The Census of Marine Life and NOAA

A Presentation to the NOAA Science Advisory Board

Andrew A. Rosenberg, Ph.D.Professor of Natural Resources, University of New Hampshire

U.S. National Committee Chair

March 12, 2008

Purpose

1)Introduce Science Advisory Board members to the work of the Census of Marine Life

2)Relate the Census to the ongoing work of NOAA

3)Explore the potential of NOAA as a home for the Census after 2010.

Census of Marine LifeCensus of Marine Life

The first Census of Marine Life is a The first Census of Marine Life is a decade-long research program to decade-long research program to assess and explain the assess and explain the diversity, diversity,

distribution & abundance of marine distribution & abundance of marine life - past, present & futurelife - past, present & future

All ocean realms: Nearshore to Abyss

All taxa: Marine Microbes to Mammals

Major integrative reports at conclusion in 2010

2000 scientists in 80 countries

CoML is uniquely diverse in scopeCoML is uniquely diverse in scope

• Discovering new species (5,300 since 2003)

• Finding 20,000 kinds of bacteria in a single liter of sea water

• Identifying over 50,000 seamounts, sampling 325

•DNA bar-coding on a ship at sea

•new ship-based sonar technology mapping fish schools

• Discovered the hottest hydrothermal vent ever recorded (407 ˚C)

• A comprehensive list of species in the Gulf of Maine – 3,317 species

• Establishing ‘listening curtains’ to track animal migrations from Alaska to Baja, California

• Placing sensors on large animals like elephant seals to collect oceanographic data

CoML CoML ComponentsComponentsGrand Challenge QuestionsGrand Challenge Questions

CoML CoML ComponentsComponentsGrand Challenge QuestionsGrand Challenge Questions

Oceans PastWhat did live in the

oceans?

History of Marine Animal

Populations (HMAP)

Oceans PresentWhat does live in the

oceans?

Ocean Realm Field Projects

Oceans FutureWhat will live in the

oceans?

Future of Marine Animal

Populations (FMAP)

Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS)

Web-based provider of global geo-referenced information on marine species

Ocean RealmOcean Realm Projects ProjectsOcean RealmOcean Realm Projects Projects

• NaGISA - Natural Geography NaGISA - Natural Geography In ShoreIn Shore Areas Areas• CReefs - Coral CReefs - Coral ReefReef EcosystemsEcosystems• GOMA - Gulf of Maine Area Census GOMA - Gulf of Maine Area Census (Regional Ecosystem)(Regional Ecosystem)• POST - Pacific Ocean POST - Pacific Ocean ShelfShelf Tracking Tracking

• TOPP - Tagging of Pacific Predators TOPP - Tagging of Pacific Predators (Top Predators)(Top Predators)• CMarZ - Census of Marine CMarZ - Census of Marine ZooplanktonZooplankton• MAR-ECO - Mid-Atlantic MAR-ECO - Mid-Atlantic RidgeRidge Ecosystems Ecosystems

• CoMargECoMargE - Continental - Continental MarginsMargins Ecosystems Ecosystems• CeDAMarCeDAMar - Census of Diversity of - Census of Diversity of AbyssalAbyssal Marine Life Marine Life• CenSeam - Census of CenSeam - Census of SeamountsSeamounts• ChEss - Chemosynthetic Ecosystems ChEss - Chemosynthetic Ecosystems (Vents)(Vents)

• ArcOD - ArcOD - ArcticArctic Ocean Diversity Ocean Diversity• CAMLCAML - Census of - Census of AntarcticAntarctic Marine Life Marine Life

• ICOMM - International Census of Marine ICOMM - International Census of Marine MicrobesMicrobes

Human Human EdgesEdges

Central Central WatersWaters

Hidden Hidden BoundariesBoundaries

Ice OceansIce Oceans

Microscopic Microscopic OceanOcean

OBIS Interactive WebsiteOBIS Interactive WebsiteOBIS Interactive WebsiteOBIS Interactive Website

www.iobis.orgwww.iobis.org

Oceans Past: HMAPOceans Past: HMAP

www.hmapcoml.orgwww.hmapcoml.org

What Lived in the Oceans?What Lived in the Oceans?

Cod BiomassScotian Shelf

Now <1%

Decline of World’s Estuaries and Decline of World’s Estuaries and Coastal Seas Has Accelerated in Last Coastal Seas Has Accelerated in Last

150-300 Years150-300 Years

Salem Beverly Ship LogsSalem Beverly Ship Logs150 Year Old Cod Fishery150 Year Old Cod Fishery

HMAPHMAP

Biodiversity & Ecosystem Biodiversity & Ecosystem ServicesServices

Worm et al.Worm et al.Science,Science, 3 November 2006 3 November 2006

Loss of biodiversity profoundly Loss of biodiversity profoundly reducing the ocean’s ability to reducing the ocean’s ability to produce seafood, resist produce seafood, resist diseases, filter pollutants, and diseases, filter pollutants, and rebound from overfishing, rebound from overfishing, climate changeclimate change

Oceans Future: FMAPOceans Future: FMAPWhat Will Live in the Oceans?What Will Live in the Oceans?

