An Approach for Assessing U.S. Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration A Gulf Research Program Environmental Monitoring Report (2022) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
4 Applications of Synthesis and Cumulative Effects Assessment in the Gulf of Mexico
4 Applications of Synthesis and Cumulative Effects Assessment in the Gulf of Mexico
Pages 89-112
The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.
From page 89... ...
The RESTORE Council and NRDA Trustees recognize the need for assessing cumulative effects of multiple restoration projects1 and have signaled that this task will be addressed in future versions of program guidance documents (DWH NRDA Trustees, 2019)
|
From page 90... ...
The challenge of undertaking cumulative effects assessment has been tackled in other locations, where beneficial cumulative effects of multiple restoration projects have been observed at different spatial and temporal scales. Well-documented restoration examples illustrate methods for evaluating large-scale water quality, seagrass, and marsh habitat restoration -- the types of projects now being funded in the GoM.
|
From page 91... ...
Key considerations and information needed to perform an assessment of cumulative effects of restoration efforts include an understanding of the following broadly defined factors: • current conditions and status of the watershed, waterbody, habitats, or animal populations; • type and severity of background trends (such as climate change effects) and stressors (such as water quality degradation)
|
From page 92... ...
. Synthesis of changes in project-level metrics for multiple restoration efforts within a defined geographic area theoretically could provide evidence of cumulative effects (as discussed in Chapter 3)
|
From page 93... ...
Gulf but does not require, recipients Environmental to make their data public in Benefit Fund some way. a DWH National The Monitoring and Adaptive The DIVER Repository contains DWH NRDA Trustees indicate Resource Damage Management Manual MAM parameters.
|
From page 94... ...
in Florida and its partners, the Galveston Bay National Estuary Program in Texas in partnership with the Galveston Bay Foundation, and the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan each used tools and techniques similar to the theoretical approaches outlined in Chapter 3. Each program developed and now applies site-specific approaches to assessing cumulative effects of restoration efforts within their study areas, as outlined below.
|
From page 95... ...
. Key elements of TBEP's assessment of cumulative effects associated with these multiple restoration efforts include: • annual synthesis, analysis, and reporting of ambient water quality monitoring data collected by the three counties surrounding the bay; • seagrass extent estimates every 2 years by the Southwest Florida Water Management District; and • comparison to numerical targets for both water quality metrics and seagrass extent (Beck et al., 2022)
|
From page 96... ...
loading caps mechanistic model agree Plans established for lower of drivers and associated on TN load targets for all sources Galveston Bay response based on EPA Analysis of data on target TMDL water quality species: light conditions of models. seagrass at deep edges Mechanistic and empirical models 2000s-ongoing Assessment of cumulative Water quality and seagrass Change analysis on Multiple restoration effects on nutrient loading, monitoring with annual landscape setting efforts on water quality, ambient water quality reporting, assessment, and Meta-analysis of restoration wetlands, and oysters were and clarity, seagrass; adjustment; land use and action effectiveness implemented reevaluation of models land cover change analysis Synthesis of cumulative every 5 years; tracking every 5 years effects from multiple restoration efforts restoration efforts Tampa Bay Nutrient Modeling of cumulative net Active adaptive Management Strategy ecosystem improvement management Assessment
|
From page 97... ...
Lines of evidence include those defined in Chapter 3 (Table 3.1) Continued 2010s-ongoing Tampa Bay Nutrient Galveston Bay Program Galveston Bay Report Card Analysis of data on target Management Strategy sets goals for improving analyzes data and trends species Assessment water quality, habitat from 19 metrics for water conservation, species quality, pollution events and Synthesis of cumulative conservation, sustaining sources, wildlife, habitat, effects from multiple freshwater inflows, human health risks, and restoration efforts collaborative monitoring coastal change; report cards continue annually Physical modeling of Active adaptive ecosystem controlling factors: management hydrodynamics/ freshwater 1995 Comprehensive inflows Management Plan updated based on annual Galveston Bay Report Card findings Charting the Course to 2015: Galveston Bay Strategic Action Plan (2009)
|
From page 98... ...
. Another metric of cumulative effects of multiple restoration efforts in the greater Everglades ecosystem is water quality.
|
From page 99... ...
(2018) examined year-to-year and basin-scale interactions between water quality and seagrass across 15 transects in Florida Bay between 2006 and 2013.
|
From page 100... ...
associated with nutrient management practices on land and other long-term environmental trends. The five Gulf states had large-scale water-quality improvement proposals awarded in 2020–2021 through the RESTORE Council.18 These included Louisiana's River Reintroduction into the Maurepas Swamp, Alabama's Perdido River Land Conservation and Habitat Enhancements, the Coastal Alabama Regional Water Quality Program and Perdido Watershed Water Quality Improvements and Restoration Assessment Program, the Florida Water Quality Improvement Program and Florida Gulf Coast Tributaries Hydrologic Restoration Program, the Water Quality Improvement Program for Coastal Mississippi Waters, and the Texas Coastal Water Quality Program.
|
From page 101... ...
