Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary
2009 Condition Report

Click on the following links to access the three Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Condition Summary Tables
Offshore Environment | Nearshore Environment | Estuarine Environment

Summary and Findings

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is the largest national marine sanctuary and one of the largest marine protected areas in the United States. Within the boundaries of the sanctuary is a rich array of habitats, from rugged rocky shores and lush kelp forests to one of the largest underwater canyons in North America. These habitats abound with life, from tiny microscopic plants to enormous blue whales. The sanctuary is home to a diversity of species including marine mammals, seabirds and shorebirds, sea turtles, fishes, invertebrates, and marine algae.

Activities that put pressure on sanctuary resources are diverse. Some of the most prominent pressures include vessel traffic, commercial and recreational fishing, agricultural and urban runoff, harmful algal blooms, coastal development, marine debris, the introduction of non-indigenous species, and disturbances to wildlife.

Because of the considerable differences within the sanctuary between the offshore, nearshore, and estuarine environments, each question found in the State of the Sanctuary Resources section of this report was answered separately for each of these environments. The offshore environment is defined as extending from the 30-meter isobath out to the offshore boundary of the sanctuary and includes the seafloor and water column. The nearshore environment is defined as extending from the shoreline boundary of the sanctuary (mean high water) to the 30-meter isobath and includes the seafloor and water column. Though many small estuaries occur along the central California coastline, they are not within the boundaries of the sanctuary. Elkhorn Slough is the only large estuary located inside the boundaries of the Monterey Bay sanctuary, and is thus the focus of the estuarine environment section in this report.

Water quality parameters in the offshore environment of the sanctuary suggest degraded conditions. The main contributors to degraded water quality conditions are land-based activities, such as those linked to urban development and agriculture that input contaminants and nutrients into offshore sanctuary waters, and vessel traffic that can result in the discharge of ballast water, bilge oil, and marine debris. Habitat modification has occurred in the offshore environment of the sanctuary; the most significant physical alteration of sanctuary habitats has likely resulted from fishing with bottom-contact gear, such as otter trawls. Among the various environmental impacts resulting from use of this type of gear are removal of structure-forming organisms and the smoothing of bedforms. A variety of recent management measures directed towards trawling may allow for an improvement in the condition of offshore habitats due to some recovery of seafloor habitats in the areas that were previously trawled. Living resource conditions within the offshore environment of the sanctuary are considered to be diminished as the relative abundance of many species, such as marine mammals, seabirds, and predatory fishes, have been altered substantially by both natural and anthropogenic pressures over the past several hundred years. In addition, the health of several key species has been compromised by exposure to neurotoxins produced by harmful algal blooms, entanglement in active and lost fishing gear, ingestion of marine debris, and accumulation of persistent contaminants. Recent management actions to reduce marine debris and to recover overfished stocks and impacted habitats were implemented to improve the state of living resources, and in some cases they have begun to do so. There is great uncertainty regarding the integrity of submerged maritime archaeological resources in the offshore environment in the sanctuary. The sanctuary's inventory contains information on known vessel losses, with little to no verified location information, and few visited sites. In addition, NOAA has conducted only one offshore archaeological site location inventory in the sanctuary.

Water quality parameters in the nearshore environment of the sanctuary suggest slightly more degraded conditions in comparison to the offshore environment. Specific stressors to water quality include the input of contaminants, nutrients, sediments, and pathogens from land-based activities that are linked to urban development and agriculture. Efforts to reduce pollution in the sanctuary may be offset by intensification of human activities in coastal watersheds that introduce pollutants to the nearshore environment. In the nearshore environment of the sanctuary there has been localized modification or loss of coastal habitat, primarily through armoring of coastal bluffs and beaches, erosion of sandy shoreline, and landslide disposal on rocky reef. On-going monitoring studies indicate that large, structural algae, seagrasses, and sessile habitat-forming invertebrates (e.g., sponges, anemones, tube worms) appear to be healthy and no major perturbations have been observed. The relative abundance of native species, including abalone, mussels, and sea otters, in the intertidal and nearshore subtidal zones has been altered throughout the sanctuary by a variety of factors including human activities, such as trampling and harvesting for human consumption. The recent implementation of multiple marine reserves and conservation areas in nearshore waters may facilitate recovery of reduced populations. Little is known about the submerged maritime archaeological resources in the nearshore environment of the sanctuary. To date, only one nearshore archaeological site location inventory has been conducted in the nearshore environment of Monterey Bay sanctuary.

