Gulf of Mexico Alliance
Ecosystem Integration and Assessment (EIA) Meeting
August 4th, 2011, New Orleans, LA
Meeting Notes & Action Items
Overall Notes of Interest
Total attendance for meeting: 59
Representatives from all five Gulf States attended
Gulf Coastal Environmental Justice Community Ambassador Dr. Joseph Dorsey, an assistant
professor of Environmental Science, Policy & Geography in the College of Arts and Sciences at
the University of South Florida attended.
Announcements
Details on the next EIA Team Meeting will be released as they become available.
The 2011 Gulf Summit will be held December 4-8th, in Houston Texas at the Omni Houston
Hotel. For more information please visit: http://www.sgmsummit.org/.
Meeting notes and presentations can be accessed (using Internet Explorer or an ftp client like
FileZilla) on the HRI FTP site under GOMA_EIA/August2011_Meeting
ftp site - hriftp.tamucc.edu
username – goma
password - cmg1Luzer
Welcome and Introductions
Larry McKinney (HRI), state lead for the EIA PIT welcomed the attendees and reviewed the
goals and agenda for the meeting.
Working Groups Updates
1. Gulf of Mexico Master Mapping Plan Update
Charlene Sylvester (USACE) gave an update on the Master Mapping Plan (GMMMP). Work
continues on developing a mapping plan for the Gulf to help identify opportunities for
collaboration and leveraging limited funding. The scope of data types in the mapping plan is
imagery, elevation data, and derived information products. The scope was widened after the BP
2010 Oil Spill to include oil and gas information. Current tasks include continuing to develop the
website to communicate plan elements, identifying upcoming mapping activities in the Gulf, and
compiling standards and specification for the base data layers. You can access the website at
http://goma.sam.usace.army.mil. Charlene’s presentation can be found at:
ftp://hriftp.tamucc.edu/GOMA_EIA/August2011_Meeting/Sylvester_20110804_GOMA_AllHan
ds.pdf
2. Data Access and Acquisition
Russ Beard (NOAA NCDDC) gave an update on data access and acquisition efforts. He
discussed the development of the Digital Atlas over the past year, and gave a demonstration. The
Atlas will be live on the web around September 7th. An email will be sent out to EIA PIT
Members alerting them that this has occurred. A one page description of the Digital Atlas can be
found at (will link to ftp).
Russ Beard also gave an update on the Ecowatch catalog and Geoportal. There are over four
thousand records in Ecowatch and NCDDC has begun the process of moving GOMA records in
the Ecowatch database to Geoportal.
Jim Gibeaut (HRI) and Seneca Holland (HRI) gave an update on the habitat data collection
efforts which are part of the NOAA HRI Cooperative Agreement to support the EIA PIT. The
data collection efforts which have been ongoing for the last three years will come to an end in
September 2011. The State partners the HRI has been working with to accomplish this task were
recognized. Several presentations from State partners can be found at (will link to ftp).
3. Living Marine Resources
Dave Reed (FIO) gave an LMR update. Dave Reed and Cristina Mazza (FWRI) have been
inputting LMR information, primarily from Dr. Jim Simon’s Food Habits of Fishes Bibliography
into the GAME Catalog. This effort is complete, and they have begun importing other FWCFWRI datasets.
Dave also mentioned that since the February EIA Meeting, one goal of this action item was to
establish a liaison with the Fisheries Council/Commission. This has been accomplished. Steve
Bortone (Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council) will now be participating with the EIA
PIT and the Council is now an official GOMA partner. Larry Simpson from the Gulf States
Fisheries Management Commission has also accepted the invitation to become an official
GOMA partner, and will participate with the EIA PIT in the future. Larry has reached out and
invited GOMA participation with their next Commission meeting in October. Dave Reed will be
attending Council and Commission meetings and continue to coordinate this effort.
4. Wetlands Status and Trends Report
Kate Spear (USGS) provided an update on the Emergent Wetlands Status and Trends Report.
Larry Handley (USGS) and Kate have been working on the Introduction and Methodology
sections and draft state chapters and vignettes. They are planning to have the Literature Review,
Introduction, and Table of Contents posted on the project website by the next All Hands
Meeting. They have had a hard time finding a few particular historical datasets but these have
now been located. The report will be posted incrementally as it is completed at
http://gom.usgs.gov. For a one pager detailing efforts on this action item to date, please visit
(will link to ftp).
