Transcript Mapping the extent of West Coast tidal wetlands using

The Path to Strategic
Investments in
West Coast Estuaries
Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Partnership
Lisa A. DeBruyckere, PMEP Coordinator
Photo credit: Tillamook Estuaries Partnership
 One of 19 nationally recognized fish
habitat partnerships
 Protect, restore and enhance the nation's
fish and aquatic communities through
partnerships that foster fish habitat
conservation and improve the quality of
life for the American people
What is PMEP?
Salt River Ecosystem Restoration Project (California).
Photo credit: Humboldt RCD.
Work with partners to protect, enhance, and restore
ecological processes and habitats within estuaries and
nearshore marine environments to sustain healthy native
fish communities and support sustainable human uses that
depend on healthy fish populations.
PMEP Mission
Southern Flow Corridor Project (Oregon).
Photo credit: Tillamook Estuaries Partnership.
PMEP Steering
Committee
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Fran Recht, Chair, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
John Stadler, Vice-Chair, NOAA Fisheries
John Bragg, South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve
Dave Fox, Oregon Department Fish and Wildlife
Sarah Beesley, Yurok Tribal Fisheries Program
Doris Small, Washington Department Fish and Wildlife
Jena Carter, The Nature Conservancy
Kevin Shaffer, California Department Fish and Wildlife
Jennifer Gilden, Pacific Fishery Management Council
Heather Kapust, Washington Department of Ecology
Korie Schaeffer, NOAA Fisheries
Chris Swenson, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Stan Allen, Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
Brad Bales, Pacific Birds Joint Venture
 Correigh Greene (NOAA)
 Laura Brophy (Estuary Technical Group – Institute for Applied Ecology)
 Walter Heady (The Nature Conservancy)
 Eric Grossman (US Geological Survey)
PMEP Science
and Data
Committee
 Bill Pinnix (US Fish and Wildlife Service)
 Steve Rumrill (Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife)
 Dayv Lowry (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife)
 Yee Brednock (South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve)
 Van Hare (Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission)
 Kate Sherman (Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission)
 Scott Heppell (Oregon State University)
 Andy Lanier (Oregon Department of Land Conservation and
Development)
 Protect, enhance and restore:
 Juvenile fish habitat in
nearshore marine and estuary
habitats
PMEP
Priorities
 Tidal wetland-intertidalsubtidal-nearshore
connectivity; and
 Water quality and quantity
in estuaries and nearshore
marine environments.
Spatial and Temporal Analysis of Fish Assemblages in Tidal
Estuarine Habitats in the South Slough and Coos Estuary
(Oregon). Photo credit: Bree Yednock.
Work with partners to:
 Enhance ecological function
and resilience of West Coast
estuaries.
Our Overall
Goal
 Objective 1 : Create a
prioritization scheme to
guide conservation and
restoration actions
supporting fish habitat
functions in West Coast
estuaries
 Objective 2: Measure the
effectiveness of the
scheme and adapt the
scheme to meet new
needs as they arise.
Juvenile Hood Canal summer chum, federally listed as Threatened, will
benefit from additional rearing habitat in Tarboo Bay. Photo credit: NW
Watershed Institute. Restoration of salt marsh shoreline within the Dabob
Bay Natural Area (Washington). Photo credit: Lowell Jons
Three Inter-related West Coast Assessments
PMEP Nursery Habitat
Assessment
• Build an online database of
existing data on juvenile fish
presence, abundance &
distribution.
• Characterize nursery roles of
estuaries for focal group of
15 spp.
• Improve knowledge of
habitat requirements of these
species to improve
management.
NFHP National Estuary
Assessment
Nearshore Forage Fish
Assessment
• Assess threats to fish habitats
across the United States.
• Determine whether nearshore
restoration actions can
ameliorate habitat conditions
for forage fish stocks.
• Provide national perspective
on prioritizing habitat
restoration and protection.
