Tab L, No. 3
rev. 5/22/2008
REPORT
of the
ECOSYSTEM MODELING WORKSHOP #3
Tampa, Florida
May 6-7, 2008
0
Table of Contents
Abbreviations Used in This Document ................................................................................................... 2
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 2
Alternative Ecosystem Models ............................................................................................................... 2
EDOM – Carl Walters .......................................................................................................................... 2
Using an IBM to Evaluate the Predictions from Foraging Arena Theory – Ken Rose ......................... 3
Spatial Ecosystem Model to Assess Fishery and Habitat Risks for Fish and Fisheries in the Gulf of
Mexico – Jerry Ault ................................................................................................................................... 3
Nutrient Loading in Tampa Bay: Mediation Effects and Bottom-Up Processes in Ecosim – David
Chigaris ...................................................................................................................................................... 4
Fresh water – linkage between upland forest and coastal environment – Wei Wu.......................... 5
Examination of MPA Scenarios............................................................................................................... 5
Potential for Application of Marine Reserves in the Recreational Snapper Fishery – Jim Bohnsack. 5
Islands in the Stream: A Concept for the Gulf of Mexico – Brian Keller ............................................ 6
Where Do We Go From Here? SSC Recomendations ............................................................................ 8
List of Presentations ............................................................................................................................... 9
Workshop Agenda .................................................................................................................................. 9
Workshop Participants ......................................................................................................................... 11
List of Preparers.................................................................................................................................... 12
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Abbreviations Used in This Document
AEAM
CONANP
EDOM
FGB
FTP
FWRI
IBM
LUMCON
MBRS
MMS
MPA
SEFSC
SSC
Adaptive environmental assessment and management
Comison Nacional de Areas Naturales Protegidas (Mexican commission on protected
areas)
quilibrium Delay-Difference Optimization Model
Flower Garden Banks
File transfer protocol
Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute
Individual-based model
Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
Minerals Management Service
Marine protected area
Southeast Fisheries Science Center
Scientific and statistical Committee
Introduction
This workshop was a continuation of a series of workshop held on May 8-10, 2007 and September
24-26, 2007 to evaluate whether existing ecosystem models can provide useful advice to the Council
about key ecosystem management questions. As with the previous workshop, this workshop was led by
Dr. Carl Walters. One focus of this workshop was to examine the capability of ecosystem models to
evaluate the effect of MPAs. Participants included the Ecosystem SSC, Ad Hoc Marine Reserves SSC,
invited experts on ecosystem modeling, and other interested persons. A complete list of participants
appears at the end of this summary.
Alternative Ecosystem Models
The previous workshops focused on developing and evaluating an Ecopath with Ecosim model of the
Gulf of Mexico developed by Carl Walters and Behzad Mahmoudi. In this workshop, other models or
model applications were looked at that were being developed by workshop participants. Brief
descriptions of each of the models discussed follows.
EDOM – Carl Walters
Carl Walters gave a presentation on an Equilibrium Delay-difference Optimization Model (EDOM)
that he co-developed to assist California in evaluating MPA policies for a network of marine reserves.
The presentation applied the model to the Gulf of Mexico. In practice, the model takes a raster-based
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image of the Gulf of Mexico and aggregates data into spatial strips for population dynamics predictions.
Each strip is treated as a home range for the subpopulation of larval fish that settle in the strips nursery
areas (then typically move offshore as they grow). A habitat suitability matrix for juveniles of multiple
species is incorporated into the model, as well as the population dynamics of each species included in
the model. Displaced fishing effort from an MPA strip is assumed to move into cells that are open to
fishing and are more profitable, based on prices, catch rates and costs per unit effort. The model can be
optimized to project MPA closure patterns that would result in maximum total profit or sustained fishing
effort. The main uses of EDOM to date have been in policy gaming, where MPA options are suggested
and quickly evaluated for impact on sustainable fishery profits and fishing efforts. One such example is
shown on the cover of this report. The raster image of the Gulf of Mexico is turned on its side, and
EDOM was rum to optimize both abundance and catch of red snapper. The optimized result was a
network of 16 cross-shelf MPAs covering 24% of the available habitat. The model can currently evaluate
only cross-shelf reserves, and is limited by a lack of hard bottom habitat mapping.
