Shellfish Mariculture in Drakes Estero, Point Reyes National Seashore, California (2009) / Chapter Skim
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How Scientific Conclusions Affected NPS Decision Making
How Scientific Conclusions Affected NPS Decision Making
Pages 80-87
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From page 80... ...
NPS included in the permit a new restriction on boat use by DBOC that directed boat passage away from a more direct deep channel (the "lateral channel") throughout the year, not just during the harbor seal pupping season.
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From page 81... ...
. Decision to Write and Release Drakes Estero: A Sheltered Wilderness Estuary plus the Acknowledgment of Corrections and Clarification Documents NPS reported scientific observations and conclusions in all four versions of Drakes Estero: A Sheltered Wilderness Estuary that were released to the public.
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From page 82... ...
Consequently, our committee concludes that this decision on extension of the RUO hinges on the legal interpretation of the legislative mandate rather than a scientific analysis of the impacts of DBOC on the Drakes Estero ecosystem. As such, more scientific study of DBOC operations and Drakes Estero would not necessarily affect National Park Service decisions about the future of oyster farming in the estero.
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From page 83... ...
. Research Needs Although Drakes Estero represents an ideal setting for addressing many scientific questions of basic and applied value, the committee restricts its suggestions for key research problems to those issues that could improve management of valuable natural resources within Drakes Estero.
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From page 84... ...
Major West Coast shellfish hatcheries are currently suffering catastrophic failures in rearing shellfish larvae that appear to be similar to failures in the survival of native bivalve larvae. Larval survival appears to be affected by major changes over the past 2–3 years in coastal ocean upwelling, which involves lowering the pH (Feeley et al., 2008)
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From page 85... ...
If needed to manage future shellfish mariculture operations in Drakes Estero or in other systems, any assessments of direct impacts to harbor seals and birds would require a more detailed individual-based study using animal tracking devices that will allow an assessment of responses to known disturbances of different origin. However, the conservation benefits of such a study must be carefully balanced against any potential adverse effects resulting from more intrusive research techniques.
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From page 86... ...
operational practices, including compliance with restrictions to protect eelgrass, seals, waterbirds, and other natural resources. Adaptive management could help address effects, if any, that emerge with additional scientific research and monitoring to more fully understand the Drakes Estero ecosystem and the effects of shellfish farming.
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From page 87... ...
This situation is not unique to Drakes Estero -- uncertainty about effects of human activities on ecosystems is a common feature of most decisions about actions that affect natural resources. The ultimate decision to permit or prohibit a particular activity, such as shellfish farming, in a particular location, such as Drakes Estero, necessarily requires value judgments and tradeoffs that can be informed, but not resolved, by science.
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