A spatial framework for managing Hawaii’s aquatic resources: Dana Infante Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University Improved conservation and restoration opportunities in a changing world

Protect, restore and enhance nation’s aquatic communities through partnerships Objectives Conduct an objective condition analysis of fish habitats Identify priority habitats for conservation, enhancement, or restoration

Condition index Good Poor Landscape-scale disturbances Agriculture, urban land useRoads Former plantationsDams Ditch intersections, lengthQuarries Injection wellsTRI Sites NPDES sites 2010 Hawaiian River Condition Assessment: Built from a landscape approach Landscape factors Habitat Biology

Reach Local catchment Reach –Local and network catchments delineated using ArcHydro –Confluence to confluence reaches –Breaks implemented based on elevation –Assessment data and other variables have been attributed to each spatial unit National Hydrography Dataset (1:24,000 NHD) Network catchment Reach Spatial framework and database

Moku Ahupua’a Local catchments and reaches, NHD Network catchments Flexibility and benefits of a spatial framework Island

“Assessment of coral and fish disease in three priority watersheds and their relationship to land-based pollution loads,” R. Oram, G. Aeby, T. Work Current applications NFHAP coastal condition assessment for Hawaii Plans to compare results with Hawaii Watershed Atlas

Plans to refine the assessment Integrate additional landscape-scale disturbance data Golf courses Refined fragmentation statistics Downstream disturbances measures “Calibrate” scores using biological data Target reach

“Managing the Nations Fish Habitat at Multiple Spatial Scales in a Rapidly Changing Climate” USGS-funded project to determine vulnerability of fish habitat to projected changes in climate and land use Project builds on elements of current condition assessment Goal: Conduct a similar type of assessment in Hawaii, using current conditions scores as a base Consider freshwater, marine and terrestrial systems “Integrated” vulnerability assessment Currently working with PICCC, USGS to coordinate a planning meeting Next step

Thank you! Gordon Smith Dan Polhemus Bob Nishimoto Glenn Higashi Jim Parham Malie Beach Smith Gary Whelan Doug Beard Andrea Ostroff NFHAP Science and Data Committee

Gary Whelan (MDNRE), Doug Beard (USGS), Andrea Ostroff (USGS) NFHAP Science and Data Committee “More people working for more fish”

Disturbance variables: Urban and point source

Disturbance variables: Former plantation, fragmentation, ditches, agriculture, 303D listings

Reach Summarizes amounts, types, and locations of natural and anthropogenic system influences Integrates data and results of other studies across different scales Benefits of a spatial framework Allows decision makers to easily compare regions, identifying priority areas for protection, enhancement, or restoration Establishes a consistent reporting framework A Hierarchical Spatial Framework and Database for the National River Fish Habitat Condition Assessment, In Review. L. Wang, D. Infante, P. Esselman, A. Cooper, D. Wu, W. Taylor, D. Beard, G. Whelan, and A. Ostroff