Approaches for Ecosystem Services Valuation for the Gulf of Mexico After the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Interim Report (2012) / Chapter Skim
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3 Methods to Establish Baselines for Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Services
3 Methods to Establish Baselines for Gulf of Mexico Ecosystem Services
Pages 75-94
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From page 75... ...
The GoM Large Marine Ecosystem was degraded prior to the spill, so establishing dynamic baselines for each of the important ecosystem services is vital before the effects of the oil spill can be established. While the charges to the committee with respect to baselines (questions 2 and 3 in the Statement of Task)
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From page 76... ...
We will thus focus our discussion of baselines on representative examples of ecosystem services important in the GoM. This discussion is not comprehensive, but rather highlights examples of key parameters that have been or can be measured to ascertain GoM ecosystem services prior to the DWH oil spill.
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From page 77... ...
The effort will require sampling large areas with sufficient temporal frequency and spatial detail to resolve episodic changes using a combination of ground surveys and remote sensing. Fortunately, the tools exist and the groundwork is in place for detecting changes in GoM coastal wetlands.
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From page 78... ...
Hydrologic Balance Adequate flow of water in the hydrologic cycle from ocean to land to rivers to the sea is modulated by ecosystems and human activities that are intertwined with this cycle. Potential interruption of hydrologic balance and impacts may have resulted from two aspects of the DWH oil spill: (1)
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From page 79... ...
For example, as of May 10, 2010, there were seven diversions and siphons and one navigation lock opened to move water out of the Mississippi River and into coastal wetlands. Four diversions or siphons and a lock are located in Plaquemines Parish while three are in St.
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From page 80... ...
. Salt marshes and mangroves compensate for rising sea level, within limits, by trapping sediment, increasing root biomass and ac cumulating soil organic matter.
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From page 81... ...
Water Quality -- Nutrient Regulation4 Ecosystems receive nutrient inputs and process nutrients through nutrient uptake, regeneration, and transformation. Nutrient processing includes the natural functions of nutrient cycling in wetlands, submerged vegetation, and subsurface sediments along the gradient of tidally influenced ecosystems to across the continental shelf soft-bottom habitats and into similar ecosystems of the deep GoM.
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From page 82... ...
Much of the variation in water quality in the GoM coastal waters is driven by inputs from the Mississippi River, delivering 80 percent of the freshwater inflow, 91 percent of the annual nitrogen load, and 88 percent of the phosphorus load to the northern part of the Gulf (Turner et al., 2007)
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From page 83... ...
. Offshore and open Gulf of Mexico water quality data including nutrients are mostly stored at the NOAA National Oceanographic Data Center.6 See http://toxics.usgs.gov/hypoxia/mississippi/.
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From page 84... ...
a PROVISIONING SERVICES Food Indirect and direct food provisioning are recognized ecosystem services. For example, consider a deep-shelf hard-bottom ecosystem within the GoM.
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From page 85... ...
Because food provisioning includes artisanal fishing but is mostly captured through commercial fisheries, and because state and federal governments regularly model and collect data on commercial fisheries, baseline data on the kinds and amount of direct food provisioning are available. The primary database for U.S.
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From page 86... ...
cite oil spills and petroleum extraction as potentially having negative effects on fish survival and recruitment of Gulf menhaden. Other factors, related to the interactions of natural events and human activity (hurricanes, climate cycles, pollution, coastal develop ment, wetland degradation wetland loss, river runoff, algal blooms, hypoxic zones)
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From page 87... ...
, the GoM Outer Continental Shelf produced 510 million barrels of oil and 2.8 trillion cubic feet of gas in 2009, which amounts to about 29 percent of all the oil produced in the United States and 13 percent of gas. The history of oil production from the Gulf from 1970 to 2008 indicates that while production in shallow water has been rapidly declining, production in deep water has risen dramatically and accounted for 76 percent of offshore production in the Gulf by 2008 (Figure 3.2)
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From page 88... ...
Yet, spiritual and historic connections are passions of individuals and communities that motivate them to action. As an example of the spiritual and historic importance of our natural environment, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment addressed the function of forests: "Forests play important cultural, spiritual, and recreational roles in many societies.
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From page 89... ...
Dismukes, Louisiana State University, Center for Energy Studies.
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From page 90... ...
Early evidence suggests that many of the issues associated with the Exxon Valdez oil spill are occurring with the DWH oil spill (Ritchie et al., 2011)
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From page 91... ...
Aesthetic experiences are provided to the general public insofar as they visit beaches, watch wildlife, and enjoy navigating through inland and offshore areas. Existence amenities include knowledge or awareness about specific components of the GoM system, such as knowing that migrating birds use habitats in the northern Gulf of Mexico, as well as more abstract ideas such as feeling a sense of inspiration from or harmony with nature as represented by the GoM, or associating the GoM with a strong emotional attachment.
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From page 92... ...
An important source of saltwater recreational fishing data is the NOAA Fisheries Marine Recreational Information Program (formerly the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey) .11 The purpose of this program is to gather information on participation, fishing effort, catch, and socio-economic characteristics of the participants.
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From page 93... ...
. A recent report prepared for the Louisiana Office of Tourism attempts to quantify the impact of the oil spill on tourism in that state (Tourism Economics, 2010)
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From page 94... ...
This chapter is not intended to be comprehensive, but rather to highlight key parameters and provide guidance for determining changes in various ecosystem services. In approaching this task, three fundamental questions were addressed for each service specified: (1)
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