US

Arctic MBON

**Arctic** MBON Unprecedented changes are occurring in the Arctic and affect all components of Arctic marine ecosystems, including humans. However, consistent, long-term observations for planning and adaptation are currently lacking in the Arctic Ocean. AMBON is working towards a sustainable approach to biodiversity observing in the Chukchi Sea as one component of the development of a national MBON. Grounded in the concept that sustained biodiversity across ecosystem components is critical for maintaining healthy ecosystem functions, this project is building on lessons learned from the first 5-year **AMBON** demonstration project.

Central California MBON

in regional-mbon, US

**Central California** MBON This project will integrate remote sensing products, *in situ* data and models in support of long term needs of the NOAA California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (CCIEA), Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and State of California. The goal is to quantify relationships between climate, the ocean environment (physics, chemistry) and marine food webs (from microbes to fish and top predators), with the aim of providing predictive understanding of marine ecosystem responses to environmental change.

Coastal New England MBON

in regional-mbon, US

**Coastal New England** MBON The Coastal New England project integrates powerful technologies (acoustic telemetry, environmental DNA [eDNA], and acoustics) with traditional fisheries sampling to quantify impacts of changes in local and regional water conditions on individuals, populations, and community structure. Research includes study of the impacts of forage species and environmental conditions on Atlantic cod and common terns in both New Hampshire (Isles of Shoals) and southern Maine (Casco Bay) coastal waters.

Great Lakes MBON

in regional-mbon, US

**Great Lakes** MBON This project will fill a critical gap in science and management of the Great Lakes by creating a BON that uses complementary technological approaches to address interconnections among dynamic pelagic habitats known as “Lakescapes”, biodiversity across the tree of life, movement of key fisheries species, and the role of diversity in supporting ecosystem functions. Partners for GL-MBON include NOAA’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Great Lakes Observing System (regional IOOS association), Great Lakes CoastWatch node, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries, Great Lakes Acoustic Telemetry Observation System, Oregon State University, and the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research.

Gulf of Maine MBON

in regional-mbon, US

**Gulf of Maine** MBON The Gulf of Maine (GoM) lies at the epicenter of the most rapid warming trend in U.S. coastal waters. The GoM ecosystem supports the most valuable U.S. fishery (lobster) and the most valuable U.S. fishing seaport (New Bedford). Evidence is mounting that recent warming is affecting ecosystem structure and services, for example, closure of the northern shrimp fishery, impacts on Atlantic cod recovery, and recovery of endangered North Atlantic right whales.

Mid-Atlantic MBON

in regional-mbon, US

**Mid-Atlantic** MBON The Mid-Atlantic MBON project integrates cutting edge biological information with ocean observations to develop new data products, analytical tools, and information resources supporting ocean and coastal management. The project will provide dynamic biodiversity information at timescales relevant for fisheries management, offshore energy, and other stakeholders to support jobs, the economy, safety and well-being for the more than 78 million people living, visiting, and working in the Mid-Atlantic Bight. The U.

Northern California Current MBON

in regional-mbon, US

**Northern California Current** MBON The goal of this project is to extend the observational framework of US MBON to the Pacific Northwest – a region that presents unique hydrological, ecological, and socio-economic interactions with marine biodiversity, but also has a long history of ocean observing. Specifically, the project will: Build on a NASA Group on Earth Observations (GEO) effort and lessons learned from the Sanctuaries MBON demonstration to extend MBON capacity to the Northern California Current by combining in situ observations with satellite remote sensing in the context of regionally tuned and validated multivariate and dynamic seascapes as well as novel plankton functional type algorithms.

South Florida MBON

in regional-mbon, US, National Marine Sanctuaries

**South Florida** MBON This project will build on the foundations laid by the present Sanctuaries MBON demonstration. A close partnership with NOAA AOML and the FKNMS has focused on periodic MBON surveys of the Florida Keys since 2014. Additional partners now add animal tracking and other dimensions to the Sanctuaries MBON. Specifically, we seek to integrate ground and satellite observations related to biodiversity to inform ecosystem-based management in and around the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS).

Southern California Bight MBON

in regional-mbon, US

**Southern California Bight** MBON This project will continue the demonstration MBON in the Santa Barbara Channel, and expand it to the entire Southern California Bight (SCB) region. The focus on SCB allows the team to cover the complete spectrum of biodiversity from ecosystems to microbes due to the profusion of existing biological monitoring and research programs by our partners including government agencies, universities and NGOs. The project will use a pincer strategy to address these issues, using remote sensing, optical and acoustic imagery to approach diversity from ecosystem scales downwards and genetics to assess diversity from genes and microbes upwards with the goal of developing future capacity for satellite observation of marine biodiversity.

US MBON

in regional-mbon, US

**US** MBON The **U.S. MBON** projects are integrating independent historical and current biology and ecosystem surveys with new observations, and expanding application of remote sensing methods, novel molecular (eDNA) technologies, traditional environmental research tools, and coordinated experiments. Benefits of **MBON:** MBON projects, partners and data play an important role in enabling the scientific community to describe the relationships between biodiversity, organism abundance, system productivity, ecosystem health and ecosystem services. Visit the Join MBON page for more information about the benefits of MBON.

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