Restoring Balance to the Great Bay Ecosystem
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Transcript of Restoring Balance to the Great Bay Ecosystem
Restoring Balance to the Great Bay Ecosystem
SWA Symposium, May 11, 2011Richard Langan, UNH
Lay of the Land.. and Water
• Great Bay Estuary & Watershed
• Multiple stressors & cumulative effects
• Population growth, development
• Loss of habitats and ecosystem services
• It’s about quality of life too….
• Business as usual won’t cut it
An alternative approach?
• Ecosystem problems require ecosystem solutions
• Science matters, but so do a lot of other things• We need to all share the pain.. and eventual gain• Process is important• We don’t need to know everything to do
something• We do have some tools – let’s start using them
Population in GBE Watershed towns
200,000
250,000
300,000
350,000
400,000
450,000
1975 1985 1995 2005 2015
Series1
52% increase in 28 years
Top down options: bioextraction
Microalgal Biomass Production?
Possible Plant Locations
Dover, NHNewington +
PSNH
Portsmouth, NH
Durham, NH
Exeter, NH
Collectively contribute 330 tons TN
Recommendation• Establish an inclusive forum
– Collectively define problems, solutions and goals– Consider non-technical barriers
• Be creative• Measure progress• Be flexible• Cautions
– Process takes time, $, skills and commitment– Restoration takes longer– There will always be gaps– $$ are limited, use them wisely