Using an IBM to Evaluate the Predictions from Foraging Arena Theory – Ken Rose
Ken Rose was unable to make it to the workshop due to airline delays, but his presentation on an
application of individual based models (IBM) was presented by Carl Walters. In classical predator-prey
relationships, prey is assumed to be continuously available to predators, and the amount of prey eaten
rises in direct proportion to the predator density. In Foraging Arena Theory, it is assumed that prey
behavior (such as hiding) limits prey availability to predators. Even as the predator density increases,
only those prey organism that become available are eaten. Thus, the amount of prey eaten will level off
even as predator density increases. To test this theory, an IBM model was constructed of a Louisiana
tidal march community consisting of six species, grass shrimp, blue crab, sheepshead minnow, Gulf
killifish, inland silverside and bay anchovy. The tidal marsh model was divided into a 100 x 100 grid,
within which the model on an hour by hour basis several processes for each individual organism,
including feeding, growth, reproduction, and movement. In addition, habitat conditions such as
dissolved O2, temperature, tidal stage, prey and predator density, and individual size were also modeled.
Individual predator and prey organism movements were modeled based on a process in which cells
adjacent to the one currently occupied by the organism were evaluated by a number of factors to
produce a fitness potential score, with the organism subsequently moving into the cell with the highest
score.
Simulations were run in which the mortality of predators was increased or decreased, and in which
the density of benthic organisms was decreased. While the results to date are not yet conclusive,
shrimp appear to conform the predictions from Forage Arena Theory, whereas crabs appear to show
true depensatory mortality. Additional runs incorporating random movements of organisms will be run
to compare to the results where movements are determined by the fitness potential score, in order to
determine if the results are strong enough to be conclusive.
Spatial Ecosystem Model to Assess Fishery and Habitat Risks for Fish and Fisheries in the
Gulf of Mexico – Jerry Ault
Jerry Ault presented a multispecies spatial ecosystem model to assess risks for fish and fisheries from a
geospatial dynamics approach. Dynamics of the model were divided into several layers:
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human impact layers (exploitation, water quality, MPAs)
predator layers (tarpon, sharks, billfish, snapper)
prey layers (menhaden, mullet, sardines, shrimp)
hydrodynamics layers (currents, salinity, temperature, dissolved oxygen)
habitat layers (bathymetry, benthic substrate)
The model integrates these layers through a series of multispecies conservation equations, and tracks
cohorts of prey and predators at age, time and space as the spawn, settle grow and age. Examples of
some of the results include:
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The Gulf ecosystem can be describes as a highly dynamic coupled biophysical environment.
Shelf waters (less than 30 fathoms) accounts for more than 70% of fish landings.
The ecosystem is under significant anthropogenic and environmental stress.
An ecosystem approach should protect habitats that support a range of productivity.
Nutrient Loading in Tampa Bay: Mediation Effects and Bottom-Up Processes in Ecosim –
David Chigaris
Often times, a third party organism interferes with predator prey interactions that occur in an
ecosystem. This interference is here referred to as mediation and can either facilitate or provide
protection from predation. In addition, a mediation effect may occur on primary producers to increase
or reduce productivity. These mediations can be demonstrated using an Ecopath with Ecosim (EwE)
model of Tampa Bay. The model is linked (using a forcing function) to a hydrographic time series that
represents nutrient loading in Tampa Bay over the past 50 years. The general trend of nutrient loading
in Tampa Bay indicates a peak in the late 1960s to early 1970s when pollution in the bay was high. Since
the early 1980s a clean-up effort has been in place and nutrient loads into the bay have been reduced.
The model indicates strong bottom-up processes related with nutrient loading showing that increased
nutrient input results in increased phytoplankton biomass, which results in growth of zooplankton
biomass, thereby providing more food to zooplanktivorous fishes that are heavily preyed upon by
piscivores. However, historical trends of abundance do not appear to follow this pattern. This exercise
demonstrated a mechanism for Ecosim to represent indirect effects that ecosystem processes have on
foraging behavior and the ability to test hypotheses using this application.
First, a mediation effect was introduced using phytoplankton as the mediating group on seagrass
productivity to represent the “shading” of sunlight by phytoplankton (and thereby dissolved organic
material). Once this interaction was accounted for, the model provided better fits to historical seagrass
abundances. Secondly, to represent the effect that increased phytoplankton may have on water clarity
thus affecting the ability of visual predators to locate prey, a mediation effect was applied to mackerel
that reduces the vulnerability of their prey when phytoplankton biomass was high. This allowed to
model to estimate the low biomass values of the 1970s indicated by historical time series derived from
stock assessments. Finally, it is generally known that seagrass provides refuge for many estuarine
dependent species. Therefore, a mediation effect was included to represent how increased biomass of
seagrass will reduce the vulnerability of spotted seatrout to their predators. This mediation effect
caused the model to provide better fits to historical abundance estimates where seatrout and seagrass
biomass was low during the 1970s and 1980s.
