria-Terrebonne
National Estuary Program Partner to
Restore Wetlands

With the passing of each year in the state of Louisiana, 25 to 35 square miles of
wetlands disappear due to subsidence and erosion. Put another way, every 30 to
45 minutes, an area of wetlands the size of a football field is transformed into open
water. The overwhelming majority of this loss occurs in one of the nation's 28
National Estuaries, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary, a 4.2 million acre


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region situated between the Mississippi and Atchafalaya Rivers. This alarming rate
of wetland loss is a serious threat to the valuable fish and wildlife resources in this
estuary, and is acutely impacting the coastal communities in which hundreds of
thousands of people reside. As these once- broad expanses of wetlands disappear,
hurricanes become more damaging, and drinking water becomes tainted with salt
intruding from the Gulf of Mexico.

The loss of Southern Louisiana's coastal wetlands also impacts the nation. These
wetlands are host to some of the richest coastal resources in the United States and
are America's wetlands. Americans rely on the incredible fertility of Louisiana's
wetlands to produce abundant supplies of oysters, shrimp, menhaden and crabs. A
total of 25% to 35% of the nation's total catch of estuarine-dependent commercial
fisheries are produced in Louisiana wetlands. These nursery habitats are being lost
as Louisiana's wetlands disappear.

Fish and shellfish are not the only nationally important products coming out of
Louisiana's wetlands. Louisiana and the near-shore regions of the Gulf of Mexico
produce a significant portion of the nation's oil and natural gas supply. A total of 17
billion dollars per year are generated through this industry, as Louisiana produces
20% of the nation's oil and 25% of the nation's natural gas. As the shorelines of
lakes and bays recede, pipelines transporting oil and gas to other regions of the
nation are being exposed, making them more vulnerable to damage from vessel
traffic, ports and roads and more susceptible to damage from hurricanes and storm


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surges. The risk of oil spills is increasing as a result. In the past, vast wetlands
provided barriers to such disasters by helping to slow down storm surges and
absorb excess water. Now there is a greater chance for storm damage to occur
because there are fewer wetlands to absorb floodwaters.

Ecologically, South Louisiana barrier islands, natural ridges and marshes provide
critical resting habitats for the millions of Neotropical migratory birds traveling
across the Gulf of Mexico from South America each year. The continued loss of
these habitats in Louisiana will affect the numbers and survival of such birds.

Through various partnerships, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program
(BTNEP) is trying to restore these coastal Louisiana systems. One such partnership
is the Americorps on the Bayou program. In 1994, President Clinton created the
domestic equivalent of the Peace Corps: the AmeriCorps. To join AmeriCorps, an
applicant must be 17 years of age or older, a United States citizen or legal resident,
and a high school graduate. For full-time service, members must donate a year of
their time and complete 1,700 hours of service to receive their educational award.
The educational award is a total of $4,725 that can be used towards existing school
loans or future schooling. AmeriCorps works in four main areas: Education, Public
Safety, Human Needs, and Environment.

Les Reflections du Bayou

AmeriCorps on the Bayou, a local AmeriCorps program, was founded in 2000 by a
host organization, Les Reflections du Bayou, to work on environmental issues. The
AmeriCorps on the Bayou program has three main objectives, each corresponding
to a section of BTNEP's Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan. The
first objective is to study, protect, clean and beautify the banks and surrounding
wetlands of Bayou Lafourche. With the help of BTNEP's educational materials and
the training they provide, the members of AmeriCorps were able to learn and study
about the wetlands in the area.

AmeriCorps on the Bayou has completed numerous marsh revegetation projects in
the region, partnering with many different agencies. Within six months of the start of
the program, the seven AmeriCorps members planted 28,950 wetland plants in the
Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary and surrounding areas of south Louisiana.
In the future, BTNEP will be organizing additional plantings to help stabilize the
banks of Bayou Lafourche, provide habitat, and reduce wave action and saltwater
intrusion in the wetlands.

There is a greater chance for storm damage to occur


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because there are fewer wetlands to absorb flood

waters

A second objective of AmeriCorps on the Bayou is to strengthen community support
by working with agencies on the Management Conference of the BTNEP to get
youth involved in wetlands protection. Since January, AmeriCorps on the Bayou has
given 85 presentations in the surrounding communities. BTNEP has supplied
AmeriCorps on the Bayou with many educational tools such as the Enviroscape,
providing for activities that teach children about non-point source pollution and the
values of wetlands.

