Condition Summary Tables
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary

The following four tables summarize the State of Sanctuary Resources sections of this report for the estuarine, nearshore, offshore and seamount environments.

Estuarine Environment Condition Summary Table

The following table summarizes the “State of Sanctuary Resources” section of this report for the estuarine environment. The estuarine environment is focused on Elkhorn Slough because it is the only estuary located inside the boundaries of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. In each table, the first two columns list questions used to rate the condition and trends for qualities of water, habitat, living resources, and maritime archaeological resources. The Rating column consists of a color, indicating resource condition, and a symbol, indicating trend (see key for definitions). The Confidence column shows a rating by experts of their confidence in the status and trend for each questions. Confidence was based on the amount of available information and the level of agreement of experts (see Appendix B for additional information). The Basis for Judgment column provides a short statement or list of criteria used to support the rating. The Description of Findings column presents the statement that best characterizes resource status, and corresponds to the assigned color rating. The Description of Findings statements are customized for all possible ratings for each question (see Appendix A for further clarification of the questions and the Description of Findings statements). The questions with red numbers have new ratings compared to the 2009 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Condition Report.

	Issue	Rating	Confidence	Basis For Judgement	Description of Findings
WATER
1.	Stressors		Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	Major alterations to tidal, freshwater and sediment processes have increased the level of pollution and eutrophication; inputs of pollutants from agricultural and urbanized land sources.	Selected conditions have caused or are likely to cause severe declines in some, but not all living resources and habitats.
2.	Eutrophic Condition		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	General trend of increasing nitrate in Elkhorn Slough. Frequent occurrence of depressed DO and hypoxic events. High percent cover of algal mats in summer.	Selected conditions have caused or are likely to cause severe declines in some, but not all living resources and habitats
3.	Human Health	?	Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	Elkhorn Slough and connected water bodies are impaired by pesticides and pathogens. High levels of contaminants in harvested crustaceans and bivalves could pose a risk to human health.  SWAMP BOG fish results.	Selected conditions have caused or are likely to cause severe impacts, but cases to date have not suggested a pervasive problem.
4.	Human Activities		Status: High Trend: High	Substantial inputs of pollutants from non-point sources, especially agriculture. Less agriculture around Elkhorn Slough due to land acquisition by ESF thereby reducing nutrient loading from agriculture.  No evidence yet of improving water quality due to changes in land management practices.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
HABITAT
5.	Abundance/ Distribution		Status: Very High Trend: Low	Over 150 years of hydrologic alteration has resulted in substantial erosion and habitat conversion. Recent stability with little change in relative abundance of habitat types.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in some, but not all living resources or water quality.
6.	Biologically-Structured		Status: Very High Trend: High	Severe reductions in the abundance of native structure-forming organisms from historic levels. Recent slight increases in eelgrass and native oysters.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in most, if not all living resources or water quality.
7.	Contaminants		Status: Very Low Trend: Very Low	Numerous contaminants present and at high levels at localized areas with some evidence of accumulation in top predators (sea otters).	Selected contaminants have caused or are likely to cause severe declines in some, but not all living resources or water quality.
8.	Human Impacts		Status: Medium Trend: Low	Past hydrologic changes and maintenance of water diversion structures, and continued input of nutrients from agriculture. Management activities have the potential to reduce agricultural runoff and reduce erosion in some areas.	Selected activities warrant widespread concern and action, as large-scale, persistent and/or repeated severe impacts have occurred or are likely to occur.
LIVING RESOURCES
9.	Biodiversity?		Status: Medium Trend: Low	Changes in the relative abundance of some species associated with specific estuarine habitats. No significant recent changes in species richness or relative abundance.	Selected biodiversity loss may inhibit full community development and function and may cause measurable but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity.
11.	Non-Indigenous Species		Status: Medium Trend: Medium	High percentage of non-native species, no known recent introductions or significant changes in abundance	Non-indigenous species have caused or are likely to cause severe declines in ecosystem integrity.
12.	Key Species Status		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	Abundance of native oyster, eelgrass and salt marsh are substantially reduced compared to historic levels. Salt marsh appears to be stable and slight increases in eelgrass and native oysters	The reduced abundance of selected keystone species has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in some, but not all ecosystem components, and reduce ecosystem integrity; or selected key species are at substantially reduced levels, and prospects for recovery are uncertain.
13.	Key Species Condition?	?	Status: Low Trend: Low	Limited information on health or condition suggests eelgrass, oysters and sea otters are fairly healthy.	The condition of selected key resources is not optimal, perhaps precluding full ecological function, but substantial or persistent declines are not expected.
14.	Human Activities	?	Status: Medium Trend: Low	Many human activities that impact living resources (e.g., hydrologic modifications, inputs of pollutants from agriculture and development, introduction of non-indigenous species). Overall trend in human activities difficult to determine.	Selected activities have caused or are likely to cause severe impacts, and cases to date suggest a pervasive problem.
MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
15.	Integrity	?	Status: N/A (not updated Status: N/A (not updated.	Very little is known about the integrity of the few known maritime archaeological resources in Elkhorn Slough.	Not enough information to make a determination.
16.	Threat to Environment		Status: N/A (not updated Status: N/A (not updated.	No known environmental hazards.	Known maritime archaeological resources pose few or no environmental threats.
17.	Human Activities		Status: N/A (not updated Status: N/A (not updated	Existing human activities do not influence known maritime archaeological resources.	Few or no activities occur that are likely to negatively affect maritime archaeological resource integrity.

