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Making Waves: Episode 6 (Dec. 05, 2008)

(INTRO)
THIS WEEK, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT HOW NOAA AND OTHER AGENCIES ARE WORKING TOGETHER TO CREATE A NATIONAL SYSTEM OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS.

THEN WE'RE GOING TO TRAVEL OVER TO CALIFORNIA TO TAKE A BRIEF LOOK AT WHAT THREE MARINE SANCTUARIES ARE UP TO - ONE OF THOSE SANCTUARIES AT MONTEREY BAY JUST EXPANDED ITS BOUNDARIES TO INCLUDE THE DAVIDSON SEAMOUNT...WE'LL TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THIS HUGE UNDERWATER MOUNTAIN.

THAT’S COMING UP TODAY ON MAKING WAVES FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE...

(NATIONAL FRAMEWORK FOR MPAS)
YOU KNOW HOW WE HAVE NATIONAL AND STATE PARKS, NATURE RESERVES, AND OTHER TYPES OF PROTECTED LAND AROUND THE COUNTRY? WELL, WE ALSO HAVE SIMILAR  PROTECTED PLACES IN OUR NATION’S OCEANS.  THESE SPECIAL ZONES ARE CALLED MARINE PROTECTED AREAS, AND ARE FOUND IN THE OPEN OCEANS AROUND OUR LAND, IN COASTAL AREAS, INTER-TIDAL ZONES, ESTUARIES, AND EVEN THE GREAT LAKES.

THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF THESE ... WE HAVE MARINE SANCTUARIES, ESTUARINE RESERVES, MONUMENTS, NO-FISHING ZONES, AND STATE AND NATIONAL PARKS THAT INCLUDE OCEAN RESOURCES - AND THAT'S JUST TO NAME A FEW.
THE THING IS, ALL OF THESE INDIVIDUAL MPAS WERE CREATED BY SEPARATE MANAGING AGENCIES ... SOME WERE CREATED BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, SOME BY STATES, SOME BY LOCAL AND TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS ...AND EACH MPA HAS SEPARATE REQUIREMENTS AND LEVELS OF PROTECTION.

WHAT WE HAVEN'T HAD UNTIL NOW IS A NATIONAL SYSTEM TO TIE ALL OF THESE AREAS TOGETHER TO WORK TOWARDS COMMON CONSERVATION GOALS. WELL, NOW WE DO.

THIS PLAN TOOK MANY YEARS TO DEVELOP - IT ALL BEGAN WITH A PRESIDENTIAL ORDER BACK IN 2000 TO CREATE A NATIONAL SYSTEM OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS. AND THE WORD 'NATIONAL' HERE IS IMPORTANT. IT MEANS THAT THIS SYSTEM NEEDED TO INCLUDE EVERYONE. IT ISN'T JUST AN UNCLE SAM THING.

NOAA'S NATIONAL MARINE PROTECTED AREAS CENTER LED THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS NEW PLAN - IT'S OFFICIALLY CALLED THE FRAMEWORK FOR THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

THE CENTER DRAFTED THE PLAN ON BEHALF OF THE DEPARTMENTS OF COMMERCE AND INTERIOR, BUT THE FINAL DOCUMENT ALSO INCLUDES INPUTS FROM COASTAL STATES AND TERRITORIES, TRIBES, FEDERAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCILS, AND THE PUBLIC.

SO NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS FRAMEWORK, WHAT HAPPENS NEXT. WELL, NOAA’S NATIONAL MARINE PROTECTED AREAS CENTER HAS INVENTORIED ALL THE MARINE PROTECTED AREAS ALREADY OUT THERE TO DETERMINE WHICH ONES ARE ELIGIBLE FOR THE NATIONAL SYSTEM.  EACH ELIGIBLE SITE’S MANAGING AGENCY WILL BE INVITED TO NOMINATE THEIR SITE FOR THE NATIONAL SYSTEM. TO DO SO, THEY’LL HAVE TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON HOW THEIR SITE CONTRIBUTES TO A NATIONAL SYSTEM CONSERVATION GOAL. AFTER THE PUBLIC HAS AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT, THE ULTIMATE DECISION ON WHETHER OR NOT A SITE IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL SYSTEM IS UP TO ITS MANAGING AGENCY.

OVER TIME, THE FRAMEWORK WILL ALSO HELP TO IDENTIFY CONSERVATION GAPS IN OUR MARINE AREAS. IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE THOSE PLACES ARE THAT MIGHT NEED MORE PROTECTION. AND THIS MAY LEAD TO NEW MARINE PROTECTED AREAS TO CONSERVE NOT ONLY OUR CRITICAL SPECIES AND HABITATS, BUT PLACES OF CULTURAL IMPORTANCE LIKE SHIPWRECKS AND UNDERWATER ARCHEOLOGY SITES.

WHILE THE NEW NATIONAL SYSTEM DOESN'T PUT NEW LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN PLACE, WHAT IT DOES IS SET THE STAGE SO ALL OF THE PLAYERS WHO MANAGE THESE AREAS CAN COME TOGETHER TO BETTER CONSERVE OUR MARINE RESOURCES.

WHY DO NEED TO DO THIS? IT'S BECAUSE OUR OCEANS ARE UNDER THREAT FROM THINGS LIKE OFFSHORE DEVELOPMENT, OVERFISHING, AND CLIMATE CHANGE.

TODAY, WE'RE FACING DECLINING FISH POPULATIONS, LOSS OF CORAL REEFS AND OTHER VITAL HABITATS … AND A GROWING LIST OF RARE OR ENDANGERED SPECIES NEED OUR PROTECTION. WE ALSO RISK LOSING IMPORTANT CULTURAL ARTIFACTS AND RESOURCES THAT ARE PART OF OUR HERITAGE -- AND PART OF OUR ECONOMY.