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Fresh water – linkage between upland forest and coastal environment – Wei Wu
Overfishing and habitat destruction are two of the biggest concerns in fishery management. Large
areas of earth’s surface are linked to the ocean by freshwater, and therefore, habitats in marine
ecosystem can be damaged by terrestrial inputs through freshwater. A well-known example is the Gulf
of Mexico hypoxia zone. During the SSC modeling workshop on May 6-7, Wei Wu from the University of
Southern Mississippi presented her work in modeling fresh-water quantity and quality at the upland
forest ecosystems under land use / land cover change and climate change, which has important
implications for marine habitats. Different statistical modeling approaches were introduced, including
generalized linear mixed model and geographically weighted regression, which applies in modeling
response variables that belong to exponential family such as occurrence data. Process models linking
atmospheric deposition, vegetation, soil and surface water were presented in the application of
modeling evapotranspiration and water quality under global changes. In addition, she presented a fully
Bayesian hierarchical modeling approach to combine data modeling and process modeling, which can
account for uncertainties from observations, parameters and model structures, to derive a full
predictive distribution of water quantity under climate change, which is deemed to provide a basis for
more informed sustainable water resource management. She gave an example in modeling the habitat
and control of invasive species using multi-scale analysis combining landscape modeling and population
demographic modeling. She emphasized the need of considering cross-system stressors in selecting
marine protection areas.
Examination of MPA Scenarios
Ecosystem model applications to marine reserves included evaluation of the EDOM model
(discussed above) and a mathematical model to illustrate the potential effect of marine reserves on age
distribution, spawning biomass, and yield from the red snapper fishery with assumptions of low,
medium or high migration patterns out of the reserve (discussed below). The SSC also received a
presentation describing the Islands in the Stream concept, but sis not attempt to model it. Previous
workshops modeled small offshore marine reserves using Ecosim or Ecospace, and concluded that such
reserves were too small to have a measurable impact on managed stocks.
Potential for Application of Marine Reserves in the Recreational Snapper Fishery – Jim
Bohnsack
Jim Bohnsack and coauthor Brian Linton (NMFS, Miami) gave a Powerpoint presentation examining
the feasibility of using marine reserves as a tool to extend the red snapper recreational fishing season
over the short-term and increase long-term yield. Marine reserves act to both increase average of
capture and reduce total fishing mortality. Advantages of marine reserves include no removals of
targeted fishery species and zero bycatch mortality within the protected area (if fully enforced);
protection of genetic quality of stocks from size-selective fishing; and increased supply of fish in fishing
grounds from a spillover effect of some larger fish that leave reserves and increased supply of fish larvae
that disperse from reserves to fishing areas. Compared to a minimum size limits alone, marine reserves
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would allow the stock to grow over a wide range of ages, whereas a minimum size limit tends to
compress to age distribution to a small number of younger age groups.
The presentation demonstrated an MPA model in which 20% of all representative habitat in the Gulf
(and initially 20% of the fish) were protected by marine reserves. Movement of fish into or out of the
MPA was either low (25% of the fish move), medium (50% move) or high (75% move). Results were
projected to the year 2032 and compared to status quo projections based on the 2003 red snapper
assessment. Lower movement produced a large increase in the proportion of older (age 6+) snapper
and total spawning stock relative to the status quo projection. Under medium or high movement,
increases in older fish and spawning stock still occurred, but to a much lesser extent than under the low
movement scenario. Long-term benefits of marine reserves were much greater in the western than
eastern Gulf of Mexico in terms of proportional differences in size structure, absolute abundance, and
fishery yield. These results are based on a relatively simple simulation study and a more complex study
should be conducted if marine reserves are adopted as part of the red snapper management strategy.
In support the validity of the low movement assumption, recapture data from tagged red snapper at
artificial reefs off Mississippi showed high site fidelity and low movements (maximum a few km) in years
without hurricane disturbance. However, dispersal distances were orders of magnitude higher for red
snapper tagged before and recaptured after hurricane Opal. Hurricane disturbance appears to cause
pulsed dispersal more similar to the medium movement model and leads to the prediction that
hurricane disturbance significantly reduces the protection benefits marine reserves for red snapper in
the northern Gulf of Mexico.
