Case Study: Snowy Grouper Wreck Marine Protected AreaOptionsCategory ChosenReasoning (no more than two bullets) Conservation Focus Choose one or more.Cultural Heritage Level of ProtectionChoose OneNo Access Permanence of Protection Choose One. Permanent Constancy of ProtectionChoose OneYear-Round Ecological Scale of Protection Choose One Focal Resource Case Study: Snowy Grouper Wreck MarineProtected AreaThe area, located east of Cape Fear, NC, ranges in depth from 492 ft to 984 ft. deep, with ashallower portion of the site ranging from 197 ft. to 328 ft. It was known to have once heldspawning aggregations of snowy grouper.The WreckThe 330 foot long wreck lies upright in the sand in about 835 feet of water. Believed to be acargo ship about a century old, it is unusual for a wreck of this size to be unidentified. It wasdiscovered in the carly 19905s. Recent surveys of the wreck have still left it uidentified butdiscovered a crack in the hull likely from impact. Additionally, several port glass windows werestill intact while some had been overtaken by coral. It is believed that the other wrecks exist inthe area, potentially the result of storms running afoul of hurricanes.How it Became a Marine Protected AreaAfter the wreck was discovered in the carly 1990s it was also found that it was home to a hugenumber of snowy grouper. The wreck was quickly overfished and the population of the snowygrouper plummeted. In January 2009 after twenty years of research and legislation attempts, theNational Occanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the parent ageney of NationalMarine Fisheries, established a marine wildlife refuge roughly 55 miles southeast of Southport,North Carolina The protected zones, all in deep water, prohibit bottom fishing and trawlingFishing that doesn't disturb the deepwater habitat of the groupers and snappers, such as trollingfor tuna, marlin, and king mackerel, is still allowed within the MPAS during appropriate seasons.The United States Coast Guard regularly patrols the area to prevent illegal fishing. Wildlife and EnvironmentBottom fish known to frequent the area include snowy grouper speckled hind, gag, red porgy, redgrouper, graysby, and hogfish. The site contains essential hard-bottom habitat and can protect aportion of deepwater snapper grouper species and some mid-shelf species from directed fishingpressure.Commercial UseInformation from public hearings indicates that the snowy wreck is fished chiefly by commercialsnapper-grouper fishermen out of Little River, SC, and Carolina Beach and Southport, NC.Review of Site in 2017During October 2017, a team, including University of Rhode Island archaeologists andUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington biologists assessed the site using a remotely operatedvehicle (ROV)." Their assessment indicated the snowy grouper population has inereased to thethousands from a critically endangered point after just eight years of protection. While scientistsare cautiously optimistic the snowy grouper is a long-lived, slow reproducing species, suggestingtime will tell if the population can recover to sustainable levels.

Question

Case Study: Snowy Grouper Wreck Marine Protected AreaOptionsCategory ChosenReasoning (no more than two bullets) Conservation Focus Choose one or more.Cultural Heritage Level of ProtectionChoose OneNo Access Permanence of Protection Choose One. Permanent      Constancy of ProtectionChoose OneYear-Round Ecological Scale of Protection Choose One Focal Resource Case Study: Snowy Grouper Wreck MarineProtected AreaThe area, located east of Cape Fear, NC, ranges in depth from 492 ft to 984 ft. deep, with ashallower portion of the site ranging from 197 ft. to 328 ft. It was known to have once heldspawning aggregations of snowy grouper.The WreckThe 330 foot long wreck lies upright in the sand in about 835 feet of water. Believed to be acargo ship about a century old, it is unusual for a wreck of this size to be unidentified. It wasdiscovered in the carly 19905s. Recent surveys of the wreck have still left it uidentified butdiscovered a crack in the hull likely from impact. Additionally, several port glass windows werestill intact while some had been overtaken by coral. It is believed that the other wrecks exist inthe area, potentially the result of storms running afoul of hurricanes.How it Became a Marine Protected AreaAfter the wreck was discovered in the carly 1990s it was also found that it was home to a hugenumber of snowy grouper. The wreck was quickly overfished and the population of the snowygrouper plummeted. In January 2009 after twenty years of research and legislation attempts, theNational Occanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the parent ageney of NationalMarine Fisheries, established a marine wildlife refuge roughly 55 miles southeast of Southport,North Carolina The protected zones, all in deep water, prohibit bottom fishing and trawlingFishing that doesn't disturb the deepwater habitat of the groupers and snappers, such as trollingfor tuna, marlin, and king mackerel, is still allowed within the MPAS during appropriate seasons.The United States Coast Guard regularly patrols the area to prevent illegal fishing. Wildlife and EnvironmentBottom fish known to frequent the area include snowy grouper speckled hind, gag, red porgy, redgrouper, graysby, and hogfish. The site contains essential hard-bottom habitat and can protect aportion of deepwater snapper grouper species and some mid-shelf species from directed fishingpressure.Commercial UseInformation from public hearings indicates that the snowy wreck is fished chiefly by commercialsnapper-grouper fishermen out of Little River, SC, and Carolina Beach and Southport, NC.Review of Site in 2017During October 2017, a team, including University of Rhode Island archaeologists andUniversity of North Carolina Wilmington biologists assessed the site using a remotely operatedvehicle (ROV).&#34; Their assessment indicated the snowy grouper population has inereased to thethousands from a critically endangered point after just eight years of protection. While scientistsare cautiously optimistic the snowy grouper is a long-lived, slow reproducing species, suggestingtime will tell if the population can recover to sustainable levels.

Accepted Answer

Scale is a critical consideration in all landscape ecological studies for several reasons. As one…

Options	Category Chosen	Reasoning (no more than two bullets)
Conservation Focus Choose one or more.	Cultural Heritage
Level of Protection Choose One	No Access
Permanence of Protection Choose One.	Permanent
Constancy of Protection Choose One	Year-Round
Ecological Scale of Protection Choose One	Focal Resource