Research to illuminate connections between reefs in the Gulf of Mexico
Pulley Ridge, a relatively healthy mesophotic (mid-light) coral ecosystem in the Gulf of Mexico, is home to groupers and snappers, important species in commercial and recreational fisheries. With the well-documented decline of Florida's reefs, places like Pulley Ridge may serve as sources of larvae that can help sustain the Florida Keys' reef ecosystem and the tourism economy that is dependent on it.
The NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research is initiating a 5-year $5 million project focused on the role that the reefs of Pulley Ridge and the northern Gulf of Mexico may play in replenishment of key fish species and other organisms in the downstream reefs of the Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas.
With this type of information, resource managers will be able to develop more effective strategies to protect these reefs. Teams will use technical diving, remotely operated vehicles and advanced modeling and visualization tools to investigate the role such reefs may play in the replenishment of downstream and adjacent shallow coral ecosystems.
The project, led by Principal Investigator and University of Miami Professor Robert Cowen, represents a unique collaboration of more than 30 scientists at ten different universities pooling their expertise through NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) in coordination with the Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration Research and Technology (CIOERT).
"There is limited information on the ecological role mesophotic (mid-light) coral ecosystems may play," said Cowen. "This project brings together several disciplines to conduct studies on the physical characteristics of the region, the biology and ecology of the resident species, and the valuation of ecosystem services that Pulley Ridge provides. Our intent is to create a comprehensive understanding that can support a variety of decision support tools, including scenario-building options, to facilitate comprehensive resource planning in the eastern Gulf of Mexico."
"The project takes full advantage of the unique expertise and experience of the two NOAA Cooperative Institutes and their long-standing relationship with the resource management community. All but one of the Florida university partners in CIMAS will be participating in the project," said Peter Ortner, Director of CIMAS.
To assure that the outputs from the project are of maximal utility to the responsible resource managers, the project will be guided throughout by a standing Stakeholder Advisory Board consisting of senior federal, state and regional resource managers.
Provided by University of Miami
