[Coral-List] NOAA Seminar tomorrow: Using the US Clean Water Act to develop Biocriteria for Coral Reefs

Tracy Gill - NOAA Federal tracy.gill at noaa.gov
Mon Nov 30 11:11:59 EST 2015


OneNOAA Science Seminars Series Presenter: Deborah Santavy, Research
Ecologist, US EPA, Office of Research and Development, Gulf Ecology Division

When: Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2015, 12-1pm ET

Where: NOAA SSMC4, Rm 8150 Sponsor: NOS Science Seminar Series; point of
contact is Tracy.Gill at noaa.gov Remote Access: Mymeeting webinars. For Audio
dial toll-free (U.S./CAN) 1-877-708-1667 & enter code 7028688# For Webcast:
go to www.mymeetings.com
<https://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mymeetings.com&ust=1448906792750000&usg=AFQjCNHMx60NZNPavf6sNvJSM_LR5F6jFg>.
Under "Participant Join", click "Join an Event", then add conf.no
<https://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fconf.no&ust=1448906792750000&usg=AFQjCNHbgSAAlUHy6vAPdUrmuVvGS53kVQ>:
744925156. No code needed for web. Abstract: Tools provided by the Clean
Water Act to protect and restore the Nation’s waters can be applied to
coastal habitats such as coral reefs. First, biological integrity must be
defined for coral reef habitat and adjacent mangroves and seagrass
habitats. Experts in reef taxonomic assemblages (e.g., stony corals,
fishes, sponges, gorgonians, algae), community structure, organism
condition, ecosystem function and connectivity are developing a framework
that illustrates a range of biological responses that can result from human
disturbance – the Coral Reef Biological Condition Gradient. They are
establishing levels of condition, with a consistent well-defined narrative
for each level, and a process for translating specific metric scores into
levels. Levels can be aligned with designated aquatic life uses in water
quality standards and used for protection and to the extent possible,
restoration. These experts are defining biological integrity for reefs in
Puerto Rico which can serve as a non-shifting baseline condition. Managers
will use the framework to determine which level describes the current
conditions of a reef and what conditions are desired, which leads to easily
communicated, quantitative goals for restoration. Authors: Deborah L.
Santavy, US EPA, ORD, GED, Gulf Breeze, Fl.; Patricia Bradley, retired US
EPA, ORD, AED, Key West, FL; Susan Jackson, US EPA, OW, OST, Washington,
DC. About the Speaker: Deborah Santavy is a Research Ecologist with US
EPA’s Office of Research and Development, Gulf Ecology Division in Gulf
Breeze, Florida. She has been studying different aspects of coral reefs for
several decades ranging from assessing the condition of coral reefs, coral
diseases, microbial ecology of reef sponges in coral reef ecology, and most
recently using EPA’s US Clean Water and Air Act for the protection and
restoration of coral reefs. She is a member of the US EPA Biocriteria
Working group.


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