Fish Habitat
Background
Brookhurst Marsh before restoration showing a dry and arid marsh.
Fish habitat was impacted on the Palos Verdes Shelf due to the presence of DDT and PCB contaminants in the sediments. The impacts to the habitat are persistent and are unlikely to disappear without cleanup efforts. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is planning to cap some portion of the contaminated area with clean sediment. The Montrose Settlements Restoration Program (MSRP) is compensating for the impacted habitat by restoring fish habitats in areas that are further away from the contamination. MSRP focused on two major areas of fish habitat restoration for Phase 1 restoration, wetlands and marine protected areas.
Fish Habitat Projects
Wetlands
MSRP focused on wetlands because they provide nursery habitat for many fish species. Large-scale wetland restoration is costly and numerous entities are involved in this activity in southern California. MSRP filled critical funding gaps for two important wetland restoration projects.
Wetland Projects and Updates
Huntington Beach Wetlands
MSRP provided partial funding to restore parts of Talbert and Brookhurst Marshes within the Huntington Beach Wetlands system. This project opened approximately 140 acres of wetland habitat to full-tidal flow. These wetlands play an important role as nursery and foraging habitat for many fish and bird species. Restoration work at the Huntington Beach wetlands was completed in March 2009.
Following restoration of the Huntington Beach Wetlands, MSRP collaborated with the California State University, Long Beach and the Huntington Beach Wetlands Conservancy, to complete a two-year study looking at the use of the wetlands by halibut. Scientists studied the feeding and movement patterns of juven
ile and adult California Halibut in the wetland system. Initial studies confirmed that juvenile halibut are using the restored wetlands as a nursery and are growing in size and adult halibut are shown entering the wetlands to forage on smaller fish.
Bolsa Chica Wetlands
MSRP provided funding for dredging of the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve to maintain full tidal exchange. This is a critical element in the wetland’s function as nursery and foraging habitat for marine fish. This reserve is one of the largest full-tidal exchange wetland restoration projects in southern California. The channel at Bolsa Chica needs to be dredged every few years because of the accumulation of sediments that builds up at the channel opening during high and low tides. If the channel is not dredged, the water flow in and out of the wetlands could decrease oxygen levels and water quality. Dredging for this project was completed in March 2009, removing approximately 200,000 cubic meters of sand that had accumulated in the tidal basin.
Brookhurst Marsh after restoration in 2009.
Marine Protected Area Evaluation
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) promote recovery of exploited fish populations of a particular area. This restoration funding category supported a review of the fish populations within of the Channel Islands network of MPAs. The MSRP provided funding for scientists to collect evidence that can be used for site selection and design of future networks of MPAs. Supporting these efforts will provide long-term benefits for fishing and fish habitats throughout California. The effective management of MPAs in the Northern Channel Islands will lead to more effective use of this fisheries management tool throughout California.
MPA projects were selected for funding in regions that promoted the production of commonly caught coastal fish species of Southern California. Funds were awarded to the National Park Service and the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO).
MPA Projects and Updates
National Park Service Monitors Kelp Forests in Northern Channel Islands
The Channel Islands National Park kelp monitoring program has been collecting data around the islands since 1982. Monitoring data for fish, invertebrates, and algae were collected inside and outside of MPA borders for comparison to determine the effectiveness of MPAs. This project was supported by MSRP during 2007 and 2008 and was leveraged by funding from the National Park Service, NOAA’s Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary, and the California Department of Fish and Game.
Standardized Monitoring Units (SMURFs) Measure Recruitment in Northern Channel Islands
MSRP provided funding to PISCO that helped to expand their efforts in understanding recruitment patterns of various marine organisms inside and outside of MPAs. PISCO used SMURFs which are artificial collectors that are placed in the water and used to attract juvenile fish and invertebrates (crabs, urchins, lobsters). The data collected from the SMURFs was used to estimate the number of marine organisms that transition from their larval stages in the plankton to juveniles living on the reef.
