According to the National Marine Sanctuaries Act (NMSA), a candidate site can become a sanctuary if one of several characteristics is deemed nationally significant. One of these characteristics is scientific significance of the area. Scientific significance might be demonstrated by the presence of research facilities nearby, historical use of the area for research, and the potential of the area to serve as a site for future research.
The Exclusion Area, lying between the San Francisco Bay, GFNMS, MBNMS, and CBNMS, presents unique and varied opportunities for scientific research and has high value to the scientific community. Research themes include wildlife, oceanographic processes, climate change impacts, and the urban-marine environment interface. The ecological and oceanographic qualities of the Area lend it to various types of scientific studies. Based on research activities currently conducted in the Exclusion Area and the
potential for future research opportunities, it can be considered “significant” under our emergent criteria.
Research Institutions near the Exclusion Area
While there are no major research institutions located within the Exclusion Area, there are a number located in the surrounding area that conduct research in coastal and marine ecosystems. Academic institutions in the San Francisco Bay Area include University of California, Berkeley, San Francisco State University, University of California, Davis (through the Bodega Marine Lab), and Stanford University. Marine laboratories in the area include Bodega Marine Lab, Romberg Tiburon Center, Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science, the Marine Mammal Center, Tomales Bay Marine Station, Point Reyes National Seashore, and Southwest Fisheries Science Center. Government agencies involved in research in the area include California Department of Fish and Wildlife, California Sea Grant, Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries, San Francisco Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, National Park Service, and U.S. Geological Survey. In addition, non-
governmental organizations also conduct research in the surrounding areas [77]. Featured Research in the Exclusion Area
In order to begin defining the scientific value of the Exclusion Area, we can look to the number of scientific collecting permits for the Area. The California Code of Regulations authorizes the take or possession of marine plants or animals for scientific, educational, or propagation purposes with a permit issued by California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Holders of scientific collecting permits are required to submit a Report of Specimens Collected or Salvaged within 30 days of the permit expiring.
Region 4 of the Marine Life Protection Act (MLPA) North Central Coast Study Region extends from Double Point in Marin to Point San Pedro in Pacifica. It fully encompasses the Exclusion Area and is about twice the size of the Exclusion Area. Within a recent 1 ½ year period, 12% of scientific collecting permit reports filed for the North Central Coast Study Region were within Region 4 [77]. While this is not
very high compared with areas like the Farallon Islands or the Monterey Bay, it does indicate that the Area is important for scientific research.
Also, scientific collecting permits are regularly requested from the National Park Service for research activities in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which includes the shoreline areas lying within the Exclusion Area [94].
One study that takes place in the Exclusion Area, conducted by the Cohen Lab at the Romburg Tiburon Center for Environmental Studies at San Francisco State University, conducts genetic sampling and population monitoring of the six-rayed seastar Leptasterias aequalis. This study has found that
populations of the seastar closest to the Golden Gate Bridge show a distinct genotype. This finding may correlate with oceanic factors including the offshore current patterns from SF Bay [95].
The Applied California Current Ecosystem Studies (ACCESS) is a partnership between Point Reyes Bird Observatory Conservation Science, CBNMS, and GFNMS that has been conducting research offshore of northern California since 2004. ACCESS surveys oceanic habitats in northern and central California and includes two transect lines through the Exclusion Area. Researchers monitor oceanographic processes, zooplankton, marine birds, and marine mammals. According to the ACCESS group, this integrative, collaborative, and multi-disciplinary research program aims to “inform managers, policy-makers and conservation partners about wildlife responses to changes in ocean conditions and human threats to mobilize public support for marine conservation” [96].
Conclusions and Emergent Criteria Evaluation
The Exclusion Area meets several of the emergent sanctuary designation criteria for scientific value, meaning it can be considered “significant” according to the NMSA. The Area has high research potential due to pre-existing research projects and the interesting nature of its natural resources. There are no established research facilities or major research projects based in the Exclusion Area, but numerous smaller scale projects or studies conducted by various organizations and institutions take place at least in part in the Exclusion Area. There are also numerous facilities near the Exclusion Area that conduct coastal marine research, and unique habitats and several species of interest for scientific research.
Table 12: Comparison of Scientific Qualities of the Exclusion Area with Emergent Criteria. Emergent Criteria Does the Exclusion Area fulfill this criterion? W e st C o as t sa n ctu ar ie s
High research potential due to pre-existing research projects
and the interesting nature of the sanctuary's natural resources Yes Five to 21 research facilities or major research endeavors are
being conducted or have been conducted in the area. No
Ea st C o as t, t ro p ic al , a n d su b tr o p ic al s an ctu ar ie s
Most sanctuaries have high research potential due to the presence of a unique habitat or a species of interest.
Yes
While most sanctuaries do not cite the number of institutions that conduct research in their waters, it is clear that most sanctuaries are commonly used in field research.