Marine studies at NCEAS address fundamental questions about ecological and evolutionary processes, and provide information to resource management and conservation professionals. Hundreds of publications and presentations have been produced from NCEAS work in marine systems.

From the land to the deep sea
The rich marine habitats near the coast – such as estuaries (1), kelp forests (2), seagrass beds (3) and coral reefs (4) – provide important services to people, such as shoreline protection, water filtration, and key habitat for many organisms that are of commercial and cultural importance to humans. One concern where the land and fresh waters meet the ocean is the introduction of excess nutrients, which can lead to eutrophication of coastal waters and potentially to low oxygen levels, such as has happened in the “dead zone” of the Gulf of Mexico (5). Such connections increase the need for coordinated land and ocean conservation strategies (6). Fishing pressure in rich coastal habitats and in areas further offshore also can be substantial – the impacts of overfishing have been examined at NCEAS through contemporary fishing records as well as historical and fossil records (7, 8).

At NCEAS, collaborations among ecological and social scientists (e.g., economists, political scientists, etc.) have used existing data to evaluate strategies that increase sustainability of marine fisheries (9, 10) and reduce unintentional fishing impacts on the environment, such as bycatch (11). Marine reserves have been proposed and established in many areas around the world with the aim of preserving biodiversity and ecosystem processes and potentially increasing local fish recruitment. A tremendous amount of research has been done at NCEAS to determine how the effectiveness of reserves can be maximized (12-14). 

Deep sea research also has a home at NCEAS. The deep sea is the area of the ocean where no light penetrates. Once thought to be devoid of life, these remote ecosystems are surprisingly diverse, and NCEAS researchers have been synthesizing historical and emerging information and perspectives on these environments (15, 16). Many creatures in the deep sea are ancient, providing opportunities for rich evolutionary insights.

 

Similarly, the ocean floor holds vast records of past evolutionary patterns and ecological dynamics in the form of fossils. For example, by synthesizing available data from the marine fossil records, NCEAS researchers have found evidence for environmental controls on evolutionary rates (17) and intriguing patterns in the emergence of dominant and widespread biota following mass extinctions (18).

Marine species of concern
NCEAS has hosted many projects that examine the status of marine organisms of concern, from seagrasses to whales.  The NCEAS research model brings together diverse researchers equipped with different data sources and perspectives, to examine threats to and recovery potential for marine species of management and conservation interest. For example, sophisticated population modeling of sea otters (19) allowed the comparison of likely results for several proposed management actions. In a retrospective analysis NCEAS researchers found that the removal of the North Pacific gray whale from the Endangered Species list, following its successful reestablishment, required a surprisingly modest economic investment from a managing agency (20), providing guidance to future conservation and management efforts.

Many marine studies at NCEAS have incorporated climate change scenarios and the dynamics of disease, and are discussed further in NCEAS research sections on climate change and ecology of disease.

Databases related to marine studies can be accessed through the NCEAS Data Registry and Repository. For example:

• Genetic data for foraminifera fossils
• Food web of Carpinteria Salt Marsh
• Marine disease and temperature
• Marine response to experimental nutrient enrichment
  

1. M. W. Beck et al., Bioscience 51, 633 (August 01, 2001, 2001).
2. B. S. Halpern et al., Science 312, 1230 (May 26, 2006).
3. J. E. Duffy, Marine Ecology-Progress Series 311, 233 (2006).
4. J. M. Pandolfi et al., Science 301, 955 (Aug 15, 2003).
5. J. K. Craig et al., Marine Ecology-Progress Series 294, 79 (2005).
6. D. M. Stoms et al., Frontiers In Ecology And The Environment 3, 429 (Oct, 2005).
7. B. Worm et al., Science 314, 787 (Nov 3, 2006).
8. J. B. C. Jackson et al., Science 293, 629 (July 27, 2001, 2001).
9. J. F. Kitchell et al., Ecosystems 5, 202 (Mar, 2002).
10. D. E. Schindler et al., Ecological Applications 12, 735 (Jun, 2002).
11. J. F. Kitchell et al., Bulletin Of Marine Science 74, 607 (May, 2004).
12. Ecological Applications S13, 4 (February, 2003).
13. A. Hastings et al., Science 284, 1537 (May 28, 1999).
14. F. Micheli et al., Bulletin Of Marine Science 74, 653 (May, 2004).
15. R. J. Etter et al., Deep-Sea Research Part I-Oceanographic Research Papers 46, 1095 (Jun, 1999).
16. L. A. Levin et al., Annual Review Of Ecology And Systematics 32, 51 (2001).
17. A. P. Allen et al., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 103, 9130 (Jun 13, 2006).
18. A. I. Miller et al., Science 302, 1030 (November 7, 2003, 2003).
19. L. R. Gerber et al., Ecological Applications 14, 1554 (Oct, 2004).
20. L. R. Gerber et al., Conservation Biology 13, 1215 (1999).