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Coastal and Marine Systems of North America COASTAL AND MARINE SYSTEMS OF NORTH AMERICA FRAMEWORK FOR AN ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION STANDARD: VERSION II NatureServe is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing the scientific knowledge that forms the basis for effective conservation. Citation: Madden, Christopher J., Dennis H. Grossman, and Kathleen L. Goodin. 2005. Coastal and Marine Systems of North America: Framework for an Ecological Classification Standard: Version II. NatureServe, Arlington, Virginia. © NatureServe 2005 This work was made possible with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries Office of Habitat Conservation, the NOAA Coastal Services Center, and the Commission for Environmental Cooperation. This document is a revision of the CMECS classification produced in 2004 (Madden and Grossman, 2004) incorporating recommendations from several outside reviewers. The viewpoints in this publication are those of NatureServe and may not necessarily reflect the views of NOAA. Front cover photos: Shoreline © Bruce Heinemann. Sea otter © Russell Illig. Sea turtle © Kim Steele. NatureServe 1101 Wilson Boulevard, 15th Floor Arlington, VA 22209 703-908-1800 www.natureserve.org ii COASTAL AND MARINE SYSTEMS OF NORTH AMERICA FRAMEWORK FOR AN ECOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION STANDARD: VERSION II Christopher J. Madden Dennis H. Grossman Kathleen L. Goodin Collaborating Authors Megan Dethier Kathleen Sullivan Sealey James Maragos Rebecca J. Allee Tom Hourigan Stephen K. Brown Dail Brown Jonathan Higgins Mark Costello Kristin Snow Carleton Ray Pace Wilber Michael Beck December 2005 iii Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the following individuals whose contributions were essential to the development of this classification. Members of the NOAA Management Team who provided funding, guidance and essential input to the development of the framework: Rebecca Allee, Ph.D., Dail Brown, Ph.D., Stephen K. Brown, Ph.D., Tom Hourigan, Ph.D., Pace Wilker, Ph.D., and Beth Lumsden, Knauss Fellow. Members of the Coastal Services Center (Charleston, South Carolina), who provided much support and assistance in communications, web support, convening workshops, and review and editing of reports: Mark Finkbeiner, Ph.D., Anne Hale-Miglarese, Pace Wilber, Ph.D., and several anonymous reviewers. Members of the Commission for Environmental Cooperation (Montreal, Canada) and associated expert team leaders who contributed to and developed the Level 1 ecological regions and maps: Juan Bezuary Creel, Hans Hermann, Carlos Valdez, Ed Wiken, Ph.D., and Tara Wilkenson. Members of the Coastal and Marine Classification Expert Team, who assisted in development of the conceptual framework of the classification: Michael Beck, Ph.D., Megan Dethier, Ph.D., Tom Hourigan, Ph.D., James Maragos, Ph.D., and Kathleen Sullivan Sealey, Ph.D. NatureServe staff who assisted in organizing meetings and workshops, provided maps, graphics, and technical support: Beth Bodmann, Linda Evers, Meghann Gili, Amanda Morris, Cristiane Nascimento, Rebecca Price, Rob Riordan, and Rob Solomon. NatureServe ecologists Don Faber-Langendoen and Kristin Snow, Tyler Christensen at NOAA, and Karen Stocks, Assistant Research Scientist at the San Diego Supercomputer Center, contributed invaluable input to the development of both the classification and the report. We are grateful for financial assistance from the NOAA Coastal Services Center through Order #EA133C-03-SE-0275. In particular, Dr. Dail Brown, Dr. Rebecca Allee, Dr. Tom Hourigan and Dr. Pace Wilber provided invaluable assistance for this effort. iv Workshop Participants We also thank the following for their participation at a workshop convened in Charleston, South Carolina on March 3-6, 2003. Becky Allee Denny Grossman Program Advisor, NOAA Vice President for Science Silver Spring, MD NatureServe [email protected] Arlington, VA [email protected] Peter Auster Science Director, National Undersea Research Center John B. Heiser University of Connecticut at Avery Point Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Groton, CT Cornell University [email protected] Ithaca, NY [email protected] Dail Brown Division Chief - Ecosystem Assessment/NMFS Jonathan Higgins Silver Spring, MD Senior Freshwater Ecologist [email protected] The Nature Conservancy Chicago, IL Mark Costello [email protected] The Huntsman Marine Science Centre St. Andrews, New Brunswick, Canada Tom Hourigan [email protected] Biodiversity Coordinator, NOAA Silver Spring, MD Megan Dethier [email protected] Research Associate Professor, Zoology University of Washington and Friday Harbor Labs Brenda Konar Friday Harbor, WA Assistant Professor [email protected] School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks Bob Diaz Fairbanks, Alaska Virginia Institute of Marine Science [email protected] Gloucester, VA [email protected] Beth Lumsden Coral Reef Program Manager, NOAA Mark Finkbeiner Silver Spring, MD NOAA/CSC [email protected] Charleston, SC [email protected] Christopher J. Madden Senior Coastal Marine Ecologist Fred Grassle NatureServe Director, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences Arlington, VA Rutgers University [email protected] New Brunswick, NJ [email protected] Jim Maragos Coral Reef Biologist & Field Dive Officer Gary Greene Pacific/Remote Islands National Wildlife Refuge Moss Landing Marine Laboratories Complex Moss Landing, CA U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service [email protected]] Honolulu, HI [email protected] Coastal and Marine Systems of North America v Daniel Miller Ken Sherman Habitat Restoration Coordinator Director, Office of Marine Ecosystems Studies Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve UDOC/NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Annadale, NY Narraganset Laboratory [email protected] Narraganset, RI [email protected] Mark Monaco Manager - Biogeography Program, NOAA Saundra Upchurch Silver Spring, MD ACE Basin National Estuarine Research Reserve [email protected] Charleston, SC [email protected] Pete Parker NMFS Beaufort Lab Erik Van Dyke Beaufort, NC Geographical Ecologist [email protected] Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve Watsonville, CA Carleton Ray [email protected] Research Professor Department of Environmental Sciences Betty Wenner University of Virginia Marine Resources Research Institute Charlottesville, VA Charleston, SC [email protected] [email protected] Phil Roni Pace Wilber Watershed Program Manager NOAA Coastal Services Center National Marine Fisheries Services Charleston, SC Seattle, WA [email protected] [email protected] Nancy Wright Bill Sargent Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources Florida Marine Research Institute University of Idaho Florida Marine Conservation Community Moscow, ID St. Petersburg, FL [email protected] [email protected] Mark Zacharias Carl Shoch Assistant Professor, Environmental Science and Kachemak Bay Research Preserve Resource Management Homer, AK California State University Channel Islands [email protected] Camarillo, CA [email protected] Kathleen Sullivan Sealey Associate Professor, Department of Biology University of Miami Coral Gables, FL [email protected] vi NatureServe Table of Contents Acknowledgements.................................................................................................. iv Workshop Participants ...............................................................................................v List of Figures and Tables........................................................................................ ix Executive Summary ...................................................................................................1 Introduction................................................................................................................3 Guiding Principles ...................................................................................................................... 3 The Classification Hierarchy .....................................................................................6 Level 1 Regime........................................................................................................................... 8 Brief Description..................................................................................................................................8 Detailed Description and Rationale.....................................................................................................9 Estuarine Regime .................................................................................................................................9 Freshwater-influenced Regime ..........................................................................................................10 Nearshore Marine Regime .................................................................................................................11 Neritic Regime....................................................................................................................................11 Oceanic Regime .................................................................................................................................11 Level 2: Formation.................................................................................................................... 12 Brief Description................................................................................................................................12
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