Full report - Conservation Gateway

Chapter 2 - Coastal EcosystemsClimate ChangeExtreme precipitation events and warming sea surfacetemperatures due to global climate change are likely todisrupt shellfish recruitment strategies that rely on strongseasonal patterns of temperature, salinity, and circulation.As nearshore waters warm with climate change, rangeexpansion of shellfish predators enhances the likelihoodof locally heavy predation losses for shellfish beds innorthern areas of the region. Warmer water is likely afactor in the spread of Dermo (Kennedy et al. 1996).In addition, lower ocean pH due to elevated global CO 2concentrations (ocean acidification) may inhibit biochemicalprocesses that bivalves rely on for shelldevelopment (Beesley et al. 2008). Below is an in-depthlook at sea level rise, which discusses relative vulnerability,ecological resilience, and potential strategies for enhancingresilience of coastal systems.Management and ConservationRegulatory AuthoritiesManagement of the coastal zone involves a myriad of stateand federal agencies whose jurisdictions and authoritiesoverlap in complex ways. Most states have further delegatedauthority for certain management activities to individualcoastal towns, whether for zoning and permitting ofdevelopment or shellfish management. One unifying federalprogram is the Coastal Zone Management Act whichprovides federal funding to each state to carry out researchand outreach that may facilitate or enhance regulation butis not directly regulatory itself. Regulatory authority forspecific activities within the coastal zone is still most oftenadministered separately by different municipal, state, andfederal agencies.Given the wide variety of uses and activities in the coastalzone, it is not surprising that there is a complex mosaicof management authorities. Municipal, state, and federalauthorities often overlap in the same geographic coastalareas and regulation of certain activities may requirethe involvement of multiple agencies at multiple levelsof government. Current efforts being undertaken by theObama Administration, such as the emerging NationalOcean Policy and the framework for coastal and marinespatial planning, hold promise for additional coordinationand improvement in coastal resource regulation and management.All of the states in this region participate in the voluntaryCoastal Zone Management Program, under the CoastalZone Management Act of 1972, and have federally-approvedmanagement plans including regulatory authoritiesto protect and conserve coastal resources. Depending onthe individual state, regulatory controls are exercised bya single state coastal agency or by a network of environmental,wildlife, and conservation agencies. The overallprogram objectives of the CZMA are to “preserve, protect,develop, and where possible, to restore or enhancethe resources of the nation’s coastal zone.” The CZMAincludes two national programs, the National CoastalZone Management Program and the National EstuarineResearch Reserve System. The state coastal programs aimto balance competing land and water issues in the coastalzone, while estuarine reserves serve as field laboratories toprovide a greater understanding of estuaries and how humansimpact them. In addition to regulatory approaches,most coastal programs have a local grants component andoutreach and education programs and include emphaseson such topics as nonpoint source pollution, habitat restorationand land conservation.The extent and type of home rule authority granted tolocal governments varies considerably from state to state;in most states land use controls including zoning and landdevelopment permitting are exercised by local and/orcounty governments. Some states have delegated additionalauthorities to municipalities and other units of governmentfor other management activities that concern coastalresources, such as, for example shellfish management,harbor management and wetland management.The United States Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)extends from the outer boundary of state waters (3 miles)out to 200 miles from shore. However, the federalgovernment’s legal authority in navigation, commerce andsecurity extends shoreward into state waters. The federalagencies that have a role in regulation or review of2-44Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report