Nearshore: NaGISANearshore: NaGISANatural Natural Geography of Inshore AreasGeography of Inshore Areas

Global Biodiversity BaselineGlobal Biodiversity Baseline

Nearshore: NaGISANearshore: NaGISANatural Natural Geography of Inshore AreasGeography of Inshore Areas

Global Biodiversity BaselineGlobal Biodiversity Baseline

www.nagisa.coml.orgwww.nagisa.coml.org

Standard Standard Protocol Protocol available available

onlineonline

Census of Coral Reefs: CReefsCensus of Coral Reefs: CReefs

www.creefs.orgwww.creefs.org

2006 Cruise to French Frigate Shoals [NW HI NM]: 2006 Cruise to French Frigate Shoals [NW HI NM]: Over 100 possible new species & species unknown in Shoals!Over 100 possible new species & species unknown in Shoals!

Regional Ecosystem: GoMARegional Ecosystem: GoMAGulf of Maine Area ProgramGulf of Maine Area Program

First extensive count of First extensive count of species in the region: species in the region: 3,317 species or ~50% 3,317 species or ~50% more than previously more than previously

estimated by scientists estimated by scientists

www.usm.maine.edu/gulfofmaine-census/www.usm.maine.edu/gulfofmaine-census/

October 2006October 2006Georges BankGeorges Bank

Continental Shelf Continental Shelf scale acoustic fish scale acoustic fish

detection detection

Continental Shelf: POSTContinental Shelf: POSTPacific Ocean Shelf TrackingPacific Ocean Shelf Tracking

Lines of receivers create coastal Lines of receivers create coastal “curtains” across shelf“curtains” across shelf

Tagged animal crosses curtainTagged animal crosses curtainand the occurrence is recorded in receiverand the occurrence is recorded in receiver

Blue bars:# benthic cruises

Purplebars: #

submersible or ROV dives

Continental Margins: COMARGEContinental Margins: COMARGE

Deep-sea realm betweenDeep-sea realm between~200 - 4000 m depth~200 - 4000 m depth

www.ifremer.fr/comarge/www.ifremer.fr/comarge/

NOAA OE NOAA OE Expedition to the Expedition to the

Deep SlopeDeep SlopeMay 7 - June 2, May 7 - June 2,

20062006

AquaPix, Bob CarneyAquaPix, Bob Carney

First systematic First systematic exploration of exploration of

hydrocarbon seep hydrocarbon seep communities communities

deeper than 1000m deeper than 1000m in the GoMin the GoM

Census of Marine Zooplankton: Census of Marine Zooplankton: CMarZCMarZ

~6,800 described species of marine ~6,800 described species of marine metazoan and protozoan holozooplanktonmetazoan and protozoan holozooplankton – – and likely many new discovered by 2010and likely many new discovered by 2010

• Taxonomically Taxonomically comprehensivecomprehensive

• Global-scaleGlobal-scale

• Accurate & Accurate & complete info on complete info on species diversity, species diversity, biomass and biomass and biogeographical biogeographical distributionsdistributions

www.cmarz.orgwww.cmarz.org

Exploring the Deep Sargasso SeaExploring the Deep Sargasso Sea10-30 April 2006 10-30 April 2006

At-sea DNA sequencing! At-sea DNA sequencing!

Seamounts: CenSeamSeamounts: CenSeam

New species of “Jurassic” shrimp, New species of “Jurassic” shrimp, Neoglyphea neocaledonicaNeoglyphea neocaledonica, believed to , believed to

be extinct 50 million years ago.be extinct 50 million years ago.