SO THE NATIONAL MARINE PROTECTED AREA FRAMEWORK IS A STEP TOWARDS MAKING SURE THAT WE PROTECT OUR OCEAN HERITAGE .

BY THE WAY, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT A PROTECTED AREA DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN OFF LIMITS TO HUMANS - IT SIMPLY MEANS THAT THESE AREAS ARE GIVEN GREATER PROTECTION THAN THE SURROUNDING WATERS. SOME AREAS ARE OFF-LIMITS, BUT MOST ARE OPEN TO MANAGED FISHING AND RECREATIONAL USE.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE NATIONAL SYSTEM OF MPAS, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MPAS IN GENERAL, VISIT WWW.MPA.GOV

(CALIFORNIA MARINE PROTECTED AREAS ANNOUNCE NEW PLANS)
THE DAY AFTER THE  NATIONAL FRAMEWORK WAS INTRODUCED, THREE OF NOAA’S FOURTEEN MARINE SANCTUARIES ANNOUNCED NEW PLANS OF THEIR OWN TO HELP BETTER PROTECT AND MANAGE WATERS OFF THE CENTRAL COAST OF CALIFORNIA.
NOAA’S NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ARE PART OF THE EXISTING NETWORK OF MARINE PROTECTED AREAS THAT WILL MAKE UP A BIG PORTION OF THE NEW NATIONAL SYSTEM WE DISCUSSED EARLIER.

THE NEW PLANS FROM CORDELL BANK, GULF OF THE FARALLONES, AND MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES REPRESENT SEVEN YEARS OF STUDY, PLANNING, AND PUBLIC INPUT. THEY ADDRESS ISSUES RANGING FROM ECOSYSTEM PROTECTION, WILDLIFE DISTURBANCE, AND VESSEL DISCHARGE, TO WATER QUALITY, NON-NATIVE SPECIES, AND COASTAL DEVELOPMENT.

THE PLANS ALSO INCLUDE THE EXPANSION OF THE MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY BY 775 SQUARE MILES TO INCLUDE THE DAVIDSON SEAMOUNT. THIS SEAMOUNT IS ONE OF THE LARGEST KNOWN UNDERWATER MOUNTAINS IN U.S. COASTAL WATERS.

BUT THIS IS JUST A SMALL TASTE OF WHAT’S AVAILABLE. YOU CAN DOWNLOAD A FREE COPY OF THESE  DOCUMENTS FROM THE NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES WEB SITE AT SANCTUARIES.NOAA.GOV

(TAKING A CLOSER LOOK)
NOW LET’S TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE DAVIDSON SEAMOUNT, THE NEWEST ADDITION TO NOAA’S NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY NETWORK.

THE DAVIDSON SEAMOUNT IS A GIGANTIC, SUBMERGED VOLCANO ABOUT 70 MILES SOUTHWEST OF MONTEREY.

THE SEAMOUNT RISES 7,250 FEET ABOVE THE SEA FLOOR. IF IT WERE ON LAND, IT WOULD DOMINATE THE LANDSCAPE. ITS LENGTH AND WIDTH - 30 MILES LONG AND 12 MILES WIDE - COULD FILL MONTEREY BAY FROM THE SANTA CRUZ BOARDWALK TO MONTEREY’S FISHERMEN’S WHARF.

DESPITE ITS SIZE, IF YOU WERE TO STAND ON THE TOP OF THE DAVIDSON SEAMOUNT, YOU’D STILL BE 4,500 FEET BELOW THE OCEAN’S SURFACE.

IT’S SO DEEP THAT MOST HUMAN ACTIVITIES HAVEN'T HARMED THE SEABED AND ORGANISMS GROWING ON IT.  ANCHORING AND TRAWLING USUALLY DON’T OCCUR BELOW 1,500 FEET, AND NEAR SHORE DISCHARGES AND DISPOSAL OCCUR FAR AWAY, ALONG THE COASTLINE.

THAT MEANS THIS COLD, DARK, AND MYSTERIOUS PLACE IS STILL NEARLY PRISTINE AND UNTOUCHED BY MAN.

IT’S OFTEN CALLED AN OASIS OF THE DEEP BECAUSE IT IS TEEMING WITH LIFE. IT'S HOME TO LARGE CORAL FORESTS, VAST SPONGE FIELDS, CRABS, DEEP-SEA FISHES, SHRIMP, BASKET STARS, AND SURPRISINGLY HIGH NUMBER OF RARE AND UNIDENTIFIED BOTTOM-DWELLING SPECIES.

THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES ADDED THIS UNDERWATER OASIS TO THE MONTEREY BAY SANCTUARY TO HELP ENSURE THAT IT REMAINS IN TACT.

(OUTRO)
THEY SAY PICTURES SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS, AND THAT’S CERTAINLY TRUE FOR THE DAVIDSON SEAMOUNT. VISIT OCEANEXPLORER.NOAA.GOV TO GET A LOOK AT SOME OF THE CREATURES LIVING DOWN THERE. NOAA SCIENTISTS EXPLORED THE SEAMOUNT IN 2002 AND 2006, AND THERE ARE LOTS OF GREAT PHOTOS, VIDEOS, AND NOTES FROM RESEARCHERS WHO’VE EXPLORED THE SEAMOUNT ON THE NOAA EXPLORER SITE.

WELL, THAT'S ALL FOR THIS WEEK. DON'T FORGET TO VISIT US AT  OCEANSERVICE.NOAA.GOV. FROM THERE, YOU CAN READ MORE ABOUT THE STORIES FEATURED ON THIS WEEK'S PODCAST.

LET’S BRING IN THE OCEAN ... THIS IS MAKING WAVES FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE. SEE YOU NEXT TIME.  

-END-

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