Characterization of Differential Vulnerability to Ocean Acidification between Park Service Networks in the Pacific West Region
This project is a collaboration between Cabrillo National Monument, Channel Islands National Park (CINP), San Juan Island National Historic Park, and Olympic National Park to assess ocean acidification vulnerability at numerous scales (local, sub-regional, and regional) by establishing a baseline characterization of intertidal acidification at each of these marine parks. Climate change is an issue that affects the entire west coast, and requires cooperative land/seascape scale characterization, mitigation and adaptation strategies that extend across park and network borders.
CIES staff is aiding in this effort by traveling via kayak to the CINP ocean acidification sensor site four times per year and swapping out the sensors to be studied. We are happy to lend a hand in researching this important issue.
Assessing Endangered Black Abalone Recruitment and Conducting Black Abalone Monitoring In Channel Islands National Park
The Black Abalone is a federally endangered species and is subject to decline from impacts such as ocean acidification, over-fishing, and lack of suitable habitat. The population in Channel Islands National Park is at 1% of its historic population and so they are being monitored and assessed to find ways of aiding this species in recovery. CIES has been tasked with assisting CINP with Black abalone monitoring at Santa Cruz Island. Staff travels to monitoring locations 4 times per year via kayak to measure the growth of current populations in designated monitoring plots and also measure recruitment onto abalone recruitment modules (a pilot study). This project is a collaboration between Channel Islands National Park, University of California Santa Cruz, Point Reyes National Seashore, Golden Gate National Recreation Area.