Nearshore Environment Condition Summary Table

The following table summarizes the “State of Sanctuary Resources” section of this report for the nearshore environment. The nearshore environment is defined as extending from the shoreline boundary of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (mean high water) to the 30-meter isobath and includes the seafloor and water column. In each table, the first two columns list questions used to rate the condition and trends for qualities of water, habitat, living resources, and maritime archaeological resources. The Rating column consists of a color, indicating resource condition, and a symbol, indicating trend (see key for definitions). The Confidence column shows a rating by experts of their confidence in the status and trend for each questions. Confidence was based on the amount of available information and the level of agreement of experts (see Appendix B for additional information). The Basis for Judgment column provides a short statement or list of criteria used to support the rating. The Description of Findings column presents the statement that best characterizes resource status, and corresponds to the assigned color rating. The Description of Findings statements are customized for all possible ratings for each question (see Appendix A for further clarification of the questions and the Description of Findings statements). The questions with red numbers have new ratings compared to the 2009 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Condition Report.

	Issue	Rating	Confidence	Basis For Judgement	Description of Findings
WATER
1.	Stressors		Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	Elevated levels of contaminants (e.g., POPs, heavy metals), nutrients, sediments, pathogens in some locations; on-going input of established and emerging pollutants. Acidification and hypoxia conditions increasing.	Selected conditions may inhibit the development of assemblages, and may cause measurable, but not severe declines in living resources and habitats.
2.	Eutrophic Condition		Status: High Trend: High	Increasing nutrient enrichment and occurrence of HABs. New information regarding prevalence of microcystis in major river systems and coastal waters.  HABs directly impacting fish, birds and mammals.	Selected conditions may inhibit the development of assemblages, and may cause measurable, but not severe declines in living resources or habitats.
3.	Human Health	?	Status: Very High Trend: Very High	Continue to have warnings at some beaches and lagoons due to high fecal indicator bacteria; declining dieldrin levels in mussels, contaminated shellfish at some locations and during some seasons. Contaminants in fish exceed seafood standards at a few locations.	Selected conditions have resulted in isolated human impacts, but evidence does not justify widespread or persistent concern.
4.	Human Activities		Status: Medium Trend: Medium	Human activities result in measurable, localized impacts. Reductions in urban and agricultural runoff anticipated in response to increased regulations for agriculture and stormwater pollution prevention.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread
HABITAT
5.	Abundance/ Distribution		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	Localized modification of coastal habitat and reduced habitat quality, primarily through armoring, erosion, landslide and accumulation of marine debris and contaminants.	Selected habitat loss or alteration may inhibit the development of assemblages, and may cause measurable, but not severe declines in living resources or water quality.
6.	Biologically-Structured		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	Monitoring programs indicate healthy populations and no major perturbations.	Habitats are in pristine or near-pristine condition and are unlikely to preclude full community development.
7.	Contaminants		Status: High Trend: High	Declines in some persistent contaminants (dieldrin), but new contaminants being added to the system; some evidence showing contaminants are accumulating in shellfish and resident fish and are impacting health of living resources (e.g., mammals)	Selected contaminants have caused or are likely to cause severe declines in some, but not all living resources or water quality.
8.	Human Impacts	?	Status: Medium Trend: Medium	Trampling, visitation and coastal armoring can have measurable, localized impacts; trash and contaminants present and accumulating slowly despite management efforts.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable habitat impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
