NEWSWAVE NEWS FROM THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR: OCEANS, COASTS AND GREAT LAKES IN THIS EDITION: Spring 2013 National Ocean Policy .............1 Implementing the Rapidly Changing Arctic ..........1 National Ocean Policy San Juan Islands Monument ...3 Secretary Jewell Dives In By Liza Johnson, DOI Sea Turtles and MPAs ...............4 Interior’s new Secretary, Sally Superior Honors for ECS Team .5 Jewell, has embraced the newly Invasive Species Awards .........6 released final implementation plan Water Test for Beach Safety .....6 for the President’s National Ocean Policy for the Stewardship of the Interior’s Knauss Fellows .........7 Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Mapping Workshops ................8 Lakes. “As the new Secretary for Jewell visits Offshore Oil Rig ...8 one of the federal departments Secretary Jewell was sworn in on April Managing Arctic Ecosystems 10 most involved in implementing 12, 2013. The National Ocean Policy President Obama’s National Ocean Implementation Plan was released on April Regional Ocean Planning.......11 Policy, I look forward to working 16. Photo credit: Tami Heilemann, DOI Deepwater Discoveries ..........11 with the National Ocean Council Strategy for Change ...............12 to build on its collaborative accom- Managing Resources Adaptive Management ..........12 in a Rapidly Changing See Action Plan page 23 Arctic A Horseshoe Crab Story .........13 New Report Part of White House Critical Forage Fish .................14 Strategy US Coral Reef Task Force .......15 By Joel Clement and Randal Bowman, DOI New USGS Map Series ............15 The Arctic is warming faster than Rigs to Reefs ............................16 any other region on Earth, bring- Salmon in the Classroom .......17 Managing ing dramatic reductions in sea-ice extent, altered weather, and thaw- News from the Regions ..........18 for the Future ing permafrost. Implications of in a Rapid l y Great Lakes Water Use ............18 Changing Arctic these changes include rapid coastal erosion threatening villages and Tsunami Preparedness ...........19 A REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT coastal facilities, loss of wildlife Emergency Public Alerts ........19 habitat, ecosystem instability, and Interagency Working Group on Coordination of Tiny Stowaways ......................20 Domestic Energy Development and Permitting in Alaska unpredictable impacts on subsis- Chair: David J. Hayes Restoring Everglades Flow ....21 Deputy Secretary, Department of the Interior tence activities and critical social Oil Platforms and Fishes ........21 As part of the Administration’s Arctic needs. Strategy, Interior played a leadership Increased human activity in this Tiny Grazers ............................22 role in developing the new report environmentally-sensitive region The Surfing Bison ......................24 highlighting the need for a coordinated approach in the Arctic. Report cover image credit: NOAA See Arctic page 9 NEWSWAVE • Spring 2013 For more information Visit us online: http://www.doi.gov/pmb/ocean/index.cfm about ocean and coastal activities at DOI contact: This issue of NEWSWAVE features stories that illustrate the broad scope of Interior’s stewardship Terry Holman, Coordinator mission for our ocean, coastal and Great Lakes DOI Ocean and Coastal Activities, resources. 1849 C Street, NW, Mail Stop 3530 Washington, D.C. 20240, Interior has a major role in implementing both the Telephone: 202-208-1944, President’s National Ocean Policy and the Arctic Fax: 202-208-4867 Strategic Plan. From the newly designated San Juan [email protected] Islands Monument to the ‘Rigs to Reefs’ program, Interior’s ocean and coastal activities are designed to protect valuable resources while providing benefits Are you interested in contribut- to all Americans. ing to NEWSWAVE? Interior works in partnerships at regional and local June 4-6, 2013 Visit: http://www.doi.gov/pmb/ levels to protect endangered species and their ocean/news/Newswave/index.cfm held at Washington, habitats, address threats from invasive species, and D.C.’s NEWSEUM Please contact Ann Tihansky with further adaptive management capabilities by http://nmsfocean.org/ any questions, comments or to delivering data, tools and maps to inform decisions receive NEWSWAVE via email. and create resiliency across the nation. CHOW-2013 [email protected], 202-208-3342 or 813-727-0841 Watch a video about USFWS specialized fish marking trail- ers that travel throughout the Spring 2013 Contributors Pacific Northwest marking and Editor: Ann Tihansky, USGS tagging different sets of fish DOI: Randal Bowman, Nicole stocks. www.youtube.com/ Bransome, Tami Heilmann, Liza watch?v=QXbjy4qpOVs Johnson USGS: David Ayers, Betsy Boynton, See related story page 17 Andrew Cowder, Norman Grannemann, Kristen Hart, Deborah Hutchinson, Benjamin Jones, Theresa Liedtke, Conor McGowan, Rachel Pawlitz, Collin Smith, Barbara Wilcox, Dave Zawada, NPS: R.A. Winfree, BSEE: Maria Eanes, Dave Smith, BOEM: Matthew Blazek, Maureen Bornholdt, Leann Bullin, Sara Guiltinan, Donna Schroeder, USFWS: Greg Breese, Pat Edwards, Amanda Fortin, Carrie Givens, Meghan Kearney, Alexa Marcigliano, Joe Milmoe, Umi Muawanah, Sarah Cooksey, State of Delaware Paulo Maurin, NOAA Dave Naftzger, Council of Great Lakes Governors Najwa Obeid, NSF Gerrod Smith, Shinnecock Indian Nation Matthew Whalen, UC Davis This map shows the large areas of federal and non-federal land ownership within the Lynn Kendall Arctic. Interior is responsible for managing areas colored orange (BLM), blue (USFWS) and green (NPS). Image credit: Scenarios Network for Alaska and Arctic Planning, Univ. of Alaska, Fairbanks. See related story page 1. 