The final objective of AmeriCorps on the Bayou is to develop within its members a
deeper knowledge and appreciation of wetlands, as well as a dedication to
community service. The BTNEP has helped tremendously in the training of each
AmeriCorps on the Bayou member. At each function organized by AmeriCorps
members, the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program has been there to
assist. Partnering between NEPs and Americorps makes sense; the AmeriCorps on
the Bayou and BTNEP partnership should serve as a model for achieving success.

For further information contact, Kelly Cullen, AmeriCorps on the Bayou, Office of
Les Reflections du Bayou, P.O. Box 993, 14833 West Main, Cut Off, Louisiana,
70345; Phone: (985) 632-6040; E-mail: reflections@mobiletel.com; website:

http://www.orqsites.com/la/americorponthebavou IexTt	; or Kerry M. St. Pei,

Program Director, Barataria-T errebonne National Estuary Program; Phone: (985)
447-0868; E-mail kerry@btnep.org.


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U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

Protecting Least Terns
in Southwest Florida

The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve (RBNERR) is located in Southwest
Florida on the Gulf of Mexico, just south of
Naples, the second fastest growing
metropolitan area in the nation. Increased
urban development along the coast has
contributed to significant loss of wildlife
habitat, adversely affecting populations of
many species, including the least tern, Sterna
antillarum. Found only in the western hemisphere, least terns arrive on Florida
beaches in late March. Nesting begins soon after, peaking in mid-April. By early
August, birds begin returning south to their wintering grounds in Central and South
America.

Due to declining numbers, the least tern is listed as a Threatened Species by the
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC) and is also protected
by the federal Migratory Bird Treaty Act. Population estimates for Florida least terns
are around 10,000.

Least terns need open sand and shell beaches, with elevations well above the
mean high tide line to prevent their nests from being washed away during high tides
or severe summer storms. They also need nesting sites with short, sparse
vegetation that provides cover for chicks but not for predators.


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Least terns nest in colonies and lay their two to three well-camouflaged
eggs in shallow depressions scraped in the sand. After three weeks, the
eggs hatch and the chicks leave the nest within a few hours. Threats to
eggs and chicks include raccoons, gulls, trampling by unwary beachgoers, dogs,
and vehicles. Adults are very protective parents and will fly up to mob intruders who
approach too near, expending precious energy and time better spent tending eggs
and chicks. Persistent disturbance may cause terns to abandon the colony.

Increased	urban development

contributed	to significant

With high-rise condominiums and hotels springing up over much of Florida's
coastline, least terns must now compete with development, year-round residents
and seasonal visitors for highly desirable recreational space on the beach. The
importance of providing beach habitat becomes evident, as least terns have begun
to nest on less suitable flat gravel rooftops. Successful nesting is limited because
man-made surfaces absorb heat more readily and offer less shade, resulting in
rooftop temperatures that can harm eggs and kill chicks. Even worse, rolled plastic
roofs, which are unsuitable for nesting terns, are now often used to replace gravel-
covered roofs, so even these marginal nesting sites are now being lost.

A recently emerged sandbar within RBNERR boundaries is one of the few
remaining areas in Southwest Florida that provides least terns with a shelly
substrate suitable for nesting, as well as safety from predators and human activity.
Approximately three acres in size, the sparsely vegetated sand bar appeared in
1996, southwest of Marco Island near the northern edge of the Ten Thousand
Islands.

This sandbar and its nearby waters attract beachcombers, campers, boaters and


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fishermen. This poses a challenge for land managers trying to balance wildlife
habitat protection and public demands for coastal recreation. In cooperation with the
FFWCC and National Audubon Society (NAS), RBNERR officials have closed the
sandbar to all public access during the nesting season (April through July) each
year since 1999. Four large signs reading iNo Landing?, visible from the water, and
50 smaller informational signs strung together and marked with bright orange
flagging are installed annually around the perimeter of the sandbar, just above the
high tide line. Ensuring visibility of signs enforcing no-landing regulations and
providing public information through local media is necessary to ensure nesting
terns are protected from disturbance. Two other smaller nesting areas within
RBNERR had been posted in previous years, but these colonies were only
marginally successful because they were located too close to heavily used beach
areas.