In conclusion, appropriately designed marine reserves with sufficient compliance could potentially
protect sufficient stock to allow a longer red snapper fishing season over the short-term and significant
long-term benefits red snapper stock recovery, especially for the western Gulf of Mexico, as compared
to the status quo minimum size and bag limit strategy.
If marine reserves are included in a red snapper management strategy, questions remain as to the
number, size and location of the reserves. It was noted that the models presented by Jim Bohnsack
appeared to complement EDOM models and results reported by Carl Walters as described earlier.
Islands in the Stream: A Concept for the Gulf of Mexico – Brian Keller
Brian Keller from the National Marine Sanctuaries Office, presented an overview of the Islands in the
Stream concept, and some of the findings from a scientific symposium held on the concept at Mote
Marine Laboratory last January. The basis for the concept is that establishing a network of marine
protected areas in the Gulf of Mexico could increase protection and conservation of deep-water coral
banks and hardbottom communities vital to the health and sustainability of the region’s marine
resources. Historically considered and managed as isolated environments, recent discoveries have
documented important biological linkages between underwater communities on a series of banks
ringing the Gulf of Mexico. This connectivity is maintained by flows associated with the Yucatan, Loop,
and Florida Currents. Individual reefs and banks extend from Belize and Mexico into the northern and
eastern Gulf. Fishes, corals, and other invertebrates common to these reefs and banks demonstrate that
the health and vitality of resources “downstream” are linked closely to those located “upstream."
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Because of the warm current system that flows northward from the Caribbean along the Yucatan
Peninsula into the Gulf of Mexico, downstream hardbottom habitats in the Caribbean are important
sources for thousands of species of corals, sponges, fish, and other tropical species. One of the major
sources is the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System (MBRS) The extent of the MBRS and its proximity to
the Gulf of Mexico leaves no question about the importance of the biological productivity of the MBRS
for points north. It is clearly a connected and interdependent system that merits discussions of
increased protective measures to conserve biodiversity and reef habitats.
On January 23, 2008, a symposium in which over one hundred scientists attended was held at Mot
Marine Laboratory to share information, and identify gaps in knowledge with respect to the Islands in
the Stream concept. A proceedings from that symposium is in preparation, but preliminary findings are
as follows:
Geological Setting
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Additional drilling and seismic investigations are necessary to improve our understanding of the
geology of the region.
The northern end of Pulley Ridge has an area call the “Sticky Grounds” (because gear gets stuck
there) that should be surveyed and characterized.
The Gulf of Mexico is an excellent place to examine past sea levels.
Oceanographic Setting
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A gap in our knowledge concerns dynamics of the Loop Current, which is quite variable, and
subsurface profiles of water characteristics and flows.
Bottom currents transport fish larvae across the West Florida Shelf, which is stratified.
There obviously is connectivity among the “Islands in the Stream” and improving our
understanding of the details is an important next step.
Paul Sammarco (LUMCON) is investigating coral genetics from the Flower Garden Banks to
Mobile, which will provide evidence about gene flow and connectivity for these species.
Benthic Characterizations
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The area surrounding the Flower Garden Banks is rich with additional banks, a number of which
are being considered for inclusion in the sanctuary in a public process currently underway and
separate from the “Islands” concept.
The first living colonies of elkhorn coral on the FGB were discovered in 2003 and 2005;
preliminary paleontological surveys indicate that this coral was common from 10,000 until 6,000
years ago, when this community lagged behind rapidly rising sea level and was replaced by other
corals.
Southern Pulley Ridge may be the deepest coral reef in the U.S., with several species of coral
and algae thriving at depths of 60-70 m.
Fish and Fisheries Characterization/Spawning Aggregations
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Fish populations in the Gulf typically display strong recruitment after hurricanes.
Tagged tarpon show connectivity to Mexico and Belize.
Fish ranges show connectivity in some areas of the Gulf.
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There is a pressing need for benthic habitat maps of the West Florida Shelf.
Fish spawning areas can be linked to specific benthic and oceanographic features.
Acoustic techniques are being used to investigate red grouper spawning behavior.
Existing Legal Structure/Regulations in the Gulf of Mexico
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Congressional legislation includes the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the Antiquities Act, and
the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
Habitat Areas of Particular Concern must meet one or more of four criteria:
1) the importance of the ecological function provided by the habitat,
2) the extent to which the habitat is sensitive to human-induced environmental degradation,
3) whether, and to what extent, development activities are, or will be, stressing the habitat
type, and
4) the rarity of the habitat type.
