4.1 Science

Science activities on lands and resources lying with ocean and coastal waters include establishing baseline conditions, experimentation during the project period, monitoring during the project period, and determining ending conditions. Some science activities may be optional while others may be required due to the desires of funders, regulatory agencies, and land/resource owners.

Baseline Conditions

It is a wise practice for due diligence purposes (see Complete Due Diligence) to establish baseline biological and physical conditions of sites. Biological conditions include the presence and status of some or all plant and animal species as well as habitat conditions. Physical conditions include parameters such as sediment and water quality, shoreline processes, and erosion rates. If sediment and water quality conditions are poor, contributing factors should be identified.

As part of establishing baseline conditions for sites, project boundaries should be determined as accurately as possible; encroachments on those boundaries by neighbors and the public should also be determined. Finally, the current level and impact of public use should be determined.

Results of rockfish research on a kelp lease. Image ©Mike Beck/TNC

Experimentation

Leasing or owning lands and resources lying within ocean and coastal waters can potentially provide exclusive access to sites that can be used for scientific experimentation. This unique access to areas, which are typically open for a variety of multiple public uses, may be used by scientists to:

• Manipulate habitat;
• Manipulate human uses;
• Re/introduce plant or animal species;
• Use as control sites; or
• Use as pilot sites to determine or test best management practices (aquaculture, green public access).

Monitoring

Establishing a monitoring program for sites is essential if project managers want to determine trends and impacts over time. Project adaptation, evaluation, and success all depend on site monitoring. Monitoring may or may not have to be scientifically rigorous to achieve its goals. The degree to which a formal monitoring program is needed depends on how the results will be used. If the desire is to simply ensure the neighbors and the public do not substantially impact the site, then casual observations may be all that is necessary. If, however, the desire is to document biodiversity increases due to habitat manipulations, then a more rigorous approach will be needed.

Monitoring can be used at sites to detect and document:

• Boundary encroachment by neighbors;
• Changes to baseline conditions;
• Effects of habitat modification and experimentation;
• Effects of species re/introduction or eradication efforts;
• Effects of human activity reduction, modification, or prohibition;
• Existence or expansion of invasive species;
• Levels impacts of public use (i.e., trampling, garbage, derelict vessels, resource extraction, and erosion); and
• New or continued sources of water, air, and sediment contamination (i.e., oil, sewage outfalls, and under ground seeps).

Ending Conditions

At the end of leases or specific project periods, it may be desired or necessary to once again determine biological and physical conditions to allow comparisons against baseline conditions. This may be done for scientific or legal (documenting conditions and uses for liability purposes) purposes. The end of a lease or project may also be the time to determine the long-term effects of experiments that were undertaken during the project period.