Vol. 46.3September 2020

CERF’s Up!NEERS Celebrates 50th Anniversary

A new wave of information from the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation

Table of Contents President’s Message 1

NEERS Celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a Special Symposium 2

NEERS at 50—A Historical Synopsis 3

The Success of the Clean Water Act—40 Years of Pollution Reduction in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island and Massachusetts 5

Books of Interest 6

Upcoming Events 7

Historic Changes of Benthic Invertebrate Biodiversity in Narragansett Bay 8

It’s About Time: A Synthesis of Changing Phenology in the Gulf of Maine Ecosystem 10

Marine Non-native Species Don’t Need Passports: A Brief History of Invasives in New England 13

Fifty-year Retrospective of Eelgrass Research, Conservation, and Policy in New England 15

May Coastal and Estuarine Science News 16

Estuaries and Coasts Editors’ Choice Papers 16

CERF Spotlight: Fred Short 17

An Update from NEERS 19

Call for Nominations for 2021-2023 CERF Governing Board 20

Governing Board 21

CERF’s Up! Vol. 46.3September 2020

Salem Sound and watershed  Map: Salem Sound Coastwatch

Front cover photo: Islands in Salem Sound, Massachusetts Photo: Salem Sound Coastwatch Back cover photo: North shore of Salem Sound, Massachusetts Photo: Salem Sound Coastwatch

Editors’ Note:

The first meeting of the New England Estuarine Research Society took place in May 1970 at Salem State College (now Salem State University) in Massachusetts This June, NEERS celebrated its 50th anniversary with a special symposium, “Long-term changes in New England estuaries: A celebration of the 50th anni-versary of NEERS ” This issue features six articles based on presentations from the Thursday session of the symposium

As I write this letter, we are now over halfway through the calendar year, and 2020 will be one that we will all remember and talk about for the rest of our lives An international pan-demic has fundamentally changed our work and personal lives as we all adjust to social distancing, wearing personal protective equipment, and relying on video conference calls to do most of our work People we know, including some in our field, have lost their jobs as the economic reality of the pandemic has become apparent The pandemic will undoubtedly cast a shadow over funding for coastal and estuarine research for years to come, and some of the new ways we have adopted for working and team building will likely stick with us even after the recovery And on top of the pandemic, renewed calls for social justice for the Black community are leading to a reevaluation of how sys-temic racism permeates our institu-tions and what needs to be done to help build a more just and equitable society In my lifetime, the future has never seemed more uncertain This uncertainty makes all phases of plan-ning and managing the Federation

more difficult. But it is important to remember that in uncertainty there is opportunity!

One important CERF committee is tackling uncertainty about the future head-on Even though the 26th Biennial CERF Conference is not scheduled until November 2021, the planning committee is keeping many scenarios in mind as they put together the meeting plan At this moment, it does not seem likely that public health and travel budgets will return to pre-COVID-19 normal by meeting time, so the committee is working with the Governing Board to explore how to maximize the experi-ence not only for those who may physically attend the meeting, but also those who attend online because of health or budget concerns The team is also making plans to follow whatever public health guidance at the federal, state, and local level is in place come November 2021 We look forward to the innovations in science communication and network building that come out of this planning

The Governing Board is proud of CERF’s emphasis on ensuring diver-

sity in the Federation and our profes-sion, and on creating an environment that welcomes and nurtures tal-ent from all Over the last couple of months, though, we have been educated by the social upheaval, so that we understand our efforts to date have not been enough We have dedicated ourselves to listen to our Black colleagues and other people of color in the profession to plan real action to better realize our Federation values of inclusivity and diversity We see this as an opportunity to improve our profession and our science

Even in the best of times, as Yogi Berra said, “It’s tough to make predic-tions, especially about the future ” We are all seeing the future racing towards us, and any help that all of you in the membership can give us predicting it and planning ways to capitalize on the opportunities com-ing our way are appreciated!

Here’s hoping you have a productive, healthy, and sane second half of 2020

Jim Fourqurean

President’s Message

1

Jim Fourqurean

July 17, 2020

In June 2020, NEERS planned to return to Salem State University (site of the first NEERS meeting in May 1970) to celebrate our 50th anni-versary with a special symposium, “Long-term changes in New England estuaries: A celebration of the 50th anniversary of NEERS ” The idea was to talk about major issues and trends in our estuaries, how our approaches to studying and managing these issues have evolved over the years, and what the future holds COVID-19 forced us to have a virtual sympo-sium instead

The symposium began with a richly illustrated review of NEERS history from NEERS historian Alan Young, who also happens to be a Salem

State professor so has an undeni-ably excellent NEERS pedigree We then moved into water quality by Courtney Schmidt, who outlined progress in Narragansett Bay since the Clean Water Act was passed in 1972 Stephen Hale then talked about his study of 50 years of changes in benthic biodiversity in Narragansett Bay Michelle Staudinger described phenological shifts occurring in Gulf of Maine organisms from zooplank-ton through puffins. Judy Pederson summarized the issue of marine invasive species, something on which very few people focused 50 years ago. The final Thursday paper was a review of eelgrass over the years by Phil Colarusso, who went through major developments and research

that began with visual surveys from a rowboat to today’s remote sensing, genetic analyses, and restoration Phil assured us that eelgrass even existed before Fred Short

The symposium was a success even if we could not meet in person and could not include all topics of inter-est to NEERSians Our attendance of over 80 people on Thursday and over 60 on Saturday is fairly typical of in-person NEERS meetings The talks and the questions-and-answers still captured the spirit of a typical NEERS meeting despite being held remotely The following six articles are summa-ries of symposium presentations

NEERS Celebrates its 50th Anniversary with a Special SymposiumRobert Buchsbaum Massachusetts Audubon Society, Lincoln, MA, USA rbuchsbaum@massaudubon.org

2

mailto:rbuchsbaum@massaudubon.org

3

NEERS at 50—A Historical SynopsisAlan M. Young Professor Emeritus, Salem State University, Salem, MA, USA ayoung@salemstate.edu

The origin of NEERS can be traced back to the 1940s when Chesapeake Bay scientists lamented the lack of an effective means to communicate among themselves Twenty-two estuarine scientists met at the Uni-versity of North Carolina in Morehead City in April 1949, to present research and discuss ideas The meeting was a success and led to the creation of a new organization to facilitate meet-ings every spring and fall for “the informal discussion and exchange of ideas upon estuarine and related research problems centering in the Chesapeake-Carolina area ” After much discussion of possible names, Atlantic Estuarine Research Society (AERS) was chosen

Over the next 20 years, estuarine research expanded in other areas along the Atlantic coast In 1969, AERS approved the formation of regional sections of AERS: AERS-North (New York north), AERS-Central (New Jersey to Virginia) and AERS-South (North and South Carolina) This prompted Johnes K “Jay” Moore of Salem State College (Photo 1) to mail invitations to 26 New England marine scientists for a meeting to form a northeast regional section of AERS On 10 December 1969, 20 of those invitees met in the faculty lounge in Meier Hall of Salem State College in Salem, Massachusetts They decided to create a new orga-nization with a new constitution,

by-laws, and name—New England Estuarine Research Society (NEERS) Until elections could be held for officers, Jay Moore was chosen as President pro-tem, Galen Jones of the University of New Hampshire as Treasurer, and Robert Zottoli of Fitch-burg (Massachusetts) State College as Secretary They decided to hold the inaugural meeting of NEERS the following spring

