NaGISA Habitat specific, quantitative survey of the world’s nearshore environment Producing a baseline from which: -scientists can work -monitoring can.

NaGISANaGISA

Habitat specific, quantitative survey of Habitat specific, quantitative survey of the world’s nearshore environmentthe world’s nearshore environment

Producing a baseline from which:Producing a baseline from which:-scientists can work-scientists can work

-monitoring can move forward-monitoring can move forward-the public can become engaged-the public can become engaged

- stake holders can benefit - stake holders can benefit

M.

Say

er 2

008

M.

Say

er 2

008

Preliminary Synthesis ConclusionsPreliminary Synthesis Conclusions

Existing paradigms of biodiversity trends do not always apply to nearshore taxa

Existing Paradigm:Higher diversity typically occurs at lower latitudes (Thorson 1950s, Gray 2000s, Witman 2004, others)

Example of NaGISA’s findings:

►Intertidal macroalgal diversity is higher at higher latitudes

(Konar et al 2009)

Low

R2 = 0.5743

0

10

20

30

40

50

0 10 20 30 40 50 60

Latitude

# S

pe

cie

s

DiversityDiversity

New species:

How Many Near Shore Species?How Many Near Shore Species?

1/6 of the known marine species are nearshore 1/6 of the known marine species are nearshore (O`Dor (O`Dor et alet al 2003) 2003)

Currently Currently ~17~170,0,000 species are known with models projecting the 000 species are known with models projecting the presence of 1,700,000+ species presence of 1,700,000+ species (M. Costello and Y. Shirayama pers. com.)(M. Costello and Y. Shirayama pers. com.)

M.K. Hoberg 2007

Golden V Kelp

To date 1,880 named taxa from 36 phyla have been cataloged by NaGISA

Cumella oculatus provisional

adult male

ovigerous female

Cumella alaskensis provisional

ovigerous female

S. Gerken 2009 S. Gerken 2009

Descriptions submitted to Zootaxa 21 January 2009

DistributionDistribution

Major Discoveries:

Habitat range extensions

Rhodolith (nearshore coralline algae) beds are nursery grounds for many commercial species

- The NaGISA effort discovered the first rhodolith bed in Alaska

- Scientific results may be used for conservation implementation (fishing, recreational boating)

Discoveries to Come:

Processes that drive species distributions

AbundanceAbundance

Abundance varies by location

Questions to be asked:• Are there latitudinal or longitudinal trends of abundance

for select taxa?

Location No. Individuals No. Taxa

Punta Tigrillo, Mochima National Park, Venezuela

1327 66

Taklong Island, Philippines

6641 162

Cobscook Bay, Gulf of Maine, USA

>19,000 340

Montague Island, Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA

37,021 274

For example:For example:

BiomassBiomass

low intertidal

0

400

800

11-20 21-30 31-40 41-50 51-60

latitudinal bins

bio

ma

ss

(g

)

Biomass varies by latitude

Intertidal macroalgal biomass appears to increase with latitude (Konar et al 2009)

Arg

entin

aA

lask

a U

SA

Questions to be asked:• Are there latitudinal or longitudinal trends of biomass for other select taxa?

For example:For example:

Visualization & CommunicationVisualization & Communication

Determining nearshore biodiversity

Getting communities involved

Informing the public

• Assessing effectiveness of MPA’s (Venezuela)

• Incorporation of NaGISA protocols in long-term monitoring efforts:

Monitoring 1000 (Japan)Department of Fisheries and

Oceans (Canada)University coursework

(Venezuela, USA)

• Assessing ecosystem vulnerability to oil or mineral extraction (USA)

Societal Impact of Results to DateSocietal Impact of Results to Date

Limits to KnowledgeLimits to Knowledge

Wish list for new technologies:

• Method of determining species lists from homogenized samples

• Searchable image database of nearshore species (image recognition)

Current limits to nearshore biodiversity:

• Resources (time, financial, taxonomic) for identifying species

M.

Say

er 2

008

M.

Say

er 2

008