Modeling Sand Shoals and their Value as Fish Habitat: Providing Decision Support for Offshore Sand Dredging

OneNOAA Science Seminar Series

Title:
Modeling Sand Shoals and their Value as Fish Habitat: Providing Decision Support for Offshore Sand Dredging

Speaker(s):
Brad Pickens, Ecological Analyst, CSS-Inc. and NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and
Chris Taylor, Research Ecologist, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Co-authors:
Deena Hansen, Marine Minerals Program, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
Mark Finkbeiner, NOAA's Office for Coastal Management
Alexa Ramirez, Quantum Spatial, Inc.

When: Tuesday, May 6, 2020, 12-1pm EDT

Where: Via webinar; see Webinar Access below.
 
Sponsor:
NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS) science seminar coordinator Tracy Gill.   

Remote Access: Please register at:
https://noaabroadcast.adobeconnect.com/shoalmate/event/registration.html 
After registering, you will get a confirmation email with a link to the webinar.
Before the webinar, you must test your ability to use Adobe Connect at the following link: 
https://noaabroadcast.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm  
Users should use either google, IE or Edge on Windows or Safari if using a Mac. Audio is over the computer, so adjust volume on your computer speakers or headset. Questions will be addressed in the chat window. This Webcast will be recorded, archived and made accessible in the near future. Questions? Email Tracy.Gill@noaa.gov

Abstract:
Marine environments are under increased pressure to accommodate multiple resource uses, yet fish distributions and habitat relationships are often not identified at the scale needed to assess potential impacts from human uses. We classified sand shoals and developed species distribution models to inform planning and assessment of sand dredging on the US Atlantic Shelf. For the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, we modeled select fish species,including shrimp, red snapper, lane snapper, black sea bass, and six shark species. Predictor variable development aimed to untangle the role of geomorphology, nearby wetlands, prey species, and oceanographic conditions in shaping species’ distributions. A decision-support tool, ShoalMATE (Shoal Map Assessment Tool for EFH), was developed as an interactive mapping and reporting tool to aide in the EFH assessment to minimize impacts to habitats. 

Bio(s):
Dr.Brad Pickens received his M.S. in Biological Science from Bowling Green State University and a Ph.D. from Louisiana State University with a focus on wildlife and landscape ecology. Bradhas worked over 15 years delivering applied science to nonprofit organizations,federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, state wildlife departments, and more. In 2017, he joined CSS-Inc. and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science as a Post-doc to embark on a project with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. 

Dr. Chris Taylor received his M.S. andPh.D. in Zoology from North Carolina State University.  He is a lead scientist in the Habitat Mapping Team of NCCOS’s Biogeography Branch and specializes in underwater acoustic and optical remote sensing for ecological assessments and ocean planning.  He joined NOAA in 2008 after research faculty appointments at University of North Carolina and North Carolina State University.

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(Brad Pickens, Ecological Analyst, CSS-Inc. and NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and Chris Taylor, Research Ecologist, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science)