Least Tern Nesting

600

|	500

t.	400

Z	300

Ja	200

1	100

2	0

497



122

166

¦



S41

361

IMS' 2000 2001
Year

2002

Least tern adults, nests and chicks are monitored weekly during the nesting season
to determine seasonal nesting success and assess population trends. Protection of
the colony early in the nesting season is the most important strategy employed to
ensure survival of the greatest number of nests and fledglings, because as the
season progresses, so does the chance of the sandbar being overwashed by
severe summer storms or hurricanes.

Monthly censuses of this sandbar were begun in 1998 by National Audubon Society
biologist Ted Below. In 2001, RBNERR biologist began weekly censuses during the
nesting season, following placement of the iNo Landing? signs. These counts
recorded an increase in the peak number of nests on the sandbar, up from 176
nests in 1998 to 363 nests in 2001. In 2002, a record number of adult least terns on
the sandbar was estimated at over 1,000 individuals. The highest number of chicks
counted was 384, also up from previous years.


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L»MlT(rn (Siemj

C.jpH? Romano Sandtui

2402 N«$iing SMton

The future of this sandbar is not guaranteed. The dynamic nature of the area has
brought about gradual changes to the size and elevation of the sandbar over the
past several years, as indicated by aerial photography and GIS mapping. Heavy
surf, wind and intense storm events have already reshaped it in recent years, and
continue to threaten its viability. Because the ephemeral nature of this sandbar
permits periodic overwashing with storm events, it could wash away as quickly as it
appeared.

However, as a result of early protection and cooperation by the public this year,
biologists believe this sandbar provides habitat for the most successful beach-
nesting colony of least terns in South Florida. RBNERR officials plan to close and
monitor this sandbar during least tern nesting season each year, as long as least
terns continue to use it, to help protect this state-listed threatened species.

For further information contact, Renee Wilson, Rookery Bay National Estuarine
Research Reserve, 300 Tower Road, Naples, FL 34113 Phone: (239) 417-6310 ext.
204 E-mail: Renee.Wilson@dep.state.fl.us website: http://www.rookervbav.org

|ll \ IT <1 is c 11 inn1 r >|


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U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

BRACE for the Future

In May 2002, researchers from 14 different government agencies, laboratories,
universities and companies converged on Tampa, Florida, for a one-month
intensive monitoring study of atmospheric pollutants. During this intensive
monitoring period, aircraft were used to characterize urban air pollution; continuous
sampling of more than 100 gases and particles was accomplished using state-of-
the-art instrumentation; nitrogen deposition was measured; hourly vertical profiles of
temperatures and winds were obtained; and continuous remote sensing of


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atmospheric turbulence over Tampa Bay was conducted.

The intensive monitoring was part of the Bay Regional Atmospheric Chemistry
Experiment, or BRACE, a study that seeks to improve the current estimate of
nitrogen deposition. BRACE hopes to achieve this by expanding the air pollutant
monitoring network, using state-of-the-art sensors and monitors and the most
sophisticated atmospheric chemistry and physics computer models available to
analyze air pollution and weather conditions. Improved spatial and temporal
resolution of the monitoring network is key to understanding the contribution of
local, regional and remote nitrogen emission sources to total nitrogen deposition.

Why are we concerned with atmospheric pollutants? Excessive inputs of biologically
active nitrogen to estuaries can threaten aquatic ecosystems. The Tampa Bay
Estuary Program (TBEP) estimates that direct atmospheric deposition of nitrogen
accounts for about 800 tons/year of nitrogen, or 25% of the total nitrogen input to
Tampa Bay. Measurement studies begun in 1996 have confirmed preliminary
estimates and prompted discussions among regional stakeholders concerning the
most effective atmospheric nitrogen management strategies. An effective
management strategy relies heavily on the accurate apportionment of nitrogen
deposition among the various sources of emissions. In the Tampa Bay region, the
presence of a land-sea breeze, on many days, which recirculates the urban
pollutants, makes accurate source apportionment a real challenge.

