Saving Our Treasured SpacesNOAA’s Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation ProgramMany of us continue to watch the natural landscapes and green spaces in our communities disappear. Perhaps it’s an office complex built where a forest once grew or a strip mall constructed in a former wetlands area. Resource-rich coastal areas and wetlands also face threats from uncontrolled development. Overuse and population sprawl are key factors. Consider that:
And, there’s more: In the eastern U.S. alone, coastal land development has contributed to 59,000 acres of wetland loss a year. Why is watershed conservation so important?
Although many states and municipalities have plans and regulations in place to reduce the effect of development on natural areas, its rapid pace along the coast is causing a significant loss of marine habitats and wildlife — as well as the much-needed natural resources human life depends on. Spending Some “Green” to Save Some GreenOne way to slow development and conserve natural space is to buy land that is valued for its ecological resources, so it can be protected. Coastal areas also can be preserved with a conservation easement — a legal contract that keeps land in private ownership, but limits the types of activities that may take place on a property. Because coastal lands are so limited in area and highly desired for development, they are expensive to purchase, and therefore, a challenge to acquire for preservation. That’s where NOAA is playing a key role. Through its Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program, NOAA has granted more than $200 million since 2002 to protect conservation lands in 27 coastal states. To date, more than 45,000 acres of coastal areas with exceptional ecological, historical, and recreational value — as well as natural beauty — have been protected with help from CELCP funding. CELCP projects often bring together many conservation partners in a joint effort to purchase coastal properties, enabling our federal dollars to acquire more land. A Case Study in Saving Space: Maquoit Bay, MaineOne of the last undeveloped areas in Maquoit Bay in Brunswick, Maine, was in danger of being developed. It had already been designated as a priority conservation area, but the town needed financial help to protect the area. NOAA’s CELCP was able to help: it awarded nearly $2 million to Brunswick in 2006–2007 to acquire and therefore, safeguard 168 acres of Maquoit Bay’s freshwater streams, mudflats, tidal marshes, and forests. Additionally, a conservation easement over nearly 60 adjacent acres in Maquoit Bay, including more than a quarter-mile of bayfront property, was donated by a private landowner as a partial match for this federal award. Both conservation actions nearly doubled Brunswick’s publically accessible shoreline. Today local residents and visitors alike enjoy more than a mile of trails for walking and cross-country skiing as well as canoe and kayak access to Maquoit and Casco Bays. Preservation of Coastal Areas — A Presidential PriorityNOAA’s CELCP was recognized in the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 recently signed by President Barack Obama. This legislation authorizes $60 million to be given annually to CELCP to continue its mission to help state and local governments acquire significant and life-sustaining coastal lands that might otherwise be lost to development. To learn more about CELCP, visit the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program Web site. |
Restoring Coral Reefs, One Gamete at a TimeEvery year, the August full moon triggers corals off the coast of Florida to begin their annual spawning period, releasing sperm and eggs, also known as gametes, into the water column. This past August was no different and NOAA-supported researchers from the Nova Southeastern University’s National Coral Reef Institute (NCRI) in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., working with scientists and managers of Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection, were there to catch the action. Their mission was to collect the gametes, bring them back to the lab, and attempt to grow them into juvenile corals that can be transplanted back to damaged coral reefs. The MissionThe divers departed at dusk from the Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center and entered the water around 6:00 p.m. Researchers placed large mesh nets topped with plastic collection cups over the female colonies to catch the eggs as they floated to the surface. To collect the sperm, divers equipped with plastic bags were stationed near the male colonies, poised to scoop up as much as they could as clouds of sperm were released. “Imagine stumbling around in the dark with a small flashlight trying to collect fruit flies in a ziplock bag while the entire room is swaying back and forth. That’s the closest I could come to describing what collecting coral gametes by hand, is like,” commented NCRI research assistant and graduate student Adam St. Gelais. “When it all comes together though, it is a very special thing for a coral researcher to witness.”
Gametes are collected and placed in buckets for transport back to NCRI. High resolution (Credit:NCRI) The collected gametes were brought to the surface and placed in buckets on the dive boat to mix and fertilize. Back at the laboratory, the fertilized eggs were placed in a controlled aquarium environment where they will develop into juvenile coral colonies in about a month. These colonies will be nurtured until they are large enough to be returned to the reef, helping to restore its health. “The use of sexually-reproduced, juvenile corals grown in the laboratory has great potential to provide a viable alternative in coral reef restoration,” says NCRI research scientist Dr. Alison Moulding. “Through this research, we hope to help address critical issues facing coral reefs in the U.S. and worldwide.” Importance of Coral ReefsCoral reefs, a critical part of the ocean ecosystem, teem with sea life that relies on them for survival. They are important to the economy, providing millions of people around the globe with food, coastal storm protection, and jobs. It is predicted that 15% of the world's coral reefs are under imminent threat of joining the 'Effectively Lost' category within the next 10-20 years unless effective management actions are implemented (The State of Coral Reef Ecosystems of the United States and Pacific Freely Associated States, 2008). Practical solutions for restoring and reinvigorating coral reefs are urgently needed, and the work being done by these NOAA-supported scientists will be critical in doing |
