Gulf of Mexico

Large Marine Ecosystem

Bonnie J. Ponwith, Ph.D.

NOAA
 Fishery Management Councils
Gulf Alliance
Gulf Regional Collaboration
EPA Gulf of Mexico Program
US Legislative Mandates (Magnuson Stevens, ESA, MMPA etc)
International Agreements (ICCAT, IOCARIBE, MexUS-Gulf etc)

Ocean Color Natural Disasters

Plankton Productivity and Coastal Development
Distribution Balancing Competing Needs
Ichthyoplankton Indices Decision Support Tools
Wetlands Productivity Long versus short term goals

Eutrophication, Hypoxia Protected Resources (Corals,

Wetland Loss, Natural Disasters Marine Mammals, Turtles)
Energy Production Shrimp & Shrimp Bycatch
Snapper/Grouper Complex
Highly Migratory Species
Data Collection Activities
  Commercial Fisheries (2006 statistics)
◦  1.3B pounds
◦  $674 M ex vessel value
◦  1.5 B in sales, income and employment impacts
◦  Key species - shrimp, blue crab oysters and red
snapper
  Recreational Fisheries (2006 statistics)
◦  6.2 M anglers
◦  23.9 M fishing trips
◦  $2.2 B spent on fishing trips
◦  $14 B spent on durable fishing-related equipment
Source: NOAA, Fisheries Economics of the United States 2006
  27% US crude oil production
  37% US natural gas production
  47% US crude oil refinery
capacity
  ~ 4019 oil and gas platforms
in GOM
  107,210 reported petroleum
related workers in GOM area
Gulf of Mexico Alliance Governors’Action Plan II
  Released spring ‘09
  Strategy for tangible results in six
priority areas:
◦  Water Quality for Healthy Beaches and
Seafood
◦  Habitat Conservation and Restoration
◦  Ecosystems Integration and Assessment
◦  Reducing Nutrient Impacts to Coastal
Ecosystems
◦  Coastal Community Resilience
◦  Environmental Education

http://gulfofmexicoalliance.org/actionplan/welcome.html
Habitat Restoration Investments
  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act
  NOAA funds up to $170M in restoration
projects
  Objectives: Job creation and improving
ecosystem health
  Focus areas: coral reef conservation, restoring fish
habitat that benefits commercial and recreational
fisheries, recovery of endangered species including
salmon and sea turtles, and contributing to improved
coastal resiliency and responding to sea level rise.
  Projects selected through competitive process
  12 June, President Obama established an
Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force
  Chaired by Council on Environmental Quality
  Comprised of senior policy-level officials

  Develop recommendations within 90 days on:

◦  National ocean policy
◦  US framework for policy coordination
◦  An implementation strategy
  Within180 days, develop a framework for marine
spatial planning
 Fisheries Management - Catch Shares
  NOAA Administrator,Dr. Jane Lubchenco
established a Catch Share Task Force June, 09,
charged to:
◦  Establish policy that catch shares are fully considered as
a management alternative
◦  Provide technical support for catch share program design
◦  Ensure program achieves the best possible
environmental and economic performance supporting
healthy ecosystems
◦  consider whether any organizational changes are needed
within
NOAA to provide the best possible communication and
support