Regional
A Primer on Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico
Released during the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Research Coordination Workshop held in Bay St. Louis in April 2011, the Primer on Hypoxia in the Gulf of Mexico is a product of last year's Hypoxia Coordination Workshop sponsored by the Northern Gulf Institute, Mississippi State University, Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Louisiana State University, Florida State University and the University of Southern Mississippi. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance and the Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Task Force also participated in the conference. In addition to addressing the Alliance Nutrients Team's action items, the Primer also supports the goals and actions of the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mexico Watershed Nutrient Task Force identified in the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan. It uses existing communication networks to increase awareness of hypoxia, its causes and its impacts to stakeholders, coastal managers and decision makers, as well as the general public.
Project Contact:
Ann Porter
ann_porter@deq.state.ms.us
Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity for Estuarine and Near-coastal Waters
Benthic indices are used to determine whether estuaries have been impacted by anthropogenic stresses. Because they are a quantitative indicator of environmental quality and ecosystem health, such indices provide scientists with tools to summarize and communicate the meaning of complex biological data to managers, politicians and the public at large. The purpose of the Benthic Index study for the Gulf is to support ecosystem-based management and provide better coordination of Federal, State, Tribal and regional management of the Gulf Coast. The deliverable resulting from the this project is a Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity using data from samples gathered from 2000-2006 throughout the Gulf of Mexico.
Project Contact:
Ann Porter
ann_porter@deq.state.ms.us
Coastal Community Resilence Index
The Coastal Community Resilience Index is a self-assessment tool for communities to understand their preparedness for natural disasters. The index allows communities to customize it to community-specific scenarios, facilities, infrastructure, business development plans, and social systems.
Accompanying the Resilience Index is a training module for facilitator’s to use in administering the evaluation. It was developed as part of the Gulf of Mexico Coastal Storms Program for the Gulf of Mexico Alliance by Partner organizations, Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, Louisiana Sea Grant, and NOAA.
Project Contact:
Tracie Sempier
tracie.sempier@usm.edu
Community Outreach & Education Across the Gulf
Smart Yard, Healthy Gulf
Developed by a partnership between the Education and Nutrient Priority Issue Teams, Smart Yard, Healthy Gulf is a new public education campaign designed to reduce fertilizers entering local waters by helping people make responsible lawn fertilizer decisions. Applying the proper amount of fertilizer at the proper time(s) of the growing season keeps lawns looking vibrant. It can save time and money. Not only will lawns be something to be proud of, but the Gulf of Mexico will be more resilient and healthy, including Gulf seafood! More information available at www.smartyardhealthygulf.com.
Project Contact:
Lee Yokel
lyokel@disl.org
Conceptual Model for Mercury Cycling in the Gulf
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Project Contact:
Steve Wolfe
Steven.wolfe@dep.state.fl.us
Decision Support Toolbox
Establishing nutrient criteria for coastal waters and estuaries could improve their quality and productivity, but the challenge is to eliminate only the excess nutrients while maintaining adequate levels to ensure ecosystem productivity. The purpose of the Nutrient Reduction Decision Support Toolbox is to increase knowledge of nutrient runoff and to inform and improve policy decisions as well as building the capacity to respond to change and challenges among Gulf Decision makers. The toolbox originated from the Alliance’s Nutrient Reduction priority issue team and its initiatives to reduce the size of the hypoxic zone in the Gulf of Mexico as well as occurrences of hypoxic events across Gulf of Mexico coastal and estuarine waters. The program is intended for use by state and local agencies and other organizations interested in reducing nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus) and other pollutants to our water bodies in an effort to reduce Gulf hypoxia.
Project Contact:
Ann Porter
ann_porter@deq.state.ms.us
Emergent Wetland Status and Trends Report - Chapter 1
The first chapter of the Emergent Wetlands Status and Trends report (Introduction, Methods, Study Area) plus a comprehensive Literature Survey on Gulf of Mexico emergent wetlands is posted on, http://gom.usgs.gov (under the Ecosystems Integration and Assessment page).
Project Contact:
Larry Handley
Larry_Handley@usgs.gov
Environmental Education Across the Gulf
The Dauphin Island Sea Lab supports the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Environmental Education priority issue by implementing a three-year competitive mini-grant program to the five U.S. Gulf States. The mini-grant program focused on K through 20 Education, Public Awareness and Community Outreach and Education.
Project Contact:
Lee Yokel
lyokel@disl.org
GecoServ
GecoServ is an inventory of ecosystem services (ES) valuation studies relevant to the Gulf of Mexico region. The two main goals of the GecoServ database are to allow for the distribution and sharing of information about ES valuation studies relevant to Gulf of Mexico region and to identify current gaps in the ES literature. The studies summarized here are for habitats that are relevant to the Gulf region even though they may have been conducted elsewhere.
