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National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis

Project Description

Determining if overall ecosystem benefits are achieved for large-scale ecological restoration efforts can be difficult, especially in the context of the ecological function of restored habitats. Fish and shellfish communities, fisheries industries, and individual species and fishers will be directly or indirectly affected by restoration projects in the Gulf of Mexico. Limitations in funding and monitoring capacity/scalability can stifle a comprehensive understanding of restoration benefits. We propose to synthesize existing data to evaluate the impact of large-scale restoration efforts on estuarine-dependent fish populations and their flow-on effects to commercial and recreational fisheries. With a workgroup consisting of representatives from National Estuary Programs, Sea Grant, research institutions, and agencies involved in coastal restoration and fisheries research and management, we will conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis of published research while harnessing existing repositories of restoration projects, census and industry trends, and long-term fisheries-independent and -dependent monitoring data. We will focus on Florida estuaries that are representative of the latitudinal gradient for social-ecological systems across the Gulf of Mexico facing exceptional risks from climate change. The results of this effort will yield crucial insights into the future potential of Gulf restoration actions amidst a rapidly changing climate, fish community, and society.

Walia GEI group photo

Principal Investigator(s)

Kerry Flaherty Walia, Angela B. Collins, Blake Simmons

Project Dates

active

Participants

Cameron Ainsworth
University of South Florida
Savanna C Barry
Universty of Florida
Edward Camp
Universty of Florida
Angela B. Collins
University of Florida
Kerry Flaherty Walia
Tampa Bay Estuary Program (TBEP)
Kristen Kaufman
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Kelly Kibler
University of Central Florida
Anastasia Konefal
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Dominique Lazarre
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
Keith Mille
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC)
Jennifer S. Rehage
Florida International University
Hallie Repeta
University of South Florida
Courtney Saari
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FFWCC)
Meagan N Schrandt
National Park Service
Steven Scyphers
University of Southern Alabama
Blake Simmons
Tampa Bay Estuary Program
Grace Stringer
University of South Alabama
Caitlin Young
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)