HabitatNews November 2017

Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. NOAA Office of Habitat Conservation                                               November 2017 Issue #26  NOAA and Partners Assess Coral Reef Damage in Florida Following Hurricane Irma Recently, scientists from the NOAA Restoration Center and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary joined other partners from NOAA and outside organizations to conduct a rapid assessment of the Florida Coral Reef Tract, including areas in the sanctuary, following Hurricane Irma. Preliminary reports from the team found extensive shifting of sand and heavy sediment accumulation. Read more > Chesapeake Bay Survey Captures Sturgeon in Sonar Image The NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office recently mapped critical habitat for endangered Atlantic sturgeon in Virginia. While surveying a five kilometer stretch of the James River using side-scan sonar, they captured an image which included 13 sturgeon. This was a rare event and possibly part of a fall spawning run.  Learn more > Great Lakes Story Map: Improving Habitat for People and Fish Protecting and restoring our greatest freshwater resource is a big undertaking. NOAA projects, funded under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, are making a difference for residents and wildlife alike. A new Story Map details NOAA's restoration efforts in the Great Lakes, challenges, and highlights two community case studies. View Story Map > Living in the Dark: A New Deep Sea Coral Expedition Video In August, NOAA led an 18-day Southeast Deep Coral Initiative: Exploring Deep-Sea Coral Ecosystems expedition aboard NOAA Ship Nancy Foster. The goals of the expedition were mapping, surveying, and sampling deep sea coral ecosystems in the eastern Gulf of Mexico and the South Atlantic Bight. Supported by NOAA's Deep Sea Coral Research and Technology Program, research focused on management priority areas identified by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council. Watch Video > Advancing Progress in NOAA's Habitat Focus Areas NOAA's Habitat Focus Areas continue to make progress on key projects to improve a variety of habitats. These ten areas tackle a wide range of habitat issues including reducing sediment runoff, improving coral health, restoring salmon habitat,  and more. Some recent accomplishments include collaboratively improving coral growth methods in Guam and excluding goats and mapping erosion to reduce runoff in West Hawai'i.  Learn More > Nominations Sought for Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee NOAA Fisheries is seeking nominations to fill current and pending vacancies on the Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee due to term limits through November 27.  This Committee advises the Secretary of Commerce on all living marine resource matters within its responsibility.  It draws on its members' expertise to evaluate and make recommendations to the Secretary and NOAA on the development and implementation of agency regulations, policies, and programs critical to the mission and goals of the NOAA Fisheries. See Nomination Instructions > Polluted Rouge River Becoming Recreation Destination Restoration of wetland habitat and fish passage have transformed this suburban river from a hazard to a community resource. NOAA's Detroit-area projects have increased community support, inspiring volunteers and improving river access for recreation. Read More > Blue Catfish -- Invasive, but Tasty! Blue catfish are invasive in the Chesapeake Bay--but they're also quite tasty. Since they were introduced to the Chesapeake decades ago, their numbers and range had increased dramatically. NOAA has funded research to help scientists and resource managers learn more about this species, and the NOAA Chesapeake Bay Office is organizing a workshop this month to enable researchers to share their findings with the other scientists and stakeholders. Learn  More > Cosco Busan Oil Spill Impacts and Restoration: Ten Years Later The container ship M/V Cosco Busan struck one of the towers of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge on the morning of November 7, 2007, tearing a large gash ship's hull, releasing 53,000 gallons of fuel oil into the water. The spill caused significant impacts to fish, wildlife, habitat, and human recreational uses, including the death of more than 6,000 birds and an estimated 14 - 29 percent of herring spawn. Since the spill, almost $20 million has been allocated to projects to enhance and restore habitats, with $10 million more for the future. See More > 2018 National Wetlands Awards - Nominations Open Now through December 22, we have an excellent opportunity to nominate partners for the Environmental Law Institute's 2018 National Wetlands Awards.  Partners are key to advancing our shared habitat priorities, improving scientific understanding, and enhancing public understanding of the value of habitat.  Learn More > NOAA Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation

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