Pew: Monument region is ‘biodiversity hotspot’

A soon to be released scientific report reveals the 115,000 square mile stretch of ocean the Pew Charitable Trust is lobbying the White House to preserve as a national marine monument is a “biodiversity hotspot” with a much wider array of species than previously thought, according to a local Pew staffer.

Based on previously unreleased data gathered by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration researchers, the pending report brings to light a new and much fuller picture of the biodiversity contained within the monument’s proposed boundaries, said Pew coordinator Angelo Villagomez.

“The area is probably one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots,” Villagomez said in an interview Friday as the foundation released the final version of an economic analysis on its proposal that suggests the marine monument could spur $10 million of spending in the Commonwealth annually.

The new report, Villagomez said, stems from a host of scientific studies NOAA has conducted over the last decade on the biodiversity and geology of the CNMI’s northern islands and surrounding ocean waters, the site of the proposed monument. Pew staffers are hopeful the report, due for release in the coming weeks, will help make the case for preserving the region.

Chief among the draft report’s findings is that the proposed monument would house a host of marine mammal species that have gone unrecognized by researchers and environmental regulators outside of NOAA, such as a variety of distinct whale species, said Villagomez.

The region’s undersea mounds are also microcosms home to a wealth of unique life such as shrimp, crabs and fish species, he added.

“Each of those sea mounds is like a completely different planet, a new assemblage of completely different species,” Villagomez said.

Moreover, the report details distinctive geological activity in the region, he said, such as volcanoes, liquid carbon bubbling through the seafloor and pools of liquid sulfur.

Several opponents of the Pew proposal could not be reached for comment at press time.

Pew’s bid to establish the monument—an effort to capitalize on President Bush’s so-called “blue legacy” of ocean preservation—has sparked controversy among many critics, including Gov. Benigno Fitial and key political leaders, who contend it would violate the Commonwealth’s autonomy to regulate its ocean resources. Proponents of the plan, however, say the monument would give a significant boost to the CNMI’s struggling economy through tourism and preserve a sensitive and unique ecosystem for the future.

Meanwhile, Pew’s newly finalized economic study includes a postscript detailing data on the history of American Memorial Park’s management as an example relevant to the non-profit group’s bid to create the marine monument. The report notes that federal and local officials jointly operate a marina near the park as “evidence of successful co-management.” In addition, it points to financial reports showing an increasing federal commitment to the park’s operation since 1996. Federal funding for the park jumped from $149,000 to $1.12 milion between 1996 and 2006, the report says.