• Improve our understanding of
anthropogenic impacts on
forage fish, and potential
effects on recreational
fisheries caused by changing
food supply.
• Support prioritization of
restoration and protection
actions that have the greatest
benefits to the food chain of
recreational fishes.
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries
2. State of Knowledge Report
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15 focal
species
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and literature
for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and habitat
protection
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS
7. Document tidal wetland loss for the US West Coast
8. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion
9. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each ecoregion that
address key stressors
10. Identify data gaps and needs
 Inventory and classify West Coast estuaries using a common scheme
– CMECS
 Identification of 303 West Coast estuaries likely to provide juvenile
fish habitat
Our Progress
to Date
Inventory and
Classification
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries
2. State of Knowledge Report
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15
focal species
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and
literature for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and
habitat protection
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS
7. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion
8. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each
ecoregion that address key stressors
9. Identify data gaps and needs
State of Knowledge - Goals
Build on prior summaries of nursery use of West Coast
estuaries through extensive effort to:
• Synthesize information on the life history, habitat
requirements, nursery values, and threats to nursery
function for a suite of ecologically and economically
important species
• Find and compile geospatial data on estuarine use
for those species
Photo credit: Sean Hayes
Courtesy: Jennifer
Brown
15 Focal Species
Dungeness crab
Bay shrimp
Leopard shark
Bat ray
Green sturgeon
Chinook salmon
Coho salmon
Steelhead trout
California halibut
English sole
Starry flounder
Brown rockfish
Staghorn sculpin
Shiner perch
Pacific herring
Invertebrates
Elasmobranchs
Anadromous
fish
Flatfish
Other
Courtesy: Jennifer
Brown
 Information on juvenile nursery
requirements of 15 focal
species
Our Progress
to Date
State of Knowledge
Report
 Juveniles of 11 of the 15 focal
species were documented in
113 of 303 estuaries (15 of the
113 were smaller estuaries –
less than 100 ha)
 All four estuary classes
(lagoonal, riverine, embayment
and sound) are import systems
for juvenile of some or all of the
15 focal species.
 Four important estuarine
subclasses used by 11 of 15
focal species:
 Estuarine coastal subtidal,
tidal channel/creek, slough,
and lagoon
 Seagrass beds were used by 13
of 15 species
 Of the 19 types of threats
reviewed:
Our
Progress to
Date
State of
Knowledge
Report
 habitat loss - common
threat to all 15 species
 invasive species
 hypoxia from eutrophication
 pesticides for aquaculture
 ocean warming, sea-level rise
 Key knowledge gaps
 Paucity of data from small
estuaries
 Nursery role is unknown for
many species
 Especially low-economic
value spp.
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries
2. State of Knowledge Report
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15
focal species
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and
literature for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and
habitat protection
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS
7. Document tidal wetland loss for the US West Coast
8. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion
9. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each
ecoregion that address key stressors
10. Identify data gaps and needs
Our Progress
to Date
Nursery Functions
of West Coast
Estuaries: Data
Assessment for
Juveniles of 15
Focal Fish and
Crustacean
Species
Synthesize the available data into a
common format allowing for:
(1) Creation of maps displaying
species location, average
frequency of occurrence, and
average catch per unit effort
(CPUE).
(2) Comparison of the data, using
the best quality portions of the
dataset, to presumed habitat
impacts measured by estuarine
stressor scores.
Data Call (Tier 1 and Tier 2)
Contributed data:
34 sampling
programs across 47
estuaries, with over
468,000 individual
records. Juvenile
life-stages of the
focal species, years
1990-2014. Of the
47 estuaries, 20
were included in
modeling analysis
because of data
coverage, gear
types, metrics of
abundance,
temporal
frequency of
sampling, and
spatial precision.