Over the past 150 years human actions have altered the tidal, freshwater, and sediment processes in the Elkhorn Slough and its watersheds. Such impacts have substantially changed the water quality conditions and have increased the levels of pollution in Elkhorn Slough. In addition, these alterations have resulted in substantial erosion and habitat conversion. Most notably, there has been a severe reduction in abundance of the two native species that form biogenic habitat in the main channel of Elkhorn Slough, eelgrass (Zostera marina) and native oyster (Ostrea lurida), as compared to historic levels. In addition, there is strong evidence that these changes to estuarine habitats have substantially altered local biodiversity in the past 150 years some species, including burrowing sand anemones and the Atlantic soft-shell clam, that were noted as abundant in portions of the Elkhorn Slough in the 1920 and 1930s are now rarely encountered. Also, there is a very high percentage of non-native species in Elkhorn Slough, including the Japanese mud snail and the bright orange sponge. Management agencies have worked with local stakeholders to create regulatory, monitoring, education, and training programs and to implement better agricultural and urban management practices aimed at reducing or eliminating impacts to Elkhorn Slough. Little is known about the integrity of maritime archeological resources in Elkhorn Slough.

A new management plan for Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary was released in November 2008, and it contains a number of management actions that will address current issues and concerns. The plan stresses an ecosystem-based approach to management, which requires consideration of ecological interrelationships not only within the sanctuary, but within the larger context of the California Current ecosystem. It also makes essential an increased level of cooperation with other management agencies in the region. The management plan includes twenty-nine action plans that will guide the sanctuary for the next five to ten years.

Offshore Environment

The following table summarizes the "State of Sanctuary Resources" section of this report. The first two columns list 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 and are consistent across all sanctuary condition reports. Please see Appendix A for further clarification of the questions and the Description of Findings statements. The "State of Sanctuary Resources" section of the report provides a more thorough and detailed summary of the ratings and judgments described in this table.

Because of the considerable differences within the sanctuary between the offshore, nearshore, and estuarine environments, each question found in the State of the Sanctuary Resources section of this report was answered separately for each of these environments. The offshore environment is defined as extending from the 30-meter isobath out to the offshore boundary of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and includes the seafloor and water column.