Excessive inputs of biologically active nitrogen to
estuaries can threaten aquatic ecosystems

For the May 2002 BRACE intensive study, five air quality sites and four
meteorological sites were chosen in order to build on existing data networks. The
five air quality sites were located at the eastern end of Gandy Bridge, an existing
atmospheric deposition study site with a 5-year continuous record of ambient air
and rainfall nitrogen data; Azalea Park in Pinellas County; Simmons Park in
southern Hillsborough County; eastern Hillsborough County near Sydney (the
BRACE isupersiteT shown in Figure 1); and the Tower Dairy property in central
Hillsborough County. The distance between Sydney, the most eastern site, and
Azalea Park, the most western site, is approximately 70 km. Two of the
meteorological sites, Sydney and Simmons Park, overlap with air quality
measurement sites; the two other meteorological sites are located at Weedon
Island in Pinellas County and near the Port Manatee Turn channel marker in Tampa
Bay, about 5 km west of Port Manatee.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP) funds and manages


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the BRACE. A significant portion of the BRACE funding comes from a 1999 Tampa
Electric Company, Inc., (TECO) settlement with FDEP. The minimum anticipated
project length is six years, including three years of planning, equipment acquisition,
contract negotiations, site identification, preparation, and pilot studies; one year of
baseline data and one month of intensive air quality monitoring; and the remaining
years for data processing, data analyses, modeling of air pollutant transport,
dispersion, transformation, and deposition. The purpose of the intensive monitoring
period was to obtain enough high quality observations to initialize and evaluate the
air quality models. The BRACE will maintain less intensive collections of ambient air
and rainfall nitrogen concentration data through May 2003.

For further information, contact Dr. Thomas Atkeson, BRACE Program Manager,
FDEP, MS6540, 2600 Blair Stone Road, Tallahasee, FL, 32399; Phone: (850) 921 -
0884; E-mail: thomas.atkeson@dep.state.fl.us: or Dr. Noreen Poor, BRACE Project
Manager, University of South Florida College of Public Health, 13201 Bruce B.
Downs Blvd., Tampa, FL 33612; Phone: (813) 974-8144; npoor@hsc.usf.edu. For
additional details, visit the BRACE website at
http://www.hsc.usf.edu/publichealth/EOH/BRACE/. iKMrdwuiiimrTy


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U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

Strategy and Funding Guides Available for
Restoring America's Estuaries

The conservation organization Restore America's Estuaries has
released two related reports concerning habitat restoration: A National
Strategy to Restore Coastal and Estuarine Habitat and Funding for
Habitat Restoration Projects: A Citizen's Guide.

The National Strategy report provides a framework for restoring
ecological functions to coastal and estuarine habitats. This framework includes
setting restoration priorities, coordinating diverse programs, and establishing and
meeting public expectations. The funding guide provides a quick, comprehensive
and accessible review of federal funds that may be used to implement on-the-
ground habitat restoration projects. Its design and layout provides easy access to
critical information about funding, eligibility and program contacts.

A National Strategy is available in print, as an interactive CD-ROM, or on-line at
www.estuaries.org. To request a printed copy or CD-ROM, please contact Restore
America's Estuaries at info@estuaries.org. The Citizen's Guide is available on-line
at http://www.estuaries.org.

I! \ IT hI i* l I j inn.' r >


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U.S. Environmental

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

Presumpscot River Stakeholders Plan the
Future of a Changing River

The Presumpscot River, located in southern Maine, flows for 26 miles from Sebago
Lake, Maine's second largest reservoir and the water supply for the city of Portland,
to the Casco Bay estuary. It takes its name from the native "Pes-ompsk-ut," or "river
of many rough places." The river's power was first harnessed by mills early in the
1700's and more recently for hydroelectric power. Early historical accounts mention
efforts to ensure passage offish up the river. However, there are currently nine
dams along the Presumpscot River impounding 22 miles of previously free-flowing
water in a series of slow-moving reservoirs. There is no fish passage over these
dams.

Significant changes took place on the river in 1999 that presented important
opportunities both to restore anadromous fish runs and to address the threat of
increased development in the river's watershed. The large pulping operation on the
river ceased, dramatically reducing water and air pollution in the watershed.

¦¦J N 1

^	J 4


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Also, the State of Maine agreed to purchase
and remove Smelt Hill dam, the lowermost
dam on the river. From a broader perspective,
these unique opportunities offer the potential
to increase the ecological integrity, quality of
life, and prosperity of the communities along
the river.

In September 2000, the time was ripe to start
the planning process for the management of this long-overlooked resource. The
Casco Bay Estuary Project convened a diverse group of stakeholders, ranging from
the paper industry to environmental advocacy groups, to develop a management
plan for the Presumpscot River.

