Characterizing the Fish Assemblages of Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary Dale Roberts & Many Others NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES TM CORDELL BANK
Point Reyes Lighthouse Cordell Bank
I&M and SWiM* Similarities Characterize and assess the condition of natural resources. Describe ecological patterns and predict future change. Advise management. Inform public. *Sanctuary Wide Monitoring
Sanctuary Research Presents Challenges PORE Working in the intertidal CBNMS No place to sit
Multibeam sonar Research Tools Remotely Operated Vehicle Towed Camera Manned Submersible
Research Questions What is the distribution and abundance of fishes and invertebrates? How are these patterns related to habitat? Do these patterns change over time? Are changes natural or anthropogenic? Is Cordell Bank unique? Compare with similar deep reefs
Habitat Characterization PORE Vegetation Map NOAA Nautical Chart
Habitat Characterization Substrate and slope Bathymetry Bathymetry
Forward Looking Camera Paired Lasers Video camera Observer s Viewing Window
28 Dives in 2002 60 Belt transects Constant depth 15 Minutes in duration 2 Meters wide Sub 1 Meter off bottom 5 Minute break between transects
Substratum types rocks boulders cobbles sand mud Mud banks Rocks & Boulders Mud Gulley Boulder fields High Relief Pinnacles Sand wave habitats Sand fields deep Mud slope
Fish Top 20 Taxa Summary 61 Taxa Observed Rockfishes Dominant 90 % of the individuals 26 Species YOY Most Numerous
0.8 Canonical Variate 2 (21%) 0.6 0.4 0.2 0.0-0.2-0.4-0.6 S. chlorostictus S. elongatus S. zacentrus Depth H.colliei Boulders S. diploproa Zeniolepis Mud S. ensifer Cobbles Zoarcidae Cottidae S. S. saxicola S. S.wilsoni miniatus ruberrimus O. elongatus Myxinidae S. pinniger S. paucispinis S. flavidus Agonidae S. jordani S. entomelas Rock Pleuronectidae Stichaeidae S. constellatus YOYs S. hopkinsi S.ovalis O. pictus C.nicholsii S. rosaceus H. decagrammus Citharichthys Sand Patchiness -0.8-1.2-1.0-0.8-0.6-0.4-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 Canonical Variate 1 (50%)
Top of Bank Diverse inverts 32 m 35 m 41 m
Top of Bank / Rocks & Boulders Blue Rockfish Quillback Rockfish Young of Year Rockfish Rosy Rockfish Yellowtail Rockfish Juv. Yelloweye Rockfish Kelp Greenling Squarespot Rockfish
Lower Bank - Boulder fields 25 50 75 100 125 150
Lower Bank / Rocks & Boulders Pygmy Rockfish Starry Rockfish Bocaccio Yelloweye Rockfish Flag Rockfish Vermilion Rockfish Greenspotted Rockfish Lingcod
Lower east-side - Sand waves 25 50 75 100 125 150
Lower east-side Sand Skate Sanddab
Continental slope - Mud 25 50 75 100 125 150
Spotted Ratfish Mud Slope Poachers Hagfish Grotto Longspined combfish English Sole Splitnosed Rockfish Stripetail Rockfish Slender Sole
Benthic Marine Debris Significant amounts of derelict fishing gear documented on rocky habitats of Cordell Bank Document extent and habitat associations of derelict gear, based on benthic monitoring data Incorporate data on benthic marine debris into regional databases Test methods of removing derelict fishing gear from deep water environments using ROVs and technical divers Kip Evans Derelict gear locations
Fishing Prohibition
Cordell Bank NMS Dan Howard Pam van der Leeden Michael Carver Lisa Etherington Contributors Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Gary Greene Matt Levy Rick Starr U.C. Santa Barbara Linda Snook Merritt College Jill Baltan NOAA Fisheries Tara Anderson Mary Yoklavich Tom Laidig Monterey Bay NMS Jean DeMarignac CSU Monterey Bay Rikk Kvitek Mary Young Fred Watson USGS Coastal Marine Geology Guy Cochrane John Chin Roberto Anima Rich Signell Washington State University Jodi Pirtle Brian Tissot California Academy of Sciences Bob Lea Delta Oceanographics Dave Slater Chris Ijames Joe Lilly
Follow Science updates at Website: www.sanctuarysimon.org And Cordellbank.noaa.gov