LIVING RESOURCES
9.	Biodiversity?		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	Fishing, collecting and poaching have altered biodiversity from what would be expected in a natural state. Most assemblages appear to be fairly stable except for sea stars and urchins.	Selected biodiversity loss may inhibit full community development and function and may cause measurable, but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity.
11.	Non-Indigenous Species		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	A few non-indigenous species have been identified, and some appear to be spreading.	Non-indigenous species are not suspected or do not appear to affect ecosystem integrity (full community development and function).
12.	Key Species Status		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	Abundance of some key species in each habitat type is lower than would be expected in a natural state. Many key species stable or slowly increasing, but recent dramatic declines for many sea star species.	The reduced abundance of selected keystone species may inhibit full community development and function, and may cause measurable, but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity; or selected key species are at reduced levels, but recovery is possible.
13.	Key Species Condition?		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	Continuing health problems in sea otters and black abalone. New severe health issue for sea stars.	The diminished condition of selected key resources may cause a measurable, but not severe reduction in ecological function, but recovery is possible.
14.	Human Activities		Status: Very High Trend: Very High	Variety of visitation, extraction and coastal development activities, some of which are increasing in frequency.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable living resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
15.	Integrity	?	Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	Divers have looted sites, but few sites have been studied to determine trend.	The diminished condition of selected archaeological resources has reduced, to some extent, their historical, scientific or educational value and may affect the eligibility of some sites for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.
16.	Threat to Environment		Status: Medium Trend: Medium	Known resources containing hazardous material continue to deteriorate	Selected maritime archaeological resources may cause measurable, but not severe, impacts to certain sanctuary resources or areas, but recovery is possible.
17.	Human Activities	?	Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	Activities, such as recreational, diving occurs on wreck sites, but activity level is unknown.	Some potentially relevant activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on maritime archaeological resource integrity.

Offshore Environment Condition Summary Table

The following table summarizes the “State of Sanctuary Resources” section of this report for the offshore environment. The offshore environment is defined as extending from the 30-meter isobath out to the offshore boundary of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and includes the seafloor and water column. In each table, the first two columns list questions used to rate the condition and trends for qualities of water, habitat, living resources, and maritime archaeological resources. The Rating column consists of a color, indicating resource condition, and a symbol, indicating trend (see key for definitions). The Confidence column shows a rating by experts of their confidence in the status and trend for each questions. Confidence was based on the amount of available information and the level of agreement of experts (see Appendix B for additional information). The Basis for Judgment column provides a short statement or list of criteria used to support the rating. The Description of Findings column presents the statement that best characterizes resource status, and corresponds to the assigned color rating. The Description of Findings statements are customized for all possible ratings for each question (see Appendix A for further clarification of the questions and the Description of Findings statements). The questions with red numbers have new ratings compared to the 2009 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Condition Report.

