An Ecological Stratification Approach for Mapping Global Marine Ecosystems

Esri Ocean GIS ForumNovember 5, 2015

Dawn J. Wright, Ph.D.Esri Chief Scientist

Roger Sayre Ph.DSenior Scientist for EcosystemsUS Geological Survey

Steering CommitteeRoger Sayre U.S. Geological Survey

Sean BreyerEsri

Pat HalpinDuke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab

Nawajish NomanEsri

Dawn Wright Esri

Kevin ButlerEsri

Steve KoppEsri

Nathan ShepherdEsri

Mark Costello University of Auckland

Doug CribbsEsri

Miles Macmillan-LawlerGRID Arendal, Norway

Drew StephensEsri

Peter Harris GRID Arendal, Norway

Charlie FryeEsri

Mark MonacoNOAA Biogeography

Beata Van EschEsri

Pete AnielloEsri

Kathy GoodinNatureServe

Lance MorganMarine Conservation Institute

Randy VaughanEsri

Zeenatul Basher U.S. Geological Survey

John GuinotteMarine Conservation Institute

Guy NollEsri

GEOSS Task EC-01-C1Global Ecosystem Classification and Mapping

• Develop a standardized, robust, and practical global ecosystems classification and map for the planet’s terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.

• Dr. Roger Sayre, USGS, Task Lead

• Esri is a partner, engaged in producing and hosting the content

Why Do We Need Global Ecosystems Maps?Too many governmental policies are based on antiquated knowledge and technology

• Catalyze: Science Planning Management

• Provide Globally Comparable- Understanding of Changes, Impacts, Resilience…- Value: Economic, Social, Goods & Services

Water

MatterEnergy

Land CoverLithology

Bioclimate Landforms

Ecological Land Classification

Terrestrial Input LayersIn Order of Ecological Importance

Bioclimates

Landforms

Surficial Lithology

Land Cover

Drivers of Ecological Character (Physical Setting)

Response to the Physical Setting

Ecology is the branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical setting.

Ecological Land Classification …not Ecological Classification

BiomesEcoregions

EcosystemsNatural Communities

SpeciesGenes

Terrestrial Effort: Ecological Land Units (ELUs)

Land Cover

Lithology

Landform

Bioclimate

Example: Warm Wet Plains on Metamorphic Rock with Mostly Deciduous Forest

48,872 Combinations (Facets)3,923 Unique Land Units/Colors

www.aag.org/global_ecosystems esriurl.com/eluesriurl.com/ecotapestryesriurl.com/landscape

Marine Effort: Marine Ecological Units (EMUs)

Who wants one? GLORES!

IUCN, WWF, CI, Mission Blue Sylvia Earle Alliance

GEO & GEOSS

FAO and ICES

IOC and IODE

OOI and IOOS/GOOS

Essential Ocean Variables community (e.g., World Climate Research Program)

Researchers

Educators

Local agencies who want the global context

Natl science agencies

Editors of textbooks

CNN and the like

Why? • Contextualize MPAs and Siting Process

• Ecosystem Health, Resilience, Ecosystem Goods & Services; Ecosystem Services Valuation

• Nature Conservation Reporting

• Conservation planning

• Ecosystem Classification

• Ecosystem Based Management

• Fisheries Management

• Marine Data Management

• Indicating Species Distributions

• Explaining and Understanding Nature

• Risk Reduction

• Context: Local related to Global

• System Connectivity

Additional AUDIENCES for EMUs

• IUCN Red List

• UN Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)

• UN Convention on Migratory Species (CMS)

• UN Beyond Areas of National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) Working Group

• UN Food & Agriculture Organization (FAO)

• Ocean Data Interoperability Platform (ODIP)

• International Seabed Authority

• Funding Organizations

• Foundations making strategic decisions about future directions (e.g., Moore, Packard, Waitt, Science Philanthropy Alliance)

• Other NGOs/Science/Conservation organizations

EMUs will:• cover all the ocean

• be 3D

• be based on best available data

• be independent of political, social and economic influence

• further understanding of how the environment structures biodiversity (including fisheries, threatened species, etc.)

How is this different from what exists?

What will it contain?

