The Coastal Ecology program here at CCEHBR provides NOAA with a sound scientific basis to achieve important national strategic goals, such as: sustaining healthy coastal ecosystems, building sustainable fisheries, and recovering protected species.

As part of the ecosystem, coral reefs are an important descriptor of current conditions around them, so the science (biomedical approaches) behind studying their ideal environmental conditions and the stressors that afflict reef-building corals are an ongoing study.

That’s where the Charleston facility comes in – their unique areas of expertise include: advanced analytical and biomolecular technology used in harmful algal bloom, coral disease, marine mammal, and fisheries-related investigations, and several other fields way over my head; the important thing is that the NOAA facility here is more than just a masthead – they are conducting real science, and we all benefit from it.

While dealing with coral and coral reefs everyday in your work life, they obviously have the chance to take some spectacular photos, and thanks to volunteer James Nicholson at NOAA NOS NCCOS Coral Culture and Collaborative Research Facility here on Fort Johnson , we get to see one closeup:

A 6x resolution photo of a mushroom coral, winning 13th Place in the 2010 Nikon Small World Photography Contest.
Credit: Nikon Small World

Speaking of reefs, here’s an incredible video of an artificial reef created via sculpture!

And finally, here’s several pictures of dead coral, exactly how you don’t want it looking – thanks BP!

Nine public hearings will be held on NASA’s proposal to rebuild shark populations from New England to the Gulf of Mexico, in August and September.

The proposal covers 3 shark species:

1. It promotes the live release of shortfin mako sharks by commercial and recreational fishermen to help rebuild the species population in the Atlantic Ocean. The U.S. contributes less than 10% to the overall catch in the Atlantic. NOAA’s Fisheries Service has proposed to take action at the international level to develop measures to end overfishing of shortfin mako sharks.
2. A stock assessment determined that reducing the annual mortality of blacknose sharks by approximately 78% across all fisheries could result in rebuilding by 2027.
3. Finally, the proposal would also add smooth dogfish to the species managed by the NOAA’s Fisheries Service – requiring a federal fishing permit and proposes an annual commercial quota of 645.8 metric tons dressed weight.

Here is the info for the Charleston meeting:

For more information on the proposed action, the Federal Register notice, and for the list of public hearings, see http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/sfa/hms.

(Credit: NOAA)

(Credit: NOAA)

(Credit: NOAA)