2 NEWSWAVE • Spring 2013 San Juan Islands Designated as National Monument Home to bald eagles, orca whales, harbor seals and other rare species, the San Juan Islands is a chain of 450 islands, rocks and pinnacles. Located in Washington State’s Puget Sound, the archipelago pro- vides an opportunity for visitors, campers, kayakers and birdwatch- ers to experience the natural beauty of the undeveloped, rugged land- scape. A number of historic light- houses are located on the islands, as well as cultural resources and fossils dating back 12,000 years. The islands are part of the tradi- tional territories of the Coast Salish people who first used the area near the end of the last glacial period, about 12,000 years ago. Europeans explored the area in the late 18th century, opening the way for ad- ditional settlement. The San Juan Islands are a beautiful archipelago of more than 450 islands, rocks, and pinnacles in the northern reaches of Washington’s Puget Sound. Photo credits: BLM. The San Juan Islands National Monument was designated by and tourists alike will be able to ties in the San Juan Islands include President Obama on April 1, 2013, enjoy these marvels of the San wildlife watching, fishing, hunting, culminating years of locally-driven Juans – where the land meets the hiking, boating and camping. conservation efforts to ensure sea. This much-deserved designa- BLM Principal Deputy Director this treasured landscape will be tion comes thanks to the hard work Neil Kornze said, “These lands are conserved for future generations of many, from Watmough Bay to some of America’s most breathtak- to enjoy. The monument will be the White House.” As one of five ing and they’ll now be permanently managed by the Interior’s Bureau new national monuments designat- protected as National Conservation of Land Management. ed by President Obama under the Lands.” 1906 Antiquities Act, the San Juan The local community and congres- http://www.blm.gov/or/resources/ Islands include nearly 1,000 acres recreation/sanjuans/ sional delegation leading the con- of land. Recreational opportuni- servation efforts had support from Senator Maria Cantwell and Rep- resentative Rick Larsen, Senator Patty Murray, then-Representative Jay Inslee, and now Representative Suzan DelBene. “At long last, these 1,000 acres of cherished lands in the San Juan Islands will be on the map as a Na- tional Monument,” said Cantwell. “For generations to come, residents 3 NEWSWAVE • Spring 2013 Sea Turtles Benefit From Marine Protected Areas Study offers first look at green sea turtle habitat use in the Dry Tortugas National Park By Rachel Pawlitz, Kristen Hart and Dave Zawada, USGS A new study confirms that green sea turtles are spending much of their time in protected sites A green sea turtle, sporting a USGS satellite tag, is released into the water of Dry within both Dry Tortugas Na- Tortugas National Park, Florida. Photo credit, Andrew Crowder, USGS tional Park and the surrounding a mixed assemblage of other or- areas of the Florida Keys Marine "We were thrilled to find that these ganisms, such as sea fans, sponges, National Sanctuary. The USGS turtles used some areas already and fire coral. study is the first to track the under 'protected' status. The ultimate goal is to help managers federally protected turtles in Dry "Our synergistic approach of com- understand where these endan- Tortugas National Park. bining satellite telemetry data with gered turtles are spending their an extensive habitat map proved Green turtles are listed as en- time both during the breeding to be an effective way to find out dangered in Florida and threat- period and then when they are at exactly what habitats these nesting ened throughout the rest of feeding areas. turtles were using in the Park," said their range. The habits of green Worldwide declines in seagrasses – Dave Zawada, a USGS research sea turtles after their forays to one of the most important habitats oceanographer and co-author on nest on beaches in the South- sea turtles rely on for food – have the study. "We hope to keep push- east U.S. have long remained a already been documented, making ing the frontier of what is known mystery. Until now, it was not data about habitat use critical for about in-water sea turtle habitat clear whether the turtles made managers." use, as this type of scientific infor- use of existing protected areas, - Kristen Hart, USGS research mation is vital for understanding and few details were available as ecologist whether conservation measures are to whether they were suited for effective," said Hart.