what is PISCO The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans is a long- term program of scientific research and training dedicated to advancing the understanding of the California Current Large Marine Ecosystem along the U.S. West Coast. PISCO is pioneering an integrated approach to studying this complex, rich, and economically important environment. PISCO is distinguished by its interdisciplinary approach, large geographic extent, and decades-long time frame. PISCO conducts monitoring and experiments along more than 1,200 miles (2,000 kilometers) of coastline, as well as laboratory and theoretical studies. The research incorporates oceanography, ecology, chemistry, physiology, molecular biology, genetics, and mathematical modeling to gain novel insights into systems ranging from individual animals and plants to the whole ecosystem. PISCO’s findings apply to conservation and resource management issues. PISCO scientists participate in local, regional, national, and international initiatives for marine environmental planning. Through its university courses, PISCO helps to train the next generation of scientists in interdisciplinary approaches to marine research and policy. Established in 1999 with funding from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, PISCO is led by scientists from Oregon State University (OSU), Stanford University’s Hopkins Marine Station, University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), and University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). As of 2005, core PISCO activities are funded by collaborative grants from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. The core support and additional funding from diverse public and private sources make this unique partnership possible. PISCO View from the Wave Crest Coastal Connections Volume 5 Table of Contents ISCO Coastal Connections is an annual publication of the Partnership for 1 View from the Wave Crest Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans 2 Patterns of Change P (PISCO). We welcome you to the fifth issue in the Reproductive Hotspots series that highlights major findings, research projects, Fish Population Genetics as well as outreach and education. Physics of Rocky Shores The interdisciplinary PISCO consortium is an interconnected group of estab- Identifying Fish Birthplaces lished scientists and postdoctoral fellows, science and policy coordinators, data managers, graduate students, and research technicians. The consortium’s work 6 Oceanographic Frontiers is further strengthened by its collaborations with government agencies, non- Monitoring Oceanography government organizations, and academic institutions. This issue of PISCO Modeling Drifting Young Coastal Connections reflects these cumulative efforts and their value for marine Currents and Dispersal Paths policy and management. Articles in this year’s “Patterns of Change” section feature some of our latest 10 Ecological Linkages findings about variations over time and distance in the marine ecology and Changes in Kelp Forests oceanography of the U.S. West Coast. “Oceanographic Frontiers” describes Oceans Affect Shore Ecology PISCO’s extensive ocean-observing network and our research into oceano- Effects of Climate Warming graphic processes in coastal waters. The “Ecological Linkages” section explores new findings about the connections between oceanography and ecological 14 Interdisciplinary Training changes. Results from PISCO’s graduate student programs, including our new & Research marine policy course, are highlighted in “Interdisciplinary Training.” “Sharing PISCO Training Courses the Science” showcases examples of PISCO’s initiatives to communicate scien- 1 Student Showcase tific findings and methods to broader audiences. We invite you to enjoy this issue of PISCO Coastal Connections and the 16 Sharing the Science achievements described on the following pages. Teaching Groups to Monitor PISCO Advises California Straight Talks on Fishing Methods of Stock Assessment PISCO Coastal Connections Program Coordinator: Kristen Milligan PISCO Coastal Connections Coordinators: Satie Airamé, Liz Riley, Cinamon Vann, Amy Windrope Editor & Writer: Peter H. Taylor Creative Director: Monica Pessino Graphics Assistant: Julia Kwinto GIS Support: Will McClintock Line Drawings: Linda D. Nelson Cover photo: Painted greenling (Oxylebius pictus) © 2006 Luke Miller. Cover photo insets, top to bottom: Wyatt Patry, Francis Chan, Jane Lubchenco, Monica Pessino. Opposite page photos, left to right: Gretchen Hofmann, Giacomo Bernardi, Luke Miller, Amy Wagner PISCO Coastal Connections is a publication of PISCO principal investigators (top to bottom, left to right): Libe Washburn (UCSB), Pete Raimondi (UCSC), Steve the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Gaines (UCSB), Mark Denny (Stanford), Margaret McManus (UCSC), Jane Lubchenco (OSU), Jack Barth (OSU), Robert Coastal Oceans (PISCO). Contents © 2006. Warner (UCSB), Steve Palumbi (Stanford), George Somero (Stanford), Mark Carr (UCSC), and Bruce Menge (OSU). For more information about PISCO or to join Not shown: Gretchen Hofmann (UCSB). Photo: Satie Airamé the mailing list for future publications, please contact the consortium at the addresses listed on the back cover. 