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?		Elevated levels of contaminants (e.g., persistent organic pollutants), and ocean temperature and chemistry changes, some of which have been linked to changes in the offshore ecosystem.	Selected conditions may inhibit the development of assemblages and may cause measurable but not severe declines in living resources and habitats.	Improved vessel routing strategies reduce the risk of collisions and spills. Active water quality protection program is in place and involves planning, research, monitoring, education, and outreach. Recent addition of regulations limiting discharges from cruise ships.
2.	What is the eutrophic condition of sanctuary waters and how is it changing?		Nutrient enrichment in selected areas, increased nutrient loading, and increased frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms.	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?	?	Measurable levels of biotoxins and contaminants in some locations that have the potential to affect human health; no reports of human impacts.	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?		Inputs of pollutants from agriculture and urban development; reduced risk of impacts from vessels due to regulation of traffic patterns and discharges, removal of oil from sunken ships.	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?	?	Benthic habitat loss and modification due to fishing with bottom-contact gear; recovery of seafloor habitats resulting from management measures is unknown.	Selected habitat loss or alteration may inhibit the development of assemblages, and may cause measurable but not severe declines in living resources or water quality.	Trawl fishing closures in some areas are expected to reduce damage to bottom habitats. Installation of submerged cables is regulated and monitored. The recent incorporation of the Davidson Seamount into the sanctuary will increase protection of fragile structure-forming organisms. Multi-year, collaborative project to identify and remove lost fishing gear from the sanctuary.
6.	What is the condition of biologically structured habitats and how is it changing?	?	Damage to and loss of structure-forming and structure-building taxa due to trawl fishing; recovery of biogenic habitat resulting from management measures is unknown.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in some but not all living resources or water quality.
7.	What are the contaminant concentrations in sanctuary habitats and how are they changing?		No evidence of strong ecosystem level effects; no attenuation of persistent contaminants in sediments; continued input and delivery of some contaminants to deep-sea habitats.	Selected contaminants may preclude full development of living resource assemblages, but are not likely to cause substantial or persistent degradation.
8.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence habitat quality and how are they changing?		High levels of previous trawl fishing, but recent reductions in trawling activity. Accumulations of marine debris from land and ocean-based human activities.	Selected activities have caused or are likely to cause severe impacts, and cases to date suggest a pervasive problem.
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.	Selected biodiversity loss may inhibit full community development and function and may cause measurable but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity.	Research and monitoring programs supported by SIMoN focus heavily on addressing causes of impacts to living resources and evaluating the effectiveness of management actions. The sanctuary is developing ecosystem models and interagency collaborations to increase understanding of offshore resources. Sanctuary regulations and permits have minimizerd damage from submerged cables and human generated acoustics. The sanctuary is participating in a multi-year, collaborative project to identify and remove lost fishing gear from the sanctuary. Numerous areas are closed to trawl fishing. The recent incorporation of the Davidson Seamount into the sanctuary will increase protection of fragile structure-forming organisms.
10.	What is the status of environmentally sustainable fishing and how is it changing?		Abundance of many harvested species reduced below unfished levels, some targeted and non-targeted species have been drastically reduced by past fishing activity. Fishery management measures have assisted the initial recovery of some overfished groundfish.	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?		Very few non-indigenous species identified in offshore waters.	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?		Reduced abundance of a number of key pelagic species; some reductions caused by activities outside the sanctuary.	Selected key or keystone species are at reduced levels, perhaps precluding full community development and function, but substantial or persistent declines are not expected.
13.	What is the condition or health of key species and how is it changing?		Compromised health due to exposure to neurotoxins produced by HABs, entanglement in active and lost fishing gear, ingestion of marine debris, and accumulation of persistent contaminants.	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?		Fishing and inputs of marine debris have resulted in measurable impacts; recent management actions to reduce marine debris and to recover overfished stocks and impacted habitats.	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?	?	To date, only one of potentially hundreds of archaeological site inventories has been conducted.	Not enough information to make a determination.	Shipwreck characterization efforts are underway to locate, document, and assess submerged resources. Conducted surveys of the oil tankerMontibello in 2003, and the USS Maconin 2005 and 2006.
16.	Do known maritime archaeological resources pose an environmental hazard and is this threat changing?		Known resources containing hazardous material continue to deteriorate.	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?	?	Archaeological resources, particularly those that are undocumented, are vulnerable to degradation from trawling.	Some potentially relevant activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on maritime archaeological resource integrity.

Nearshore Environment

The following table summarizes the "State of Sanctuary Resources" section of this report. The first two columns list 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. The "State of Sanctuary Resources" section of the report provides a more thorough and detailed summary of the ratings and judgments described in this table.

Because of the considerable differences within the sanctuary between the offshore, nearshore, and estuarine environments, each question found in the State of the Sanctuary Resources section of this report was answered separately for each of these environments. The nearshore environment is defined as extending from the shoreline boundary of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (mean high water) to the 30-meter isobath and includes the seafloor and water column.

