Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary
2010 Condition Report

Click on the following links to access the two Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary Condition Summary Tables
Coastal and Offshore Environment | Estuarine and Lagoon Environment

Summary and Findings

Located off the Central California coast and encompassing 966 square nautical miles, Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary protects a diversity of highly productive marine habitats and supports an abundance of species. It is a complex system of bays, estuaries, mudflats, marsh and intertidal, coastal and oceanic waters, and is influenced by the highly urbanized San Francisco Bay area populated by nearly 8 million people. The sanctuary has one of the world's most significant populations of white sharks, in addition to one of the largest concentrations of breeding seabirds. It is a destination feeding ground for endangered blue and humpback whales, and is one of the most important areas along the West Coast for marine commerce such as fishing, shipping, whale watching and tourism.

In addition to the area within the boundaries of the sanctuary, the Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary is also responsible for administration and management of the northern area of the Monterey Bay sanctuary extending from the San Mateo-Santa Cruz county line northward to the existing boundary between the two sanctuaries. Some areas of the Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary are influenced by conditions and features within the northern portion of the Monterey Bay sanctuary; therefore, this document considers these influences when determining the status of the water quality, habitat, living and maritime archaeological resources within the Gulf of the Farallones sanctuary.

Because of the considerable differences in environmental pressures and responses between the coastal/offshore and estuarine/lagoon zones, this document addresses status and trends to represent these two environment types separately. The following is a brief summary of findings for each zone.

Coastal and Offshore Environment

Estuarine and Lagoon Environment

In November 2008, the sanctuary completed a final draft of its newest management plan. This plan was developed as a joint plan in conjunction with the contiguous Cordell Bank and Monterey Bay sanctuaries. The new management plan considers the ecological linkages and uses ecosystem based-management actions to protect the sanctuary from human pressures including vessel traffic, marine debris, radioactive waste, dredged material, non-indigenous species, activities from fishing, nonpoint source pollution, and wildlife disturbance. The plan outlines strategies to fill data gaps through monitoring water quality, eutrophic conditions, key species and habitats, and conducting complete site characterization. Monitoring will be increased to identify areas of ecological significance, areas of highest and most persistent biological densities and areas of greatest productivity, effectiveness of marine zones, early detection of non-indigenous species, and detection of wildlife disturbance. Increased stewardship is also planned to help decrease disturbance events.

Coastal and Offshore Environment

The following table summarizes the "State of Sanctuary Resources" section of this report. The first column lists 17 questions used to rate the condition and trends for qualities of water, habitat, living resources and maritime archaeological resources. The Rating column consists of a color, indicating resource condition, and a symbol, indicating trend (see key for definitions). The Basis for Judgment column provides a short statement or list of criteria used to justify the rating. The Description of Findings column presents the statement that best characterizes resource status, and corresponds to the assigned color rating. The Description of Findings statements are customized for all possible ratings for each question. Please see Appendix A for further clarification of the questions and the Description of Findings statements. Because of the considerable differences within the sanctuary between the environmental pressures and responses affecting the coastal and offshore zone and the estuarine and lagoon zone, this document breaks out status and trends to represent these two regions. The below table reflects the state of the coastal and offshore environment of the sanctuary. Note that the impacts from the Cosco Busan oil spill in November 2007 are in process of being evaluated and are not part of this assessment.

Status:   Good     Good/Fair      Fair      Fair/Poor      Poor       Undet.  

Trends:

▲ Conditions appear to be improving.
- Conditions do not appear to be changing.
▼ Conditions appear to be declining.
? Undeterminted trend.
N/A Question not applicable.