0)3#/#OASTAL#ONNECTIONS6OLUME Geographic Differences in Barnacle Reproduction In monitoring surveys, PISCO scientists found that barnacles living on the coast near Cape Perpetua, Oregon, produced approximately five times as many offspring as barnacles near Cape Foulweather, Oregon. This reproductive difference may arise from differences in food availability. The waters near Cape Perpetua contain much more phytoplankton, one of the barnacles’ major foods. In targeted experiments, the scientists uncovered even greater differences, as Cape Perpetua barnacles produced 120 times more young than barnacles from Cape Foulweather (see figure above). Other marine species are likely to have reproductive hotspots, and identifying these hotspots could improve management of marine ecosystems (see article, next page). patterns OF change Hotspots for Reproduction and Conservation arine scientists have long suspected that populations of invertebrates living in different places M in the sea may differ in their production of young, but scientists have rarely tested this idea empirically. Using the acorn barnacle (Balanus glandula) as a model, PISCO/OSU doctoral student Heather Leslie Barnacles (Balanus glandula) on the rocky shore. examined geographic variation in barnacle reproduction along the Oregon Photo: Sheri Etchemendy coast to find out whether food supply affected the number of offspring produced. Her research builds on PISCO’s prior findings that phytoplankton, which barnacles eat, are abundant near Cape Perpetua but scarce near Cape Foulweather. Leslie’s research offers an example of how marine scientists can effectively gather information on spatial variation in reproduction and Science of Marine Reserves link it to ecological and oceanographic processes. Leslie collaborated on the Marine reserves offer greater protec- research with PISCO principal investigators Jane Lubchenco and Bruce Menge, tion than any other type of marine postdoctoral fellow Francis Chan, and OSU honors student Erin Breck. protected area (MPA) by completely The research highlights the value of understanding how ecological and protecting animals, plants, and their oceanographic processes influence marine populations. Apparently similar habitat from removal or alteration. habitats along the coast differ markedly in their ecological functioning (see Other MPA designations may allow findings, opposite page). Particular sites may be especially significant sources certain human uses, like recreational of young for some marine invertebrates, serving as reproductive hotspots. 3 fishing. Design of marine reserves and Leslie’s findings are relevant to design of marine protected areas because they other protected areas can be informed suggest the potential to identify and conserve sites with high reproductive by scientific research regarding species rates for certain species. distributions, abundance, dispersal, population replenishment, and inter- Heather Leslie is now a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University. actions with other species. Research Publication: Barnacle reproductive hotspots linked to nearshore ocean conditions. Proceedings of shows that marine reserves can help the National Academy of Sciences 102 (2005): 10534–10539. to protect marine habitats and species, and in some cases restore populations of depleted species. Fish, shellfish, and seaweeds inside marine reserves tend to be larger, more abundant, and more diverse than they are in non-reserve areas. These benefits of marine reserves can boost marine ecosystem resilience and productivity. For more information about the science of marine reserves, visit www.piscoweb.org. Heather Leslie studying barnacle reproduction at Fogarty Creek, along the Oregon coast. Photo: Jane Lubchenco 0)3#/#OASTAL#ONNECTIONS6OLUME Genetics Show Distinct Rockfish Populations PISCO/UCSC graduate student Martha Burford is studying geographic varia- tion in the population genetics of blue rockfish (Sebastes mystinus) and kelp rockfish (S. atrovirens) along the California coast. Adult rockfishes generally do not travel far from the kelp beds and rocky reefs where they live. However, long-distance dispersal of their young might link the state’s rockfishes into one genetically similar population. Burford uses genetic markers, called microsat- ellite loci, to detect genetic differences