The first NEERS meeting was 28–30 May 1970, at the New England Con-ference Center of the University of New Hampshire in Durham Registra-tion was $2 and the Friday night ban-quet $10 AERS donated $75 to help defray the costs of the first NEERS meeting On Thursday, eight contrib-uted papers were presented, followed by a business meeting, cash bar, dinner, and Beer Blast “AERS Style ” On Friday they held a symposium on “Pollution of Estuaries,” followed by a banquet that included a talk by Den-nis J Crisp of the University College of North Wales The dedication of the Jackson Estuarine Lab took place on Saturday, followed by a luncheon and open house The meeting, with 100 attendees, was a success and it was decided to hold meetings every spring and fall, in the manner of AERS

NEERS currently awards four prizes for graduate and undergraduate student presentations at NEERS meetings Also, two travel awards are available for students attending a NEERS or CERF meeting Additional NEERS awards are presented occa-sionally Perhaps most coveted is the Stickleback Award, established in 1998, and given to an attendee who distinguishes themselves in dancing until the music ends Friday

night, attends the first presentation Saturday morning, and has dem-onstrated service to NEERS Long-standing members who have made significant contributions to NEERS are eligible for Honorary Member-ship The NEERS Achievement Award recognizes people who “have made significant contributions over a period of years to estuarine science, educa-tion, conservation, or management ” Recipients have been Scott Nixon in 2000 and Fred Short in 2012

Other impromptu awards and con-tests have included the “Bubonic Award” (Spring 1976) for the speaker wearing the loudest blouse or shirt, the “Estuarine Biologist at Work Slide Contest” (Spring 1980), a t-shirt design contest (Fall 1982), a logo design contest (Spring 1984), and the “First Annual Paul Chantey Memorial Beer Can Stacking Contest“ (Spring 1992) Barbara Welsh and colleagues won the “Rube Goldberg Award” (Spring 1979) for a tide gauge built at a cost of one popsicle (to provide the stick) At the Fall 1975 meeting, Rob-ert Radulski was awarded the “Gunga Din Medal” for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action” when he was able to use his belt to fashion a substitute for a failed beer keg pump gasket, saving the Beer Blast partici-pants from “falling victim to desicca-tion, disgruntlement, and despair ”

To date there have been 79 NEERS meetings (not including ERF/CERF conferences) held at 49 locations throughout the northeast (Fig 1) While all NEERS meetings have been enjoyable and informative, some have been more memorable than others, such as the infamous Spring 1978 meeting in Boothbay, Maine, in the saloon of the Rusty Anchor, marking

Jay Moore, founder and first President of the New England Estuarine Research Society

Photo by Alan Young

mailto:ayoung@salemstate.eduhttps://www.cerf.science/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1706:neers-at-50&catid=20:site-content

4

the first appearance of the NEERS Kazoo Band and the record bar tab After attending the Spring 1980 meeting, ERF Newsletter Editor and member of SEERS A Quinton White surmised that NEERS stood for “Noth-ing Else Like It Estuarine Research Society ”

Of particular note are the two ferry crossings to meetings in Nova Scotia, the First Fun-Filled Fall Fundy Ferry Forum (FFFFFFF) in Fall 1985 and the Second Spring Semi-Serious Scotian Shipboard Symposium (SSSSSSS) in Spring 1991 At the conclusion of the Spring 1991 meeting, the old school bus rented to transport people back to Yarmouth to catch the last ferry back to Maine blew a tire and was disabled along the road Enterprising NEERSians wrote “Help” messages on the backs of posters and stood along the road Every car stopped and provided rides so that all were able to catch the ferry

During the Fall 1994 meeting in Orleans on Cape Cod at the Jailhouse Tavern, the call for assistance for a heavy rain sewer overflow at a nearby

parking lot seemed suspiciously suited to the “Translating Science into Management” symposium Since Fall 1996, NEERS has met every four years on Block Island, notable both for the location and Walter Berry’s estuarine-themed game nights (Jeop-ardy, Survivor, Family Feud, Wheel of Fortune, Who Wants to Win an NSF Grant?) Lastly, the most recent meeting in June 2020 is memorable because it was the first virtual meet-ing via Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic making an in-person meet-ing impossible

From the very beginning, NEERS described itself as “a friendly, informal organization emphasizing the work of those presently active in estuarine research, [with one of the] primary purposes to present works in progress for discus-sion and suggestions ” For the past 50 years, NEERS has held true to that description The research discussed is of high quality and while the oral and poster presentations have become even more polished,

the meetings remain friendly and informal This very successful format is especially conducive to student participation It is likely that the same description of NEERS still will apply after the next 50 years

Note: This is an abridged version of the complete history of NEERS article, which can be found at https://www cerf science/assets/newslet-ters/2020/NEERS_at_50 pdf

NEERS at 50—A Historical Synopsis (continued)

Share the full text of any Estuaries and Coasts article with SharedIt!

For more information, please visit http://www.springernature.com/sharedit.

Did you know that authors and subscribers can share a view-only, full-text version of any Estuaries and Coasts article using Springer Nature’s new “SharedIt” feature?

Select the “Share article” button on the article webpage for a shareable link.

Help us share the full-text versions of the high-quality, peer-reviewed journal articles in Estuaries and Coasts by using the SharedIt links!

Share the full text of any Estuaries and Coasts article with SharedIt!

For more information, please visit http://www.springernature.com/sharedit.

Did you know that authors and subscribers can share a view-only, full-text version of any Estuaries and Coasts article using Springer Nature’s new “SharedIt” feature?

Select the “Share article” button on the article webpage for a shareable link.

Help us share the full-text versions of the high-quality, peer-reviewed journal articles in Estuaries and Coasts by using the SharedIt links!

Fig 1. Sites of New England Estuarine Research Society meetings, 1970-2020

For more information, please visit http://www.springernature.com/sharedit.

https://www.cerf.science/assets/newsletters/2020/NEERS_at_50.pdfhttps://www.cerf.science/assets/newsletters/2020/NEERS_at_50.pdfhttps://www.cerf.science/assets/newsletters/2020/NEERS_at_50.pdfhttp://www.springernature.com/sharedit

5

The Success of the Clean Water Act—40 Years of Pollution Reduction in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island and MassachusettsCourtney E. Schmidt1, Eivy Monroy1,2, Mark Cantwell3, Julia Bancroft1, and Julia Twichell11Narragansett Bay Estuary Program, Providence, RI, USA 2Massachusetts Division of Ecological Restoration, Boston, MA, USA 3US Environmental Protection Agency, Atlantic Coastal Environmental Sciences Division, Narragansett, RI, USAcourtney.schmidt@nbep.org

Over the last 40 years, Narragansett Bay has experienced significant water quality improvements in response to reductions in nitrogen, heavy metal and organic contaminants, and bacte-rial pathogen discharge 1 The sources of these pollutants stem from the long history of population growth and a manufacturing-based economy These reductions were documented by decades of persistent research and are the product of implementing the Clean Water Act by cooperation among all levels of government, utili-ties commissions, industry, nonprof-its, universities, and advocacy groups Wastewater treatment facilities remain a significant nitrogen source to the bay and continuing evaluation will determine if further reductions are needed (Table 1) Metals/organic contaminants in sediment remain at or below thresholds for negative biological impacts (Fig 1) Between 2010 and 2017, in response to patho-gen reductions, over 3,000 acres have been reclassified to approved for shellfish growing (Table 2).

The watershed still faces significant challenges in addressing stormwater runoff of both nitrogen and patho-gens, and legacy methylmercury contamination in fish. Changes in population and land use and climate change will need to be addressed as well The case studies in the tables and figure showcase the abilities of public and private entities to collaboratively identify indicators, define problems, track changes, and respond to watershed-scale problems through ongoing adaptive manage-ment Widely sharing successes

Table 1. Comparison of Narragansett Bay nitrogen loading budgets. The loadings listed below from atmospheric deposition, WWTF discharge, urban runoff and groundwater discharge apply only to Narragansett Bay (including the Providence and Seekonk Rivers, Greenwich Bay, and Mount Hope Bay). The Rivers term includes loading from all sources. Dashes (-) indicate data not available or not reported.

a Budget components were carried over to the 2013–2015 budget from the 2007–2010 budget (NBEP 2017). b 1982–1983 budget numbers from Tables 16 and 19 in Nixon et al. (1995). c 2000–2004 budget numbers from Table 5.15 in Nixon et al. (2008). d 2007–2010 budget numbers from Table 3-1 in Krumholz (2012). e 2013–2015 budget numbers from Tables 4, 7, 8, and 9 in chapter 8 of NBEP (2017).

