Essential Fish Habitat depth polygon.

This project is providing a direct assessment of the ecological effects of multiple-use zoning on inshore reefs of the GBRMP. Underwater visual census (UVC) monitoring of fish and benthic communities is being carried out at 50 no-take marine reserve (green zone) sites and at 50 sites that have remained open to fishing within the Palm, Magnetic, Whitsunday and Keppel Island groups. Long-term monitoring surveys are providing information on:,

Depicts the boundaries of land proclaimed as part of the Biosphere Reserve under an international designation made by United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Please refer to the metadata document for more information.

This project will enhance stakeholder capacity to make informed decisions on the protection and restoration of buffers around the Great Bay Estuary by addressing the following question: What are the options for addressing the challenges to effectively protect and restore buffer zones around New Hampshire's Great Bay? The project will support strategic agency and nonprofit investments; inform strategies for outreach professionals to work with towns on water quality improvement, habitat protection, climate adaptation, and nonpoint source pollution control; and lead to new research questions. This integrated assessment project was funded by NOAA through the National Estuarine Research Reserve System Science Collaborative to evaluate options for action. It did not produce any new data.

The National Estuarine Research Reserve System is a network of 30 coastal sites designated to protect and study estuarine systems. Established through the Coastal Zone Management Act, the reserves represent a partnership program between NOAA and the coastal states. NOAA provides funding and national guidance, and each site is managed on a daily basis by a lead state agency or university with input from local partners.

This multi-reserve project led by the ACE Basin Reserve convened a series of workshops to provide guidance and assistance on siting, construction, installation, and interpretation of Motus sites at participating reserves. The project Protecting critical habitats for migratory species is increasingly important as sea level rise and climate change reduce the availability and diversity of habitats in the hemisphere. The National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) operates alongside protected and managed landscapes that provide refuge for a wide array of species that have been deemed research and conservation priorities. Reserves also support a diversity of outreach and education programs that promote environmental stewardship and highlight the importance of protecting habitats for these species. In 2018, the ACE Basin Reserve received private funding to implement a Motus receiver station at partner State Park, which sparked interest from potential collaborators. The Motus Wildlife Tracking System is an open-source, international network of community hosted radio-telemetry receivers and wildlife researchers designed to investigate a wide variety of wildlife movement questions. Volunteer partners host and operate receiving stations across the world that autonomously listen for flying migratory animals equipped with transmitters called nanotags. Researchers rely on the receivers for movement data for a diversity of tagged wildlife, including birds, bats, and insects. Through this project, the ACE Basin Reserve facilitated the implementation and expansion of Motus networks in the Mid-Atlantic, West Coast, and Gulf regions. Participants met through a combination of virtual and in-person workshops designed to meet the needs of partners and intended users in the given region. Partners of all four reserves gave examples of unique ideas to reduce construction costs, such as buying components in bulk when constructing multiple towers and splicing wires in-house. Presentations discussed alternative ways to use Motus towers, such as smaller scale studies to better understand resident population dynamics and species behavior.

This data collected for Elkhorn Slough NERR by NGS (National Geodetic Survey). Original contact information: Contact Org: NOAA - NGS, Remote Sensing Division Phone: 301-713-0665 Email: jason.woolard@noaa.gov