Features of the database include "REFERENCES" tab to provide users the bibliographic information for each study in the database; a "DEFINITIONS" tab to provide explanations for concepts mentioned in the website; and a "ES VISUALIZED" tab to provide users with a visual representation of each ES. This is especially useful in outreach and educational opportunities.
Project Contact:
David Yoskositz
david.yoskowitz@tamucc.edu
GOMAportal
The GOMAportal is a Gulf of Mexico geospatial data repository which consists of a metadata catalog that allows users to perform spatial and text searches on metadata records, download most datasets via FTP, and view map services.
Project Contact:
Seneca Holland
seneca.holland@tamucc.edu
Gulf of Mexico Alliance StormSmart Coasts Network
StormSmart Coasts is a Gulf of Mexico Alliance Web resource dedicated to helping decision makers in coastal communities address the challenges of storms, flooding, sea-level rise and climate change. Specifically tailored for Florida, the Florida StormSmart Coasts Website enhances resilience in local communities by assisting with adjustments to day-to-day living, as well as adjustments to the processes and planning for long-term development of coastal areas. The StormSmart Coasts network connects federal, state, and local community decision-makers, giving them a definitive place to find and share the best resilience-related resources and tools available.
Find the Gulf Coast-customized state pages on the StormSmart network here: http://stormsmartcoasts.org/.
Project Contact:
Rhonda Price
rhonda.price@dmr.ms.gov
Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas
In response to historic degradation and recent destruction from hurricanes
and man-made disasters, there is a high demand for data and information that
describes baseline conditions in the Gulf by the federal and state agencies
empowered to respond to these disasters. The Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas is a
new, comprehensive, high resolution, Internet-based data atlas designed to
provide information necessary to answer questions regarding the current
conditions of the coastal/marine environment, coastal infrastructure, and
the socioeconomic status and trends of the Gulf.
This Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas provides a source of reliable online data for
the Gulf region for use by NOAA and the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration
Task Force as an initial baseline from which to formulate the response
necessary to restore the Gulf.
Project Contact:
Russ Beard
russ.beard@noaa.gov
Gulf of Mexico Master Mapping Plan (GMMMP)
Produce the Gulf of Mexico Master Mapping Plan (GMMMP), a comprehensive plan to collaboratively acquire data on the physical characteristics of the Gulf region, particularly elevation, shoreline, and surface data.
The Gulf of Mexico Data Acquisition Planning Tool gives Gulf of Mexico stakeholders the platform to plan and coordinate data acquisition activities by linking planned acquisition information to graphics representing the extent of the acquisition within a map-based interface.
Project Contact:
Jennifer Wozencraft
Jennifer.M.Wozencraft@usace.army.mil
Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan
The Gulf Regional Sediment Management Master Plan (GRSMMP) is a collection of products intended to guide more effective management of sediment resources in the Gulf for habitat conservation and restoration as well as coastal community resilience. Integral to the GRSMMP is recognition of sediments as valuable resources. It will facilitate sediment management on a regional scale unencumbered by agency, state, or national boundaries. The GRSMMP uses the understanding of sediment dynamics (inputs, outputs, movement) to inform management of sediment resources to accomplish Alliance goals.
A technical framework document has been drafted as a first step. It presents information about the regional sediment processes and sediment resources that are key for establishing effective management guidelines, developing sub-regional strategies, and enhancing cooperative management decisions. It provides a basis for matching sediment resources with conservation and restoration needs, for assessing competing demands for sediment, and for understanding sediment-related ecological considerations which can help improve plans and management practices. It identifies agency authorities and policies related to sediment management to provide a basis for future discussions of improving practices and addressing impediments. Recommendations and guidelines resulting from this effort will aid the Gulf States in more effective management of sediment resources, recognizing their programs are part of a regional system involving natural processes, interrelated objectives, and a range of anthropogenic activities.
Project Contact:
Larry Parson and Carl Ferraro
Larry.E.Parson@usace.army.mil; Carl.Ferraro@dcnr.alabama.gov
International Workshops
Through a series of international meetings, the HCRT is establishing a network between U.S. and Mexican counterparts. Participants are identifying common goals and key issues for the Gulf and formulating strategies to address them in both countries. A workshop, held October 14-15, 2010 in Veracruz, Mexico, focused on differences and similarities between the countries’ environmental, civil, and social challenges as well as the potential for creating a counterpart for GOMA on the Mexican side. The group considered the GOMA priority issues in light of the variation in socioeconomic, policy, and environmental contexts of the two countries. As the international network develops, pilot projects will ultimately bring methods and resources from both sides of the border into play to catalyze binational working relationships and ecosystem-based management.
Working group members also participated in a meeting for Mexico’s Large Marine Ecosystem effort held in Veracruz February 21-23, 2011. A newsletter was established to stimulate an ongoing discussion among the participants.