Source

Annual Total Nitrogen Loading (metric tons/year)

Nixon et al. (1995)

Nixon et al. (2008)

Krumholz (2012)

NBEP (2017)

1982–1983 b 2000–2004 c 2007–2010 d 2013–2015 e

Atmospheric Depositiona 419 419 419 419

WWTF Discharge 2,556 2,383 2,005 1,260

Urban Run-Off a 517 517 866 866

Groundwater Discharge a - - 56 56

Rivers 5,575 4,713 3,483 2,310

Total 9,067 8,032 6,829 4,911

Fig. 1. Changes in lead and chromium concentrations (dry weight ppm) from approxi-mately 1700 to 2000 based on data from a Seekonk River sediment core near Provi-dence, RI (Corbin 1989; King unpublished data). The age model is based on 137Cs, 210Pb, pollen stratigraphy, and radiocarbon dating. Dashed lines indicate the threshold concentration for likely biological impacts (Effects Range Median (ERM) values).

mailto:courtney.schmidt@nbep.org

6

and lessons learned in Narragansett Bay—from processes to research to management actions—can inform other estuarine collaborative manage-ment efforts to address complex and challenging environmental issues

Over the lifetime of NEERS, the Narragansett Bay watershed has changed and improved in many ways NEERSians have been advocates and practitioners, working hard to address pollution and reduce it Over 60 orga-nizations from all levels of govern-ment, non-profit, and advocacy, and hundreds if not thousands of people have contributed to these successes The Narragansett Bay Estuary Pro-gram is a communicator of these successes, a convener of science

and people We are humbled by the devotion and care of the managers, scientists, advocates, and people of Rhode Island and Massachusetts who care for Narragansett Bay and its watershed

References:1 NBEP [Narragansett Bay Estuary Pro-gram] 2017 State of Narragansett Bay and Its Watershed – Technical Report http://nbep org/synthesis-report/2 Nixon, S W , S L Granger, and B L Nowicki 1995 An assessment of the annual mass balance of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in Narragansett Bay Bio-geochemistry 31:15–61.3 Nixon, S W , B Buckley, S L Granger, L A Harris, A J Oczkowski, R W Fulweiler, and L W Cole 2008 Nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to Narragansett Bay: Past, present and future In Desbonnet, A and Costa-Pierce, B A (Eds) Science for Ecosystem-

Based Management: Narragansett Bay in the 21st Century Springer, New York, NY, pp 101–76.4 Krumholz, J S 2012 Spatial and Tem-poral Patterns in Nutrient Standing Stock and Mass-Balance in Response to Load Reductions in a Temperate Estuary Ph D Dissertation, University of Rhode Island 5 Corbin, J M 1989 Recent and Historical Accumulation of Trace Metal Contaminants in the Sediment of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island M S Thesis, University of Rhode Island

The Success of the Clean Water Act… (continued)

Beneath the Surface: Understanding Nature in the Mullica Valley Estuaryby Kenneth W Able The Mullica Valley Estuary in New Jersey benefits from a combination of pro-tected watershed, low human population density, and lack of extensive devel-opment In Beneath the Surface, Ken Able helps the reader gain insights into the kinds of habitats, the animals, and the plants that live there. For the first time, readers will gain a better understanding of the importance of these shal-low waters, how the amount of salt in the water determines where animals and plants are found in estuaries, the variation in their occurrence, and how all this is changing as the result of climate change Beneath the Surface empha-sizes what this unique marine resource can tell us about the larger world

Wanted: Book Reviewers, Artists, and PhotographersCalling all book reviewers, artists, and photographers Please help us increase the appeal of this newsletter by sending us your perceptive book reviews, enticing artwork, and striking photographs Check the submission guidelines at https://www cerf science/cerf-s-up-contribution-information

BOOKS OF INTEREST

Table 2. Shellfish growing areas (acreage and percent of the total Upper Estuary area) by category in the Upper Estuary of Narragansett Bay. The Upper Estuary includes the upper portions of Narragansett Bay, Providence River estuary, Greenwich Bay and Mount Hope Bay.

Upper Estuary Category of Shellfish Growing Area

Approved Conditionally Approved Prohibited aYear Acres Percent Acres Percent Acres Percent1995 2,164 6 14,381 40 19,500 542000 2,164 6 13,959 39 19,922 552005 2,227 6 14,033 39 19,785 552010 2,225 6 14,690 41 19,130 532015 2,244 6 15,766 44 18,035 502017 5,955 17 12,055 33 18,035 50

a Includes areas that have not been assessed for shellfish harvesting

http://nbep.org/01/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/State-of-Narragansett-Bay-and-Its-Watershed.pdfhttp://nbep.org/01/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/State-of-Narragansett-Bay-and-Its-Watershed.pdfhttp://nbep.org/synthesis-report/https://www.rutgersuniversitypress.org/beneath-the-surface/9780813590196thttps://www.cerf.science/cerf-s-up-contribution-information

Photo: D_Theodora on Pixabay

UPCOMING EVENTS

2020 Virtual Summit: The National Coastal & Estuarine Summit 29 September–1 Octoberhttps://estuaries org/summit/about/

NEERS Fall 2020 Virtual Meeting 15 and 20-22 October http://newenglandestuarineresearchsociety wildapricot org/

GERS 2020 Fall Virtual Meeting 16-18 November https://gers wildapricot org/2020-Meeting

7

https://estuaries.org/summit/about/https://estuaries.org/summit/about/https://estuaries.org/summit/about/http://newenglandestuarineresearchsociety.wildapricot.org/http://newenglandestuarineresearchsociety.wildapricot.org/https://gers.wildapricot.org/2020-Meetinghttps://gers.wildapricot.org/2020-Meeting

Historic Changes of Benthic Invertebrate Biodiversity in Narragansett Bay Stephen S. Hale Atlantic Ecology Division, Office of Research and Development, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Narragansett, RI, USA (retired) stephenshale@gmail.com

Fig. 1. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program stations in Narragansett Bay, 1990–2015.Also showing the location of the North Jamestown and Spar Island combined quantitative abundance studies

Narragansett Bay, at the northern end of Virginian Biogeographic Prov-ince, has a rich benthic biodiversity, enhanced by spillover of species from the Acadian Province lying to the north, a deep East Passage that holds species more typical of the continental shelf, and a rocky coast around the mouth that is not com-mon along the southern New England coast Decline of marine biodiversity worldwide has raised concerns about effects on ecosystem functions In the benthos, this includes shellfish

production, energy flow to fishes, water quality, and biogeochemical cycles Along with Melissa Hughes and Harry Buffum, I sought to track how benthic biodiversity in the bay has changed over time

We examined three data sets: (1) combined quantitative abundance studies from the North Jamestown mid-bay site, 1950s to 2010s, and from Spar Island in Mount Hope Bay, 1970s–2010s (Fig. 1); (2) U.S. EPA’s Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP), 1990–

2015 (Fig. 1); and (3) a master spe-cies list of Narragansett Bay benthic invertebrates, 1834–2015. To analyze biodiversity trends, we needed statis-tics that were robust enough to deal with all the uneven sampling (spatial, temporal, different sampling gear) We used taxonomic distinctness, which has the desirable characteristic of being independent of the number of species in a sample 1

