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Monterey Bay Issue Name: Ecosystem Protection – Davidson Seamount davidson critter

Located 80 miles south-west of Monterey, the Davidson Seamount is an impressive geologic feature with potentially significant resource management needs. Davidson Seamount is geologically young but has remarkable biological communities, including large, dense patches of sponges and apparently extremely old coral forests, with individuals commonly reaching more than 3 m in height. Rare species, such as the black-footed albatross and the federally listed endangered sperm whales, have been sighted at the seamount. Seamounts provide structure for animals to live on, and the structure creates oceanographic effects that promote the production of food. Many of these deep-sea animals, such as gorgonians, mushroom corals, and sponges, spend their entire lives permanently attached to rocks, and therefore depend on ocean currents to bring their food to them. A seamount, by rising from the seafloor, has strong currents that frequently run over it, providing the animals living along its flanks with a constant supply of planktonic food. These same currents also produce localized upwelling of water around the seamount. Nutrients like nitrates and phosphates, which are critical to the growth of phytoplankton, are then lifted from deepwater to the sunlit surface waters. These nutrients fuel a surge of planktonic plant and animal growth, and attract larger animals such as whales, sharks, tunas, and seabirds to a veritable feast. The settlement of larvae from distant geographical areas in addition to the other biological interactions make the Davidson Seamount a significant "hot spot" of biodiversity.


Documents:
Issue Summary
  See the Proposed Action Plans
Working Group Roles and Responsibilities
  Roles and Responsibilities (pdf 24K)
  Consensus Based Decision Making (pdf 24K)
Meeting Preparation
   
   
Additional Information
   
 

JMPR Documents


Working Group Participants:
~Working Group Contact~
Name Affiliation Email Phone
Andrew Devogelaere MBNMS andrew.devogelaere@noaa.gov  831-647-4213
~Sanctuary Advisory Council Members (SAC) & Other Stakeholders ~
Name Affiliation
Kaitilin Gaffney MBNMS SAC, Conservation    
Ron Massengill MBNMS SAC, At Large    
Gregor Cailliet Moss Landing Marine Labs    
David Clague Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute    
Curt Collins Naval Postgraduate School    
Kathy Fosmark Alliance of Communities for Sustainable Fisheries    
Randy Kochevar Monterey Bay Aquarium    
Meredith Lopuch World Wildlife Fund, MBNMS Conservation Working Group    
Tom Roff Commercial Fisherman    
~MBNMS Staff ~
Name Affiliation Email Phone
Erica Burton MBNMS erica.burton@noaa.gov 831-647-4246
Bill Douros MBNMS bill.douros@noaa.gov 831-647-4258
Sean Morton MBNMS sean.morton@noaa.gov 831-647-4217

Working Group Timeline:
Start: January, 2003
Date
Time Location Documents
January 27
10am-12pm MBNMS Main Office  
February 28
9:30am-12:30pm MBNMS Main Office  
March 27
9:30am-12:30pm MBNMS Main Office  
April 23
9:30am-12:30pm MBNMS Main Office  
Complete: April, 2003
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