Strategically expanding on previous marine biodiversity observation network (mbon) and animal telemetry network (ATN) joint successes, we propose an operational biotrack to (1) identify and…

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) awarded a $3,500,000 Cooperative Agreement under the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Federal Grant Program (CFDA 11.012) to the Shark Research Foundation Inc. The purpose of this 4-year project is to strategically expand on previous Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) and Animal Telemetry Network (ATN) successes. The key objectives are to: 1) identify and characterize shared multi-species hotspots of threatened marine animals through biotelemetry, environmental monitoring, and modeling; 2) determine how these biodiversity hotspots overlap with place-based management and resource use areas; and 3) examine possible climate change impacts on these hotspots and their overlap with management areas. This will be accomplished through a stakeholder-driven process to deliver tailored data products as operational decision support tools for resource managers and users across the research-to-management continuum.

Strategically expanding on previous marine biodiversity observation network (mbon) and animal telemetry network (ATN) joint successes, we propose an operational biotrack to (1) identify and characterize shared multi-species hotspots of threatened marine animals through novel application of biotelemetry, environmental monitoring, and modeling approaches, (2) determine how these biodiversity hotspots for at-risk species overlap with place based management and resource use areas of interest (e.g., sanctuaries, reserves, time-area closures, wind farms, leasing blocks) and in turn, (3) examine possible scenarios of future impact of climate change on these at-risk hotspots and their overlap with place-based management and resource use areas of interest in order to directly support decision making, management, conservation, and restoration needs. These goals will be accomplished through a stakeholder driven process that delivers tailored data products that effectively serve as operational decision support tools to managers and resource users. The process will involve collaborations across three integrated ocean observing system (ioos) regional associations, four federal resource management units, four national marine sanctuaries, two federal research programs, one informatics firm, and four academic institutions. At the project onset, well-defined user requirements will be identified by holding meetings with the projects key management and stakeholder groups: US bureau of ocean energy management (boem), national oceanic and atmospheric administration (NOAA) highly migratory species division (HMS), NOAA office of protected resources, NOAA southeast regional office, NOAA greater atlantic regional fisheries office, south atlantic fisheries management council (safmc), florida keys national marine sanctuary (fknms), monitor national marine sanctuary (mnms), grays reef national marine sanctuary (grnms), stellwagen bank national marine sanctuary (sbnms), and NOAA nmfs deepwater marine protected area (MPA) system management plans, in close collaboration with mbon and ATN. Iterative feedback with stakeholders will occur throughout to ensure data products are accessible and useful. The movements of at-risk species (tunas, billfish, sharks, sea turtles, pinnipeds, whales, dolphins, groupers, snappers) will be obtained using existing and ongoing animal tracking data collected by the project investigators, partners, and animal tracking networks as well as the use of open-access tracking data acquired from the ATN, and deployment of 195 new acoustic and satellite tags on at-risk species to fill data gaps in at-risk species monitored to date. These animal tracking data sets will be integrated with other satellite based oceanographic (e.g. seascapes) and in situ biological datasets (e.g., forage fish abundance) to generate the following data products: (1) maps of shared hotspots of at-risk species; (2) predictive maps of these shared hotspot under future climate change scenarios; (3) maps of overlap between shared at-risk species hotspots and place-based areas of interest (e.g., sanctuaries, reserves, time-area closures, wind farms, leasing blocks); and (4) predictive maps of overlap between these shared hotspots and place-based areas of interest under future climate change scenarios. The information generated will be made readily available to resource managers through demonstrations, webinars, and the development of web-based, interactive tools visualized via the mbon and ATN data portals. The team will participate in national mbon efforts. Taken together, the data products generated from the proposed work will address key priority themes and recommendations identified during ATN/mbon regional stakeholder workshops, expand on previous mbon-ATN activities, and create operational data products for will be directly used as decision support and management tools for the nation and for users across the research to management continuum.