Developing Science-Based Indicator Portfolios for National Marine Sanctuary Condition Reports

In this report, we describe the evolving collaboration between the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries’ and NOAA Fisheries’ scientists within the California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (CCIEA) team to translate a national integrated ecosystem assessment (IEA) indicator screening and assessment framework to the scale of a sanctuary. Our goal was to create a process to identify and prioritize quantitative, habitat-based indicators of ecosystem status and trends to be incorporated into condition reports for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS). This process compiled, categorized, and screened indicators, and resulted in indicator portfolios and conceptual models for each of the sanctuary’s eight major habitat categories. The indicator portfolios produced through this effort supported the 2015 partial update to the MBNMS condition report (ONMS 2015) and improved its transparency and rigor. Furthermore, the process highlighted a variety of useful lessons regarding: (1) the value of organizing an indicator selection framework around habitat categories; ( 2) using systematic methods to improve the consistency and repeatability of indicator selection; (3) using visual methods for improving the communication of key ecosystem concepts; (4) fostering broad multidisciplinary collaborations and uncovering regional data; and (5) how to highlight data gaps and future research priorities for management. These lessons were then applied in a subsequent effort at Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) to select habitat-based indicators and develop conceptual models, which informed a substantially improved update to that sanctuary’s condition report (ONMS 2018b). This document codifies the indicator development process in order to facilitate a more consistent approach to documenting the status and trends of driving forces, pressures, and resources in ecosystems throughout the ONMS network. 2019 Ecosystem-based management Ecosystem Integrated ecosystem assessment (IEA) Condition report Status Trends Indicator Habitat NOS (National Ocean Service) ONMS (Office of National Marine Sanctuaries) NMFS (National Marine Fisheries Service) NWFSC (Northwest Fisheries Science Center) Submitted https://doi.org/10.25923/dhax-f577 Public Domain 1936