CHarTING THE CoURSE For OCEAN SCIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES For THE NEXT DECADE AN OCEAN RESEarCH PRIorITIES PLAN aND IMPLEMENTATION STraTEGY NSTC JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY JANUarY 26, 2007 Committee on Ocean Policy (cop) Department of Agriculture Executive Office of the President Department of Commerce Domestic Policy Council Department of Defense Economic Policy Council Department of Energy Homeland Security Council Department of Health and Human Services National Security Council Department of Homeland Security Office of Management and Budget Department of Interior Office of Science and Technology Policy Department of Justice Office of the Vice President Department of Labor Joint Chiefs of Staff Department of State National Aeronautics and Space Administration Department of Transportation National Science Foundation Environmental Protection Agency Office of the Director of National Intelligence Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration (icosrmi) Department of Agriculture Environmental Protection Agency Department of Commerce Executive Office of the President National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Council on Environmental Quality Department of Defense Domestic Policy Council Department of Defense Economic Policy Council U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Homeland Security Council Department of Energy National Security Council Department of Health and Human Services Office of Management and Budget Department of Homeland Security Office of Science and Technology Policy Department of Interior Office of the Vice President Department of Justice Joint Chiefs of Staff Department of Labor National Aeronautics and Space Administration Department of State National Science Foundation Department of Transportation Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (jsost) Arctic Research Commission Department of Justice Department of Agriculture Department of State Department of Commerce Department of Transportation National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Maritime Administration Department of Defense Environmental Protection Agency Office of Naval Research Executive Office of the President U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Council on Environmental Quality Department of Energy Domestic Policy Council Department of Health and Human Services Office of Management and Budget Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Office of Science and Technology Policy Food and Drug Administration Joint Chiefs of Staff National Institutes of Health Marine Mammal Commission Department of Homeland Security National Aeronautics and Space Administration U.S. Coast Guard National Science Foundation Department of Interior Smithsonian Institution Mineral Management Service U.S. Geological Survey CHarTING THE CoURSE For OCEAN SCIENCE IN THE UNITED STATES For THE NEXT DECADE AN OCEAN RESEarCH PRIorITIES PLAN aND IMPLEMENTATION STraTEGY NSTC JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY JANUarY 26, 2007 Council on Environmental Quality Office of Science and Technology Policy Executive Office of the President January 26, 2007 Dear Partners and Friends in our Ocean and Coastal Community, We are pleased to transmit to you this report, Charting the Course for Ocean Science for the United States for the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy. This document presents national research priorities that focus on the most compelling issues in key areas of interaction between society and the ocean. In 2000, Congress tasked the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy to investigate and provide recommendations for a “coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy.” After extensive hearings, written input, and public comment, the Ocean Commission published An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century with more than 200 recommendations. The Bush Administration responded to these recommendations with the U.S. Ocean Action Plan, a broad plan that fundamentally restructured ocean governance, research, and management to “engender responsible use and stewardship of ocean and coastal resources for the benefit of all Americans.” The Ocean Action Plan called for the development of a national ocean research priorities plan and implementation strategy to provide a framework for research investments in ocean science for the coming decade. Through a collaborative process involving stakeholders from the relevant federal agencies as well as state and local governments, academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations, the National Science and Technology Council’s Joint Subcommittee on Science and Technology, the interagency group tasked with the development of the plan, also reports via the Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration to the Cabinet level Committee on Ocean Policy. This document draws from the contributions of numerous scientific and technical experts, resource managers, and concerned citizens who participated in public workshops, regional conferences, and responded to draft documents. Ultimately, the National Academy of Sciences–National Research Council Ocean Studies Board reviewed the plan. As pointed out by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, “America is a nation intrinsically connected to and immensely reliant on the ocean.” Given the importance of our waterways - including the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes - to societal well-being, quality of life, and the economy, our research priorities will harness the greatest opportunities to advance our understanding of critical processes and interactions and facilitate responsible use of the ocean environment, and help ensure the health and sustainability of our Nation’s ocean ecosystem for years to come. Sincerely, James L. Connaughton John H. Marburger, III Chair, Committee on Ocean Policy Director Chair, Council on Environmental Quality Office of Science and Technology Policy In This Report Numbered superscripts indicate endnotes. On the Cover From left to right 1 Photo courtesy of the Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century. This image appeared in MMS Ocean Science, Volume 3, Issue 5 and is reprinted with permission of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service 2 From Backer, L.C. and D.J. McGillicuddy. 2006. Oceanography 19(2), Figure 8 by OhioView/T. Bridgeman 3 Lake Erie bloom. Arctic shot—NASA JPL, University of Alaska - Fairbanks 4 Department of Interior 5 Photo courtesy of NOAA. This image appeared inMMS Ocean Science, Volume 3, Issue 5 and is reprinted with permission of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service. 6 Emma Maersk Contact Shelby E. Walker, Ph.D. Project Manager Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST) USGCRP/CCSP Office 1717 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 250 Washington, DC 20006 T: 202-419-3464; F: 202-223-3064 http://ocean.ceq.gov/about/sup_jsost_prioritiesplan.html Table of Contents Executive Summary ............................................................................................................i Vision for National Ocean Research Priorities ..................................................................1 Introduction ......................................................................................................................2 Critical Elements...............................................................................................................4 Expanding the Scientific Frontier: The Need for Fundamental Science ............................6 Focusing the Nation’s Ocean Research Enterprise ............................................................8 Identifying Ocean Research Priorities ...............................................................................9 Societal Themes ...............................................................................................................11 Theme 1: Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Ocean Resources.............................12 Theme 2: Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards ..................................................18 Theme 3: Enabling Marine Operations ....................................................................23 Theme 4: The Ocean’s Role in Climate .....................................................................29 Theme 5: Improving Ecosystem Health ....................................................................34 Theme 6: Enhancing Human Health ........................................................................39 Opportunities for Progress ..............................................................................................45 Developing the Tools ................................................................................................45 Making a Difference .................................................................................................48 Near-Term Priorities .......................................................................................................51 Forecasting the Response of Coastal Ecosystems to Persistent Forcing and Extreme Events ...........................................................................................52 Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Organization ......................................54 Sensors for Marine Ecosystems ................................................................................56 Assessing Meridional Overturning Circulation Variability: Implications for Rapid Climate Change .................................................................................58 Implementation