, making it difficult to assess stressors that can lead to declines in individual and population health. Focused restoration efforts for marine mammals were developed by the DWH NRDA Trustees (2017c)
|
From page 102... ...
Key factors supporting cumulative effects assessments for large-scale and/or multiple restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico. SOURCE: Committee.
|
From page 103... ...
resilience against existing and future threats, such as sea level rise. DWH Natural Resource Restore and conserve Restore water quality Replenish and protect Damage Assessment habitat (includes (includes nutrient living coastal and marine ($8.1B)
|
From page 104... ...
Water quality/nutrient Protective measures to limit Carbon sequestration SAV communities reduction projects disruption of existing beds Salinity fluctuations Increase in nursery habitat Construction of projects Protection of beds through for commercially important Eutrophication within footprint of known wave attenuation structures species SAV habitats Formation of dense Natural increase in extent in Denitrification monoculture (competitive suitable areas as a result of exclusion) Increase in pH water quality improvements (assuming viable seed bank or rhizome expansion from existing plants)
|
From page 105... ...
denitrification and reduced Oyster reef positioning Protect and conserve marine sediment loads and hydrology could also coastal estuarine and riparian be synergistic if planned habitats appropriately Provide detritus for food web enhancement Water Quality and Nutrient Reduce nutrient loads to Reduce pollutant loadings, Excess nutrient inputs from Very possible positive Careful attention needs to Reduction coastal watersheds including nutrients and watershed sources interactions of oyster reef and be paid to acute and chronic pathogens, to priority wetlands with SAV foundational inputs; many Reduce pollution and Bacteriological sources watersheds have trends associated with hydrologic degradation to Where appropriate, colocate Water temperature them at present (e.g., sea level coastal watersheds Improved water clarity pollutant reduction projects rise) with other restoration projects Create, restore, and enhance to enhance ecological services coastal wetlands provided by other restoration Protect and conserve marine approaches coastal estuarine and riparian habitat Birds Restore and conserve bird Increased extent and quality of Habitat loss Wetlands Creating bird habitat can nesting and foraging habitat foraging and nesting habitat minimize shallow water fish Wetland fragmentation and SAV habitat Establish or reestablish Increased population of target conversion of open water as Water quality (pH, organic breeding colonies species a result of sea level rise and Anything that increases material, nutrients)
|
From page 106... ...
A number of estuaries within the GoM have established programs that maintain extensive water quality, freshwater inflow and nutrient loading, high-frequency water quality monitoring, and coastal habitat extent databases. Primary among these are the five NOAA-supported National Estuarine Research Reserves, the seven EPA-supported National Estuary Programs, and state-supported monitoring programs.
|
From page 107... ...
In 2016, an adaptive management approach (MAM Plan) to guide DWH restoration efforts was identified, as an element of the Final Programmatic Damage Assessment and Restoration Plan and Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DWH NRDA Trustees, 2016)
|
From page 108... ...
When applied to individual restoration projects, such as those associated with DWH, use of an adaptive management monitoring framework allows restoration to proceed in the face of uncertainty. Earlier sections of this report highlight the many uncertainties restoration efforts face within the GoM, such as effects from climate change, relative sea level rise, long-term environmental trends, and variability of freshwater discharges.
|
From page 109... ...
. In such cases there can be multiyear time lags between the initial implementation of water quality improvement projects, typically focused on nutrient load reductions, and the establishment of water quality conditions adequate for SAV restoration.
|
From page 110... ...
production, and diversity; al., 2019 benthos production/diversity SAV Plant cover, condition, and Greening et al., 2014; Water quality biomass; nekton production and Sherwood et al., 2016; Beck Sub-estuary/ restoration and diversity; benthos production et al., 2020; HARC, 2020; Estuary management and diversity GBEP, 2018; Tomasko et al., 2018 NOTE: Bathymetric modifications include dredged sediment placement, thin-layer sediment enhancement, and excavation of upland areas. Lag times between restoration implementation and functional equivalency of 3 years or less are shown in yellow shading; green shading indicates lag times of more than 3 years.
|
From page 111... ...
The use of an adaptive management strategy allows progress on implementation of restoration efforts to continue, even if all necessary information is not immediately known. For example, Step 2 asks whether adequate baseline environmental conditions are sufficiently known to assess change; if not, this step provides for the development of preliminary baseline estimates using existing data sources (Step 2a)
|
From page 112... ...
Synthesis of changes in landscape-scale monitoring data to test restoration hypotheses and the use of data-driven models (see Chapter 3) are key elements in Step 4.
|
Key Terms
This material may be derived from roughly machine-read images, and so is provided only to facilitate research.
More
information on Chapter Skim is available.