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snippet:
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Readily-available spatial information was compiled and synthesized to characterize the biogoegraphy of marine areas around the Main Hawaiian Islands. |
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summary:
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Readily-available spatial information was compiled and synthesized to characterize the biogoegraphy of marine areas around the Main Hawaiian Islands. |
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extent:
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[[-179.999988541187,15.462859375058],[179.999988541187,31.7978661719843]] |
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accessInformation:
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Project funded by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), Pacific Outer Continental Shelf Office |
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thumbnail:
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thumbnail/thumbnail.png |
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typeKeywords:
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["Data","Service","Map Service","ArcGIS Server"] |
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description:
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The state of Hawai‘i is working to develop local renewable energy sources to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels. Most of the State’s potential renewable energy resources (notably, wind) are located in federal waters from 3 to 200 nm offshore. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) regulates the leasing, construction and operation of renewable energy projects in federal waters, and is required to evaluate potential human, coastal and marine impacts from these projects. BOEM partnered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) to gather biogeographic information in support of this evaluation around the Main Hawaiian Islands (MHI). The complexity of products from this assessment range from simple animal distribution maps to mathematical models depicting the predicted distributions of animals. Biogeographic analyses and data products were specifically tailored to meet BOEM’s needs, and designed to fit within BOEM’s framework of offshore lease blocks.
This biogeographic assessment addresses three main questions: (1) how are select species or taxonomic groups distributed spatially and temporally around the MHI?; (2) what environmental conditions influence these distributions?; and (3) what significant gaps exist in our knowledge about the biogeography of the area? To answer these questions, readily-available spatial information was compiled and synthesized, including information on the physical and biological environment, benthic habitats, fishes, sea turtles, marine mammals, and seabirds. The assessment focused on federal waters and taxa that were: (1) more likely to interact with renewable energy infrastructure, (2) culturally significant, (3) legally protected, and/or (4) economically valuable. Collaborations with local managers, scientists, and experts from a variety of federal, state, academic and non-governmental organizations were crucial. These partners contributed their data, time and expertise, and many were contributing coauthors on the final report.
The biogeography of the MHI is shaped by atmospheric and oceanographic conditions that operate at different temporal and spatial scales around the islands. Marine animals respond to these changing conditions in different ways. Some taxonomic groups and species use the same locations year round (e.g., on Penguin Bank or offshore of the Kona Coast, Hawaiʻi), while most taxa utilize different geographic areas at different times of the year. Understanding these spatial and temporal patterns is critical for marine spatial planning efforts. For some taxa, this marine biogeographic assessment marks the first time that their space-use patterns were mapped or modeled in the MHI, and the associated data compilation made available online. It establishes a baseline for assessing potential impacts, a guide for monitoring change, a roadmap for prioritizing how to fill data gaps, and a framework for integrating ocean research and management efforts moving forward.
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licenseInfo:
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catalogPath:
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title:
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NCCOS Marine Biogeographic Assessment of the Main Hawaiian Islands: Synthesized physical and biological data offshore of the Main Hawaiian Islands from 1891 to 2015 |
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type:
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Map Service |
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url:
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tags:
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["Main Hawaiian Islands","Marine Biogeographic Assessment"] |
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culture:
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en-US |
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name:
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BiogeographicAssessments_NCCOS_MHIMarineBiogeographicAssessment |
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guid:
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ADFE38E5-A735-46A9-8809-33A5ADF5C0EF |
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spatialReference:
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WGS_1984_Web_Mercator_Auxiliary_Sphere |