Protecting critical habitats for migratory species is increasingly important as sea level rise and climate change reduce the availability and diversity of habitats in the hemisphere.

Through a 2020 catalyst project, the Heʻeia and Kachemak Bay Reserves worked to advance the equitable representation of cultural ecosystem services in estuary stewardship by providing practical information and opportunities for facilitated exchange.

Cultural ecosystem services (CES), one of four main categories of ecosystem services, are often described as the non-material benefits that humans receive from their interactions with the environment.

Seventeen projects involving 27 reserves across the nation and totaling more than $2 million have been recommended for support by NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative.

This table summarizes the key findings related to the fish capture, transport and husbandry practices tested in the 2020 catalyst project led by the Kachemak Bay Reserve to catalyze future research on the mechanisms of paralytic shellfish toxin transfer from forage fish to upper trophic populations.

These data encompass the nearshore fish surveys conducted by the Kachemak Bay Reserve as part of a 2020 catalyst project that expanded research collaborations and completed proof of concept activities to catalyze future research on the mechanisms of paralytic shellfish toxin transfer from forage fish to upper trophic populations.