Lack of
Consistency in
Habitat Data
 Habitat was assigned into three broad categories of:
 Habitat (e.g., nearshore, intertidal)
 Substrate (e.g., mud, gravel)
 Vegetation (e.g., eelgrass, aquatic vegetation)
 Of the 34 sampling programs that submitted data:
 11 specified habitat type across 42 different
categories
 8 specified substrate type across 110 different
categories
 11 specified vegetation type across 126 categories
 Many simply took notes, such as “some algae on
mud”
Courtesy: Toft et al. 2015
Courtesy: Toft et al. 2015
Courtesy: Toft et al. 2015
Estuarine stressor scores: 2010 National Assessment – a composite of 43
indicators (level of human impact to estuarine habitats)
2010 National
Estuary
assessment
Hypothesis –
lower probability
of presence or
CPUE with higher
stressor scores for
species that were
most estuarine
dependent and
negatively
affected by
human impacts.
Results:
• Coho salmon: Negative relationship
between presence and estuarine stressor
score.
• Chinook salmon, English sole, and
herring: Negative relationship between
CPUE and estuarine stressor score.
Courtesy: Toft et al. 2015
 Standard habitat classifications should be used
(CMECS) so that labeling of sampled habitats
are consistent.
Habitat
Recommendations
 Major habitat types and species with rich data
sets would be best suited for analyzing broadscale habitat patterns in shallow waters.
 Improved spatial data of sampling locations,
current and historic habitat types, and habitat
losses would allow future data synthesis efforts
to accomplish more precise analyses and
habitat linkages.
Courtesy: Toft et al. 2015
 Chinook salmon, coho salmon, Pacific herring, and
English sole are most impacted by estuarine stressors largest benefit from restorations efforts
Stressor
Recommendations
 Future analysis – isolate effects of individual vs.
cumulative estuarine stressors, and conduct concurrent
fish sampling with updating of stressors to illustrate
dynamic trends.
 Acquire specific measures of nursery function that
target changes to anthropogenic modifications,
restoration actions, and sea level rise – predict the
potential for improving and maintaining nursery
functions given climate change scenarios.
Courtesy: Toft et al. 2015
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries
2. State of Knowledge Report
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15
focal species
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and
literature for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and
habitat protection
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS
7. Document tidal wetland loss for the US West Coast
8. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion
9. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each
ecoregion that address key stressors
10. Identify data gaps and needs
A West Coast Estuary Prioritization Scheme should:
 Have clearly defined goals
 Have clear and thorough documentation
 Answer these questions:
Literature
Review
 What is the desired outcome of the prioritization?
 Who are the users?
 What is the scale of the prioritization? Specially,
what are the units you want to rank?
 How does this work align with other work or
assessments (e.g., PMEP’s Nursery Assessment)?
Answers to these questions will help shape the prioritization
process and provide direction in refining criteria and
weighing alternative approaches
Photo credit: Morgan H. Bond
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries
2. State of Knowledge Report
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15
focal species
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and
literature for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and
habitat protection
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS
7. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion
8. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each
ecoregion that address key stressors
9. Identify data gaps and needs
Mapping the extent of West Coast tidal wetlands using
extreme water level data and LIDAR
Van Hare1 Brett Holycross1 Laura Brophy2,3 Hiroo Imaki4
1Pacific
States Marine Fisheries Commission
2Estuary Technical Group, Institute for Applied Ecology
3Marine Resource Management Program, College of Earth, Ocean, and
Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State Univ.
4NOAA NMFS
Mapping the extent of West Coast tidal wetlands
Mapping the
extent of West
Coast tidal
wetlands using
extreme water
level data and
LIDAR
 Goal: Provide improved spatial data on estuary
habitats to evaluate condition/impacts and prioritize
restoration and conservation opportunities
 Approach: Map current and historic tidal wetlands
(historic wetland mapping informs restoration
planning)
 Mapping the upslope boundary:
 Need: Determine water level elevation that defines
upper boundary (annual inundation)
 Solution: 50% exceedance contour using NOAA’s
extreme water level analysis – entire West Coast
 Need: Account for spatial variation in this elevation
 Solution: Use NOAA’s Vdatum tool
 Need: Find the location of the wetland boundary in
the landscape
 Solution: Intersect the 50% exceedance surface with
LIDAR DEM
Source: Hare et al. 2015
Choosing a probability level to map tidal wetlands:
Compared to field knowledge across entire OR coast
50% exceedance contour
matches the known tidal
wetland boundary, based
on field data (tide gauge
data plus elevation survey).