The future of the River is domi
management	issues:	fisheries

space preservation, and the cumulative impacts of

activities	in and around	the

Fisheries: The 22 miles of river impoundments support both a small resident
fishery and stocked salmon and trout; however, the water flows too quickly to allow
for development of the necessary plankton population that would sustain most lake
fishes, and too slowly to function ecologically as a river. Thus, the river supports
only a relatively small number offish. The removal of Smelt Hill Dam this fall will
open up seven miles of the river to flow freely to Casco Bay and will allow for the
upstream migration offish including Atlantic salmon, alewives, river herring, and
shad. Removal of Smelt Hill Dam, restoration of sea run fisheries through removal
of three other dams, and ensuring fish passage at up to 3 other dams would cost an
estimated $4 million to $13 million. This option, one of several management options
identified through this process, would significantly increase populations of migratory
fish and is the only option that would fully achieve the current management goals of
State and federal fisheries management agencies.

Open Space: The Presumpscot riverbank is mostly undeveloped, due in large part
to the air and water pollution from the now discontinued pulping operation,
reportedly so caustic that it peeled paint from nearby houses. Given that the river is
within a major metropolitan area, it is surprising that approximately 83% of the
shoreline was undeveloped in 2000. Last year, local land trusts, the Land for
Maine's Future Program, and other partners on the project, collaborated to prevent


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a 67-home riverfront subdivision; they instead negotiated a 30-home subdivision
preserving 48 acres of land along the river. Potential options for protecting open
space along the Presumpscot include:

•	Development of a water trail;

•	Establishment of a greenway along the river;

•	Conservation of high habitat value parcels;

•	Creation of new public access points; and

•	Preservation of the Cumberland and Oxford canal system as a historical and
recreational park.

Cumulative Impacts: Early development of the Presumpscot River watershed
depended on the river to fuel economic development. Historical activities that led to
cumulative impacts on the river included:

•	Clearing of land and draining or filling wetlands for agriculture;

•	Timber harvesting for fuel wood, lumber, shipbuilding, and pulp and paper
manufacturing;

•	Mining of sand and gravel;

•	Development of settlements;

•	Construction of roads, canals, and railroads for transportation;

•	Industrial development, including dams for water power and hydroelectric
power;

and

•	Use of the river for waste disposal by industry and municipalities.

These activities altered the river's flow regime, degraded water quality, increased
sedimentation, and destroyed habitat. Options for addressing cumulative impacts
are numerous and challenging, but include reducing non-point source pollution,
protecting habitat, and restoring sea run fisheries.

Stakeholders Take on Management Planning

The Presumpscot River planning process is modeled after a process used
successfully to address other resource management issues. It emphasizes: (1)
development of credible information and analyses to lay the foundation for informed
decisions; (2) an open public process and collaboration among stakeholders; and
(3) a search for creative win/win solutions that ideally address all the interests
involved and balance competing interests. A mediator was also brought in to
facilitate a consensus on controversial issues.

The Presumpscot River Plan Steering Committee was formed to lead the recent


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management effort. The committee is comprised of 17 stakeholders, including
South African Pulp and Paper Inc. (SAPPI), which operates most of the dams on
the river, environmental advocates for the river (such as the Friends of the
Presumpscot River), and local, state and federal government representatives,
among others. The goal of the group is to develop a locally-endorsed and State-
approved river management plan based on a realistic vision for the future of the
river. Over the last two years, the Steering Committee has been compiling
information on the conditions, issues, and implementation options for each of these
three priorities, and they recently released fact sheets and draft white papers for
public review.

This fall, the Presumpscot River Management Plan Steering Committee is taking
their research and management options to the public to solicit the public's vision for
the future of the river.


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For further information, contact: Karen Young, Casco Bay Estuary Project; Phone:
(207) 780-4820; Email: kvounq@usm.maine.edu. To obtain copies of the fact
sheets produced in the three subject areas, visit the Casco Bay Estuary Project
website at http://www.cascobav.usm.maine.edu.|i:\iT«ibciJim^>|


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U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

World Oceans Atlas
Goes On-line

To draw attention to the failing health of the world's marine ecosystems, the United
Nations has launched an on-line atlas of the oceans. The atlas is funded through a
$500,000 grant sponsored by the United Nations Foundation, and through financial
contributions from six United Nations agencies.

UN Alios of Ihc Oceans

The atlas is an information system comprised of fourteen global maps and includes
four main entry points to access information:

About the Oceans provides information on the history and biology of the world's
oceans, maps and statistical information, and climatological and ecological
information;

Uses of the Oceans provides information on the fisheries industry, shipping and
mining, ocean dumping, and marine biotechnology;

Issues of the Oceans focuses on food security, climate change and human health;


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and

Geography of Oceans provides information categorized by geographical area.