5. Ecosystem Services
David Yoskowitz (HRI) provided an update on Ecosystem Services. Dave discussed GecoServ
which is the Harte Research Institute’s Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Services Valuation database
that contains ES valuation studies that are relevant to the gulf region. The online database allows
users to query and identify gaps in published ES literature. The database can be found at
Gecoserv.org. Additionally, a pamphlet detailing GecoServ can be found at (will link to ftp).
Discussion of All-Hands Break-Out Sessions and EIA Collaborations
Restoration in the Gulf
Moderators: Buck Sutter (NOAA) and Jim Pahl (Louisiana Office of Coastal Protection and
Restoration)
This session was focused on the ongoing effort of Restoration in the Gulf including (1)
Restoration from a watershed perspective; (2) State restoration strategies; (3) Upland and
bluewater challenges; (4) Restoration as a result of early NRDA efforts; and (5) Restoration
successes and examples of healthy and productive ecosystems.
Buck Sutter requested that each PIT provide a 5 minute overview on how each of the six PITs
are critical to the ecosystem restoration effort. Becky Allee (NOAA) provided an update on
behalf of the team on how efforts put forward by the Ecosystems Integration and Assessment
PIT are inter-related to restoration in the Gulf. Points discussed in this overview can be found at
(will link to ftp).
National Ocean Council and Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning
Moderators: Larry McKinney (HRI) and Cristina Carollo (HRI)
The session was organized in 3 panels. During the first panel Jennifer Lukens (NOAA) gave a
general overview of Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP); Cathy Tortorici (NOAA) and
Laurie Rounds (NOAA) provided a regional overview of the process. The panelists discussed
key principles, goals, benefits, challenges, and engagement priorities.
CMSP issues and challenges in the Gulf of Mexico were discussed in the second panel by
stakeholders from state agencies, NGO’s, the private sector, and the Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council. The panel allowed exchanging information about the priorities, concerns,
and perspectives of key stakeholder groups to better understand the range of needs, issues, and
challenges in the development and implementation of a regional Coastal and Marine Spatial
Plan.
In the last panel, representative for each of the GOMA PITs discussed how existing priorities and
ongoing activities might contribute to the development of a regional CMSP.
Gulf of Mexico Ecosystems Services Valuation
Moderator: Kim Waddell (National Research Council)
This interactive session focused on discussing three questions from the NRC’s “list of tasks” (1)
What are the ecosystem services that should be included in the NRC assessment?; (2) What are
the impacts to those services that should be included?; and (3) What is ecosystem resiliency, as it
pertains to the Gulf of Mexico? How can resiliency be increased, and how can change in
resiliency be measured?
David Yoskowitz (HRI) and Steve Jordan (EPA) attend this session and provided an overview of
the discussion.
Gulf Report Card
Moderator: Larry McKinney
Bill Dennison (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) provided a
comprehensive introduction of the Gulf of Mexico Report Card. His presentation highlighted the
need for a Gulf Report Card and the steps necessary to complete the process: 1) create a
conceptual framework; 2) choose indicators; 3) define thresholds; 4) calculate scorecards; and 5)
communicate results. The focused was on the proposed framework (drivers – pressures –
stressors – state – impacts – and response).
A discussion with the audience followed the presentation, starting with representatives from each
of the GOMA PITs who highlighted what activities are currently under way that could contribute
to a Gulf Report Card. For more detailed notes please contact Cristina Carollo.
Action Item: Larry McKinney is seeking participation, comments, and suggestions in the
development of report cards for the Gulf of Mexico. Workshops will begin at HRI in
September.
Gulf Research Opportunities
Moderators: Mike Carron (GRI) and LaDon Swann (Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant)
This session focused primarily on the current status of oil spill research and findings.
Representatives from MESC, LSU, and FIO discussed research funded under the Gulf Research
Initiative. An interactive portion of the session focused on the identification and prioritization of
research needs.
Jim Gibeaut (HRI) who attended this session provided the EIA PIT with and overview of the
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative and HRI’s involvement with the Gulf Research Initiative
Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC). More information on this topic can be found in a
presentation that Jim gave to the GOMA Data Management Advisory Committee on August 1st
2011at (will link to ftp).