	Questions/ Resources	Rating	Basis For Judgement	Description Findings	Sanctuary Response
WATER
1.	Are specific or multiple stressors, including changing oceanographic and atmospheric conditions, affecting water quality and how are they changing?		Decreased oil pollution, decreased sediment spills from barges, few harmful algal blooms, continued nonpoint source discharges from San Francisco Bay and Russian River, and coastal 303(d) listings.	Selected conditions may preclude full development of living resource assemblages and habitats, but are not likely to cause substantial or persistent declines.	Regulations and enforcement prohibit, detect and prosecute illegal dumping and discharge of substances, with the exception of deck wash and fish parts related to commercial fishing activities. Several new regulations went into effect in 2009 for increased protection from discharges, including discharges initiating from outside the sanctuary boundary that may cause injury, discharge of introduced species from ballast water, and discharge from cruise ships. Increased sampling is planned to detect harmful algal blooms. Increased access to data sets of oil pollution and resources at risk. Complete site habitat characterization for improved identification of resources at risk, damage assessment protocols, restoration planning, and improved understanding of sediment transport. Develop research to assess extent and trend of accumulated pollutants through the food chain and commercial fish. Work with USGS and other Central & Northern California Ocean Observing System (CeNCOOS) partners for additional modeling of processes and fate of sedimentation and pollutants. Outreach and education programs improve stewardship of marine resources.
2.	What is the eutrophic condition of sanctuary waters and how is it changing?	?	No obvious problems, healthy phytoplankton constituents; only 15 years of monitoring for phytoplankton so trend undetermined.	Conditions do not appear to have the potential to negatively affect living resources or habitat quality.
3.	Do sanctuary waters pose risks to human health and how are they changing?		Coastal 303(d) listings for discharges and beach closures; offshore dilution.	Selected conditions that have the potential to affect human health may exist, but human impacts have not been reported.
4.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence water quality and how are they changing?		Increasing vessel traffic (discharges and noise) and increasing urbanization are of concern, but decrease in acute and chronic oil pollution, decreasing sediment discharge; increasing management and enforcement actions.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
HABITAT
5.	What are the abundance and distribution of major habitat types and how are they changing?		Some benthic habitat loss from localized pressures related to increased human activities, reduced trawling impacts and improved enforcement of dredge disposal practices.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has taken place, precluding full development of living resource assemblages, but it is unlikely to cause substantial or persistent degradation in living resources or water quality.	Regulations prohibit disturbance of the seabed, including placement of rip-rap, laying of cables and pipelines, or construction on the seabed. Outreach and education programs improve stewardship of marine resources. Increased monitoring of priority habitats such as rocky intertidal communities. Plans to increase integration of data sets for improved site characterization including benthic mapping, oceanographic features, ecological linkages, and to determine if further assessment of the radioactive waste dump site is warranted. Convert archived photos documenting beach erosion to digital format.
6.	What is the condition of biologically structured habitats and how is it changing?		Prior alteration and loss due to trawling; substantial data gaps for a number of habitat types, including drift algae and beach wrack.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has taken place, precluding full development of living resources, but it is unlikely to cause substantial or persistent degradation in living resources or water quality.
7.	What are the contaminant concentrations in sanctuary habitats and how are they changing?		New but limited data indicates reduction of persistent contaminants and no obvious problems.	N/A
8.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence habitat quality and how are they changing?		Activities relating to increased urbanization, visitation and shipping; decrease in trawling and chronic oil pollution, cessation of discharging of radioactive waste, increased regulations to prevent introduced species.	Some potentially harmful activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on habitat quality.
LIVING RESOURCES
9.	What is the status of biodiversity and how is it changing?		Changes in relative abundance, particularly in targeted, by-catch, and sensitive species (e.g., Steller sea lions, northern fur seals, seabirds, rockfish and sea otters).	Selected biodiversity loss has taken place, precluding full community development and function, but it is unlikely to cause substantial or persistent degradation of ecosystem integrity.	Current regulations prohibit disturbance to seabird and pinniped colonies and to white sharks. Increased monitoring to detect persistent and ephemeral areas of ecological significance and trends. Sampling for planktonic, non-indigenous species is planned. Partnership with NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service to assess acoustic levels within the region. Increased vigilance for ecological hotspots, non-point source pollution and persistent pollutants within the benthic habitats. Species inventory and mapping the abundance and distribution of introduced species will occur within the next five years. Increased sampling is planned to determine trend in prey-base biomass. Increased monitoring of key species such as seabirds, marine mammals and prey species. Work with USGS and other CeNCOOS partners for additional modeling of chemical, biological, and physical processes. Plans to increase integration of data sets for improved site characterization including benthic mapping, oceanographic features and ecological linkages. Outreach and education programs improve stewardship of marine resources and prevent disturbance and illegal extraction of living resources.
10.	What is the status of environmentally sustainable fishing and how is it changing?		Historical fishing impacts; recent improvements in some populations due to take reductions.	Extraction may inhibit full community development and function, and may cause measurable but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity.
11.	What is the status of non-indigenous species and how is it changing?		Non-indigenous species are present (e.g. green crabs, plankton and striped bass), but there are no known ecosystem impacts; monitoring is required.	Non-indigenous species are not suspected or do not appear to affect ecosystem integrity (full community development and function).
12.	What is the status of key species and how is it changing?	?	Among sanctuary's list of 49 key species, populations are in varying states of integrity.	The reduced abundance of selected keystone species may inhibit full community development and function, and may cause measurable but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity; or selected key species are at reduced levels, but recovery is possible.
13.	What is the condition or health of key species and how is it changing?		Underweight gray whales; reduced Steller sea lion health and pupping rates; removal of oil from S/S Jacob Luckenbach has reduced seabird and marine mammal oiling incidents	The condition of selected key resources is not optimal, perhaps precluding full ecological function, but substantial or persistent declines are not expected.
14.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence living resource quality and how are they changing?		Impacts from human population increases, urbanization and increased use of coastal areas. Increasing vessel traffic (discharges and noise) and increased documented disturbances to seabirds and marine mammals are of concern, perhaps offset by reductions in trawling and fishing pressure, and establishment of new marine zones.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable living resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
15.	What is the integrity of known maritime archaeological resources and how is it changing?	?	Sanctuary inventory contains information on known vessel losses; archaeological survey and monitoring needs to be conducted to determine status and trend.	N/A	Regulations prohibit disturbance or removal of archaeological resources. Increased outreach to improve awareness of cultural resources and prevent illegal removal of archaeological resources.
16.	Do known maritime archaeological resources pose an environmental hazard and is this threat changing?		Deterioration of offshore wrecks could result in the release of hazardous cargo or bunker fuel.	Selected maritime archaeological resources may cause measurable, but not severe, impacts to certain sanctuary resources or areas, but recovery is possible.
17.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence maritime archaeological resource quality and how are they changing?	?	Trawling, anchoring or dragging of anchors, diving; lack of monitoring to determine trend; regulations to prohibit trawling in some areas; regulations to prohibit laying of cables.	Some potentially relevant activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on maritime archaeological resource integrity.