	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?		Elevated levels of contaminants (e.g., POPs, heavy metals), nutrients, sediments, pathogens in some locations; on-going input of established and emerging pollutants.	Selected conditions may inhibit the development of assemblages and may cause measurable but not severe declines in living resources and habitats.	Hazardous materials have been removed from some sunken or grounded vessels. Active water quality protection program is in place and involves planning, research, monitoring, education, and outreach. Sanctuary management plan increases focus on reducing point and non-point sources of contaminants into nearshore waters and decreasing beach closures.
2.	What is the eutrophic condition of sanctuary waters and how is it changing?		Frequent, localized, and enhanced nutrient enrichment; frequent algal blooms sometimes linked to biotoxin accumulation in fish, birds and mammals.	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?	?	Warnings and closures of some beaches and lagoons due pathogen indicators; contaminated shellfish at some locations and during some seasons.	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?	?	Efforts to reduce pollution may be offset by intensification of human activities in coastal watersheds.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
HABITAT
5.	What is the abundance and distribution of major habitat types and how is it changing?		Localized modification or loss of coastal habitat, primarily through armoring of coastal bluff, erosion of sandy shoreline, and landslide disposal on rocky reef.	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.	Vessel routing patterns reduce the risk of groundings. Bottom trawling has been banned in state waters. Sanctuary management plan increases focus on coastal development through the coastal armoring, desalination, and dredging action plans. The sanctuary supports the monitoring of contaminants in nearshore habitats.
6.	What is the condition of biologically structured habitats and how is it changing?		Monitoring programs indicate healthy populations and no major perturbations.	Habitats are in pristine or near-pristine condition and are unlikely to preclude full community development.
7.	What are the contaminant concentrations in monument habitats and how are they changing?		Elevated contaminants near urban, maritime, or agricultural activities; continued input of contaminants from point and non-point sources.	Selected contaminants may inhibit the development of assemblages and may cause measurable but not severe declines in living resources or water quality.
8.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence habitat quality and how are they changing?	?	Trampling, all forms of extraction, and sediment disposal can have measurable, localized impacts; cumulative trend for the numerous activities not determined.	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?	?	Fishing, collecting, and poaching have reduced overall biodiversity; improvements likely in new protected areas, but continued impacts at some locations on rocky shores.	Selected biodiversity loss may inhibit full community development and function and may cause measurable but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity.	Research and monitoring programs supported by SIMoN focus heavily on addressing causes of impacts to living resources and evaluating the effectiveness of management actions. Shoreline and kayak-based interpreters help visitors reduce impacts to wildlife. Sanctuary management plan increases focus on conservation of living resources through the Marine Protect Areas, Introduced Species, and Wildlife Disturbance action plans. Participation in research and a long-range management plan to reduce impacts from landslide repair and disposal activities. Public outreach programs to promote stewardship of endangered and protected species.
10.	What is the status of environmentally sustainable fishing and how is it changing?		Studies have found decreased abundance and size structure in fished areas compared to marine reserves. Restrictive management strategies have improved the status of previously overfished stocks.	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?		A few non-indigenous species have been identified, and some appear to be spreading.	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?		Abundance of some key species in each habitat type is lower than would be expected in a natural state. Possible community-level impacts on rocky shores.	Selected key or keystone species are at reduced levels, perhaps precluding full community development and function, but substantial or persistent declines are not expected.
13.	What is the condition or health of key species and how is it changing?		Evidence of recent impacts from withering syndrome on black abalone. Clear evidence of health problems in sea otters, but limited or no data for other species that may be affected.	The diminished condition of selected key resources may cause a measurable but not severe reduction in ecological function, but recovery is possible.
14.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence living resource quality and how are they changing?		Variety of visitation, extraction, and coastal development activities, some of which are increasing in frequency.	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?	?	Divers have looted sites, but not all sites have been studied to determine trend.	The diminished condition of selected archaeological resources has reduced, to some extent, their historical, scientific, or educational value, and may affect the eligibility of some sites for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.	Shipwreck characterization efforts are underway to locate, document, and assess submerged resources. Sanctuary management plan increases focus on identifying, protecting, and raising awareness of maritime archaeological resources in the sanctuary.
16.	Do known maritime archaeological resources pose an environmental hazard and is this threat changing?		MBNMS Resource Inventory indicates no known environmental hazards.	Known maritime archaeological resources pose few or no environmental threats.
17.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence maritime archaeological resource quality and how are they changing?	?	Recreational diving occurs on wreck sites, but activity level is unknown.	Some potentially relevant activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on maritime archaeological resource integrity.

Estuarine Environment

The following table summarizes the "State of Sanctuary Resources" section of this report. The first two columns list 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. The "State of Sanctuary Resources" section of the report provides a more thorough and detailed summary of the ratings and judgments described in this table.

