Scientists representing eleven marine science institutions in the Monterey and San Francisco Bay areas met with representatives of CalCOFI on January 28, 2002 to discuss the practicality and merit of the ACCEO concept and possible strategies for implementation. This report represents the minutes from that meeting. Also provided are a participant list (Appendix 1), a draft mission statement for ACCEO (Appendix 2), and an initial discussion for developing a draft monitoring plan. The latter two items should be considered as works in progress, aimed toward stimulating further discussion.
Coast-wide pelagic ecosystem monitoring is desirable. The group agreed that a coast-wide pelagic monitoring program was highly desirable from the standpoint of resource management and for understanding the dynamics of the California Current Ecosystem, but no consensus was reached on the optimal approach to achieve this objective. Two approaches were discussed. The gradual patching together of existing or planned monitoring of the California current, as advocated by ACCEO, represents one model. Some felt this approach would be counterproductive because it would handicap attempts to fund an adequate one. On the other hand, it was noted that monitoring of marine bird population using existing surveys (CalCOFI, NMFS Santa Cruz juvenile rockfish survey, and the Newport line) gives better information regarding latitudinal and interannual shifts in marine bird populations than does any of the surveys alone. Thus piecing the existing monitoring surveys data may be useful for some applications but not for others. The alternative approach was a well-designed, coast-wide survey program with full costs spelled out up front. The disadvantage of this approach has been a history of failure, including coastal GOOS and CalCOOS. The group agreed that a merging of these approaches is a sensible compromise. The program could proceed with improved coordination, and possible modification or standardization of existing sampling, along with development of a monitoring plan that would spell out the resources required to develop the program into a meaningful ecosystem-monitoring network.
Need for coordination: The group agreed that a strong need existed for a coordinating organization for ocean monitoring on the west coast. Such an organization could facilitate connections between the scientific community and those conducting existing and planned, large scale surveys, provide links that could access the data sets such monitoring programs generate, encourage reprogramming or small additions of ship time from existing regional surveys as a contribution to coast-wide monitoring, and help standardize methods utilized for some minimum set of measurements. It was also noted that such efforts are better developed in the US waters of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic, and that improved action is needed on the west coast.
Draft Monitoring Plan: Some group members expressed an interest in developing a short proposal or white paper for a coast-wide monitoring system. This document could used to encourage participation and acquaint foundations, agencies and legislative groups with the concept. A necessary first step was to identify the scope, design and cost for such a survey. Some participants agreed to develop a draft survey design by correspondence after the close of the meeting. An important constraint on design of an ACCEO survey was that it should be compatible with CalCOFI, to maximize the benefit of existing lines and time series. Members agreed to develop the design by correspondence and a draft, or "strawman" designs will be posted on the ACCEO web site as it develops.
Recommendations on Content and Focus of Monitoring Proposal: Some attendees judged a clearly defined scientific hypothesis or set of questions, as an essential ingredient if ACCEO is to compete for funding. Suggested as a possible over-arching theme, was the need to carry out a decade of coast-wide monitoring to establish a baseline on which subsequent locally measured and relatively inexpensive indices could be developed. No coast-wide monitoring presently exists, so local measurements must be assumed to be representative of the population or ecosystem as a whole. As has been seen repeatedly in resource management, this is a risky assumption. How long such a baseline study should last needs to be specified from the onset to counter criticism regarding endless monitoring programs. Also important would be for the proposal to build upon, and cite, published government reports that stress the need for the kinds of applied information that ACCEO could deliver (e.g., ecosystem state, "Ecowatch", long term fishery-independent indices of abundance for fishery stock assessments, identification of transport and retention of early life stages needed for siting marine ecological reserves, and detection of interannual and interdecadal shifts in the productivity of the system for key species).
Refining the ACCEO Concept: Participants expressed willingness to work with CalCOFI representatives to refine the ACCEO concept. Suggested venues include a special session at the annual CalCOFI Conference (Nov 2002) and presentation and discussion at EPOC (Timberline lodge September 2002). In the longer term there was discussion of convening EPOC and CalCOFI Conferences with a half or full day of overlap so that topics of mutual interest could be discussed. While the 2003 EPOC meeting will be held at the Wrigley facility on Catalina Island, which is too small for CalCOFI, the EPOC meeting could be preceded or followed by a joint CalCOFI/EPOC session at a convenient location on the mainland.
Next ACCEO Meeting: The next ACCEO community meeting is scheduled for Friday, March 1, 2002 at the NWFSC in Seattle, Washington.
