Mangrove Coast Collaborative / Colaboracion en Mangles Costeros: Understanding Links between Degradation, Recovery, and Community Benefits - NERRS/NSC(NERRS Science Collaborativ...

Shared impacts and needs following Hurricanes Irma and Maria brought together two reserves to assess mangrove recovery, leading to more holistic decision-making strategies for mangrove restoration and adaptive management.

The Project

Within the NERR system, Rookery Bay and Jobos Bay are unique in being the only reserves with coastlines historically dominated by mangrove habitats. These reserves also experience a higher frequency of Category 3-5 hurricanes. While mangrove forests are adapted to frequent hurricane disturbance, the resilience of mangrove ecosystems is challenged by the cumulative effects of climate change, urbanization, and water management. Against these background stressors, major hurricanes may serve as tipping points for rapid ecosystem transformation of mangrove forests.

The Mangrove Coast Collaborative project began in the aftermath of Hurricanes Maria and Irma as Jobos Bay and Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs) jointly recognized the need to understand and enhance the resilience of their mangrove ecosystems and the surrounding communities in southeastern Puerto Rico and southwest Florida, respectively. The project's multi-disciplinary team achieved four main objectives, including:

Identifying the spatial extent of the post-hurricane loss and recovery of mangrove habitat using satellite imagery;

Assessing the relationships between hurricane impact and recovery in mangrove forests using field sampling;

Representing the socio-ecological mangrove system at both reserves by generating a conceptual model of ecosystem services (ES) and an associated ES evidence library; and,

Creating increased understanding of how managers make information-based decisions by conducting manager focus groups and semi-structured interviews.

Collaborative engagements were a cornerstone of the project, with over 70 engagements conducted. User input was integrated into the development of products and was critical to the improvement of mapping products, the design of the field sampling campaign, and the development of a conceptual model of ecosystem services. Not only is the science generated during this project being used to aid management decisions and continued recovery efforts for the two reserves, the relationships and trust built among project participants serves as a platform for continued collaboration.

The Impact

Established a strong foundation for a long-term inter-reserve collaboration in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Generated guidance to identify and prioritize management strategies that benefit natural resources and local communities at each reserve.

Increased scientific knowledge of interacting drivers of mangrove stress and techniques to spatially identify regions of vulnerability.

Deepened understanding of links between ecosystem resilience and human-valued services.

Project Lead and Co-Technical Lead:

Danielle Ogurcak, Florida International University

Collaborative Leads:

Marissa Figueroa, Rookery Bay NERR

Jessica McIntosh, Rookery Bay NERR

Aitza Pabon, Jobos Bay NERR

Technical Leads:

Brita Jessen, South Carolina Sea Grant Consortium

Sarah Mason, Duke University

Digna Rueda Roa, University of South Florida

Partners:

Florida International University Institute of Environment; Duke University Nicholas School of Environment; University of South Florida Institute for Marine Remote Sensing

The distributor does not assume liability.

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Cite this dataset when used as a source: NOAA retains the right to analyze, synthesize and publish summaries of the NERRS/NSC data. The NERRS/NSC retains the right to be fully credited for having collected and process the data. Following academic courtesy standards, the NERR site where the data were collected should be contacted and fully acknowledged in any subsequent publications in which any part of the data are used. The data enclosed within this package/transmission are only as accurate as the quality assurance and quality control procedures that are described in the associated metadata reporting statement allow. The user bears all responsibility for its subsequent use/misuse in any further analyses or comparisons. The Federal government does not assume liability to the Recipient or third persons, nor will the Federal government reimburse or indemnify the Recipient for its liability due to any losses resulting in any way from the use of this data. Requested citation format: NOAA National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative(NSC).

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This information is detailed within the project links.

This information is detailed within the project links.