• X, Y, Z coordinates• Ocean colour (chlorophyll, productivity)• Temperature (annual average)• Major freshwater inputs • Salinity• Ice cover• Tidal height• Wave height• Current velocity (including max on seabed)• Particulate Organic Carbon • Diffuse attenuation coefficient and/or

Photosynthetic Active Radiation• Aragonite • Geomorphology • Coral reefs, mangroves

Sea surface

Epipelagic (photic)

Mesopelagic

Deep Sea

Sea bed

Sea Surface (SS)

Benthic (SF)

Epipelagic (EP)

Mesopelagic (MP)

Deep Pelagic (DP)

X, Y, Z, SST, SAL, DO, OC, Surface Water Mass, Surface Current, OBIS biogeographic region(atr)

X, Y, Z, T, Salinity, Photosynthetically Available Radiation+H20clar, Regional Current Velocity, Quasi-stationary Water Mass, OBISBR(atr)

X, Y, Z, T, SAL, PAR+H20clar, QSWM, RCV, Mesopelagic Biogeographic Region(atr), OBISBR(atr)

X, Y, Z, T, SAL, PAR+H20clar, QSWM, RCV, OBISBR(atr), CCD(atr)

X, Y, BATHY(Z), SLOPE, Benthic Physiographic Region, Benthic Landform Type1, BottomSedimentType, T, SAL, DO, PHOT, Episodic CV, Particulate Organic Carbon Flux(food), OBISBR(atr)

EMU TYPE EMU ATTRIBUTES

Sea Surface (SS)

Benthic (SF)

Epipelagic (EP)

Mesopelagic (MP)

Deep Pelagic (DP)

X, Y, Z, SST, SAL, DO, OC, SWM, SC, OBISBR(atr)

X, Y, Z, T, SAL, PAR+H20clar, RCV, QSWM, OBISBR(atr)

X, Y, Z, T, SAL, PAR+H20clar, QSWM, RCV, MPBR(atr), OBISBR(atr)

X, Y, Z, T, SAL, PAR+H20clar, QSWM, RCV, OBISBR(atr), CCD(atr)

X, Y, BATHY(Z), SLOPE, BPR, BLT1, BLT2, BST, T, SAL, DO, PHOT, ECV, POCflux(food), OBISBR(atr)

EMU TYPE EMU ATTRIBUTES

1. 3-D framework (mesh)

2. Environmental attributes of each mesh element

3. Spatial statistical clustering of numerical variables to define recurring spatial environmental units

4. Matching units to geomorphological features (e.g., seamounts, shelf slope, abyssal plain)

5. Matching units to biological features (coral reefs, mangroves, biogeographic realms, other?)

How?

Data SourcesNOAA World Ocean Atlas 1 or ¼ degree - 41 depth levels

TempSalinityDissolved O2Particula O2 SaturationApparent O2 UtilSilicatePhosphateNitrate

GMED (Surface)Chlorophyll A (10 km)Primary Productivity

Marine Conservation Institute Aragonite SRTM30

GRID-ArendalGeomorphology

StratificationFeatures

Phas

e 2a

-St

ats

ClusteringExploratory RegMulti-D ClusteringK-means Clustering

Evaluate Describe

Phas

e 2b

–C

ateg

ory

CategorizeBin

Evaluate

Noise Reduction

Outlier Cleanup

Describe

Phas

e 3

–In

fo

Prod

MapsStoryMapsExploration AppServices Ph

ase

4 -

Rel

ease

Technical DocsPublicationsPromotions• Press Release• Blogs• Conferences

Phas

e 1 Combine/ExtractAll Data Sources

Ecological Marine Units - Plan

Preliminary Results

video

Preliminary Results

Preliminary Results

Preliminary Results

Parallel Effort – esriurl.com/3dfence

Parallel Effort – esriurl.com/3dfence

Parallel Effort – esriurl.com/3dfence

Parallel Effort – esriurl.com/3dfence

Parallel Effort – esriurl.com/3dfence

ETL(extract, transform, load)

ArcGIS Online Repository of Data

Ocean MeshFramework Main

Database

EMUs

multivariate analyses

(e.g.,statisticalclustering)

Additional DataOver Time

Visualizations

Open Sharing

Layering in the Ocean

Thermoclines

Haloclines

Pycnoclines

Scientific Products (including peer-reviewed pub)

Biological Attributes

Species distributions (from OBIS)

Biogeographic realms (species endemicity)

Seabed habitat and biotope maps (e.g., from EMODnet project)

Derived Pelagic “Seascapes”

Water masses

Fronts

Current “storms”

Other Value-Added Maps, Layers, and Apps . . .

• Oceans Chapter of Living Atlas of the World• ArcGIS Open Data Site• Story Maps • “Ocean Observatory” (Urban Observatory)• Possible Ocean Modeler App• Diagrams/Illustrations Explaining Fundamental Ocean

Ecology/Conservation Concepts

Dawn Wright Roger Sayredwright@esri.com rsayre@usgs.gov

Extra Slides

EMU Classes (9)EMU Types (16)