MMS manages additional types of area restrictions – No Activity Zones and other zones of
protection.
Connections with Mexico and the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System
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Investigations by oceanographers and fishery biologists are in progress to improve our
understanding of larval dispersal from the MBRS in the Gulf.
The Mexican commission on protected areas (CONANP) includes a number of reef sites in the
Gulf and along the MBRS.
The Ocean Tracking Network will provide a unique opportunity to investigate movements of
large marine animals through the Yucatan and Florida Straits.
Where Do We Go From Here? SSC Recomendations
The Ecosystem SSC felt that it would be useful to convene in a standard type meeting before the
next modeling workshop (tentatively scheduled to be held this fall), in part to discuss where the focus of
the next workshop should be. The next modeling workshop will likely be the last one financed by the
Gulf Council under its ecosystem pilot project funds. Since science centers such as the SEFSC and FWRI
will be primarily responsible for developing the tools and methods for conducting integrated ecosystem
assessments, and for compiling the data needed for such assessments, the Ecosystem SSC recommends
that a request be made to the SEFSC to send representatives to all future Ecosystem SSC meetings and
workshops.
Frameworks for incorporating ecosystem evaluations of potential Council actions should be
developed and integrated into the Council’s procedures. As a start, ecosystem evaluations can be
integrated into the existing SEDAR process. This would benefit not only the Gulf Council, but the South
Atlantic and Caribbean Councils as well. The Ecosystem SSC recommends that it be convened to review
the existing SEDAR process and make recommendations to incorporate ecosystem modeling in order
to identify potential unintended consequences.
In order to continue to develop and evaluate ecosystem models, and examine their utility to address
fishery management issue, the ecosystem modeling workshops should be continue to be held in future
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years if financially possible. It was noted that ecosystem evaluations are best suited to examine nontraditional management questions. Examples of issues that might be addressed theough an ecosystem
approach include ecosystem dynamics that drive fisheries such as:
- Freshwater flows into the Gulf
- Nutrient loading
- Climate change
The Ecosystem SSC recommends that the Council identify one or two issues each year for the SSC
to examine from an ecosystem modeling perspective.
Incorporation of ecosystem considerations into the fisheries management involves an iterative,
collaborative, and developmental process that incorporates an adaptive management approach. An
ecosystem approach may help to generate adaptability of management to unforeseen circumstances,
and to identify management measures that reduce adaptability. The Ecosystem SSC recommends that
it begin the process of developing a conceptual framework for advancing an ecosystem approach,
including the identification of appropriate policy instruments and data needs.
List of Presentations
(Powerpoint files are available from the Gulf Council’s FTP server. See instructions for accessing the
serve at end of document.)
Ecosystem Modeling Workshop Overview – Carl Walters
Equilibrium Delay-difference Optimization Model for Evaluation of MPA Policies – Carl Walters
Using an IBM to Evaluate the Predictions from Foraging Arena Theory – Ken Rose
Spatial Ecosystem Model to Assess Fishery and Habitat Risks for Fish and Fisheries in the Gulf of
Mexico – Jerry Alt
Nutrient Loading in Tampa Bay: Mediation Effects and Bottom-Up Processes in Ecosim – David
Chigaris
Fresh water – linkage between upland forest and coastal environment – Wei Wu
Potential for Application of Marine Reserves in the Recreational Snapper Fishery – Jim Bohnsack
Islands in the Stream: a Concept for the Gulf of Mexico – Brian Keller
Workshop Agenda
GULF OF MEXICO FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL
ECOSYSTEM MODELING WORKSHOP #3
ECOSYSTEM SCIENTIFIC AND STATISTICAL COMMITTEE
QUORUM HOTEL, TAMPA, FL
MAY 6-7, 2008
Workshop leader: Carl Walters
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This workshop is a continuation the task of developing and evaluating ecosystem modeling as a
tool for use in fisheries management that was begun in the previous workshops. The primary themes
of this workshop are to:
1. Compare Ecopath with Ecosim with other models, both in terms of contrasting alternative
approaches and in terms of using multiple models together.
2. Evaluate MPAs from an ecosystem modeling perspective - how, where and for what purposes
they might be useful.
This agenda is arranged in the format of Adaptive Environmental Assessment and Management
(AEAM) workshops, rather than the usual mini-conference format of many formal presentations with
simple question and discussion sessions. The idea is to promote discussion, evaluation, and model
development rather than simple information sharing.
