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Puerto Rico / Vieques Cruise 2007 Mission Web Page
THE SCIENCE PARTY:
NOAA, Center for Coastal Fisheries & Habitat Research
- Jud Kenworthy
- John Burke
- Guiseppe DiCarlo
- Amy V. Uhrin
- Paula Whitfield
- Brian Degan
- Erika Hansen
- Brooke Landry
- Jenny Vander Pluym
NOAA, NMFS
- John Hackney
- Todd Kellison
NOAA, Damage Assessment Center
- Kevin Kirsch
- Sean Meehan
External Contractors
- Chris Taylor
- Warren Mitchell
April 27, 2007 – May 06, 2007
MISSION:
Recovery and conservation of seagrass meadows, associated fish communities, and the endangered Antillean manatee are important NOAA stewardship missions in southeastern Puerto Rico and Isla Vieques. Our work is critical to the development of forecasting models for predicting seagrass response to natural and anthropogenic stresses and to assess alternative management strategies.
In addition, it is important to provide the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR) of Puerto Rico with information upon which an informed decision on establishment of a Marine Protected Area (MPA) can be made. The majority of Puerto Rican fisheries have declined dramatically in recent years due to over-fishing and degradation of coastal habitat. Based upon last year’s data, fish communities and the habitats upon which they depend near Isla Vieques are healthier relative to those around mainland Puerto Rico. This is most likely attributed to sparse development on Isla Vieques which keeps recreational harvest and local demand for marine resources relatively low, as well as the previous existence of areas closed to fisheries exploitation. The rapid development expected for Isla Vieques will change those conditions which have protected localized fish communities in the past. Unless a conservation plan for the island that includes an MPA is instituted, the habitats and ecological processes required to maintain a sustainable fishery resource could degrade rapidly and the opportunity to maintain this vital resource would be lost.
CRUISE OBJECTIVES:
1. Repeat sampling of seagrass injury and disturbance sites at Naval Station Roosevelt Roads (NSRR).
2. Conduct benthic habitat surveys of Puerto Ferro, Puerto Mosquito,
Ensenada Honda, and on the south and northeast coasts of Vieques to confirm
existing habitat maps and resource values (i.e., nursery and adult fishery
habitats).
3. Conduct multibeam sonar surveys at selected sites where habitat mapping
is incomplete from previous research cruises.
4. Quantitative sampling of fish communities associated with bank, shelf, and
shallow coastal habitats of Isla Vieques.
5. Conduct daytime, crepuscular, and nighttime fish hydroacoustic surveys using scientific grade, split-beam sonar.
DATA APPLICATIONS:
- Data from these studies will enable us to calibrate our existing tropical seagrass recovery model over a significantly longer time period.
- We will gain a better understanding of how to distinguish between the effects of natural and human induced disturbances in tropical seagrass communities.
- These improved models will significantly enhance the capabilities of resource managers and economists to assess damages and develop restoration plans for disturbed seagrass communities.
- Comparative analysis of our fish data with similar surveys conducted in southwestern Puerto Rico will significantly improve our understanding of the complex connections and interactions between adjacent coastal ecosystems and the ecological services they provide.
- All data collected will serve the DENR of Puerto Rico with a comprehensive assessment of the natural resources around the Isla Vieques which will be used to draft a management plan for the rich mosaic of benthic marine habitats upon which a diverse animal community depends.
- Multibeam survey data will improve mapping capabilities of the Vieques Watershed Database and Mapping Project.