With the first data set, we calculated changes in taxonomic distinctness in the bay from the 1950s—when

8

mailto:stephenshale@gmail.com

9

Historic Changes in Narragansett Bay…(continued)

quantitative benthic invertebrate data first became available—to 2015.2 We merged 12 studies of comparable data (i e , roughly the same habitat, depth, season, and sieve size) at a reference station at North James-town, and 6 studies at Spar Island, a site impacted by a power plant, urban sewage, and watershed runoff While biodiversity has risen at North James-town since the 1970s, the change was not significant; thus, this is a good reference station On the other hand, Spar Island showed a continual decline in taxonomic distinctness

Secondly, we analyzed the EMAP data,2 which has four properties that allowed us to use more rigorous sta-tistical methods: (1) random stations covering the whole bay, (2) consistent methods, (3) concurrent sampling for physical and chemical properties of the water column and sediments, and (4) long-term continuity Here, taxo-nomic distinctness rose since 2005, but the trend is not statistically sig-nificant. Factors influencing variance of number of species and abundance

were sediment contaminants, water column dissolved inorganic nitrogen, and sediment total organic carbon

Lastly, we developed the master spe-cies list with the goal of gathering records of every benthic invertebrate > 0 3 mm that has ever been captured in Narragansett Bay (including spe-cies occurrences from the first two data sets) 3 For most studies prior to 1950, occurrence data are the only data available. The first records we could find were collected in 1834 by Joseph Totten, chief engineer for the construction of Fort Adams in New-port, who, in his spare time, indulged his hobby of conchology We compiled the master list from 104 studies of the Bay benthos (~2,000 sites); it currently holds 1,221 unique taxa

Biodiversity declined from the 1880s to the 1980s, then appeared to recover in the 1990s and following decades, but not up to the earlier level (Fig 2) The decline of biodiversity is what would be expected of a benthic community that gradually deteriorated in the face of the increasing human stressors of the Industrial Revolution Biodiver-sity was negatively correlated with human population in the watershed, total nitrogen input, and copper levels in sediment cores It appears that the Clean Water Act and other envi-ronmental legislation of the 1970s started to turn things around and biodiversity began to recover How-ever, because of habitat changes (e g , loss of salt marshes, loss of eelgrass, damming of rivers), the bay may never get back to the earlier level of biodiversity

All three data sets have limitations (different methods of the first, late start in 1990 of the second, uneven sampling intensity of the third) Interpretations of historical results

must be cautious We conclude that Narragansett Bay has a rich biodi-versity of benthic invertebrates, even though it steadily lost a substantial amount of biodiversity since the mid-19th century and probably before that Biodiversity appears to have had a partial recovery in recent decades; it remains to be seen if this trend continues in future monitoring It is possible that climate change will drive more changes in the benthos in the next 50 years than we saw in the last 50 One piece of good news for marine benthic ecologists is that sea level rise will create more benthic habitat to study!

References:1. Clarke, K.R., R.N. Gorley, P.J. Somerfield, and R M Warwick 2014 Change in marine communities: An approach to statistical analysis and interpretation. 3rd ed Ivy-bridge, Devon: PRIMER-E Ltd 2 Hale, S S , H W Buffum, and M M Hughes 2018 Six decades of change in pollution and benthic invertebrate biodi-versity in a southern New England estu-ary Marine Pollution Bulletin 133:77–87. https://doi org/10 1016/j marpol-bul 2018 05 0193 Hale, S S , M M Hughes, and H W Buf-fum 2018 Historical trends of benthic invertebrate biodiversity spanning 182 years in a southern New England estu-ary Estuaries and Coasts 41:1525–1538. https://doi org/10 1007/s12237-018-0378-7 https://rdcu be/b6Gn3

Joseph Totten, U.S. Army Chief of Engi-neers, Regent of the Smithsonian Institu-tion, and founding member of the National Academy of Sciences, who in the 1830s described new species of mollusks found in Narragansett Bay

Photo: public domain

Fig. 2. Changes in benthic community taxonomic distinctness in Narragansett Bay, 1850s–2010s

https://sbims.sharefile.com/d-sa9c4fe583df4f349https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.019https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2018.05.019https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-018-0378-7https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Engineershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_of_Engineershttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institutionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smithsonian_Institutionhttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Academy_of_Scienceshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Academy_of_Sciences

10

It’s About Time: A Synthesis of Changing Phenology in the Gulf of Maine EcosystemMichelle Staudinger1, Katherine Mills2, Karen Stamieszkin3, Nicholas Record3, Christine Hudak4, Andrew Allyn2, Antony Diamond5, Kevin Friedland6, Walter Golet2,7, Meagan Henderson8, Christina Hernandez9, Thomas Huntington11, Rubao Ji9, Catherine Johnson10, David Johnson12, Adrian Jordaan13, John Kocik6, Yun Li9,14, Matthew Liebman15, Owen Nichols4, Daniel Pendleton16, Anne Richards6, Tom Robben17, Andrew Thomas7, Harvey Walsh6, and Keenan Yakola13

1Northeast Climate Science Center, 2Gulf of Maine Research Institute, 3Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, 4Center for Coastal Studies, 5University of New Brunswick, 6NOAA, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, 7University of Maine, 8Stony Brook University, 9Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, 10Fisheries and Oceans Canada, 11USGS New England Water Science Cen-ter, 12Virginia Institute of Marine Science, 13University of Massachusetts Amherst, 14University of South Florida, 15US Environmen-tal Protection Agency, 16Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life, New England Aquarium, 17Connecticut Ornithological Association

mstaudinger@usgs.gov

Summary of observed phonological shifts in the Gulf of Maine. Arrows indicate shift in direction (blue = earlier, green = later) and magnitude (length) and correspond to day of year and season

Changes in phenology, or the seasonal timing of recurring events such as breeding, feeding, and movements, have emerged as a primary indica-tor of species’ responses to climate change In terrestrial environments, shifts in phenology have been well documented; for example, earlier onset of spring and advances in the timing of emergence, flowering, and arrival times of migratory organisms have all been observed Far fewer examples exist that provide direct evidence for climate-induced shifts in marine phenology The Gulf of Maine ecosys-tem is experiencing rapid and intense changes in temperature during all sea-sons, leading to widespread concerns of possible phenological shifts in a variety of organisms of conservation and management concern This study examined the impact climate change is having on marine and coastal spe-cies phenology in the Gulf of Maine

This study1 synthesized contributions from the 2015 Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM) Annual Science Meeting How is the timing of all things chang-ing in the Gulf of Maine?, outputs of an expert workshop held in 2016 at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, results from a comprehensive litera-ture review, and expert input from an international working group composed of 26 authors representing 17 orga-nizations, including multiple federal

file:///C:\Users\cindy.devine\Downloads\Vol%2046%20No%203\mstaudinger@usgs.govabout:blankabout:blankabout:blankabout:blank

11

agencies, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions The primary goals were to summarize the current knowledge in the Gulf of Maine on: (1) key seasonal eco-logical and environmental processes, patterns, and events; (2) direct evidence for shifts in timing across the ecosystem; (3) implications of phenological responses for linked ecological-human systems; and (4) potential phenology-focused adap-tation strategies and actions Case studies span from the bottom of the food chain to higher level consumers as well as human activities, including fishing and recreation.

Twenty studies showed direct evi-dence of shifts in timing in biotic and abiotic events in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem Similar to previ-ous research in terrestrial systems, the most common phenological responses found in the Gulf of Maine were earlier timing of key events These included earlier spring onset (the day of year when sea surface temperatures exceed a thermal threshold), earlier and higher spring river flows that deliver freshwater runoff to coastal habitats, earlier and higher peaks in abundance of zooplankton, earlier occurrence of larval stages of benthic fishes (had-dock, winter flounder, wolffishes, rock gunnel), and anadromous fish migrations occurring earlier in the year Later timing was observed in fall onset (the day of year when sea surface temperatures descend below a thermal threshold), spring and fall phytoplankton blooms, occurrence of several larval benthic and pelagic fishes (sand lance, pollock, offshore hake, Atlantic mackerel), as well as reproduction and fledging of Atlantic puffins.

