Project Description:


This biogeographic assessment represents the continuation of an ongoing partnership between NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Program (NMSP) and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science’s (NCCOS) Biogeography Branch. The purpose of this collaboration is to provide sanctuary managers with basic information on the physical environment as well as the distribution of marine flora and fauna relevant to the National Marine Sanctuaries they manage. This specific study, conducted in collaboration with the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) and members of the local research community, builds on a previous assessment developed for California's other three National Marine Sanctuaries: Gulf of the Farallones, Cordell Bank, and Monterey Bay (NOAA, 2003). Both efforts were undertaken specifically to support the management plan revision process mandated for each sanctuary. This process evaluates the degree that each sanctuary is meeting its goals and allows an opportunity for the public to determine if there are new directions or issues that they feel the sanctuary should address.

One issue raised by the public during the CINMS management plan revision process was whether the sanctuary boundaries should be expanded. A significant portion of this effort, therefore, is devoted toward providing a biogeographic assessment of the six differing boundary concepts previously developed by CINMS in conjunction with the Sanctuary Advisory Council and general public. This was accomplished by a thorough analysis of the biogeographic datasets provided to the analytical team by the local research community. The geographic and statistical analyses conducted resulted in a variety of products that improve our overall understanding of species distribution patterns and biologically significant zones within the sanctuary’s approved study area. This evaluation will support a future NMSP environmental review process to consider changing the CINMS boundaries (a supplemental process to the current CINMS management plan review). Additionally, the data gathered, analyses performed, and patterns of distribution observed should provide invaluable information to support science, education, and support other spatially-explicit management decisions.

This study would not have been possible without the extensive collaboration, review, and support provided by over 75 individuals representing 22 institutions. If you have questions or comments regarding the CINMS study, please contact Chris Caldow (NCCOS; Biogeography Branch) at 301-713-3028 x164 (chris.caldow@noaa.gov). For information on the Biogeography Branch, please contact Mark Monaco at 301-713-3028 x160 (mark.monaco@noaa.gov).

About this DVD:

This DVD contains a digital version of the NCCOS report “A Biogeographic Assessment of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary: A Review of Boundary Expansion Concepts for NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program.” Additionally, this DVD contains individual .pdf files of each figure contained within the report. Where permissions were granted by data contributors, the ArcGIS shape files utilized to develop those figures are also provided. You may order a DVD or hard copy here.

Citation:

NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) 2005. A Biogeographic Assessment of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary: A Review of Boundary Expansion Concepts for NOAA’s National Marine Sanctuary Program (DVD). Silver Spring, MD. NOAA Technical Memorandum NOS NCCOS 21.