A Decision Framework to Protect Coral Reefs in Guánica Bay ... · A Decision Framework to Protect Coral Reefs in Guánica Bay, Puerto Rico William S. Fisher ... Lajas Valley Sediment

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A Decision Framework to Protect Coral Reefs in Guánica

Bay, Puerto RicoWilliam S. Fisher

John Carriger and Patricia Bradley

U.S. EPA, Office of Research and Development Ecosystems Services Research Program, Coral Reef Project

EMECS9 Aug 2011

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Sediment and nutrient from Guánica Bay

watershed impacts the vitality of coastal

coral reefs

Loss of reefs translates into lost ecosystem

services such as fishing, tourism &

recreation, and shoreline protection

Puerto Rico

Guánica Bay

Reef

Lajas Valley

Sediment originates from agricultural and

municipal development along the

mountain ridge and Lajas Valley

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Different watersheds linked to Guánica Bay

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Status of Decision Framework

2008 Watershed Management Plan (Center for Watershed Protection and NOAA Coral Reef Program)

2010 Decision workshop (Caribbean Coral Reef Institute and EPA)

Today Framing the Decision Landscape

Ultimately Revised Watershed Management Plan

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Objectives of the Guánica Bay WMP

1. Develop a management strategy for improving and protecting the Guánica Bay watershed from nonpoint sources of pollution and from effects of land use changes stemming from residential, commercial and agricultural uses

2. Pilot a watershed management planning approach that might be appropriate for other Puerto Rico watersheds

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Maximize ecological integrity

Coral reefs

Rainwater collection

Dredge reservoirsReservoir releases

Pet waste cleanupWetland treatment of sewage effluent

HydroseedingCover CropsShade-grown coffee

Reduce biological stressors in water

Reduce physical/chemical stressors in water

Lagoon restoration

Riparian plantingsRemove relic irrigation structures

Guanica Bay Watershed Management Plan

Management Actions ObjectiveRationale

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88

Decision Workshop

• Presentation overviews on

– Status of coral reefs in Puerto Rico

– Proposed actions of the WMP

– Agricultural incentive plans

• Review and discussion of the proposed actions

• Introduced ‘ecosystem services’ and DPSIR

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Tourism & RecreationFishing

Natural

ProductsShoreline Protection

Ecosystem

Integrity

Ecosystem ServicesBenefits of Natural Systems

1010


Coral reefs






Reduce physical/chemical stressors in water

Lagoon restoration




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Tourism economy

Benefits

Fishing economy

Shoreline protection

Human health

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DPSIR Framework

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DPSIR Framework

Fosters a ‘systems’ approach

Provides a tool to organize and catalog information

Identifies information and issues important to stakeholders

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Pro

po

se

d A

gricu

ltu

re A

ctio

ns

To P

rote

ct C

ora

l R

eefs

Proposed actions

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Inte

grity

of Te

rre

str

ial H

ab

ita

ts

(in

ferr

ed

ob

jective

)

15

Ma

xim

ize

Pro

pe

rty v

alu

es

(in

ferr

ed

ob

jective

)

16

Op

tim

ize

Fre

sh

wa

ter

De

live

ry

(in

ferr

ed

obje

ctive

)

17

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Ad

ditio

nal in

ferr

ed

obje

ctives

Agriculture

Aesthetics

Connectivity

Cultural benefits

Tourism

FisheriesProject costs

Agriculture

Agriculture

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Expanding the objectives

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Coral reefs






Reduce physical/chemical stressorsin water

Lagoon restoration


Streams & rivers

Estuaries

Reservoirs

Agriculture economy

Fishing economy

Tourism economy

Shoreline protection

Drinking water supply

(-)



Benefits

Wetlands

Human health

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Objectives and Decision Options

Since the workshop we have attempted to….