Changes in the duration of certain events generally increased, including longer abundance peaks in zooplank-ton, the spawning/early life history period of macro-invertebrates includ-ing Northern shrimp and an intertidal nudibranch, and the high-landings period in the Maine lobster fishery. Ice-affected streamflow was the only seasonal event exhibiting a reduction in duration Two studies projected decreased overwintering duration for a key zooplankton species, Calanus finmarchicus Overall, rates of phe-nological shifts were species- and event-specific, and responses varied depending on the environmental driver and the spatial and temporal scales evaluated

Like other temperate marine ecosys-tems, the Gulf of Maine is charac-terized by a strong seasonal cycle, which drives the region’s ecology Changes in the timing of seasonal features have the potential to impact individual species, food webs, and overall ecosystem productivity through trophic mismatches and asynchronies in linked food and habitat resources. The efficacy of management and planning tools such as fishing seasons, catch limits, and time-area closures may be compro-mised when target resources shift in time For example, spatiotemporal closures have been used to protect spawning aggregations of com-mercially important fish; however, temporal closures are typically set to predetermined dates and may need to be adjusted if spawning times change

Adaptation strategies could better account for phenological changes through expanded, coordinated, and high-resolution monitoring programs

(to track changes), vulnerability assessments (to prioritize focus areas or species), as well as forecast models and dynamic management tools that consider ongoing and projected temporal system changes (to improve decision-making) These actions can help managers better pre-pare for phenological shifts that may impact resources of conservation concern or human activities depen-dent on the ocean For example, earlier timing of the American lobster fishery landings in 2012 exceeded the capacity of the supply chain, resulting in a market glut and price collapse that substantially affected lobster fishermen. The industry has since been able to adapt to the possibility of such events in a variety of ways Additional research and monitoring that focuses specifically on temporal shifts is needed to improve under-standing of the risks and opportuni-ties in the region

References:1 Staudinger et al 2019 It’s about time: A synthesis of changing phenology in the Gulf of Maine ecosystem Fisheries Oceanography 2019;28;532–566. https://doi org/10 1111/fog 12429

Changing Phenology in the Gulf of Maine Ecosystem… (continued)

https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12429

Monitoring Water Quality for Over35 Years

With a proven history of reliable, accurate data logger performance, customers worldwide trust Onset’s HOBO product line to monitor conductivity, pH, dissolved oxygen, and much more. Check out all of our water quality products at: on.onsetcomp.com/waterloggers.

by OnsetHOBO® Visit on.onsetcomp.com/waterloggers to learn all about it, or contact us today!

SALES@ONSETCOMP.COM (866) 244-3197

13

Marine Non-native Species Don’t Need Passports: A Brief History of Invasives in New EnglandJudith Pederson Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Sea Grant College Program, Cambridge, MA, USA jpederson@mit.edu

Ocean-going vessels evolved from wooden ships with solid ballast to steel hulls and ballast water; engines replaced sails; cargo ves-sels increased in size and speed and now are the major transporter of goods globally Along with climate change and habitat loss, this has led to marine bioinvasions that impact biodiversity and ecosystem functions However, these invasions are gener-ally overlooked Although concerns were raised earlier, by the early 2000s in New England there was no coordi-nated effort to understand the extent and impacts of marine invasive spe-cies Several concomitant efforts led to the first International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions, establish-ment of the Northeast Aquatic Nui-sance Species Panel, and creation of citizen monitoring programs These efforts focused on identification of species present in New England, pre-vention of new invasions, and mea-surements to manage and control species already present

In 2000 the first of eight Rapid Assessment Surveys (RAS) was con-ducted in Massachusetts and sub-sequently from Maine to Long Island Sound and New York City The goal was to survey non-native, cryptogenic (species whose origins are unknown), and native species to support man-agement efforts 1 Taxonomists with expertise in local and global species identifications visit floating pontoons, identify live macro-algae and inverte-brates of major taxa in the field, and verify in the laboratory From 2000 to 2019, the RAS identified over 49 non-native and 58 cryptogenic species in fouling communities Successful invaders in New England were ascid-ians, crustaceans (crabs and pericari-dans), algae, cnidarians (anemones

and hydrozoans), and bryozoans There continue to be challenges to species identifications and origins. DNA analysis has provided insights on the status of species as native or non-native, their origins, and confir-mation of taxonomic identifications, occasionally resulting in changing the status of species, e g , the tunicate Ciona intestinalis was classified as cryptogenic, then native, and now confirmed as non-native.2

Two non-native species with major impacts on New England rocky inter-tidal communities are the periwinkle snail Littorina littorea (arrived 1840) and the European green crab Carcinus maenas (1817) These species are “ecological engineers” that, through herbivory, predation, and competition, alter the rocky shore as illustrated in a simplified food web (Fig 1) 3 Non-native species have significant

ecological impacts and often are not recognized as too few studies exist demonstrating impacts over time and space

In New England economic damage of non-native species affects shellfish culture A recent arrival of a more aggressive green crab is damaging Maine shellfish beds where costs were estimated at $22 million, with an additional $60-70 thousand to eel-grass beds 4 Solitary tunicates (e g , Ciona intestinalis and Styela clava) and colonial tunicates (e g , Botryllus violaceus and Didemnum vexillum) impact aquaculture, specifically oysters, mussels, and scallops (Fig 2). Economic losses to shellfish aquaculture range from 55 to 30% and may amount to over $1 5 mil-lion In addition, macroalgae are a nuisance to beachgoers, e g Codium fragile subsp. fragile and the recently arrived red filamentous alga, Dasysi-phonia japonica

With climate change, non-native and native species are expanding their ranges, new species continue to arrive in New England (despite efforts to reduce introductions from ballast), and native species from the south are moving northward Over the

Fig. 1. Food interactions of New Eng-land rocky shores highlighting in red the non-native species Carcinus maenas and Littorina littorea2

Fig. 2. The ascidian Styela clava growing over blue mussels Mytilus edulis where the increased weight will pull mussels down to the anoxic sediments

Photo: A Gittenberg

file:///C:\Users\cindy.devine\Downloads\Vol%2046%20No%203\jpederson@mit.eduhttps://sbims.sharefile.com/d-s0720aae7c3e4f498https://sbims.sharefile.com/d-sf8d28f697e147d5a

14

past decade, the RAS has reported several southern species, includ-ing an anemone, amphipod, shrimp, barnacle, and bryozoan, but they have not yet overwintered The poleward movement is likely to continue The next couple of decades will experi-ence rapid changes in marine bioin-vasion science from climate-related impacts, continued DNA analysis, and new technologies to prevent new introductions

References:

1 Pederson J , R Bullock, J Carlton, J Dijkstra, N Dobroski, P Dyrynda, R Fisher, L Harris, N Hobbes, G Lambert, E Lazo-Wasem, A Mathier-son, M-P Miglietta, J Smith, J Smith III and M Tyrell 2003 Marine Invaders in the Northeast Rapid assessment survey of non-native and native marine species of floating dock com-munities, August 2003 MIT Sea Grant College Program Publication No 05-3, Cambridge MA, 40 pp

2 Hudson, J, K Johannesson, C D McQuaid, and M Rius 2019 Secondary contacts and genetic admixture shape colonization by an amphiatlantic epibenthic invertebrate Evolu-tionary Applications 00: 1–13. DOI: 10.1111/eva 12893

