COASTAL ECOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION 

 AN OVERVIEW 



J. B. Johnston^ 



INTRODUCTION 



The United States Fish and Wildlife Service 

 (FWS), in response to accelerated development 

 pressures upon the coastal zone of the United States 

 and its territories, has developed an ecological 

 characterization approach for describing these 

 valuable areas. 



An ecological characterization is a description 

 of the important components and processes of an 

 ecosystem. The emphasis of ecological characteri- 

 zation, however, is placed on understanding func- 

 tional relationships. 



The objective of ecological characterization is 

 to develop an ecosystem information base, and is 

 unique in that it: 



1. Focuses on functional relationships. 



2. Relates to specific and geographically well- 

 defined ecosystems. 



3. Integrates existing multidisciplinary in- 

 formation. 



4. Represents state-of-the-art understanding 

 of the ecological relationships. 



5. Provides an ecologically based framework 

 for comprehensive coastal planning. 



6. Develops tools for assessment of environ- 

 mental impacts. 



7. Identifies information deficiencies and re- 

 search priorities. 



Among the principal users of the study results 

 are those entitites within the FWS which are in- 

 volved in programs oriented toward the manage- 

 ment of coastal areas of the U.S. and its territories. 

 FWS has mandates under the Fish and Wildlife Co- 

 ordination Act of 1958 and the Water Pollution 

 Control Act of 1972, and has responsibility for the 



National Coastal Ecosystems Team, Office of Biological Semces, 

 Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Dept. of the Interior, NSTL Sta- 

 tion, Miss. 39529. 



review of permits for development and discharge 

 activities in U.S. wetlands and aquatic systems. Prin- 

 cipal permit authority lies with the U.S. Army 

 Corps of Engineers (USACE) or the Environmental 

 Protection Agency (EPA). Within the FWS, the 

 Division of Ecological Services (ES) Land and 

 Water Resources Development Planning Program 

 has lead responsibility. 



Although a characterization will not provide all 

 tiie answers for reviewing a permit application, it 

 will provide an ecological data base (bibliography, 

 site-specific data, maps, etc.) and describe the area 

 o.n an ecosystem level. Supplemental data, i.e., 

 field inspections and review of developmental prac- 

 tices for an area, wall still be needed by the ES 

 biologist and his counterparts in other agencies, for 

 the preparation of final reports. 



Characterizations will be available for use by all 

 FWS programs related to coastal resource manage- 

 ment and planning. Other applications are assessing 

 the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) development, 

 Coastal Zone Management (CZM), and Section 208 

 water (quality planning. Characterizations will iden- 

 tify fish and wildlife populations and their habitats 

 that coidd be impacted during ecological emergen- 

 cies such as oil spills. Perhaps of even greater value, 

 characterizations will provide foundations for plan- 

 ning during formulation of emergency response 

 plans, i.e.. Coast Guard and EPA oil-spill contin- 

 gency plans. 



Government agencies other than the FWS are 

 also considered to be primary users of characteriza- 

 tions. These agencies include the National Marine 

 Fisheries Service, Bureau of Land Management, 

 EPA, USCG, COE, State CZM, and fish and game 

 agencies. Additional users could include conserva- 

 tion groups, academic institutions, and the various 

 industries or service companies involved in coastal 

 developments. Any aj^ency or private group with 

 an interest in coastal resource decisionmaking 

 should be able to carry out its responsibilities more 