	Issue	Rating	Confidence	Basis For Judgement	Description of Findings
WATER
1.	Stressors		Status: High Trend: Very High	Elevated levels of contaminants (e.g., persistent organic pollutants), and ocean temperature and chemistry changes, some of which have been linked to changes in the offshore ecosystem.	Selected conditions may inhibit the development of assemblages and may cause measurable, but not severe declines in living resources and habitats.
2.	Eutrophic Condition		Status: Very High Trend: Medium	Nutrient enrichment in selected areas, continued nutrient loading and increased frequency and intensity of harmful algal blooms.	Selected conditions may preclude full development of living resource assemblages and habitats, but are not likely to cause substantial or persistent declines.
3.	Human Health	?	Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	Measurable levels of biotoxins and contaminants in some locations that have the potential to affect human health; no reports of human impacts.	Selected conditions that have the potential to affect human health may exist, but human impacts have not been reported.
4.	Human Activities		Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	Inputs of pollutants from agriculture and urban development; reduced risk of impacts from vessels due to regulation of traffic patterns and discharges, removal of oil from sunken ships.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
HABITAT
5.	Abundance/ Distribution		Status: High Trend: Medium	Benthic habitat loss and modification due to fishing with bottom-contact gear; recovery of seafloor habitats likely occurring in some locations following reductions in this activity.	Selected habitat loss or alteration may inhibit the development of assemblages, and may cause measurable, but not severe declines in living resources or water quality.
6.	Biologically-Structured	?	Status: High Trend: Medium	Damage to and loss of structure-forming and structure-building taxa due to trawl fishing. Recovery likely occurring in some locations and for some taxa following reductions in this activity; however, concerns that ocean acidification is negatively impacting these species.	Selected habitat loss or alteration has caused or is likely to cause severe declines in some, but not all living resources or water quality.
7.	Contaminants		Status: High Trend: High	Exponential increase in amount of PCBs in water samples from two sites. Marine mammals are contaminated by PCBs. No evidence of strong ecosystem level effects. No additional information on contaminant levels in ocean sediments.	Selected contaminants may inhibit the development of assemblages and may cause measurable, but not severe declines of living resources or water quality.
8.	Human Impacts		Status: High Trend: High	Decreases in both overall effort and spatial extent of fishing with bottom trawl gear. Inputs of marine debris and contaminants continues. Impacts of submerged cables and marine debris appear to be localized.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable habitat impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
LIVING RESOURCES
9.	Biodiversity?		Status: Medium Trend: Low	Reduced relative abundance of targeted, by-catch, and sensitive species. Overall biodiversity does not appear to have increased or decreased  during this time.	Selected biodiversity loss may inhibit full community development and function and may cause measurable but not severe degradation of ecosystem integrity.
11.	Non-Indigenous Species		Status: N/A (not updated) Trend:  N/A (not updated)	Very few non-indigenous species identified in offshore waters.	Non-indigenous species are not suspected or do not appear to affect ecosystem integrity (full community development and function).
12	Key Species Status		Status: Medium Trend: Low	Some key species at reduced abundance levels due to past or on-going harvest. Some monitored key species slowly increasing, but most appear to be fluctuating within the range expected based on long-term time series	Selected key or keystone species are at reduced levels, perhaps precluding full community development and function, but substantial or persistent declines are not expected.
13.	Key Species Condition?		Status: Medium Trend: Low	Compromised health due to exposure to neurotoxins produced by HABs, entanglement in active and lost fishing gear, ingestion of marine debris and accumulation of persistent contaminants.	The condition of selected key resources is not optimal, perhaps precluding full ecological function, but substantial or persistent declines are not expected.
14.	Human Activities		Status: Medium Trend: Medium	Recent management actions helping recover overfished stocks and impacted habitats, but inputs of marine debris and contaminants have measurable impacts; ocean acidification and hypoxia increasing.	Selected activities have resulted in measurable living resource impacts, but evidence suggests effects are localized, not widespread.
MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
15.	Integrity	?	Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	To date, only one of potentially hundreds of archaeological site inventories has been conducted.	Not enough information to make a determination.
16.	Threat to Environment		Status: Medium Trend: Medium	Known resources containing hazardous material located inside and immediately adjacent to the sanctuary continue to deteriorate.	Selected maritime archaeological resources may cause measurable, but not severe, impacts to certain sanctuary resources or areas, but recovery is possible.
17.	Human Activities	?	Status: N/A (not updated) Trend: N/A (not updated)	Archaeological resources, particularly those that are undocumented, are vulnerable to degradation from trawling and looting.	Some potentially relevant activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on maritime archaeological resource integrity.