Because of the considerable differences within the sanctuary between the offshore, nearshore, and estuarine environments, each question found in the State of the Sanctuary Resources section of this report was answered separately for each of these environments. Though many small estuaries occur along the central California coastline, only Elkhorn Slough is located inside the boundaries of the Monterey Bay National Marine 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?		Major alternations to tidal, freshwater, and sediment processes has increased the level of pollution and eutrophication; inputs of pollutants from agricultural and urbanized land sources.	Selected conditions have caused or are likely to cause severe declines in some but not all living resources and habitats.	Active water quality protection program is in place and involves coordination with regulatory programs, agriculture and municipalities to reduce inputs and impacts.
2.	What is the eutrophic condition of sanctuary waters and how is it changing?		Low dissolved oxygen levels and high nutrient concentrations are observed but strong tidal flushing dilutes concentrations in main channel.	Selected conditions may inhibit the development of assemblages and may cause measurable but not severe declines in living resources and habitats.
3.	Do sanctuary waters pose risks to human health?	?	Elkhorn Slough and connected waterbodies are impaired by pesticides and pathogens. High levels of contaminants in harvested crustaceans and bivalves could pose a risk to human health.	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?	?	Substantial inputs of pollutants from non-point sources, especially agriculture. Significant efforts over past ten years to implement best management practices and educate local land owners. No evidence yet of improving water quality due to changes in land management practices.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
HABITAT
5.	What is the abundance and distribution of major habitat types and how is it changing?		Over 150 years of hydrologic alteration has resulted in substantial erosion and habitat conversion.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in some but not all living resources or water quality.	Active involvement in the Elkhorn Slough Tidal Wetland Project strategic planning and science teams. SIMoN program provides support for research projects in Elkhorn Slough, including monitoring tidal erosion and modeling hydrodynamics and sedimentation.
6.	What is the condition of biologically structured habitats and how is it changing?		Severe reductions in the abundance of native structure-forming organisms from historic levels.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in most if not all living resources or water quality.
7.	What are the contaminant concentrations in monument habitats and how are they changing?		Numerous contaminants present and at high levels at localized areas with limited evidence of community level impacts; on-going input of currently applied pesticides and lack of attenuation of legacy pesticides.	Selected contaminants may inhibit the development of assemblages and may cause measurable but not severe declines in living resources or water quality.
8.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence habitat quality and how are they changing?		Past hydrologic changes, continued dredging and maintenance of water diversion structures, and input of agricultural non-point source pollution. Management activities have the potential to reduce the input of pollution.	Selected activities warrant widespread concern and action, as large-scale, persistent and/or repeated severe impacts have occurred or are likely to occur.
LIVING RESOURCES
9.	What is the status of biodiversity and how is it changing?	?	Changes in the relative abundance of some species associated with specific estuarine habitats. Overall trend cannot be determined.	Selected biodiversity loss may inhibit full community development and function and may cause measurable but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity.	Partnered with Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve to create an early detection program for non-indigenous species. SIMoN program provides support for research projects on living resources in Elkhorn Slough, including characterization of the benthic and planktonic communities in the main channel and the fish and crab assemblages in shallow-water habitats.
10.	What is the status of environmentally sustainable fishing and how is it changing?		There is limited take of shellfish and mudflat invertebrates in the lower slough as well as limited fishing and hunting. New state marine protected areas reduce or eliminate fishing.	Extraction takes place, precluding full community development and function, but it is unlikely to cause substantial or persistent degradation of ecosystem integrity.
11.	What is the status of non-indigenous species and how is it changing?		High percentage of non-native species, no known recent introductions.	Non-indigenous species have caused or are likely to cause severe declines in ecosystem integrity.
12.	What is the status of key species and how is it changing?		Abundance of native oyster, eelgrass, and salt marsh are substantially reduced compared to historic levels; continued loss and conversion of salt marsh.	The reduced abundance of selected keystone species has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in some but not all ecosystem components, and reduce ecosystem integrity; or selected key species are at substantially reduced levels, and prospects for recovery are uncertain.
13.	What is the condition or health of key species and how is it changing?	?	No direct measurements of health or condition have been made for eelgrass and oysters, and salt marsh.	Not enough information to make a determination.
14.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence living resource quality and how are they changing?	?	Impacts result from hydrologic modifications, inputs of pollutants from agriculture and development, introduction of non-indigenous species, harvesting, entrainment of larvae in power plant intakes; no clear overall trend in human activities.	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?	?	Very little is known for this area.	Not enough information to make a determination.	No current management efforts directed at the two known archaeological sites within sanctuary areas of Elkhorn Slough.
16.	Do known maritime archaeological resources pose an environmental hazard and is this threat changing?		No known environmental hazards.	Known maritime archaeological resources pose few or no environmental threats.
17.	What are the levels of human activities that may influence maritime archaeological resource quality and how are they changing?		Existing human activities do not influence archaeological resources.	Few or no activities occur that are likely to negatively affect maritime archaeological resource integrity.