Estuarine and Lagoon Environment

The following table summarizes the "State of Sanctuary Resources" section of this report. The first column lists 17 questions used to rate the condition and trends for qualities of water, habitat, living resources, and maritime archaeological resources. The Rating column consists of a color, indicating resource condition, and a symbol, indicating trend (see key for definitions). The Basis for Judgment column provides a short statement or list of criteria used to justify the rating. The Description of Findings column presents the statement that best characterizes resource status, and corresponds to the assigned color rating. The Description of Findings statements are customized for all possible ratings for each question. Please see Appendix A for further clarification of the questions and the Description of Findings statements. Because of the considerable differences within the sanctuary between the environmental pressures and responses affecting the coastal and offshore zone and the estuarine and lagoon zone, this document breaks out status and trends to represent these two regions. The below table reflects the state of the estuarine and lagoon environment of the sanctuary.

Status:   Good     Good/Fair      Fair      Fair/Poor      Poor       Undet.  

Trends:

▲ Conditions appear to be improving.
- Conditions do not appear to be changing.
▼ Conditions appear to be declining.
? Undeterminted trend.
N/A Question not applicable.

	Questions/ Resources	Rating	Basis For Judgement	Description Findings	Sanctuary Response
WATER
1.	Are specific or multiple stressors, including changing oceanographic and atmospheric conditions, affecting water quality and how are they changing?	?	Land use pressures have caused changes to sediment and freshwater regimes; increased restoration activities and best management practices may offset water quality problems that have historically resulted in loss of eelgrass beds.	Selected conditions may inhibit the development of assemblages, and may cause measurable but not severe declines in living resources and habitats.	Regulations and enforcement prohibit, detect and prosecute illegal dumping and discharge of substances, with the exception of deck wash and fish parts related to commercial fishing activities. Increased sampling is planned to detect harmful algal blooms. New regulations prohibit anchoring a vessel in designated seagrass zones in Tomales Bay. Wetland restoration is planned for Tomales Bay and Bolinas Lagoon, including reduction of upland practices causing sedimentation, increased runoff and fresh water diversion. Update characterization of Esteros Americano and de San Antonio is planned, including better understanding of sediment transport. Develop monitoring to assess extent and trend of accumulated pollutants through the food chain and commercial fish. Outreach and education programs are planned to increase stewardship of marine resources and prevent non-point source pollution. Need improved control and understanding of introduced species.
2.	What is the eutrophic condition of sanctuary waters and how is it changing?	?	High levels of nutrient input have caused eutrophication, severe oxygen depletion, and shellfish contamination in the Tomales Bay watershed. However, there have not been associated problems or reported loss of fish populations.	Selected conditions may preclude full development of living resource assemblages and habitats, but are not likely to cause substantial or persistent declines.
3.	Do sanctuary waters pose risks to human health and how are they changing?	?	Nonpoint source contamination has resulted in aquaculture and shellfish closures in Tomales Bay; twoNorovirus outbreaks in Tomales Bay. Best management practices have been implemented and further studies are required to determine their success.	Selected conditions have caused or are likely to cause severe impacts, but cases to date have not suggested a pervasive problem.
4.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence water quality and how are they changing?		Land use pressures have caused changes to sediment and freshwater regimes; loss of eelgrass beds; increased restoration activities, increased regulations, and best management practices may allow for improvements.	Selected activities have caused or are likely to cause severe impacts, and cases to date suggest a pervasive problem.
HABITAT
5.	What are the abundance and distribution of major habitat types and how are they changing?		Habitat loss due to erosion, habitat conversion, and sedimentation.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in some but not all living resources or water quality.	Regulations prohibit disturbance of the seabed, including placement of rip-rap, laying of cables and pipelines, or construction on the seabed. New regulations prohibit anchoring a vessel in designated seagrass protection zones in Tomales Bay. New regulations for increased protection from discharges initiating from outside the sanctuary boundary that may cause injury and to prevent discharge of introduced species from ballast water. Wetland restoration is planned for Tomales Bay and Bolinas Lagoon, including reduction of upland practices causing sedimentation, increased runoff and fresh water diversion. Update characterization of Esteros Americano and de San Antonio is planned, including better understanding of sediment transport. Assess impacts from boat-works operation on Tomales Bay. Outreach and education programs improve stewardship of marine resources.
