title: Assessing the health of the U.S. west coast with a regional-scale application of the Ocean Health Index.
abstract: Management of marine ecosystems increasingly demands comprehensive and quantitative assessments of ocean health, but lacks a tool to do so. We applied the recently developed Ocean Health Index to assess ocean health in the relatively data-rich US west coast region. The overall region scored 71 out of 100, with sub-regions scoring from 65 (Washington) to 74 (Oregon). Highest scoring goals included tourism and recreation (99) and clean waters (87), while the lowest scoring goals were sense of place (48) and artisanal fishing opportunities (57). Surprisingly, even in this well-studied area data limitations precluded robust assessments of past trends in overall ocean health. Nonetheless, retrospective calculation of current status showed that many goals have declined, by up to 20%. In contrast, near-term future scores were on average 6% greater than current status across all goals and sub-regions. Application of hypothetical but realistic management scenarios illustrate how the Index can be used to predict and understand the tradeoffs among goals and consequences for overall ocean health. We illustrate and discuss how this index can be used to vet underlying assumptions and decisions with local stakeholders and decision-makers so that scores reflect regional knowledge, priorities and values. We also highlight the importance of ongoing and future monitoring that will provide robust data relevant to ocean health assessment.
authors.affiliation: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America; Bren School of Environmental Science and Management, University of California, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America; Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Benjamin S
authors.initials: BS
authors.lastname: Halpern
authors.affiliation: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.affiliation: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Courtney
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scarborough
authors.affiliation: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America; Digital Library Systems & Services, Stanford University, Stanford, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Darren
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Hardy
authors.affiliation: National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America.
authors.forename: Benjamin D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Best
authors.affiliation: Marine Chemistry & Geochemistry Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Scott C
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Doney
authors.affiliation: Conservation International, Arlington, Virginia, United States of America.
authors.forename: Steven K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Katona
authors.affiliation: COMPASS, Oregon State University, Department of Zoology, Corvallis, Oregon, United States of America.
authors.forename: Karen L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: McLeod
authors.affiliation: Union of Concerned Scientists, Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America.
authors.forename: Andrew A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Rosenberg
authors.affiliation: Conservation Biology Division, Northwest Fisheries Science Center, National Marine Fisheries Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Seattle, Washington United States of America.
authors.forename: Jameal F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Samhouri
mesh_terms: D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D058735:Environmental Policy; D010140:Pacific Ocean; D019601:Pacific States; D060753:Water Quality