NATURE CONSERVANCY, THE
Grant: $3,408,848 - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration - Jul. 1, 2009
70% voted satisfied - 30% voted not satisfied - 23 vote(s) cast
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Award Description: This project will use ARRA funds to support a work force of new or retained laborers to manually remove Avrainvillea amadelpha, an invasive alien algae species, from coral reef habitat in Maunalua Bay, located in southeast Oahu, Hawaii. It is anticipated that at least 22 acres will be cleared of invasive alien algae by paid laborers newly hired with ARRA funds for this project, with additional acreage cleared through ARRA-supported community volunteer efforts. Approximately 60 full- and part-time extraction jobs will be created, as well as approximately 10 professional jobs created or maintained in the areas of conservation, communications, and volunteer coordination. Public outreach and education efforts will be directed toward an estimated 50,000 community residents within the Bay watershed to increase awareness and engage more community members in activities that help to restore and conserve Maunalua Bay. The project will also expand and strengthen the organizational capacity of the partner community organization, Malama Maunalua, which has been working through volunteer efforts to restore the coral reef ecosystem of the Bay. This increased capacity will facilitate the sustainability of these project efforts beyond the award lifetime. This project would be a first, critical step to restoring coral reef and seagrass systems in Maunalua Bay. Such efforts would benefit a wide range of coral reef associated species that previously thrived in the Bay, including several endemic reef fish species, rare and endemic Hawaii seagrasses, and several native reef algal species. Such rehabilitation efforts would provide additional critical habitat and foraging grounds for several threatened or endangered marine animals, most notably the green sea turtle and the Hawaiian monk seal. This project builds upon a foundation of knowledge and lessons learned through small-scale, invasive algae removal efforts by community volunteers over the past 3 years. The site selected for removal was carefully considered and thoroughly discussed by Maunalua Bay stakeholder groups prior to enactment of the ARRA grant. The choice of the Kuliouou/Paiko Lagoon back reef flats area in the Bay was selected as the optimal site for a large-scale removal effort for several reasons, including: (a) the area has the densest concentration of A. amadelpha throughout its range within the Bay; (b) the area has or is immediately adjacent some of the healthiest remaining seagrass meadows left in Maunalua Bay (including the presence of endemic Hawaiian seagrass); (c) the Kuliouou/Paiko Lagoon neighborhood community includes some the most environmentally aware and active residents in the Bay, and represents the majority of the community IAA removal efforts to date; (d) neighborhood residents are aware and in full support of the proposed invasive alien algal removal effort; (e) watershed and stream restoration efforts are planned by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers within the Kuliouou watershed area to address upland land-based pollution issues, which in combination with this project could serve in the future as a functional model of ahupuaa, or ridge-to-reef, management practices; and (f) the area contains complementary biological features, including an adjacent State-run native bird sanctuary and high freshwater flow from stream and subterranean sources which create habitat corridors for migrating native diadromous fish.
Project Description: Administrative Reviewed and executed Project Grant Agreement; Advertised, interviewed candidates and selected new hire for TNC Project Administrator position; Prepared Subaward Agreement for community partner Malama Maunalua; Prepared Request for Proposals for Invasive Alien Algae Removal project component; Prepared Request for Proposals for Aerial Photogrammetric Mapping project component; Supported preparation by Malama Maunalua of Request for Proposals for Community Outreach project component; Supported preparation by Malama Maunalua of Request for Proposal for GIS Mapping project component. Management and Technical Established Project Advisory Board and conducted weekly project planning and management meetings with community partner Malama Maunalua. Established Scientific Advisory Team. Established Project Advisory Board and conducted weekly project planning and management meetings with community partner Malama Maunalua Established Scientific Advisory Team Established the Science Council Started the baseline monitoring for native seagrass distribution within the project area Started up a new community-led IAA removal site (Wailupe)
Jobs Summary: Number of TNC FTE created/retained calculated with 455 hours in the quarter (TNCs work week is 35 hours). Jobs created during the reporting period: The Nature Conservancy Project Manager: TNCs administrative point-of-contact on the project, including federal award administration and management, direction and oversight of contractors and sub-awardees, coordination of TNC federal communications and reporting efforts, and coordination and facilitation of TNC team contributions on the project. Jobs retained during reporting period: The Nature Conservancy Community-based Program Manager: partnership coordination with lead community organization on project, including lead representation of TNC in coordinating the project implementation process and field-based, workplan-driven project activities, coordination of applied scientific studies and project biological and socioeconomic monitoring efforts, and coordination of local partner-led outreach and education efforts, including volunteer events and media communications. The Nature Conservancy Senior Advisor for Community-Based Marine Systems: coordination of partnership with lead community organization on project during period between award of grant and hiring of TNC Project Manager; lead representation of TNC in coordinating the project implementation process and field project activities. The Nature Conservancy Director, Marine Programs: partnership coordination with lead community organization on project, including representation of TNC marine science program in coordinating the project implementation process and coordination of applied scientific studies. The Nature Conservancy Marine Science Advisor: representation of TNC marine science program development of applied scientific studies and directing the project implementation process. (Total jobs reported: 1)
Project Status: Less Than 50% Completed
This award's data was last updated on Jul. 1, 2009. Help expand these official descriptions using the wiki below.
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