Seamount Environment Condition Summary Table

The following table summarizes the “State of Sanctuary Resources” section of this report for the seamount environment. The seamount environment includes the Davidson Seamount Management Zone. In each table, the first two columns list questions used to rate the condition and trends for qualities of water, habitat, living resources, and maritime archaeological resources. The Rating column consists of a color, indicating resource condition, and a symbol, indicating trend (see key for definitions). The Confidence column shows a rating by experts of their confidence in the status and trend for each questions. Confidence was based on the amount of available information and the level of agreement of experts (see Appendix B for additional information). The Basis for Judgment column provides a short statement or list of criteria used to support the rating. The Description of Findings column presents the statement that best characterizes resource status, and corresponds to the assigned color rating. The Description of Findings statements are customized for all possible ratings for each question (see Appendix A for further clarification of the questions and the Description of Findings statements). The questions with red numbers have new ratings compared to the 2009 Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Condition Report.

	Issue	Rating	Confidence	Basis For Judgement	Description of Findings
WATER
1.	Stressors	?	Status: N/A Trend: N/A	No information available specific to DSMZ; however, see the open ocean section of this report.	Not enough information to make a determination.
2.	Eutrophic Condition	?	Status: N/A Trend: N/A	No information available specific to DSMZ	Not enough information to make a determination.
3.	Human Health	?	Status: N/A Trend: N/A	No information available specific to DSMZ	Not enough information to make a determination.
4.	Human Activities	?	Status: Medium Trend: Medium	Large vessels, particularly tankers, transiting through DSMZ pose a threat to water quality, but no known impacts from this activity. More information needed on levels and trends of other potential threats.	Some potentially harmful activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on water quality.
HABITAT
5.	Abundance/ Distribution		Status: Very High Trend: High	Offshore location, existing level of protections and limited access to the seafloor may limit impacts.	Habitats are in pristine or near-pristine condition and are unlikely to preclude full community development.
6.	Biologically-Structured	?	Status: Very High Trend: Medium	Biogenic species appear abundant; organisms larger, more robust than coastal canyon areas. Trend information unavailable.	Habitats are in pristine or near-pristine condition and are unlikely to preclude full community development.
7.	Contaminants	?	Status: N/A Trend: N/A	Contaminant concentrations in DSMZ are poorly understood. There have been very few sediment samples collected within DSMZ for the purpose of contaminant studies.	Not enough information to make a determination.
8.	Human Impacts	?	Status: High Trend: Medium	Harmful activities exist, but offshore location, existing level of protections and limited access to the seafloor may limit impacts.	Some potentially harmful activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on habitat quality.
LIVING RESOURCES
9.	Biodiversity?	?	Status: Very High Trend: Medium	Relatively pristine area with few removals; but data are sparse.	Biodiversity appears to reflect pristine or near-pristine conditions and promotes ecosystem integrity (full community development and function).
11.	Non-Indigenous Species		Status: Medium Trend: Medium	No known non-indigenous species; but data are sparse.	Non-indigenous species are not suspected or do not appear to affect ecosystem integrity (full community development and function).
12	Key Species Status		Status: High Trend: High	Abundance and diversity of corals, stable fish stocks and existing protections. Federally endangered marine mammal populations (e.g., Fin whale), appear to be increasing.	Key and keystone species appear to reflect pristine or near-pristine conditions and many promote ecosystem integrity (full community development and function).
13.	Key Species Condition?		Status: High Trend: Medium	Key species appear healthy, and are protected or otherwise regulated.	The condition of key resources appears to reflect pristine or near-pristine conditions.
14.	Human Activities	?	Status: High Trend: Medium	Offshore location, existing level of protections and few existing threats may limit impacts to living resources.	Some potentially harmful activities exist, but they do not appear to have had a negative effect on habitat quality.
MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES
15.	Integrity	N/A	Status: N/A Trend: N/A	No known maritime archaeological resources.	N/A
16.	Threat to Environment	N/A	Status: N/A Trend: N/A	No known maritime archaeological resources.	N/A
17.	Human Activities	N/A	Status: N/A Trend: N/A	No known maritime archaeological resources.	N/A