Living Resources Program 



The goal of this program is to provide scientific knowl- 

 edge for improved management and use of the ocean's living 

 resources. Emphasis is on interdisciplinary studies of the 

 mechanisms that produce and sustain marine life. The pro- 

 gram includes the Coastal Upwelling Ecosystems Analysis 

 (CUEA) and Seagrass Ecosystem Study (SES) projects. 



Coastal Upwelling Ecosystems Analysis (CUEA) 



The long-term goal of the CUEA program is to under- 

 stand coastal upwelling ecosystems well enough to predict 

 their response to changes far enough in advance to be useful 

 to mankind. This goal, when achieved, provides the basis for 

 protecting the long-term productivity of fisheries in these eco- 

 systems. The multidisciplinary CUEA projects are listed in 

 table 14. To achieve its goal, CUEA has four objectives: 



1. Describe and understand the mesoscale distributions that 

 define coastal upwelling ecosystems in space and time includ- 

 ing such variables as radiation, winds, currents, density, nu- 

 trients, phytoplankton, zooplankton, nekton, and benthos, as 

 well as analyses of the spectral characteristics of each. 



2. Understand the dynamic processes that affect the total 

 behavior of these ecosystems, and to derive quantitative values 

 of wind-induced upper oceanic circulation, mesoscale flow 

 fields, uptake of nutrients by phytoplankton, and other proc- 

 esses that can limit grazing, predation, excretion, respiration, 

 and remineralization. 



3. Learn more about the physical, chemical, and biological 

 interactions that increase the production of coastal upwelling 

 ecosystems by an order of magnitude over that of open ocean 

 areas. 



4. Develop models that will simulate the Northwest African 

 and Peruvian upwelling ecosystems, and which will provide 

 the basis for predicting the response of these ecosystems to 

 variabilities in scales and rates of processes, or to different 

 fishery management strategies. 



Six field programs are complete: MESCAL-1 and II, 

 CUE-I and II, and JOINT-I and II. MESCAL-I and II were 

 primarily biological studies off the coast of Baja California 

 during March 1972 and March and April 1973. CUE-I and 

 II were physical oceanographic studies off the Oregon coast 

 during April through October 1972 and the summer of 1973. 



JOINT-I was the first integrated biological and physical field 

 study off the northwest coast of Africa during February through 

 May 1974. JOINT-II was an intensive collaborative study of 

 the Peruvian upwelling region ecosystem with a field phase 

 from March 1976 to May 1977. 



Most JOINT-II investigations were in an area about 100 

 by 100 km, centered at 15^ S between Pisco and San Juan, 

 Peru, during three intensive phases: March to May 1976 

 (MAM 76), July to November 1976 (JASON 76), and March 

 to May 1977 (MAM 77). Observations were made using 

 seven Canadian, West German, Peruvian, and United States 

 research vessels, as well as aircraft, moored current meters, 

 coastal meteorological stations, and sateUites. The conceptual 

 framework included four areas of investigation: 1) physical 

 mesoscale studies, 2) frontal studies. 3) biological mesoscale 

 studies of anchoveta and the upwelling ecosystem, and 4) bio- 

 logical mesoscale studies of the circulation and phytoplankton 

 processes. 



At the beginning of the CUEA program in 1972, the 

 Peruvian upwelling region was selected as the site for JOINT- 

 II. This selection was appropriate for the following reasons: 



1. Concepts have been developed concerning processes that 

 enhance the biological productivity off Peru as opposed to the 

 other major upwelling regions of the world. These can now be 

 tested. 



2. The Peruvian research institutions — Instituto del Mar del 

 Peru (IMARPE), National Meteorological and Hydrological 

 Service (SENAMHI), Naval Hydrographic and Navigational 

 Directorate (DHNM), Peruvian Geophysical Institution (IGP) 

 — have initiated the program "A Study of the Coastal Up- 

 welling System Off Peru." The Peruvian program includes the 

 entire upwelling region along the Peru coast and detailed 

 studies in four important anchoveta fishery regions. These 

 studies complemented the intensive mesoscale studies of 

 CUEA in JOINT-II. 



3. Instituto del Mar del Peru (IMARPE) participated in 

 the scientific program of JOINT-II through collaboration 

 of IMARPE scientists with various CUEA components; by 

 contributing one complete scientific component (Component 

 19, Zooplankton Fields); and by contributing the use of 

 IMARPE space, facilities, and services for the JOINT-II 

 investigation. This collaboration made it possible to compare 

 the complex IMARPE fish stock models with CUEA eco- 

 system models. IMARPE and the Food and Agriculture Or- 

 ganization of the United Nations (FAO) have developed 

 an assessment and prediction system using five independent 

 determinations of abundance and catch. This program pro- 

 vides monthly predictions of anchoveta stocks. The oppor- 

 tunity exists to apply both IMARPE and CUEA capabilities 

 into a tool for understanding and managing the protein re- 

 sources of upwelling regions. In June 1975, a formal agree- 

 ment was reached between CUEA and IMARPE on the areas 

 of participation and collaboration. 



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