99% contour is too low.
10% contour is too high.
WHY?
- vegetation interference
- fluvial component
Source: Hare et al. 2015
Draft Products Workshop
31
NWI estuarine wetlands – Coquille R. estuary, OR
Source: Hare et al. 2015
NWI vs. new West Coast estuary map – Coquille
Source: Hare et al. 2015
The new West Coast tidal wetland maps:
Results of
mapping
extent of West
Coast tidal
wetlands
 Greatly improve and expand our understanding of West
Coast estuaries
 Provide comprehensive coverage with improved
accuracy and suitability for restoration planning
 Have been positively reviewed by experts, and match
very closely to historic wetland maps
 Provide a solid base layer for West-coast-scale analysis
of wetland losses, restoration and conservation
opportunities
Source: Hare et al. 2015
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries
2. State of Knowledge Report
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15
focal species
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and
literature for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and
habitat protection
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS
7. Document tidal wetland loss for the US West Coast
8. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion
9. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each
ecoregion that address key stressors
10. Identify data gaps and needs
CMECS:
Map Estuarine
Habitats Using
CMECS
Andy Lanier1, Tanya
Haddad1, Laura
Brophy2, Patty Snow1
1Oregon
Coastal Management
Program - Oregon Department of
Land Conservation and
Development, 2Greenpoint
Consulting Inc.
• Released June 2012
• Standard framework and common
terminology for describing natural
and human influenced ecosystems
from the upper tidal reaches of
estuaries to the deepest portions of
the ocean
• Provides for comprehensive GIS
data of Oregon’s estuaries,
including habitat layers
• Significantly improved the
footprint of mapping in individual
estuaries.
Source: Lanier et al. 2015
Substrate, Geoform and Biotic Components
Source: Lanier et al. 2015
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries
2. State of Knowledge Report
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15
focal species
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and
literature for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and
habitat protection
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS
7. Document tidal wetland loss for the US West Coast
8. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion
9. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each
ecoregion that address key stressors
10. Identify data gaps and needs
 Who?
 Laura Brophy, Director of the Estuary Technical Group at the
Institute for Applied Ecology
 Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission
Map Historic
Tidal Wetland
Loss
 Process
 Compare two data sources – National Wetland Inventory and an
elevation-based map of West Coast current and historical tidal
wetlands, completed in 2016 (PMEP, ETG, PSMFC, NOAA)
 Products
 Maps of tidal wetland areas lost
 Tables summarizing losses by state, ecoregion, estuary, and estuary
type
 A report summarizing methods, limitations of the analysis, and
appropriate use of the products.
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries
2. State of Knowledge Report
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15
focal species
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and
literature for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and
habitat protection
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS
7. Document tidal wetland loss for the US West Coast
8. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion
9. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each
ecoregion that address key stressors
10. Identify data gaps and needs
West Coast
Ecoregions
(TNC)
Organizing the
Prioritization
Work
The DPSIR Model
Conceptual DPSIR model linking drivers and pressures to the ecosystem state, impacts to ecosystem components, and adaptive
feedback for response actions (Ruckelshaus et al. 2008).
 Goal: Enhance ecological
function and resilience of
West Coast estuaries.
Our Progress
to Date
Prioritization Scheme
 Objective 1 : Create a
prioritization scheme to
guide conservation and
restoration actions
supporting fish habitat
functions in West Coast
estuaries
 Objective 2: Measure
the effectiveness of the
scheme and adapt the
scheme to meet new
needs as they arise.
