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| Protected Resources and Biodiversity |
| Mission Statement |
| Scientists contribute to the conservation, recovery and management of marine biodiversity by conducting research and providing scientific and technical advice to local, state and federal management organizations, including Fishery Management Councils and the National Marine Sanctuary Program. Research covers the following themes; 1) Application and evaluation of no-take marine reserves as a fishery management tool to support sustainable fisheries, and protect marine biodiversity and ecosystem function; 2) Ecosystem structure and function -- Coral reefs are highly complex ecosystems where productivity depends on maintaining biodiversity, healthy habitat, and functional interactions among biota.
Research seeks to better understand coral reef ecosystem structure and function by examining population dynamics and interactions among species, habitat and physical environmental factors in supporting the development of a comprehensive theory of reef management; 3) Essential fish habitat -- Coral reefs and other hard bottom habitats are essential fish habitats under stress from fishing and alteration from natural and human disturbance including global climate change. Research focuses on a wide range of habitat issues including evaluation of habitat quality and problems involving hard bottom benthos and coral reefs; 4) Habitat Restoration -- Research on habitat restoration and enhancement activities is an important focus of activities. Restoration of habitat damage from vessel groundings or natural disturbance is a growing problem in shallow coastal waters. Research is aimed at developing and testing new methods to monitor and restore damaged habitat. Research is also conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of artificial reefs, and to enhance or mitigate resource damage by natural or human activities. Research will also examine technical questions involving fishing gear effects on populations and habitat; 5) Biological Research: Fundamental biological research is essential to support stock assessments and management decision. With over 100 species of direct commercial importance and over 600 species of recreational, ecological, or aesthetic importance in the region, it is essential to have detailed behavioral and life history information for management purposes. Emphasis is on managed economically and ecologically important and threatened species; 6) Improve fishery-independent assessments: Fisheries traditionally rely on fishery-dependent data to assess stocks. Unfortunately, these data provide only limited information for most species, especially those without direct economic value. Research will develop and use new innovative visual, optical, and acoustic methods and technology to collect fishery-independent data on the status of exploited and non-exploited species with emphasis on non-destructive technology. |
| Background and Organization |
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The SEFSC's Protected Resources and Biodiversity program receives broad programmatic guidance from the goals and objectives of the
NOAA Strategic Plan, and the 1997 NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan Goals and Objectives:
"Recover and Maintain Protected Species Populations", and "Reduce Conflicts that Involve Protected Species".
Principal legal mandates that establish the Agency's responsibilities for management and conservation of protected species are the Marine Mammal Protection Act
(MMPA) as amended, Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Management and Conservation Act MSFMCA) as amended.
There are three programmatic "investigations" within the PS&BD Branch which are implement by four "team leaders" for:
These investigations are:
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| The Protected Resources Investigation |
Biodiversity Investigation |
South Florida Restoration Investigation |
| Develops, coordinates and monitors Center wide research and assessment
programs for marine mammal, sea turtles, and other listed species
for management needs as necessary to meet agency responsibilities under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the
Endangered Species Act, and the Magnuson-Stevens
Fisheries Management and Conservation Act. This includes the
monitoring and coordination data collection from protected species
strandings throughout the region, and analysis of the implications
of these strandings for management and conservation of the affected
species |
Develops, coordinates, and monitors biodiversity research programs especially
as they relate to marine community assemblages, the rebuilding of over utilized and depleted fisheries resources, protection of representative and
critical habitats, and the objective of maintaining marine diversity
through various management procedures including, but not limited to,
reserves and sanctuaries. A fundamental premise of the Biodiversity
Investigation is the recognition that marine reserves and diverse
marine communities provide consumptive as well an non-consumptive
benefits, including the protection of ecosystem structure, function,
and integrity; non-consumptive use opportunities (e.g., recreational
diving); and increasing knowledge and understanding of marine
systems processes and functions that provide a scientific foundation
for holistic, ecosystem-based approach to marine resource
management. |
Part
of NOAA's participation in the Intergovernmental
South Florida Restoration Program. Activities include not only
scientific research, but also involvement in planning and
coordination efforts directed at protecting and restoring wetland
and coastal habitat. This investigation component conducts a number
of research projects in South Florida, including life history
studies on larval fish, grouper recruitment and spawning, pink
shrimp population dynamics, sea turtle and bottlenose dolphin
abundance and habitat use, and recreational fishing and vessel use
in coastal waters. | |
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Contact List
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The Protected Resources and Biodiversity Branch enjoys the expertise of the following senior staff members:
Protected Resources Division Chief:
Jim Bohnsack, Ph.D.
Sea Turtle Team Leader: Sheryan Epperly-Chester, Ph.D.
Marine Mammal Team Leader: Lance Garrison, Ph.D. (Acting)
Biodiversity Team Leader:
Jim Bohnsack, Ph.D.
South Florida Restoration Team Leader: Joan
Browder, Ph.D.
Senior Scientist and Publications Editor:
William
Richards, Ph.D.
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