The atlas will be updated continuously and is designed to track the state of the
world's ocean resources, covering issues such as over-fishing, the effects of climate
change, and changes in the Earth's ice caps, as well as ship piracy, the spread of
harmful algae and offshore oil issues.

The atlas is maintained and updated by a worldwide coalition of scientific
institutions working with the U.N. The site is intended for use by policy makers,
scientists, students, and resource managers.

For further information on the Oceans Atlas, visit the website at
http://www.oceanatlas.org/index.isp. iexit disclaim^


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U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

River to Bay Restoration in the Guadalupe
River Watershed, California

A series of cascading events over the past century
and a half has drastically modified San Francisco
Bay and its associated watersheds, and in particular
the Guadalupe River watershed. Many residents
living near the Guadalupe River are facing increased
flood hazards. Since the Gold Rush era, the
watershed has experienced land subsidence of up to
eight feet in some locations, along with the loss of
floodplain area and wetlands. Stream levels have
become more variable and unpredictable due to
increases in impervious surface area. During an
extreme flood event, the Guadalupe River can
overtop its banks and levees and flow into the
streets, homes and businesses of San Jose.

^ The Guadalupe River starts out as several small tributaries in relatively
undeveloped areas of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Prior to intensive
development in the San Francisco Bay area, the Guadalupe River
traveled a network of meandering channels in a large tidal marsh, before
entering the open waters of the south Bay. This tidal marsh flourished
with aquatic life and provided habitat for migrating and resident wildlife and fish.
During storm events, steelhead trout threaded their way through these channels on
their way to upstream spawning grounds. Their progeny, after spending one or two




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years in the cool waters of the upper watershed, found their way to the sea through
the transitional tidal marsh system along the Guadalupe River.

During the Gold Rush era, hydraulic mining practices
washed silt and mercury into the bay. With development
came modifications to the watershed, including
manmade river crossings that formed barriers to
migrating anadromous fish. More habitat was lost when
marshes were filled and stream channels were
straightened for hydraulic "efficiency" and to create
farmland or residential development. Intense irrigation
needs for fruit orchards in the dry Santa Clara Valley
resulted in a dramatic drop in groundwater levels, which
led to subsidence of the land by as much as 8 feet in the
south Bay and downtown San Jose.

The solution to groundwater subsidence was the creation
of an extensive recharge system supplied by several
upstream reservoirs, to help recharge groundwater
aquifers through the dry summers. These reservoirs
served their purpose, but also prevented steelhead trout
from migrating to upstream spawning habitat. The dams
also prevented the transport of gravels to spawning habitat
downstream. Eventually, development pressures led to
bank failures, loss of riparian vegetation, increases in
water temperature, and loss of wildlife habitat.

Today, the Guadalupe River runs downstream through densely developed urban
areas, including the City of San Jose, before entering South San Francisco Bay.


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Salt production ponds in the vicinity of the mouth of the Guadalupe River confine
the River between levee walls, contrasting with its former meandering channel
through wetlands and floodplains. Although the ponds provide some wildlife habitat,
the high concentrations of salt are prohibitive for many life forms and, unfortunately,
much of the tidal marsh habitat has been eliminated.

Flood Protection Efforts

The Santa Clara Valley Water District (the Water District), along with several
partners, is planning a series of projects that integrate flood protection, public
access, and environmental restoration along the Guadalupe River. Together, these
projects would restore the flood conveyance capacity of the existing channel while
simultaneously restoring substantial amounts of impaired habitat. The Upper
Guadalupe River project, the Downtown San Jose Guadalupe River project, and the
Lower Guadalupe River project are being separately funded and managed, but
project participants are making significant strides in working together for a common
watershed-based implementation and management plan. These multi-objective
projects have incorporated input from the US National Marine Fisheries Service, US
Fish and Wildlife, the US Army Corps of Engineers, California Fish and Game, the
San Francisco Regional Water Quality Control Board and local environmental
advocacy organizations such as the Guadalupe-Coyote Resource Conservation
District and the National Heritage Institute. Through collaboration and cooperation,
the Water District is successfully providing flood protection while enhancing
environmental conditions and recreational public access.

The watershed-wide plan to integrate flood control, recreation, and environmental
restoration will minimize impacts to existing riparian vegetation through the use of
several bypasses to simulate a natural flood plain. Revegetation will focus on
shading the stream, ultimately improving water temperatures for steelhead trout, a
species now listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Numerous barriers to migratory fish passage are
being eliminated as part of the project design. The
acreage of riparian vegetation will increase several-
fold, restoring lost habitat to many wildlife species.