3 Menge B and J Sunderland 1987 Com-munity regulation: Variation in disturbance,

competition, and predation in relation to envi-ronmental stress and recruitment The American Naturalist 130: 730-757 https://www jstor org/stable/2461716

4 Lovell, S , E Besedin, and E Grosholz 2007 Modeling Economic Impacts of the European Green Crab May 31, 2007 American Agricultural Economics Association Annual Meeting, Port-land, OR, July 29-August 1, 2007

Acknowledgment:

In appreciation to the participants of the Rapid Assessment Surveys and James Carlton whose commitment to marine bioinvasion science is an inspiration for all

Marine Non-native Species Don’t Need Passports… (continued)

Winter sea smoke on Salem Sound Photo: Robert Buchsbaum

https://www.jstor.org/stable/2461716https://www.jstor.org/stable/2461716

15

Fifty-year Retrospective of Eelgrass Research, Conservation, and Policy in New EnglandPhil Colarusso U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 1, Boston, MA, USA colarusso.phil@epa.gov

Tay Evans and Phil Colarusso using the TERF (transplanting eelgrass by remote frame) method, one of the methods developed by Fred Short

For much of the 50 years of NEERS, eelgrass talks have regularly been presented at meetings I’ve been a marine biologist at EPA for 31+ years and lived through many of the changes in perception as it relates to eelgrass in New England Upon looking back, a couple of themes emerged First, the way we study eelgrass has changed to reflect better tools and more sophisticated questions. When I first started doing eelgrass field work, a well-equipped diver would have a PVC quadrat, a transect tape, a compass, perhaps a safety pin to mark plants for growth, and various markers to relocate plants and locations Today, well-equipped divers will have differential GPS on the boat; acoustic sonar; and perhaps access to high-resolution satellite imagery, aerial photography, or data collected by drone They will be collecting samples for DNA analy-sis or stable isotope They might use computer imaging software to assess the prevalence of wasting disease on any individual leaf Statistical analy-sis will be crafted by writing specific computer programs under any of the numerous statistical software pack-ages available, as opposed to the abacus I used in days gone by

The second theme that emerged is how large public projects can influ-ence research and public policy In the early 1990s, two large port development projects were proposed, one in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and one on Sears Island, Maine Both had the potential to incur substantial impacts to eelgrass The Portsmouth Port Authority project did receive a permit to construct, but required miti-gation to be completed prior to the initiation of construction This permit condition required over four acres of eelgrass be restored A large quantity

of funding was directed to Fred Short at the University of New Hampshire and his students to accomplish this task This effort resulted in multiple publications on transplanting tech-niques, site selection modeling, and success criteria This work also sup-ported numerous graduate students, who have since carried on additional restoration efforts throughout New England The postscript to this proj-ect is the restoration efforts did meet with some success The port project, for economic reasons, was never built

Another example is from Maine, where the state had invested $17 million building a causeway connect-ing Sears Island to the mainland as part of a port development project, when it was challenged in court The state was required to go back to the environmental review process due to the discovery of freshwater

wetlands on the island and, later, eelgrass After several years and multiple design alternatives, the U S Environmental Protection Agency threatened to veto the permit appli-cation due to significant impacts, primarily to eelgrass The state pulled the permit application In partial response to the events surround-ing this project, Maine and Massa-chusetts initiated statewide aerial mapping efforts of eelgrass in the mid-1990s, in part so future develop-ment projects would not be surprised by the presence of this resource Those mapping efforts now occur in all New England states at various levels of effort They are essential for natural resource managers in managing the resource But for these two large proposals, the restoration methods and mapping efforts we take for granted today may not have existed at all

file:///C:\Users\cindy.devine\Downloads\Vol%2046%20No%203\colarusso.phil@epa.gov

16

Estuaries and Coasts Editors’ Choice PapersJune 2020Buchanan, C A Water Quality Binning Method to Infer Phytoplankton Community Structure and Function1 Estuaries and Coasts 43: 661–679 (2020). https://doi org/10 1007/s12237-020-00714-3

July 2020Wachnicka, A , et al Major 2017 Hurricanes and their Cumulative Impacts on Coastal Waters of the USA and the Caribbean2 Estuaries and Coasts 43: 941–942 (2020) https://doi org/10 1007/s12237-020-00702-7

The Latest Coastal & Estuarine Science News (CESN)

Modeling Coastal Marsh Restoration Benefits in the Gulf of Mexico Using regional data to predict ecological benefits and set restoration targets Source: Fricano, G F et al 2020 Modeling Coastal Marsh Restoration Benefits in the Northern Gulf of Mexico Estuaries and Coasts DOI: 10 1007/s12237-020-00706-3https://cerf memberclicks net/cesn-may-2020#Article1

Marshes Continue Nitrogen Removal Services Despite Oil Spill Nitrogen cycling recovered after Deepwater Horizon

Source: Schutte, C A et al 2020 No Evidence for Long-term Impacts of Oil Spill Contamination on Salt Marsh Soil Nitrogen Cycling Processes Estuaries and Coasts DOI: 10 1007/s12237-020-00699-z https://cerf memberclicks net/cesn-may-2020#Article2

Merryl Alber, Managing Editor Janet Fang, Science Writer/Coordinating Editor

CESN is an electronic newsletter that is put out on a bimonthly basis (6 issues per year) and serves as a companion to the journal Estuaries and Coasts Each issue of CESN provides a summary of four articles from the journal, written for an audience of coastal managers and other interested stakeholders and emphasizing the management applications of scientific findings. Issues are posted online and emailed to subscribers. Go to the CESN website at www cerf science/cesn to read the full summaries and sign up to have future issues delivered to your email inbox

Satellite Images Provide Synoptic Pictures of Hurricane Damage and RecoveryHigh-resolution time series offer insight into storm effectsSource: Svejkovsky, J et al 2020 Satellite Image-Based Time Series Observations of Vegetation Response to Hurricane Irma in the Lower Florida Keys Estuaries and Coasts DOI: 10 1007/s12237-020-00701-8 https://cerf memberclicks net/cesn-may-2020#Article3

Can Conservation Mitigate Flood Risks in Coastal Cities? The importance of nature-based protection in urban hot spotsSource: Van Coppenolle, R et al 2020 Identifying Eco-system Surface Areas Available for Nature-Based Flood Risk Mitigation in Coastal Cities Around the World Estu-aries and Coasts DOI: 10 1007/s12237-020-00718-z https://cerf memberclicks net/cesn-may-2020#Article4

MAY 2020

September 2020Cloern, J.E., et al. Nutrient Status of San Francisco Bay and Its Management Implications3. Estuaries and Coasts 43: 1299–1317 (2020). https://doi org/10 1007/s12237-020-00737-w

1 https://rdcu be/b5AE7 2 https://rdcu be/b5AFd 3 https://rdcu be/b5Pgn

https://rdcu.be/b5AE7https://rdcu.be/b5AE7https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00714-3https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00714-3https://rdcu.be/b5AFdhttps://rdcu.be/b5AFdhttps://rdcu.be/b5AFdhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00702-7www.cerf.science/cesnwww.cerf.science/cesnhttps://rdcu.be/b5Pgnhttps://rdcu.be/b5Pgnhttps://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00737-whttps://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-020-00737-whttps://rdcu.be/b5AE7https://rdcu.be/b5AFdhttps://rdcu.be/b5Pgn

17

CERF Spotlight: Fred ShortWriting the Book on SeagrassVeronica M. Berounsky Graduate School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island, Narragansett, RI, USA vmberounsky@uri.edu

Fred Short examines eelgrass in Great Bay, New Hampshire Photo: University of New Hampshire

Behind New Hampshire’s modest 30 km of Atlantic Ocean coastline lies the Great Bay Estuary and its tidal rivers Stretching for 379 km and lined with seagrass, it has been an ideal home base for world-renowned seagrass ecologist and longtime CERF member Dr Fred Short, who has worked here at the University of New Hampshire’s Jackson Estuarine Lab since 1983

