National Marine Sanctuaries as Sentinel Sites for a Demonstration Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON)

Frank E Muller-Karger1, Francisco Chavez2, Steve Gittings3, Scott C Doney4, Maria Kavanaugh5, Enrique Montes6, Mya Breitbart7, Barbara A Kirkpatrick8, David M Anderson2 and Mitchell Tartt9, (1)University of South Florida Tampa, Tampa, FL, United States, (2)Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Biological Oceanography, Watsonville, CA, United States, (3)NOAA National Ocean Service, National Marine Sanctuaries, Silver Spring, MD, United States, (4)University of Virginia, Department of Environmental Sciences, Charlottesville, VA, United States, (5)Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, United States, (6)University of South Florida, St Petersburg, FL, United States, (7)University of South Florida, College of Marine Science, St Petersburg, FL, United States, (8)Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System, Sarasota, FL, United States, (9)NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries, Silver Spring, MD, United States
Abstract:
The U.S. Federal government (NOAA and NASA), academic researchers, and private partners are implementing a Demonstration Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) to monitor changes in marine biodiversity within two US National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS): Florida Keys and Monterey Bay. The overarching goal is to observe and understand life, from microbes to whales, in different coastal and continental shelf habitats. The specific objectives are to 1) Establish a protocol for MBON information to dynamically update Sanctuary status and trends reports; 2) Define an efficient set of observations required for implementing a useful MBON; 3) Develop technology for biodiversity assessments including emerging environmental DNA (eDNA) and remote sensing to coordinate with classical sampling; 4) Integrate and synthesize information in coordination with other MBON projects, the Smithsonian Institution’s Tennenbaum Marine Observatories Network (TMON), the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), the international Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network(GEO BON), and the UNESCO-IOC Ocean Biogeographic Information System (OBIS); and 5) Understand the linkages between marine biodiversity, ecosystem processes, and the social-economic context of a region.

Pilot projects have been implemented within the Florida Keys and Monterey Bay NMS. Limited observations will be collected at the Flower Garden Banks NMS. These encompass a range of marine environments, including deep sea, continental shelves, and coastal habitats including estuaries, wetlands, and coral reefs.

The program will use novel eDNA techniques and ongoing observations to evaluate diversity. Multidisciplinary remote sensing will be used to evaluate dynamic 'seascapes'.

The MBON will facilitate and enable regional biodiversity assessments, and contributes to addressing U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use marine resources.

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