Water quality in the stream and the bay will be
improved by removing contaminated sediments as
part of the maintenance of the flood protection
channels. A continuous trail system, designed to
protect fish and wildlife habitat, will provide public access along the stream corridor,
and will connect with a greater Bay area network of trails.

This story of restoration	does


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the Guadalupe

As the plan is implemented, an Adaptive Management Team (AMT), consisting of
project sponsors, resource agencies and environmental advocacy groups, will
periodically review mitigation monitoring results based on specific quantifiable
environmental indicators. The AMT will make recommendations to the Water
District if those indicators fall short of pre-established targets. As each segment of
the plan is completed, the AMT will ensure that the ongoing monitoring results and
restoration efforts are incorporated into the new segments. Ultimately, the AMT
concept will be expanded to encompass all significant activities within the
Guadalupe Watershed that may impact the environment.

Construction on several portions of the project within downtown San Jose has
already begun and most of the revegetation has been completed. A major
restoration project was completed this year on a 1.6-mile reach of Guadalupe
Creek, a Guadalupe River tributary, as compensatory mitigation and environmental
enhancement. Completion of the lower and downtown projects is scheduled for
December of 2004. The schedule for completion of the upper portion will depend
upon funding by the US Army Corps of Engineers and obtaining the necessary
permits.

This story of restoration does not end at the mouth of the Guadalupe River.
Recently, it was announced that many of the privately owned South Bay salt ponds
will be sold to state and federal agencies for the purpose of tidal marsh restoration.
These ponds were formed by diking-off large portions of marshland. The marsh
restoration will require a transition plan to handle critical issues such as flood
protection, water quality, fish passage through the marsh channels, and obtaining
the massive amounts of fill necessary to establish the marsh at a level where it
would be subject to tidal action. To this end, the Santa Clara Valley Water District
will be working closely with the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine
Service, the California Department of Fish and Game, the Regional Water Quality
Control Board, and others to ensure that the tidal marsh restoration is coordinated
with, and complements, the Water District's restoration in the Guadalupe
Watershed.

For further information, contact Terry Neudorf, Santa Clara Valley Water District;
Phone: (408) 265-2600; Email: tneudorf@vallevwater.org: or Al Gurevich, Santa
Clara Valley Water District; Phone: (408) 265-2600; Email:
agurevich@vallevwater.org.


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U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

SeagrassNet: Assessing a Critical Coastal
Resource on a Worldwide Scale

SeagrassNet is a global monitoring program to investigate and document the
worldwide status of seagrass resources and the threats to this important and
imperiled marine ecosystem.

The program started with an ongoing pilot study in seven
countries of the Western Pacific and is now expanding to
other countries. A globally applicable monitoring protocol
and web-based data reporting have been established. The
plan is to continue the expansion of SeagrassNet to other
areas of the globe and establishment of a network of
monitoring sites linked via the World Wide Web by an interactive database. The
ultimate goal of the Program is to preserve the seagrass ecosystem by increasing
scientific knowledge and public awareness of this threatened coastal resource.

Seagrasses are underwater flowering plants that form an important coastal habitat
worldwide. They often occur in vast meadows that provide nurseries, shelter, and
food for a variety of commercially, recreationally, and ecologically important species
(e.g., fishes, sea turtles, dugong, manatee, seahorses, and many invertebrates).
Additionally, seagrasses filter estuarine and coastal waters of nutrients,
contaminants, and sediments, and are closely linked to other community types. In
the tropics, seagrasses are associated with coral reef systems and mangrove
communities, and in temperate waters they are linked to algal beds, kelp forests,
and oyster reefs. Existing at the interface of the land margin and the world's oceans,
seagrasses are threatened by many anthropogenic impacts. While the exact


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distribution and degree of decline of sea grasses worldwide is not clearly known,
observations of sea grass ecosystems at specific sites support the belief that the
global loss of seagrass habitat is large.

There is a lack of information about the status and health of seagrasses worldwide,
particularly in the less economically developed regions of the globe. SeagrassNet's
efforts to monitor known seagrass areas and to survey uncharted seagrass beds
are important first steps in understanding and sustaining the seagrass resource.
Monitoring of these ecosystems will eventually reveal both human impacts and
natural fluctuations in coastal environments throughout the world. The aim of
SeagrassNet is to elevate interest and awareness in seagrasses to the level that
currently exists for coral reefs, and to provide a "global report card" on the health of
this valuable coastal habitat.

