Marine Resources Assessment for the Marianas Operating ... - SPREP

AUGUST 2005 FINAL REPORT
6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS
The following recommendations are designed to acquire more information to address substantial data
gaps and improve our understanding of the marine resources in the waters off of Guam and the CNMI,
especially those resources potentially affected by Navy operations. Each recommendation is assigned a
priority value of 1, 2, or 3; 1 is the highest priority while 3 is the lowest. The priority designations are
relative to each other and in no way refer to a project’s overall value. The relative cost of each
recommendation is labeled low, moderate, or high. Low-cost recommendations may be completed at a
cost of several hundred to a few thousand dollars. Moderate cost projects could range from thousands to
tens of thousands of dollars, while high-cost research initiatives range from tens of thousands to more
than one hundred thousand dollars.
The recommendations are grouped into those related to the production and evaluation of the MRA and
those needed to adequately complete environmental documentation for the study area of the Marianas
MRA.
6.1 MARINE RESOURCE ASSESSMENTS
Revise the Marianas MRA every two to four years. The MRA would need a full revision of the text,
data, GIS maps, and other informational components so that newly available datasets and published
literature can be incorporated. The Navy needs the best (i.e., most recent, most complete, and most
accurate) available information to evaluate future actions and consider adjustments to training
exercises or operations in order to mitigate any potential impacts to protected marine resources.
Periodic updates would be of moderate cost relative to the initial MRA. Cost: High. Priority: 1.
Subject the Marianas MRA to peer review. Peer review by regulatory agencies (e.g., NOAA Fisheries
and USFWS), the general scientific community, and potential government users (e.g., MMS and
Marine Corps) would increase the effectiveness of this MRA. Biologists from universities and
agencies (Table 6-1) could evaluate the collection, synthesis, and interpretation of data (including
data completeness) and provide suggestions for improvements to the MRA. Cost: Low. Priority: 1.
Table 6-1. Suggested expert reviewers for the Marianas Islands.
Name Affiliation
Mr. George Balazs NOAA Fisheries, Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center
Dr. Scott Eckert Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network (WIDECAST)
Duke University
Dr. Patricia Fryer Hawai’i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology
University of Hawai’i at Manoa,
Dr. Robert Hofman (retired) Marine Mammal Commission, Scientific Program Director
Mr. Peter Houk Division of Environmental Quality, Saipan
Dr. Steven Kolinski NOAA Fisheries, Joint Institute for Marine and Atmospheric
Research, Pacific Island Regional Office
Dr. Tomio Miyashita National Research Institute of Far Sea Fisheries, Japan
Dr. Gustav Paulay Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida
Dr. Randall Reeves Private consultant; marine mammal expert
Mr. John Starmer CNMI Coastal Resources Management Office
Mr. Michael Trianni CNMI Division of Fish and Wildlife
6-1