SIMoN -- History Timeline

SIMoN HISTORY TIMELINE

Below is a timeline of significant events that have happened since the start of the SIMoN program in 1999.

1999

2000

Summary table of monitoring efforts in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary (MBNMS) completed
Workshop to develop SIMoN priorities and approaches
SIMoN Plan completed
$425,000 agreement made (Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation/MBNMS/Duke Energy N.A./State Water Resources Control Board) to fund SIMoN Moss Landing Thermal Plume Assessment
Letters of support for SIMoN received: MBNMS Research Activities Panel (RAP) (November, 2000); Monterey Bay Crescent Ocean Research Consortium (December, 2000); MBNMS Sanctuary Advisory Council (February, 2001)
$1 million agreement made (Conservation groups/Duke Energy N.A./Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation) to fund SIMoN monitoring of Elkhorn Slough

2001

MBNMS SIMoN Science Committee established
Protocols developed for SIMoN proposal development and review, as well as roles for the SIMoN Science Committee
Funds incorporated into MBNMS base budget for SIMoN staff
$2 million grant for SIMoN from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation received
Endorsement of SIMoN at the Leadership Team meeting of the National Marine Sanctuary Program

2002

SIMoN received recognition from the National Marine Sanctuary Program with an Award for Science in Action
SIMoN office established Suite D, 299 Foam Street
SIMoN Letter of Agreement between MBNMS/Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation signed
SIMoN Memorandum of Understanding between Monterey Bay Sanctuary Foundation/Monterey Bay Aquarium completed
SIMoN Letter of Agreement MBNMS/Monterey Bay Aquarium signed
Release of the first set of SIMoN requests for proposals (RFPs), to monitor Elkhorn Slough and the Duke Moss Landing thermal outfall site
First SIMoN program specific staff hired
The SIMoN program is presented as a model for marine monitoring in South Korea, with a U.S. marine delegation
Management of the invasive Asian kelp Undaria pinnatifida begins in Monterey Harbor in collaboration with the City and the California Department of Fish and Game

2003

SIMoN Elkhorn Slough Projects Workshop
Database to store monitoring project information developed
Web Interfaces created to load and query SIMoN monitoring information
SIMoN website released
SIMoN releases a report that assessed intertidal habitat types and human uses at Point Pinos
SIMoN Scientists complete a nearshore sub-tidal characterization project, using the RV Shearwater in collaboration with PISCO completed
Monthly SIMoN dive operations initiated

2004

Water quality map viewer released
SIMoN receives achievement award from National Marine Sanctuaries Program at annual Research Coordinators meeting
Beach COMBERS coordinator Hannah Nevins selected as a 2004 NOAA Environmental Hero
SIMoN web site recognized in NOAA's National Ocean Service Accomplishments report for 2003
Multi-agency seafloor mapping project using the RV McArthur completed
SIMoN participates in West Coast Information Management and Delivery workshop hosted by National Marine Sanctuaries Program
Delta submersible project to monitoring rockfish and associated habitats completed

2005

Regional National Marine Sanctuary support to expand SIMoN to west coast sanctuaries
SIMoN program needs assessment completed for Channel Islands, Gulf of the Farallones, Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuaries
Environmental assessment and decision support tool developed for the State's marine reserve designation process
SIMoN releases a report by Stanford University researchers, providing the most detailed Elkhorn Slough hydrodynamic modeling effort to date
National Marine Sanctuary Program West Coast Observation project initiated
New SIMoN interactive map viewers on water quality, habitats, and ocean observatories

2006

First GFNMS SIMoN staff hired
GFNMS SIMoN Science Committee established
SIMoN releases a report providing the first assessment of sea otter activity in and adjacent to the Moss Landing power plant thermal plume
Expedition to study deep-sea corals of Davidson Seamount with the BBC, Moss Landing Marine Labs, and MBARI
Development of oceanObs, a Central and Northern California database inventory of ocean observing activities
In partnership with the University of California, SIMoN releases a report on extensive marine resources surveys of the Big Sur coastline
The SAM project is initiated to coordinate water quality monitoring and data analysis efforts amongst Central Coast organizations to assess and improve our capacity for addressing non-point source pollution issues

2007

California Coastal and Marine Mapping Initiative launched
Development of a national registry of ocean observing programs
SIMoN Photo Library made available to the public on the Internet
Development of a web-based cruise planning tool for the National Marine Sanctuary Program, the Vessel Project Manager

2008

The expanded SIMoN web site is released, including information from Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuaries
Species Database is launched!

2009

A new interactive map providing access to information about regional water quality monitoring programs is introduced
A key for identifying the Marine Sponges of California is made available to the public

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