Sampling on the SeagrassNet Transect off Nusa Island, Kavieng, Papa New Guinea, a site dominated
by the seagrass Thalassia hemprichii and Cymodocea rotunda. Paul Lokani (far left) of the Nature
Conservatory assists the Kavieng SeagrassNet team. John Aini (right and insert) with the National
Fisheries College is the SeagrassNet team leader in Kavieng.

SeagrassNet was initiated with monitoring in the Western Pacific during the summer
of 2001, based on research techniques described in Global Seagrass Research
Methods (edited by F.T. Short and R.G. Coles, Elsevier, 2001). Monitoring includes
the collection of samples of different species, photographic records, and data on
several biological and environmental parameters, including seagrass cover, canopy
height, biomass, sexual reproduction (seeds, flowers, and fruits), shoot density,
depth of distribution, tidal information, and environmental data (water temperature,
salinity, light level, and surface sediment characteristics).


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The Western Pacific pilot program, funded by the David and Lucile Packard
Foundation, identified seven sites in Western Pacific countries, recruited local
scientists and coastal managers to form monitoring teams, and trained these people
in identification of seagrass species and the SeagrassNet monitoring protocol. The
seven teams, from Fiji to the Philippines, have now successfully completed several
rounds of quarterly monitoring and submitted their seagrass and environmental data
to the database via the Internet. A workshop was held in January, 2002, to bring
together the seven monitoring teams and scientists from two additional sites in
Indonesia and Malaysia to review and update the protocol, receive training in
monitoring, and learn how to download and submit data via the web-based system.
Additionally, the team leaders were trained in Seagrass Watch, a volunteer-based
monitoring program for seagrasses. This award-winning program originated in
Australia.

There is a lack of information

health	of seagrasses

In the spring of 2002, three SeagrassNet sites were set up in Brazil with funding
from the Brazilian government. In the summer of 2002, SeagrassNet and Seagrass
Watch will be established at three sites in Indonesia. New sites have also been
established in the Malaysian peninsula and on the east coast of the U.S.
Investigations are underway to establish SeagrassNet sites in Vietnam at the World
Heritage site at Ha Long Bay, as well as in the Caribbean, beginning in Belize.

Other scientists and coastal resource managers in Africa, South America, Asia,
India, Europe, Australia, and North America are now interested in joining


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SeagrassNet and monitoring seagrasses in their regions. Funding is now being
sought to move SeagrassNet beyond its pilot phase in the Western Pacific into
other regions of the world.

In a related effort, a World Atlas of Seagrasses, edited by Drs. Edmund Green and
Frederick Short, will be published late in 2002 by the University of California Press.
This atlas will give the best and most up-to-date information available on worldwide
seagrass distributions, species ranges, and regional characterizations. Many
seagrass scientists have contributed chapters to the regional sections, and an
extensive literature review was completed to produce the comprehensive seagrass
species distribution maps. The atlas has highlighted areas where seagrass
information is sparse, thereby identifying locations for further investigation by
SeagrassNet.

For further information, contact Frederick T. Short, University of New Hampshire,
Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, 85 Adams Point Road, Durham, NH 03824; Phone:
(603) 862-2175; E-mail: fred.short@unh.edu . Further information on SeagrassNet
is also available on the web at http://www.seagrassnet.org.


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U.S. Environmental

National Estuary Program

Note: This information is provided for reference
purposes only. Although the information provided
here was accurate and current when first created, it
is now outdated.

Evaluation of Statewide Watershed
Management Approaches

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of Wetlands, Oceans, and
Watersheds and the Office of Wastewater Management recently released the
Evaluation of Statewide Watershed Management Approaches, a jointly conducted
assessment of state experiences in implementing statewide watershed
management approaches. The objectives of the review were to identify and
describe different statewide watershed management approaches, characterize and
assess the experiences of selected states that used different approaches, and
develop recommendations to improve EPA's support and state implementation of
statewide watershed management. The study concluded that state-facilitated
basin/watershed planning processes represent significant opportunities for the EPA
to integrate the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act water quality program
requirements. The study recommends that the EPA work with states to adopt a
multi-pronged approach to statewide watershed management.

For further information contact Mike Mason, EPA Headquarters; Phone: (202) 564-
0572.


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