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Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California

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Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California Ecological linkages: Marine and estuarine ecosystems of Central and Northern California Item Type monograph Authors Airame, Satie; Gaines, Steven; Caldow, Chris Publisher NOAA/National Ocean Service/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science Download date 02/10/2021 08:49:49 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/1834/19970 Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California U.S. Department of Commerce National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Ocean Service Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California Satie Airamé* and Steven Gaines Marine Science Institute University of California Santa Barbara, California 93106 Chris Caldow Biogeography Program Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Silver Spring, MD 20910 November 2003 *Corresponding author’s email: [email protected] Citation: Airamé, S., S. Gaines, and C. Caldow. 2003. Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California. NOAA, National Ocean Service. Silver Spring, MD. 164 p. i Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California Table of Contents I. Executive Summary ................................................................................................. 1 II. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 8 III. Methods....................................................................................................................9 IV. National Marine Sanctuaries of Central and Northern California.......................... 11 V. Geographic Setting of the Study Area.................................................................... 13 VI. Ocean Currents ....................................................................................................... 20 VII. Oceanographic Seasons.......................................................................................... 22 VIII. Natural Perturbations.............................................................................................. 24 A. El Niño-Southern Oscillation ................................................................................... 24 B. Pacific Decadal Oscillation....................................................................................... 26 C. Global Warming........................................................................................................ 27 IX. Ecosystems ............................................................................................................. 28 A. Lagoon and Estuarine Communities ................................................................... 28 B. Sandy Beach Communities ................................................................................. 34 C. Rocky Intertidal Communities ............................................................................ 38 D. Kelp Forest Communities.................................................................................... 43 E. Neritic and Epipelagic Communities .................................................................. 47 F. Benthic Communities on the Continental Shelf .................................................. 55 G. Continental Slope (200-3000 m) ......................................................................... 59 H. Deep Sea (>3000 m) & Seamount Communities ................................................ 62 I. Submarine Canyon Communities........................................................................ 65 J. Cold Seep Communities...................................................................................... 70 K. Offshore Island Communities ............................................................................. 72 X. Biogeographic Distributions................................................................................... 78 XI. Conclusions ............................................................................................................ 86 XII. Bibliography........................................................................................................ 127 ii Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California Figures 1. Seafloor off of northern/central California highlighting the complex bathymetry of the study region from Point Arena to Point Sal.................................................................93 2. Locator map and regional bathymetry for the northern area of the study region (Point Arena to just south of Half Moon Bay). .....................................................................94 3. Locator map and regional bathymetry for the central area of the study region (Pigeon Point to just south of Sur Canyon). .............................................................................95 4. Locator map and regional bathymetry for the southern area of the study region (Lucia Canyon to Point Arguello). .........................................................................................96 5. Watersheds and sediments of the study region. Sediment coverage was not available as far north as Point Arena. .........................................................................................97 6. Seasonal sea surface temperature and chlorophyll. These maps were developed summarizing monthly averages for temperature (1996 – 1999) and chlorophyll (1998 – 2000) in a 9 km grid. Maps are representative of upwelling, intermittent upwelling and winter storm periods. ............................................................................................98 7. Sea surface temperatures prior to El Niño (August 1996 – April 1997) and during El Niño (August 1997 – April 1998). Data presented are averaged for the given month and summarized in a 9 km grid. ..................................................................................99 8a. Distribution of kelp from Pt. Sur north. The first map shows the administrative kelp bed status along the coast and the following maps are enlarged areas of the coast showing actual kelp beds digitized from 1999 aerial photography. ..........................100 8b. Distribution of kelp from Pt. Sur south. The first map shows the administrative kelp bed status along the coast and the following maps are enlarged areas of the coast showing actual kelp beds digitized from 1999 aerial photography. ..........................101 9. Range endpoints of selected marine benthic algae along the west coast of the United States shown in 1/2O increments. The histogram was developed from a range endpoint analysis conducted by D. Sax (University of California, Santa Barbara) on over 830 species of marine benthic algae. The black box represents the study region. 102 10. Range endpoints of selected marine invertebrates along the west coast of the United States shown in 0.5O increments. The histogram was developed from data on over 770 species of marine benthic invertebrates provided by G. Eckert (University of Alaska Southeast). The black box represents the study region. ................................103 11. Range endpoints of selected marine fishes along the west coast of the United States shown in 1/2O increments. The histogram was developed from data on species of 613 marine fishes compiled by the authors. The black box represents the study region..104 iii Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California 12. Range endpoints of selected seabirds and shorebirds along the west coast of the United States shown in 2O increments. The histogram was developed from data on species of 131 seabirds and shorebirds compiled by the authors. The black box represents the study region and is drawn past Point Conception so that it includes the data representing the range termini at 35 O. ..............................................................105 13. Range endpoints of selected marine mammals along the west coast of the United States shown in 2O increments. The histogram was developed from data on species of 49 marine mammals compiled by the authors. The black box represents the study region and is drawn past Point Conception so that it includes the data representing the range termini at 35 O. .................................................................................................106 iv Ecological Linkages: Marine and Estuarine Ecosystems of Central and Northern California Tables 1. Databases and online catalogs. ..................................................................................107 2. Selected journals available at the Davidson Library, University of California, Santa Barbara.......................................................................................................................109 3. Keywords for research on the National Marine Sanctuary Program. ......................112 4. Keywords for research on oceanography. .................................................................112 5. Keywords for research on habitats. ...........................................................................113 6. Keywords for research on species. For each species, information was gathered on distribution, status, population size, spawning location and time, feeding locations, and predator-prey relationships, as available. ...........................................................114 7. Keywords for research on
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