1) Characterize the multiple objectives served in the plan and introduced at the workshop

2) Identify additional opportunities—decision options—to achieve the objectives

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GBW ObjectivesOverall Objective: Improve the quality of life in the Guánica Bay

Watershed

Fundamental Objectives• Maximize ecological integrity • Maximize economic benefits• Enhance social well-being• Minimize threats to human health• Meet legislative and political requirements• Maximize learning opportunities

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2121


Ecosystem connectivity and linkages

Terrestrial habitats Freshwater aquatic habitats

Estuarine aquatic habitats

Saltwater/marine habitats

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2222




Estuarine aquatic habitats


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2323


Maximize the ecological integrity of saltwater/marine habitats

Maximize the integrity of open ocean habitats Maximize the integrity of coral reefs

For coral species•% hard coral cover,•Coral diversity•Living coral area

For reef-associated organisms•Species diversity•Abundance of rare species•Trophic function

Benthic habitat•Species diversity•Abundance of rare species•Trophic function

Surface water habitat•Species diversity•Abundance of rare species•Trophic function

Specifying the objectives

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Coastal aquatic habitats


Migratory bird species habitat•Bird species diversity per land use area•Rare bird species abundance (e.g., Puerto Rican nightjar)

Terrestrial native species habitat•Animal species diversity per land use area•Abundance of rare species

•Diversity & abundance of diadromous fishes•Adjacency of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds

Riverine habitats•Species diversity•Abundance of rare species •Trophic function

Wetland habitats•Waterfowl & wading bird abundance•Fish & arthropod abundance•Abundance of rare species (e.g., crested toad)•Trophic function

Reservoir habitats•Species diversity•Abundance of rare species •Trophic function

Mangrove habitats•Canopy height •Basal area •Stem density •Sessile community diversity & abundance

Seagrass habitats•Seagrass area•Depth•Density•Residency index

Lagoon habitats•Fish & shellfish diversity•Abundance of rare species

Open ocean habitats•Species diversity•Abundance of rare species •Trophic function

For coral species•% hard coral cover•Coral diversity•Living coral area

For reef-associated organisms•Species diversity•Abundance of rare species•Trophic function

MEASURES24

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Maximize economic benefits

For managersFor industries For residents

Tourism Fisheries Agriculture

VisitationVisitor expenditures ($)

# of single day trips/yr

# of multiple day trips/yr

Project costs ($) Grants ($)

Catch (kg) Value ($) Discount Market benefits

Net value ($) % Difference

Volume

Yields (kg) % Difference

Property values ($) Grants/ investments ($)

Grants/ investments ($)

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Means-Ends Networks

Means objectives are important only for their influence on achievement of the fundamental objectives

Fundamental objectives describe the consequences that stakeholders care about

A means-ends network

• clearly links existing options (means) back to

the fundamental objectives (ends)

• illustrates trade-offs among decision options

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GB WMP


Enhance social well-being

Minimize threats to human health


Enhance riparian planting/ cover crops

Remove relic irrigation structures

Treat sewage effluent

Encourage hydroseeding

Maximize planting of cleared home sites & dirt roadways

Create incentives for shade grown coffee

Dredge reservoirs/ sustain releases

Minimize pet waste

Treat stormwater outflows

Enforce sediment erosion regulations

Reduce physical/chemical/ bacterial stressorsfrom municipal loadings

Restore lagoon marshes

Reduce physical/chemical stressorsfrom agricultural loadings

Fundamental objectives WMP means objectives

Meet political and legislative requirements

Establish rainwater collection systems

Conserve freshwater supplies

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Why is this important?

How do I achieve that?

GB WMP


Enhance social well-being

Minimize threats to human health


Enhance riparian planting/ cover crops

Remove relic irrigation structures

Treat sewage effluent

Encourage hydroseeding

Maximize planting of cleared home sites & dirt roadways

Create incentives for shade grown coffee

Dredge reservoirs/ sustain releases

Minimize pet waste

Treat stormwater outflows

Enforce sediment erosion regulations

Reduce physical/chemical/ bacterial stressorsfrom municipal loadings

Restore lagoon marshes

Reduce physical/chemical stressorsfrom agricultural loadings

Fundamental objectives WMP means objectives

Meet political and legislative requirements

Establish rainwater collection systems

Conserve freshwater supplies

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Why bother?

Advancing the Guanica Bay objectives allows us to better:

• engage stakeholder ideas and issues

• explain what is valued

• develop new options to meet objectives

• make meaningful trade-offs

• gauge performance

• produce an understandable rationale for recommendations

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Future Directions

• Create a concise set of management options

• Refine the measures for GB objectives

• Evaluate inferred means and fundamental objectives with stakeholders & experts

• Construct additional objectives for decisions at the scale of individual projects

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Documents

A Decision Framework to Protect Coral Reefs in Guánica Bay ... · A Decision Framework to Protect Coral Reefs in Guánica Bay, Puerto Rico William S. Fisher ... Lajas Valley Sediment