Tuesday May 6 - 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Wednesday, May 7 - 8:00 am – 5:00 pm
I.
Welcome and Introductions
II.
Review of Previous Ecosystem Modeling Workshops
III.
Task 1: Continue the process of developing a Gulf of Mexico ecosystem model. Greatest
data needs are diet composition data, spatial information in logbooks, SEAMAP
calibration, habitat mapping, and bycatch assessment.
IV.
Task 2: Evaluate/compare with Ecospace alternative or supplemental models, including
the capability to use fine-scale models to drive parameterization of larger-scale models.
a. An individual-based, spatial model of red snapper – Ken Rose presentation
b. Spatial Ecosystem Model to Assess Fishery and Habitat Risks - Jerry Ault
presentation
c. Forested ecosystem model, and a general overview of the models in fishery
management - Wei Wu presentation
d. Other alternative models such as Atlantis, MSVPA/FOR, trophic spectrum modeling,
Very Large IBMs, NPZ models.
V.
Task 3: Take a comprehensive look at MPAs from an ecosystem modeling perspective how, where and for what purposes they might be useful. Include evaluation of current
proposals such as:
a. Potential for marine reserves in the red snapper fishery – Jim Bohnsack presentation
b. Natl. Marine Sanctuary proposal for an "Islands in the Stream" network of marine
reserves.
c. Proposal to set aside 20% of area as no-take reserves.
d. Time/area seasonal closure of gag spawning areas.
e. Evaluation of long-term equilibrium effects of MPAs on economic performance of
fisheries.
VI.
Comments and recommendations from Ad Hoc Marine Reserves SSC - Milon
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VII.
Task 4: Develop a SEDAR-like process to incorporate ecosystem model evaluations into
the management decision-making process.
VIII.
Task 4: Develop a SEDAR-like process to incorporate ecosystem model evaluations into
the management decision-making process.
IX.
Assign responsibilities and timeline for finalizing Ecosystem SSC workshop report.
X.
Identify potential tasks and preliminary dates for Ecosystem Modeling Workshop #4.
XI.
Other business
Workshop Participants
Ecosystem SSC
Joseph Powers, Chair – Louisiana State University
Behzad Mahmoudi, Vice-chair – Florida FWRI
Vernon Asper – University of Southern Mississippi
Columbus Brown – USFWS (retired)
James Simons – Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.
Carl Walters – University of British Columbia
Wei Wu - University of Southern Mississippi
Ad Hoc Marine Reserves SSC
James Bohnsack – NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC - Miami
Columbus Brown – USFWS (retired)
Invited Participants
Jerry Ault – RSMAS/University of Miami
David Chagaris – Florida FWRI
Joan Browder – NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC - Miami
George Guillen – University of Houston Clear Lake
Tom Minello – NOAA/NMFS/SEFSC Galveston
Ernst Peebles – University of South Florida, St. Petersburg (FL)
Other Participants
Aaron Adamack – University of Michigan
Miles Croom – NOAA/NMFS/SERO Habitat Conservation Division
Melissa Hedges - Louisiana State University
Dennis Heineman – Ocean Conservancy
Brian Keller – NOAA/NOS/Marine Sanctuaries Program
Mathew Lauretta – University of Florida
Janet Ley – Florida FWRI
Glen Sutton – Texas Parks and Wildlife Dept.
Gulf Council
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Bob Gill, Council member
Steven Atran, Council staff
Karen Hoak, Council staff
List of Preparers
All of the persons listed in the list of attendees contributed to the workshop, and therefore
contributed to the preparation of this report. Carl Walters led the workshop. Many of the presenters of
alternative models provided the written summaries of their presentations. The primary editor for
writing and compiling the report was Steven Atran, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council.
Copies of all materials used during this workshop, including PowerPoint presentations, can be
downloaded from the Ecosystem section of the Gulf Council’s FTP server. To access the Ecosystem FTP
server:
If using a browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox, enter the following URL into the address bar:
ftp://ecosystem:ecosystem@ftp.gulfcouncil.org
Then click on the folder titled - Ecosystem Modeling Workshop - 2008 May 6-7
(You may need to press your F5 key to clear your memory cache and see the latest file listing.)
If using a dedicated FTP client software:
Address: ftp.gulfcouncil.org
User name: ecosystem
Password: ecosystem
H:\Ecosystem\Ecosystem Modeling Workshop 3 report- May 6-7 2008.doc
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