Gulf of Mexico Digital Atlas & Ocean NOMADS Modeling Work
Russ Beard discussed the development of the Digital Atlas over the past year, and gave a
demonstration. The Atlas will be live on the web around September 7th. An email will be sent
out to EIA PIT Members alerting them that this has occurred. A one page description of the
Digital Atlas can be found at (will link to ftp).
Alliance Action 2, Sub Action Step 4
GDAPT - Gulf of Mexico Data Acquisition Planning Tool
William Nichols (HRI) gave a presentation on GDAPT - Gulf of Mexico Data Acquisition
Planning Tool. This Web based application was built using Microsoft Silverlight and ESRI’s
ArcGIS Server. This tool allows users to create, search, query, and visualize features that
represent planned data acquisition activities. Additionally, the tool can add an attachment (word
doc, pdf, text file, etc.) to the shapefiles, to provide supplemental information about the planned
mapping. The attachments will be available on the web. The tool can also do a spatial intersect
and look for any planned mapping efforts in a specific area of interest. You can access it at
http://hrigis.tamucc.edu/GDAPT/.
GOMAportal
William Nichols also gave an update on GOMAportal. GOMAportal is a Gulf of Mexico
geospatial data repository which consists of a metadata catalog that allows users to perform
spatial and text searches on metadata records, download most datasets via FTP, and view map
services. You can access it at http://gomaportal.org.
Alliance Action 2, Sub Action Step 4
GOMA Viewer
Marie Crum (USACE) presented the new GOMA spatial viewer. The viewer is completed and
available online. Marie mentioned that because several developers have been working on this
tool, a few of the features previously included were lost but she will go back and add these. You
can access the Viewer at http://hrigis.tamucc.edu/GOMA_Viewer.
For the All Hands Meeting each PIT was contacted and geospatial datasets for each PIT were
developed and added to the Viewer as web services. Information about these datasets can be
found at (will link to ftp).
Break out Groups
At this point, each working group broke out to assign tasks and edit their detailed work plan. The
updated work plan can be found at (will link to ftp).
EIA Future Steps/Wrap up
Funding
NOAA
Becky Allee provided a brief update of the NOAA 2010 Regional Ocean Governance
Partnership Funding. This was a nationwide, competitive program for application by regional
ocean governance associations only (such as the Gulf of Mexico Alliance). In December 2010,
the Alliance was one of nine Regional Ocean Partnerships that submitted proposals for Coastal
and Marine Spatial Planning funding from NOAA. GOMA submitted four proposals totaling
$8.7 million.
Margaret Davidson (NOAA) attended the GOMA Alliance Management Team Meeting and
provided some insight on the NOAA 2010 RFP as well as the possibility of future NOAA
funding. The following is straight out of the AMT Minutes:
Margaret Davidson (NOAA): There has been no approval of FY11 spending plan as of
yet. Regional Ocean Partnerships remain a priority for NOAA and the administration to
implement the mutual priorities found in the National Ocean Council plan, including
CMSP. So, we are currently working with the Hill with FY11 spend plan we should
know something any day now. When it happens, we will all be hustling to process the
paperwork. Once we know, then our proposals will need to be revised and re-submitted
by the end of the year. In the meantime, we're all in the same boat.
For FY12, the good news is that the Alliance has cash in the NOAA account, assuming
that everyone put in for No Cost Extensions. So, there's enough money to carry the
teams for a little while. Another FFO will come out if there is money in the FY 12
appropriation. One of the things that the Alliance could do is to take a more strategic
approach in the guidance to the PITs in how to draft their proposals so that you get to
push your own buttons, but also to push NOAA's buttons too. Needs to be a little more
strategic and better packaged - instead of a bunch of proposals with a ribbon that says
"CMSP" on them. Our current request is $20M, house recommendation is $5.5M, but
senate has yet to more on it.
Question (Phillip Hinesley) - An extension on the FY10 NOAA grants FY10?
Answer (Margaret Davidson) - Yes: FY08-10.
Action Item: GOMA Proposal comment from the 2010 ROP RFP will be distributed to the EIA
PIT as soon as they are made available.
EPA
Diane Altsman (EPA) mentioned that the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf of
Mexico Program Office Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnerships funding that was structured
according to GOMA priorities is slated to be released in the next several months. It was released
on the 16th of August and an EIA Conference Call will be scheduled in the next few weeks to
devise a strategy for submitting a proposal(s). The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency, Gulf
of Mexico Program Office Gulf of Mexico Regional Partnerships RFP can be found at (will link
to ftp).