6.	What is the condition of biologically structured habitats and how is it changing?		Loss of eelgrass in Bolinas Lagoon due to watershed issues causing sedimentation and elevation of mudflats. Loss of native oyster beds in Tomales Bay due to sedimentation, roadside maintenance activities, anchoring and mooring.	Selected habitat loss or alteration may inhibit the development of living resources, and may cause measurable but not severe declines in living resources or water quality.
7.	What are the contaminant concentrations in sanctuary habitats and how are they changing?	?	Limited data, though bird studies in other estuarine areas strongly suggest the need for increased monitoring.	N/A
8.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence habitat quality and how are they changing?		Impacts from continued land use, urbanization, erosion, pollutants from closed mines, and vessel activities may be offset by reduced mining activities, restoration activities and new regulations.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable habitat impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
LIVING RESOURCES
9.	What is the status of biodiversity and how is it changing?		Species diversity changes due to eelgrass loss in Bolinas Lagoon and invasive species.	Selected biodiversity loss has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in some but not all ecosystem components and reduce ecosystem integrity.	Regulations prohibit disturbance to seabird and pinniped colonies. Increased monitoring is planned to detect persistent and ephemeral ecological hotspots and trends. New regulations prevent impacts to eelgrass beds. Wetland restoration is planned for Tomales Bay and Bolinas Lagoon, including reduction of upland practices causing sedimentation, increased runoff and fresh water diversion. Characterization of Esteros Americano and de San Antonio is planned. Habitat characterization will occur within the next five years. New regulations for increased protection from discharges initiating from outside the sanctuary boundary that may cause injury and to prevent discharge of introduced species from ballast water. Sampling for planktonic and intertidal non-indigenous species is planned Increased vigilance of ecological hotspots, non-point source pollution and persistent pollutants within the benthic habitats. Species inventory will occur within the next five years. Outreach and education programs improve stewardship of marine resources.
10.	What is the status of environmentally sustainable fishing and how is it changing?		Minimal extraction.	Extraction does not appear to affect ecosystem integrity (full community development and function).
11.	What is the status of non-indigenous species and how is it changing?	?	High numbers of invasive species including European green crabs, Japanese mud snails and smooth cordgrass. Limited data are available on the density or geographic extent of most non-indigenous species.	Non-indigenous species have caused or are likely to cause severe declines in some but not all ecosystem components and reduce ecosystem integrity.
12.	What is the status of key species and how is it changing?		Keystone and some key species are at reduced levels; eelgrass decline in Bolinas Lagoon is likely to diminish recovery potential; abundance of the tidewater goby has declined substantially due to habitat loss and degradation; brant populations had been on the decline and are now increasing, but recovery is slow.	The reduced abundance of selected keystone species may inhibit full community development and function, and may cause measurable but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity; or selected key species are at reduced levels, but recovery is possible.
13.	What is the condition or health of key species and how is it changing?	?	Insufficient data. Some fish have high mercury levels; it is unknown how this may impact fish populations. Disturbance to harbor seals may impact their health.	N/A
14.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence living resource quality and how are they changing?		Impacts resulting from urbanization, changing uses that affect watersheds, and wildlife disturbance caused by visitor activities; management activities to increase monitoring of and outreach about introduced species are needed; restoration planning needs to be implemented in Bolinas Lagoon and completed for vessel activities in Tomales Bay.	Selected activities have caused or are likely to cause severe impacts, and cases to date suggest a pervasive problem.
MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
15.	What is the integrity of known maritime archaeological resources and how is it changing?	?	No wreck sites have been visited or investigated.	N/A	Regulations prohibit disturbance or removal of archaeological resources. Increased outreach to improve awareness of cultural resources and prevent illegal removal of archaeological resources.
16.	Do known maritime archaeological resources pose an environmental hazard and is this threat changing?		Unlikely that the wrecks (mostly schooners) contain hazardous cargo.	Selected maritime archaeological resources may pose isolated or limited environmental threats, but substantial or persistent impacts are not expected.
17.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence maritime archaeological resource quality and how are they changing?	?	Bottom fishing, aquaculture and habitat and living resource restoration activities could affect resources.	Some potentially relevant activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on maritime archaeological resource integrity.