Project Contact:
Quenton Dokken and Drew Puffer
Qdokken@gmf.org; puffer.drew@epa.gov
New Partner: Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council is now a formal GOMA Partner. A member from the council will now participate with the EIA PIT. Additionally, an EIA PIT member will attend council meetings to further strengthen this partnership.
Project Contact:
Dave Reed
Dave.Reed@MyFWC.com
Overview of Methods for Sampling and Analyzing HAB Toxins
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Project Contact:
Steve Wolfe
steven.wolfe@dep.state.fl.us
Public Awareness Across the Gulf
Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers
Working through the Coastal America Foundaiton, the Alliance EE Team established a network of Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers throughout the Gulf region. The network creates a partnership between certain federal agencies and marine education centers in the area. Most Learning Centers are aquariums, but marine science centers and laboratories are also part of this dynamic network. The network is constantly growing and evolving to address our nation's top coastal and marine issues. Today, there are five Learning Centers across the Gulf working together to educate and involve the public in protecting our nation's coastal and marine ecosytems.
Project Contact:
Lee Yokel
lyokel@disl.org
Recommendations for Long Term Monitoring in the Gulf
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Project Contact:
Steve Wolfe
Steven.wolfe@dep.state.fl.us
Resilience Workshops
The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Training effort is a unique regional collaboration designed to deliver relevant information to key stakeholders on issues related to the ecological and economic health of the Gulf of Mexico. Through the framework of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, the five Gulf Coast National Estuarine Research Reserve Coastal Training Programs are now working together to bridge the science, policy and management communities on a regional scale. Recent workshops include those to promote proactive resilience and mitigation measures and to improve coordination between emergency managers, floodplain manager’s natural resource managers, land use planners, and county officials.
Project Contact:
Rosalyn Kilcollins
rosalyn.kilcollins@dep.state.fl.us
Review of Coastal Conservation Policies
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Conservation & Restoration in the GoM: Comparison of Mexico/U.S. Policy, Law & Management
Building upon the existing system of laws, policies and institutions, the project team, made up of The Environmental Law Institute (ELI) and the Mexican Center for Environmental Law (CEMDA) are working to develop a well-reasoned strategy for enhanced collaboration between Mexico and the United States toward habitat conservation and restoration goals and actions.
Federal Standard Issues & Recommendations
In 2010, the HCRT conducted workshops on the Federal Standard and indentified a set of issues in the policy to consider in developing recommendations for policy changes. Those recommendations, entitled Beneficial Use of Dredged Sediment & the Federal Standard: Issues of Concern and Recommenationss for Action by the Alliance Management Team, were submitted to the AMT during the 2010 GUlf of Mexico Alliance meeting in Biloxi, MS. HCRT state leads are currently focused on moving these recommendations forward.
Analysis and Recommendations for Increasing Restoration and Conservation on Private Lands
The Land Trust Alliance (LTA) led this stakeholder-based analysis of policies and programs. Key entities working with private landowners in each of the five states were engaged and their input is summarized in the final report, which was completed in May 2011.
Analysis of State and Federal Policy & Regulatory Programs that Provide Protection to Coastal Habitats in the Gulf of Mexico
ELI is analyzing state and federal policies and programs that affect conservation on the Gulf Coast. Their report and recommendations are anticipated by September 2011.
Project Contact:
Cherie O’Brien and Jim Pahl
Cherie.OBrien@tpwd.state.tx.us; james.pahl@la.gov
Smart Yard Healthy Gulf Campaign
Developed by a partnership between the Education and Nutrient Priority Issue Teams, Smart Yard, Healthy Gulf is a new public education campaign designed to reduce fertilizers entering local waters by helping people make responsible lawn fertilizer decisions. Applying the proper amount of fertilizer at the proper time(s) of the growing season keeps lawns looking vibrant. It can save time and money. Not only will lawns be something to be proud of, but the Gulf of Mexico will be more resilient and healthy, including Gulf seafood!
Project Contact:
Ann Porter and Lee Yokel
ann_porter@deq.state.ms.us; lyokel@disl.org
White Paper Published in "Journal of Water and Health"
The USEPA is revising its recreational water quality criteria and some of those changes reflect points raised in a white paper written by the Water Quality Team and published in the Journal of Water and Health. The paper outlined a number of concerns regarding existing and proposed methods and criteria, including ensuring that criteria formulation uses data that include Gulf of Mexico-specific conditions, that rapid-testing methods be feasible and adequately controlled, and that USEPA maintains investments in water quality research once the new criteria are promulgated in order to assure that outstanding scientific questions are addressed and that scientifically defensible criteria are achieved for the Gulf of Mexico.
Project Contact:
Steve Wolfe
steve.wolfe@dep.state.fl.us
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