Full report - Conservation Gateway

Chapter 2 - Coastal Ecosystemsactivities in state waters include NMFS, USFWS, EPA,United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE),United States Coast Guard (USCG), and the FederalEnergy Regulatory Commission (FERC).Unlike groundfishing and mid-water trawling for foragefish or shrimp, nearshore shellfish harvest and aquacultureare regulated at the state level, with no overarching federalor regional management authorities, other than the Foodand Drug Administration’s oversight responsibilities forensuring public health in relation to commercially harvestedshellfish. Within Food and Drug Administrationconstraints, state, or in some areas, town shellfish managersset harvest limits and regulations, and shellfish sanitationcommissions control the opening or closing of areasto harvest and consumption. Harvest of mussels is oftenunregulated.Current Conservation EffortsConservation efforts on behalf of the many features andvalues of the coastal zone are as many and varied as theregulatory jurisdictions, with the addition of activities by ahost of private organizations from global, such as TNC, tobay-specific. These are too numerous and varied to summarizehere. Most have a specific geographic focus, andaim to link land-based activities with the health of theestuary and in turn the health of the estuary to the valuesto the human communities that border them. A notablefeature of coastal zone conservation is the numerous examplesof public-private partnerships and programs suchas the National Estuary Program (EPA), the NationalEstuarine Research Reserve Program (NOAA), and theChesapeake Bay Program, which are designed to engagestakeholders and foster broad partnerships and are oftenparalleled by complementary private organizations suchas the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and Friends of CascoBay.Shellfish restoration activities provide one example ofthe varied players in these coastal estuarine programs.The NOAA Restoration Center is a primary provider offunding for shellfish restoration projects and activities,especially for oysters and hard clams. These programs areaugmented by state-level programs for certain conservationactivities, such as shell management for restoration inthe Carolinas and private non-profit efforts such as thoseof TNC in Great South Bay, Long Island, New York.Restoration funding for shellfish often requires protectionfrom harvesting, which is most often accomplished by sitingprojects in areas closed due to poor water quality. Acombined focus on restoration and conservation has led tothe concept of protected spawner sanctuaries in some areas.Oyster restoration projects in the Chesapeake Bay andDelaware Bay are particularly prominent in this region,although these large-scale projects also include harvestprovisions.The United States Department of Agriculture NaturalResources Conservation Service is another provider offunding for oyster restoration, especially in the context ofexpanded aquaculture operations that provide restorationbenefits. This funding model has been successfully developedin Rhode Island, Virginia, and other Atlantic states.In-depth Look: Sea Level RiseAssessing Relative Vulnerability andEcological Resilience to Sea Level RiseSea level rise is already impacting coastal communities andnatural habitats along the East Coast of the United States.In the coming century, potentially accelerated rates of sealevel rise could significantly impact coastal ecosystems andhuman communities. The assessment team recognized thechallenge of including long term threats, such as climatechange and sea level rise, in conservation planning efforts.For this reason, a subteam was established to reviewthe state of the science and management of sea level risewithin coastal systems. This is a departure from earlierterrestrial ecoregional assessments along the eastern seaboardcompleted by TNC in recent years. These includedanalyses of the status of coastal species and ecosystems,but climate change impacts were not considered, particularlythe consequences of predicted sea level rise. The bestavailable science indicates coastal species and ecosystemsthroughout the region are at risk of alteration and loss dueto sea level rise (Titus 1990; Markham 1996; Feagin et al.2005; Nicholls et al. 2007).Northwest Atlantic Marine Ecoregional Assessment • Phase 1 Report 2-45