Bertrand Richer de Forges

Seamount – an isolated elevation rising 1000m (1km) or more from the seafloor and of limited extent across the summit

Seamount biodiversitySeamount biodiversityis poorly known [MSFCA 2006]is poorly known [MSFCA 2006]

Ice Oceans – Arctic and AntarcticIce Oceans – Arctic and Antarctic ArcOD and CAMLArcOD and CAML

CAML leadingCAML leadingAntarctic Biodiversity under Antarctic Biodiversity under International Polar Year (IPY)International Polar Year (IPY)

www.caml.aqwww.caml.aq

ArcOD leadingArcOD leadingArctic Biodiversity under Arctic Biodiversity under

International Polar Year (IPY), International Polar Year (IPY), coordinating 19 international coordinating 19 international independent research teamsindependent research teams

www.sfos.uaf.edu/www.sfos.uaf.edu/research/arcdiv/index.htmlresearch/arcdiv/index.html

Microscopic Ocean: ICOMMMicroscopic Ocean: ICOMMicomm.mbl.eduicomm.mbl.edu

Marine microbes…Marine microbes…• DiversityDiversity• EvolutionEvolution

• BiogeographyBiogeography• Functional rolesFunctional roles

20,000+ Kinds of Bacteria Found in 1 Liter of Seawater

454 “tag” sequencing reveals marine microbial diversity may be 10 to 100 times

more than expected

PNAS, 31July 2006

CoML Projects in the United StatesCoML Projects in the United States

Gulf of Maine Project

The US National Committee supports activities of these projects located throughout the US

US CoML FundingUS CoML FundingUS CoML FundingUS CoML Funding

• The Census of Marine Life initially a ten The Census of Marine Life initially a ten year program from 2000-2010year program from 2000-2010

• Sloan Foundation main driver behind the Sloan Foundation main driver behind the CoML Program, pulling support in 2010CoML Program, pulling support in 2010

• Only ¼ of total CoML funding comes from Only ¼ of total CoML funding comes from the Sloan Foundationthe Sloan Foundation

• Over 150 million in funding comes from the Over 150 million in funding comes from the United StatesUnited States

• Average of 33 Million in NEW US funding to Average of 33 Million in NEW US funding to CoML efforts each of the last 4 yearsCoML efforts each of the last 4 years

Funding from a US Source  

USA $152M

Funding to US Activities  

USA $123M

US Government Funding  

NOAA $25M

NSF $33M

ONR $6M

Other Agencies $7M

TOTAL US Government $71M

   

US Private Funding  

Sloan $60M

Other Foundation $21M

TOTAL US Private $81M

Biodiversity Workshop- Results and ConclusionsBiodiversity Workshop- Results and Conclusions

What Do We Measure, Why, and What Do We Measure, Why, and How?How?

• Biodiversity relates to ecosystem Biodiversity relates to ecosystem services and resilience services and resilience

• Biodiversity conservation relates to Biodiversity conservation relates to ecosystem-based managementecosystem-based management

• Biodiversity indicators can be Biodiversity indicators can be integrative measures of ecosystem integrative measures of ecosystem changechange

Sponsored By:Sponsored By:

Objective: Objective: To demonstrate the importance of incorporating biological data, To demonstrate the importance of incorporating biological data, into the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).into the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).

Ocean Observing Workshop- Results and Conclusions

Ocean Observing Workshop- Results and Conclusions

Data standards; accessibility; Sampling protocols; interoperability; applications

5 Major Themes:

MARMAP, SEAMAP, CalCOFI, EPA Water Quality, Fisheries Surveys, USGS Surveys, Sea Bird/ Marine Mammal Surveys, MPA Center

Target Data Sets:

Promote CoML and the value of biodiversityPromote CoML and the value of biodiversityChallenges:Challenges:

Sustaining the US CoML program beyond 2010Sustaining the US CoML program beyond 2010

Developing an OBIS to support US science, management Developing an OBIS to support US science, management and education needsand education needs

CoML in the United StatesCoML in the United States

CoML projects are relevant to:• Sustainable Fisheries• Marine Protected Areas• Habitat Loss and Pollution• Environmental Assessments

• Invasive Species• Endangered Species• UN Convention on Biodiversity• Global Climate Change

NOAA’s Mission:

Monitor the state of the oceans

Integrated Earth observing system and data management system

Assessments and forecasts of coastal and marine ecosystems

Ocean exploration:

Capacity building and effective knowledge transfer

CoML and NOAA Partnerships and Relevance

CoML Capability:

Sample and estimate marine biodiversity from coastal to deep sea environments

Developing new tools for coastal and ocean observation (DNA barcode library, animals as oceanographers, etc.)

Past, present and future assessments of species distributions and abundance

Exploring unknown ocean regions and biodiversity hotspots

Building taxonomic expertise, public awareness, and appreciation for marine biodiversity

A NOAA – COML Relationship

• Incorporate OBIS into NOAA as a permanent home of a marine biodiversity data service

• Utilize the COML research and field projects as a basis for helping meet NOAA mission components [Code of Conduct for Sample Collection]

• Utilize COML as part of education and outreach for NOAA

Issue

Action:

To form a subcommittee to work with the US National Committee for the Census to assess and figure out how to establish and carry forward the Census in support of NOAA's mission beyond 2010.