Coastal and Marine Ecological Classification Standard (CMECS) Kathy Goodin, NatureServe EMECS, August 2011 Baltimore, MD 1
Outline Objectives & Process Classification Content Questions 2
Objectives Develop a national standard for consistent terminology for coastal and marine ecological features. Include biological, geological, physical, and chemical aspects of the seascape. Create and ecological classification standard with an eye towards mapping. Be compatible with existing US FGDC standards (wetland, soils, vegetation) and build on other existing systems Meet planning, inventory, restoration, monitoring, and protection information needs.
Development Approach Use existing standards wherever possible Reach out widely to user communities Pilot and demonstrate standard widely Publish draft standard Revise based on reviewer feedback Provide for dynamic content 4
Cooperators Federal agencies: NOAA, EPA, COE, USGS, FWS, NPS, BOEMRE, USDA/NRCS, NASA State agencies: MA Division of Marine Fisheries, OR Coastal Management Program, SC Department of Natural Resources, TX Parks and Wildlife, California State Coastal Conservancy NGO s: NatureServe, TNC Academia: FIU, U. Miami, URI, U. So. Miss., VIMS International: OAS, Tazmania, New Zealand, Canada, Germany 5
CMECS Domain All waters, substrates, benthos and subbenthos of the coastal marine realm extending: Landward to tidal splash zone of coasts, intertidal euhaline and brackish wetlands, and waters of Great Lakes Up river/estuary to head of tide, where tide > 0.2 ft (0.06 m) for at least part of month Seaward to deep ocean, including all continental and ocean waters and bottom 6
Components Aquatic Setting Biotic Component (BC) Composition of biota on seafloor surface and floating in the water column Substrate Component (SC) Geological composition of surface and near-surface substrates Geoform Component (GC) Major geomorphic character or structural character of coast or seafloor Water Column Component (WC) Structure, characteristics, and processes of water column and associated biota Ecoregion Component (ER) Biogeographic regions based on multiple characteristics that influence species distributions. Spalding et al 2007
Aquatic Setting System Subsystem Tidal Zone Marine Estuarine Lacustrine Nearshore Offshore Oceanic Coastal Open Water Tidal Riverine Coastal Tidal Riverine Open Water Limnetic Littoral Supratidal Intertidal Subtidal
Biotic Component (BC) Describes the biological composition and cover of the coastal and marine benthic and floating/drifting biota Hierarchical: Class, Subclass, Biotic Group, Biotope Classes and Subclasses derived from FGDC Wetland Standard For vegetated types, use US National Vegetation Classification Associations
Biotic Component Classes Aquatic Vegetation Bed Reef Biota Faunal Bed Emergent Wetland Scrub Shrub Wetland Forested Wetland Floating Vegetation Floating Fauna 10
Biotic Component Example Class Subclass Biotic Group Biotope Reef Biota Faunal Bed Aquatic Vegetation Bed Macroalgae Canopyforming Macroalgae Macrocystis Forest Emergent Wetland Scrub-shrub Wetland Forested Wetland
Substrate Component (SC) Describes the geological composition and environment of the hard and soft substrate to a depth at which multi-cellular organisms live. Hierarchical: Class, Subclass, Group Particle sizes based on Wentworth, Mixes based on Folk Includes anthropogenic substrates Class: Unconsolidated Substrate Subclass: Fine Unconsolidated Substrate Groups : Sand, Silt, Clay, Subclass: Coarse Unconsolidated Substrate Groups: Boulder, Cobble, Pebble Class: Consolidated Substrate Subclasses: Bedrock, Pavement, Reef
Geoform Component (GC) Describes the major geomorphic or structural characteristics of the coast and seafloor at various scales Initial list derived from Greene et al. with modifications Three subcomponents: Tectonic Setting - Major tectonic features (abyssal plain, fracture zone, active continental margin) Physiographic Setting major landscape and seascape features that are not nested in any larger features (fjord, continental shelf, riverine estuary) Geoform and Subforms- and Types seafloor structures that range in size from 100 s of kilometers to less than a meter (determined by size) Anthropogenic (berm, harbor, artificial reef). Biogenic (reefs) Geologic (eg. delta, embayment, channel).
Water Column Component (WCC) Describes the structures, patterns and processes of the water column Three Subcomponents Physico-Chemical Salinity, temperature, turbidity Vertical stratification based on clines Hydroforms water column structure
Ecoregion Component (EC) Based on Spalding et al. 2007 Marine Ecoregions of the World 12 Realms 62 Provinces 232 Ecoregions Covering all coastal and shelf waters of the world. 15
Modifiers A consistent set of variables used to further describe a standard unit and allow users customize their application of the classification in a standardized way Examples: Energy Level Percent Cover Slope Rugosity
Seagrass Bed Classification Aquatic Setting Marine Nearshore Subtidal Biotic Component Class: Aquatic Vegetation Bed Subclass: Saltwater Aquatic Rooted Veg. Biotic Group: Seagrass Bed Biotope: Thalassia testudinum Herbaceous Veg. Modifier: Dense Substrate Component Class: Unconsolidated Substrate Subclass: Fine Unconsolidated Substrate Group: Sand Geoform Component Physiographic Setting: Coast Geoform: Lagoon Water Column Component Not used (Gulf of Mexico) Image: C. Moses 17
Mapped at 100m 2 minimum polygon size WCC Non-Stratified BBC Coastal Marsh Rooted Vascular (patchy) Rooted Vascular (continuous) Macroalgae SGC Mollusk Reef Biota (anthro) Unconsolidated Substrate Scale 1:24,000
Resources kathy_goodin@natureserve.org CMECS Web Site www.csc.noaa.gov/benthic/cmecs Standards Document http://www.fgdc.gov/standards/projects/fgdcstandards-projects/cmecs-folder/cmecs-index-page CMECS Unit Catalogue www.cmecscatalogue.org 19