The inland New Hampshire native was an undergraduate math major with an interest in modeling He came to the Graduate School of Oceanogra-phy (GSO) at the University of Rhode Island in 1973, to work with the well-known modeler Scott W Nixon (past editor of Estuaries), knowing nothing about ecology or eelgrass

but excited to learn Scott thought a hydrodynamic model would be the ideal way to understand the ecology of a brackish coastal pond and the potential impact of a proposed power plant Fred soon discovered that the pond was full of seagrass, specifi-cally eelgrass Seagrass meadows are crucial nursery areas and a food source for fish, crustaceans, and other organisms Seagrasses also serve as filters, protecting the water from contaminants, high nutrient levels, and sediments

“At the time, not much was known about eelgrass, Zostera marina, so I took measurements, grew eelgrass in the first mesocosms at GSO, and developed a model of eelgrass growth based on the environ-

mental factors of light, temperature, and currents,” Fred said The result was his 1975 M S thesis: Eelgrass production in Charlestown Pond: an ecological analysis and numeri-cal simulation model “Scott got me going on eelgrass and set me on my whole career of looking at what

Two seagrass booksPhoto: Veronica M Berounsky

file:///C:\Users\cindy.devine\Downloads\Vol%2046%20No%203\vmberounsky@uri.edu

18

factors control eelgrass growth by emphasizing how important it was to understand the whole ecosystem,” he said

Working with Peter McRoy at the University of Alaska for his PhD, Fred continued his eelgrass work by look-ing at nitrogen limitation in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska Then Fred returned to New England and continued a prolific career of publishing eelgrass studies about Great Bay, Waquoit Bay, Boston Harbor, and other sites “Our research has shown that the biggest threat to eelgrass is the excess nitrogen coming from human sources—mainly wastewater treatment plants,” said Fred Over time, Fred’s work expanded to include seagrass genetics, manag-ing seagrasses for climate change, seagrass mapping, and seagrasses as blue carbon sinks

Fred was invited by other states and countries and NGOs around the world to examine their seagrasses However, he soon realized that it was hard to compare these systems to each other because researchers were not making consistent measurement of seagrasses. To fill this gap, Fred and colleague Dr Robert Coles of James Cook University in Australia published in 2001 Global Seagrass Research Methods 1 Later that year,

Fred founded SeagrassNet, the Global Seagrass Monitoring Network 2 This ecological monitoring program works because “it has easy to moni-tor metrics and permanent plots for measurements” said colleague Hilary Neckles (and CERF Past President) It is now used at 139 sites on every continent except Antarctica (where seagrass has yet to be found) and covers the 72 different species of seagrasses In 2003, Fred followed up with The World Atlas of Seagrasses3 for “presenting a global synthesis of the distribution and status of sea-grasses ”

“When I started working on eelgrass in Great Bay, there was 80% more than there is now,” said Fred “Now is a low point world-wide The decrease is due to human sources of nitrogen, and it’s going to get worse unless we do something ” Fred said there are signs of improvement, “For example Tampa Bay in Florida is recovering and, locally, Mumford Cove in Con-necticut has eelgrass returning once they removed the source of nitrogen ”

With glimmers of hope for the future of eelgrass, and plans to include Sea-grassNet in the Marine GEO (Marine Global Earth Observatory) Program at the Smithsonian Institute, Fred retired this year and moved to the state of Washington with his wife Cathy, a sci-ence writer and his editor “She’s the reason I’ve been able to publish so much over the years,” said Fred

At the April 2019 meeting of the New England Estuarine Research Society (Fred is a past President and 2012 recipient of its Achievement Award), Fred’s vast circle of students and colleagues held a “Festschrift,” 4 a German word for honoring someone in academia during their lifetime,

noting a continued call to work and a source of inspiration Thirteen of his students and colleagues gave presentations and spoke about how Fred inspired their research Dante Torio remarked that when the Cree Native Canadians in Hudson Bay needed someone to help them restore their eelgrass, “They googled ‘eelgrass’ and Fred’s name came up, so they called him.” That’s fitting for a researcher who has spent his career with a singular focus on understand-ing, protecting, and restoring sea-grasses worldwide

Note: This article is a shortened ver-sion of an article originally published in Aboard GSO, the Alumni Magazine of the Graduate School of Oceanogra-phy.5

References1 Short, F T , and R G Coles (Editors) 2001 Global Seagrass Research Methods. Elsevier Science https://www sciencedirect com/book/9780444508911/global-seagrass-research-methods2 SeagrassNet, the Global Seagrass Monitoring Network http://www seagrassnet org/3 Green, E P , and F T Short 2003 The World Atlas of Seagrasses. University of California Press 4 The Festschrift program http://www neers org/documents/meeting_history/programs/S2019Program pdf5 Berounsky, V M 2019 Aboard GSO, the Alumni Magazine of the Graduate School of Oceanog-raphy. https://web uri edu/gso/publications/aboard-gso/issues/aboard-gso-summer-2019/

Editors’ Note: This is the first in a series of “Spotlight” articles that acknowledge outstanding work being done by colleagues.

Fred Short with his wife and editor, Cathy ShortPhoto: Veronica M Berounsky

CERF spotlight… (continued)

https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780444508911/global-seagrass-research-methodshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780444508911/global-seagrass-research-methodshttp://www.seagrassnet.org/http://www.seagrassnet.org/https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780444508911/global-seagrass-research-methodshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780444508911/global-seagrass-research-methodshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780444508911/global-seagrass-research-methodshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780444508911/global-seagrass-research-methodshttp://www.seagrassnet.org/http://www.seagrassnet.org/http://www.seagrassnet.org/ http://www.neers.org/documents/meeting_history/programs/S2019Program.pdf http://www.neers.org/documents/meeting_history/programs/S2019Program.pdfhttp://www.neers.org/documents/meeting_history/programs/S2019Program.pdfhttp://www.neers.org/documents/meeting_history/programs/S2019Program.pdfhttp://www.neers.org/documents/meeting_history/programs/S2019Program.pdfhttp://www.neers.org/documents/meeting_history/programs/S2019Program.pdfhttps://web.uri.edu/gso/publications/aboard-gso/issues/aboard-gso-summer-2019/https://web.uri.edu/gso/publications/aboard-gso/issues/aboard-gso-summer-2019/https://web.uri.edu/gso/publications/aboard-gso/issues/aboard-gso-summer-2019/https://web.uri.edu/gso/publications/aboard-gso/issues/aboard-gso-summer-2019/https://web.uri.edu/gso/publications/aboard-gso/issues/aboard-gso-summer-2019/

NEERS celebrated its 50th Anniver-sary in a very 21st century way—by hosting its first fully virtual confer-ence Tay Evans (Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries), Brett Branco (Brooklyn College), and Courtney Schmidt (Narragansett Bay Estuary Program) acted as local hosts We used the Zoom Webinar platform with different functionality for panelists, attendees, and hosts, and we used the Zoom Meeting plat-form for break-out rooms The 3-day conference was loaded with interest-ing talks while also providing space for networking and conversation We had 30 presentations, a well-attended coffee break conversation (Photo 1), a BYO cocktail and networking event with small groups in Zoom break-out sessions, a “Stories of Our Careers” mentor night, and a trivia game night But the highlight was our Special Symposium honoring the 50th anniversary of NEERS, convened by Robert Buschbaum (Massachusetts Audubon)

