The data described here is the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) Atlantis Ecosystem model output data for biomass and catch trends of various functional groups under different scenarios. Hind-cast simulations were run for for model validation, and forecast simulations were run for ecological forecasting under different climate change scenarios. The data used in the model comes from benthic and coral reef fish surveys conducted by Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) RAMP cruises, recreational fishery data from MRIP, commercial fishery data administered by WPacFIN, bottomfish fishery-dependent and independent data from PIFSC, and sea turtle and monk seal data from the PIFSC. Model simulations of ecological forecasting were carried out and included 50 year forecast (2020-2070) simulations with and without the predicted effects of climate change (ocean warming and ocean acidification) evaluating changes in ecological and social state components. The MHI Atlantis Ecosystem Model incorporates the coral-specific modules that were developed for the Guam Atlantis model. The model can be used for management-strategy evaluation by simulating existing and alternative fisheries and land-use regulations and comparing the results under different management and environmental change scenarios (e.g. in terms of fish biomass, coral cover, fisherman participation). A hindcast simulation is used for model validation and the model is used for ecosystem forecasting under two climate change scenarios. Data can be accessed via the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Ocean Archive, accession # 0240826.

Many aspects of the environment are outside the control of local or regional resource managers. These conditions may require concerted global action to affect change (e.g., water temperatures) or cannot be controlled at all (e.g., wave power). This layer synthesized spatial information for several non-managed conditions to create a relative score for how favorable a given location is for coral growth and survival. Environmental conditions contributing to this layer included: marine calcite concentration (a proxy for ocean acidification), irradiance (photosynthetically available radiation, or PAR), thermal stress (annual severe bleaching threshold), wave power (per meter of wave front), and proximity to soils eroded by sea level rise. Projections exist for how some of these conditions may change over the next century based on the trajectory of global greenhouse gas emissions. This project explored how the relative favorability of non-managed conditions could change between the present climate scenario and the rest of the 21st century. This layer represents the future climate scenario for a worst case emissions scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5), in which no action is taken to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Covariation in these conditions was accounted for using principal component analysis (PCA) to form composite variables of conditions that have strong relationships with one another. The resulting principal components were averaged and scaled from 0 (worst) to 1 (best) to produce the coral favorability score for non-managed conditions. These data are provided as a raster with a resolution of 500 m for American Samoa, including Tutuila and the Manua Islands (Ofu, Olosega, and Tau).

This research targets the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative (HCRI) Priority Area A: Kahekili, Maui: Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA). The project goal was to evaluate the efficacy of this new management action by developing a detailed algal production/herbivore consumption budget. The KHFMA was established in an effort to promote herbivore grazing and thus reverse the decline in coral cover on the reef through increased algal consumption. Because it may take several years for monitoring programs of fish and benthic communities to detect changes associated with the recent protection from fishing at KHFMA, additional data are needed to identify benchmarks of success. By developing a growth/consumption budget for the algal and herbivore communities at KHFMA, this will enable the determination how much algae is currently being grazed and how many more herbivores would be needed to actually begin controlling algal abundance at Kahekili. Observations of fish and urchin consumption of algae were made during 2010-2011 at KHFMA. Additional observations were made at Lanai Lighthouse, which is the SW corner of the island of Lanai and Canoe Beach, which is just south of KHFMA, in 2009. Laboratory experiments were conducted at the Maui Ocean Center in 2010-2011.

The dataset represented here is the Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE) model input and output under various scenarios for biomass and catch data, taking into account ecological parameters, different fishing methods, as well as social and economical parameters. Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management is a holistic management approach that integrates the dynamics of an entire ecosystem, including societal dimensions. However, this approach seldom lives up to its promise because economic and social objectives are rarely specified. To fill this gap, we explored how an ecosystem model could better integrate economic and social objectives, using the coral reef ecosystem around Hawaii as a case study. After meeting with stakeholders and conducting a literature review of policy/strategy documents, we identified societal and ecological objectives and associated performance indicators for which data existed. We developed a social-ecological system (SES) conceptual framework to illustrate the relationships between ecological and social state components. This framework was the foundation for the development of the final SES model which we simulated using an Ecopath with Ecosim model. We simulated four gear/species restrictions for the reef-based fishery, two fishing scenarios associated with the opening of hypothetical no-take Marine Protected Areas for the deepwater-based fishery, and a Constant Effort (No Action) scenario. Despite limitations in the model, our approach shows that when social and economic objectives and social-ecological relationships are defined, we can visualize and quantify the trade-offs among the identified societal objectives to support managers in choosing among alternative interventions.

Many aspects of the environment are outside the control of local or regional resource managers. These conditions may require concerted global action to affect change (e.g., water temperatures) or cannot be controlled at all (e.g., wave power). This layer synthesized spatial information for several non-managed conditions to create a relative score for how favorable a given location is for coral growth and survival. Environmental conditions contributing to this layer included: marine calcite concentration (a proxy for ocean acidification), irradiance (photosynthetically available radiation, or PAR), thermal stress (annual severe bleaching threshold), wave power (per meter of wave front), and proximity to soils eroded by sea level rise. Projections exist for how some of these conditions may change over the next century based on the trajectory of global greenhouse gas emissions. This project explored how the relative favorability of non-managed conditions could change between the present climate scenario and the rest of the 21st century. This layer represents the future climate scenario for a worst case emissions scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 8.5), in which no action is taken to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions. Covariation in these conditions was accounted for using principal component analysis (PCA) to form composite variables of conditions that have strong relationships with one another. The resulting principal components were averaged and scaled from 0 (worst) to 1 (best) to produce the coral favorability score for non-managed conditions. These data are provided for the island of Guam as a raster with a resolution of 1500 m.