Juvenile Hood Canal summer chum, federally listed as Threatened, will
benefit from additional rearing habitat in Tarboo Bay. Photo credit: NW
Watershed Institute. Restoration of salt marsh shoreline within the Dabob
Bay Natural Area (Washington). Photo credit: Lowell Jons
DRIVERS
PRESSURES
Climate
Land Use
Tectonics
Human population
Development
Water diversions
Aquaculture
Pollution
Oil rigs
Fish barriers
Fishing
Commercial shipping
Agriculture
Ocean acidification
Sea Level Rise
Hydrological Alteration
STATES
Nutrient levels
Landform stability
Water quality
Tidal flow/inundation
extent/frequency
Sediment budget
Wave exposure
Littoral drift
Prey availability
Fish diversity/abundance
Benthic invertebrates
Soil condition
Riparian condition
Shoreline condition
Landscape array of habitats
Habitat connectivity
Substrate condition
Estuarine/tidal channel
morphology
Designated protected areas
Freshwater inflow
Vulnerability
Invasive species
System engineers
Seismic/tectonic regime
IMPACTS
Pollution/Water quality
Water/sediment quality degradation
Contamination
Microplastics
Substrate/soil changes
Alterations to sediment regime, sedimentation pattern
Land surface subsidence
Subsurface flow alteration
Substrate modifications
Changes to below ground organic matter production
Alterations to bioturbation
Habitat structure
Channel degradation
Vegetation loss/damage/alteration
Shoreline armoring
Loss of large woody debris
Landscape geomorphology
Changes in habitat extent/diversity/connectivity
Salinity regime changes
Estuary morphology changes
Changes to tide range/tidal prism
Coastal subsidence/uplift
Biological communities
Changes in fish/invertebrate diversity and abundance
Altered food webs
Increases in algal and dinoflagellate blooms
Loss of salmon-derived nutrients
Hydrology
Loss of tidal and floodplain connectivity
Changes to freshwater inflow
Changes to salt/freshwater mixing
 Puget Sound/Georgia Basin
 Habitat loss/alteration,
pollution, climate change,
invasive species, human
population growth,
development
 Oregon/Washington Coast
and Shelf
Key Stressors
by Ecoregion
 Development, pollution,
hydrologic alteration,
effects from climate
change, invasive species
 North-Central California
 Agriculture, hydrologic
modification, climate
change, urban
development, human
population growth
 Southern California Bight
 Urban development,
agriculture, hydrologic
modification, alterations
to sediment transport
processes, climate change
1. Inventory and Classification of West Coast Estuaries (completed)
2. State of Knowledge Report (completed)
The 10 Steps
to an Estuary
Restoration
and Protection
Prioritization
Framework
3. Compile/map documented presence and abundance data for 15
focal species (completed)
4. Literature review - compile and summarize past methods and
literature for setting ecological priorities for estuary restoration and
habitat protection (completed)
5. Refine approximate extent of estuaries (completed)
6. Map habitats within estuaries using CMECS (in process)
7. Document tidal wetland loss for the US West Coast (in process)
8. Identify key stressors in each ecoregion (in process)
9. Identify key restoration and protection strategies in each
ecoregion that address key stressors (in process)
10. Identify data gaps and needs (in process)
Southern California Bight:
Storymaps for
Each
Ecoregion
http://psmfc.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapJournal/index.html?appid=
9b0fbfbdd00d451490b4d014affb8603
 Puget Trough/Georgia Basin
 Oregon, Washington, Vancouver Coast and Shelf
 Northern California
 For each ecoregion, identify distinctive strategies to address
regional stressors.
Next Steps
 For the West Coast, identify common strategies to address
common stressors.
 Achieve consensus on metrics that inform geographic
prioritization at an appropriate, West Coast wide scale.
Questions