Our first online meeting was well attended with 141 total attendees, including 29 students We had cur-rent and former members join us from all over the country—including Maryland, Washington, and Florida Andrew Robinson received the Rankin award for best undergraduate pre-sentation He presented “A low-cost radio-tracked drifter system: Design and applications for coastal ocean-ography ” Anna Puchkoff received the Ketchum award for best graduate presentation Anna presented “Plant-soil responses to experimental thin layer placement in a Connecticut salt marsh ” As a special honor, Dr Fred Short received an honorary lifetime membership to NEERS Finally, Tay and Courtney both received NEERS’ first Stratification award for mem-bers “being at a level of their own and going above and beyond ” Tay and Courtney were honored with this award for coordinating and executing the virtual conference

NEERS members found the virtual meeting format to be surprisingly effective, particularly for presenting research and perspectives on the science and management of estu-aries Nonetheless, we all missed the opportunity to catch up with old friends, make new friends, strike up impromptu collaborations, and par-take in the Friday night dancing that is a staple of NEERS meetings

NEERS is busy planning for its Fall 2020 meeting NEERSians hope this will be an in-person event because we are scheduled to retreat to the Spring House Hotel on Block Island, Rhode Island, one of NEERS’ favorite venues However, we are prepared should it be a virtual gathering once again Stay tuned

An Update from the New England Estuarine Research Society

Friday morning coffee and conversations on Zoom

19

CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR 2021-2023 CERF GOVERNING BOARDHilary Neckles, Nominations Committee Chair

20

We invite you to submit nominations for the 2021-2023 CERF Governing Board, to be led by current President-Elect Leila Hamdan. CERF is soliciting nomi-nations for our next President-Elect, Secretary, and three Members-at-Large, including an International and Student Member-at-Large In general, the Gov-erning Board carries out all of CERF’s affairs, with legal and fiduciary respon-sibility for the overall planning, manage-ment, and oversight of the Federation In practice, serving on the Governing Board is a fantastic way to meet other dedicated CERF members, shape the path forward for CERF, develop leader-ship skills, and have a ton of fun The Governing Board meets four times yearly (two virtual meetings and two in-person meetings), and Board members typically serve on at least one commit-tee doing the work of CERF Responsi-bilities of positions up for election are listed below and more information can be found on the CERF website (https://www cerf science/)

CERF’s Rising TIDES (Toward an Inclu-sive, Diverse, and Enriched Society) program is a multifaceted approach to enhancing the diversity and inclu-sion of our scientific society and CERF conferences (https://www cerf science/risingtides) Through the Broadening Participation Comprehensive Plan, CERF has committed to promote diversity throughout all levels of the organization, including CERF leader-ship Nominations are particularly encouraged that reflect individual differences in social identity such as race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity and expression, religion, sexual orientation, physical ability, and socioeconomic background, as well as differences in discipline, career path, and life experience

Please send your nominations to Past-President Hilary Neckles (hneckles@usgs.gov), copied to Executive Direc-tor Susan Park (spark@cerf.science), before the 21 December 2020 deadline Self-nominations are welcome, and nominations of others are assumed to have the consent of the nominee

All Governing Board Members• Carry out the affairs and purposes

of the Federation; legal and fiduciary responsibility forthe overall planning, management, and oversight of the Federation

• Attend all Board and Business meetings• Attend the Biennial Conference and

provide visible leadership at key events, including the opening and closing receptions, student career event, and with sponsors and exhibi-tors

• Chair and/or participate in commit-tees or ad hoc assignments

• Promote the goals of the Federation and encourage students, friends, and colleagues to become and remain members of the Federation and to participate in its activities

• Approve allocation of funds via approval of the biennial budget or by resolution

• General oversight of the journal, conference, and membership activi-ties

• May change the number of at-large members or appoint such additional ex officio, nonvoting members of the Board as deemed necessary

President Elect• Assumes the duties of the President in

the President’s absence• Serves as the President if the elected

President is unable to complete the full term of office

• Assumes other duties as assigned by the President

• Accedes to the position of President at the end of the two-year elect term (see below)

Secretary• Prepares and distributes the minutes

of all Governing Board and Business meetings

• Provides a list of action items and the responsible person after each Board meeting; may bring forward unfinished action items at future meetings

• Sees that all notices are duly given in accordance with the Constitution and Bylaws

• Authenticates records of the Federation• Serves a two-year term

Members at Large• Represent the full spectrum of the

interests of the membership• Serve on one or more committees or

perform special duties for the Federa-tion as appointed by the President

• Serve four-year staggered terms (except Student Member at large who serves a two-year term)

President• Chair of the Governing Board; presides

at all meetings• Presides over the Annual Business

Meeting, which provides an account of the state of the Federation to the Membership

• Supervises and provides direction to the Executive Director

• Appoints all committees and commit-tee chairs, provides oversight of and direction to all committees, and main-tains dialogue between committees and the Board

• With concurrence from the Board, appoints the Biennial Conference Chair(s)

• Represents the Federation (or desig-nates a representative) in outreach to other organizations in support of the conference, journal, and other Federa-tion activities

• Represents the Federation (or desig-nates a representative) to affiliated organizations (e g , Consortium of Aquatic Science Societies), and in invi-tations to or discussions with other

organizations for new collaborations• Writes a message to the membership

in each issue of the newsletter• Provides remarks at the Biennial Con-

ference and presides over key events• Coordinates the solicitation of reports

from Board members and committees for submission to the Board prior to each meeting

• Accedes to the role of Past President upon expiration of their term (see below)

Past President• Assists the President as needed• Chairs the Nominations Committee• Provides continuity to the Governing Board

https://www.cerf.science/https://www.cerf.science/https://www.cerf.science/risingtideshttps://www.cerf.science/risingtidesmailto:hneckles%40usgs.gov?subject=mailto:hneckles%40usgs.gov?subject=mailto:spark%40cerf.science?subject=

22

CERF GOVERNING BOARD

President Jim Fourqurean Florida International University

President-Elect Leila Hamdan University of Southern Mississippi

Past President Hilary Neckles U S Geological Survey

Secretary Jamie Vaudrey University of Connecticut

Treasurer Erik Smilth University of South Carolina

Members at Large2017-2021 Christine Whitcraft California State University Long Beach

2019-2023 Jennifer Beseres Pollack Harte Research Institute Texas A&M University Corpus Cristi

2019-2023 Kristin Wilson Grimes University of the Virgin Islands

International Member at Large 2017-2021 J Ernesto Mancera Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Student Member at Large 2019-2021 Johnny Quispe Rutgers University

Affiliate Society RepresentativesACCESS Allen Beck Clean Foundation

AERS Ben Fertig Irvine Nature Center

CAERS Steven Litvin Monterey Bay Aquarium Reasearch Institiute

GERS Megan La Peyre U S Geological Survey and Louisiana State University Agricultural Center

NEERS Brett Branco Brooklyn College

PERS Liz Perotti Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife

SEERS Enrique Reyes East Carolina University

Journal OfficialsCo-Editors in Chief Paul Montagna Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

Charles (Si) Simenstad University of Washington

Managing Editor Taylor Bowen

Reviews Editor Ken HeckDauphin Island Sea Lab

CESN Managing Editor Merryl Alber University of Georgia

CESN Science Writer/Coordinating Editor Janet Fang

Contact InformationCoastal & Estuarine Research Federation 2150 North 107th Street, Suite 205 Seattle, WA 98133-9009 (206) 209-5262 info@cerf science

Executive Director Susan Park (804) 381-6658 spark@cerf science

Chief Operating Officer Louise S Miller info@cerf science

CERF’s Up! EditorStephen HaleDeputy EditorAllison Fitzgeraldnewsletter@cerf science

21

mailto:info%40cerf.science?subject=mailto:info%40cerf.science?subject=mailto:newsletter%40cerf.science?subject=

COASTAL & ESTUARINE RESEARCH FEDERATION 2150 N 107th St, Ste 205Seattle, WA 98133Phone: (206) 209-5262Website: www cerf scienceEmail: info@cerf science

mailto:info@cerf.science