Many aspects of the environment are outside the control of local or regional resource managers. These conditions may require concerted global action to affect change (e.g., water temperatures) or cannot be controlled at all (e.g., wave power). This layer synthesized spatial information for several non-managed conditions to create a relative score for how favorable a given location is for coral growth and survival. Environmental conditions contributing to this layer included: marine calcite concentration (a proxy for ocean acidification), irradiance (photosynthetically available radiation, or PAR), thermal stress (annual severe bleaching threshold), wave power (per meter of wave front), and proximity to soils eroded by sea level rise. Projections exist for how some of these conditions may change over the next century based on the trajectory of global greenhouse gas emissions. This project explored how the relative favorability of non-managed conditions could change between the present climate scenario and the rest of the 21st century. This layer represents the future climate scenario for an intermediate emissions scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5), in which global greenhouse gas emissions peak mid-century and then begin to fall. Covariation in these conditions was accounted for using principal component analysis (PCA) to form composite variables of conditions that have strong relationships with one another. The resulting principal components were averaged and scaled from 0 (worst) to 1 (best) to produce the coral favorability score for non-managed conditions. These data are provided as a raster with a resolution of 500 m for American Samoa, including Tutuila and the Manua Islands (Ofu, Olosega, and Tau).

The data described here is the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) Atlantis Ecosystem model output data for biomass and catch trends of various functional groups under different scenarios. Hind-cast simulations were run for model validation, and forecast simulations were run for ecological forecasting under different climate change scenarios. The data used in the model comes from benthic and coral reef fish surveys conducted by Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) RAMP cruises, recreational fishery data from MRIP, commercial fishery data administered by WPacFIN, bottomfish fishery-dependent and independent data from PIFSC, and sea turtle and monk seal data from the PIFSC. Model simulations of ecological forecasting were carried out and included 50 year forecast (2020-2070) simulations with and without the predicted effects of climate change (ocean warming and ocean acidification) evaluating changes in ecological and social state components. The MHI Atlantis Ecosystem Model incorporates the coral-specific modules that were developed for the Guam Atlantis model. The model can be used for management-strategy evaluation by simulating existing and alternative fisheries and land-use regulations and comparing the results under different management and environmental change scenarios (e.g., in terms of fish biomass, coral cover, fisherman participation).

NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) has identified a need for priority locations based on emerging management requirements in shallow coral reef areas (up to 40 meters) surrounding the main Hawaiian Islands. The priorities provided by participating agencies will inform research and monitoring activities, address current and future management needs, and maximize opportunities to leverage and complement existing regional efforts. To meet this need, NOAAs National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) developed a systematic, quantitative approach and online GIS application to gather seafloor mapping priorities from researchers and coral reef managers. Participants placed virtual coins into a grid overlaid on the project area to express the location of their mapping priorities. They also used pull-down menus to indicate specific mapping data needs and the rationale for their selections. Participants inputs were compiled and analyzed to identify high priority areas along with their justifications and requirements. A total of 17 participant groups entered their mapping priorities into the online tool. Identifying these high priority areas provide a critical spatial framework for prioritizing mapping efforts in shallow coral reef ecosystems in Hawaii.

Many aspects of the environment are outside the control of local or regional resource managers. These conditions may require concerted global action to affect change (e.g., water temperatures) or cannot be controlled at all (e.g., wave power). This layer synthesized spatial information for several non-managed conditions to create a relative score for how favorable a given location is for coral growth and survival. Environmental conditions contributing to this layer included: marine calcite concentration (a proxy for ocean acidification), irradiance (photosynthetically available radiation, or PAR), thermal stress (annual severe bleaching threshold), wave power (per meter of wave front), and proximity to soils eroded by sea level rise. Projections exist for how some of these conditions may change over the next century based on the trajectory of global greenhouse gas emissions. This project explored how the relative favorability of non-managed conditions could change between the present climate scenario and the rest of the 21st century. This layer represents the future climate scenario for an intermediate emissions scenario (Representative Concentration Pathway 4.5), in which global greenhouse gas emissions peak mid-century and then begin to fall. Covariation in these conditions was accounted for using principal component analysis (PCA) to form composite variables of conditions that have strong relationships with one another. The resulting principal components were averaged and scaled from 0 (worst) to 1 (best) to produce the coral favorability score for non-managed conditions. These data are provided for the island of Guam as a raster with a resolution of 1500 m.

This research targets the Hawaii Coral Reef Initiative (HCRI) Priority Area A: Kahekili, Maui: Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA). The project goal was to evaluate the efficacy of this new management action by developing a detailed algal production/herbivore consumption budget. The KHFMA was established in an effort to promote herbivore grazing and thus reverse the decline in coral cover on the reef through increased algal consumption. Because it may take several years for monitoring programs of fish and benthic communities to detect changes associated with the recent protection from fishing at KHFMA, additional data are needed to identify benchmarks of success. By developing a growth/consumption budget for the algal and herbivore communities at KHFMA, this will enable the determination how much algae is currently being grazed and how many more herbivores would be needed to actually begin controlling algal abundance at Kahekili. Observations of fish and urchin consumption of algae were made during 2010-2011 at KHFMA. Additional observations were made at Lanai Lighthouse, which is the SW corner of the island of Lanai and Canoe Beach, which is just south of KHFMA, in 2009. Laboratory experiments were conducted at the Maui Ocean Center in 2010-2011.