1. Status Report Refinement and Validation of Mesohaline Benthic Indices SFEI: B. Thompson, S. Lowe, A. Melwani SCCWRP: S. Weisberg, A. Ranasinghe

2. Project Objective Revise and validate mesohaline benthic indices for San Francisco Estuary Coordinate and collaborate with the SQO Project

3. Original Work Plan - 2008 Task 1. Organize Benthic Work Group Task 2. Work Group Meeting 1 Review past efforts, discuss concepts, plan analyses Task 3. Data Analysis, BPJ Exercise BPJ gradient, test and identify metrics Task 4. Meeting 2 Review analyses, agree on metrics Task 5. Progress Report Budget: $20,000

4. Benthic Work Group Participants Steve Weisberg, SCCWRP Ananda Ranasinghe, SCCWRP Bruce Thompson, SFEI Sarah Lowe, SFEI Aroon Melwani, SFEI Karen Gehrts, DWR Mike Kellogg, CCSF Jim Oakden, MLML Pete Ode, DFG Karen Taberski, SFBRWQCB Mike Johnson, UCD Henry Lee, EPA Newport David Montagne, retired, LA County San. Dist.

5. Revised Work Plan - 2008 Task 1. Data Compilation and Analysis Update database, classification and ordination analyses Task 2. Meeting 1 Identify assemblages, index concepts, plan BPJ exercise Task 3. Progress Report Budget: $17,472 remaining Completion by Mar 09

6. Draft Work Plan - 2009 Task 1. BPJ Exercise Experts to determine mesohaline disturbance gradient Task 2. Identify Metrics, Revise Indices Modify existing indices or develop a new one Task 3. Work Group Meeting 2 Review BPJ results, metrics, draft index Task 4. Report And Publications BPJ results and Index description Proposed Budget: $20,000

7. Original 2008 Work PlanRevised 2008 PlanProposed 2009 Plan Task 1. Organize Workgroup Done 1. Data Compilation and Analysis 2. Work Group Meeting 12. Meeting 1 3. Data Analysis / BPJ 1. BPJ Exercise 2. Mesohaline Index Revisions 4. Meeting 2 3. Meeting 2 5. Progress Report3. Progress Report 4. Report and Publications Budget: $20,000 $17,472 (remaining) Proposed $20,000