2020 ANNUAL REPORT 1 Consortium for Ocean Leadership (COL) is a community-based WHO WE ARE organization working to ensure sound science underpins ocean policy and decision-making at the federal level. As the voice of the ocean science and technology community, COL is the trusted resource for policymakers seeking credible information about ocean challenges and opportunities, societal impacts, and science-based solutions. Together, COL members give ocean research and funding priorities a voice at the federal level — and keep them national priorities. Our strong reputation enables us to magnify our members’ ability to shape the future of ocean science and technology. Beyond advocacy, COL believes that fully understanding our ocean — to ensure its health and our own, to sustainably manage its resources, to provide protection from its threats — is a tremendous endeavor that will benefit all Americans, requiring strong partnerships and leadership beyond the scope of what a single institution or sector can do alone. Both in the past, through such COL-managed initiatives as the Census of Marine Life, and today, our work focuses on convening the ocean science community across every sector around these critical science questions and initiatives, bringing diverse sectors and disciplines together to provide science and solutions for mutual benefit. OUR VISION Our vision is a global society that views its own well-being as intimately connected to the ocean. We are a consortium of the leading ocean science and technology institutions from academia, aquariums, and industry. Based in Washington, D.C., COL advances ocean research, innovation, education, and sound policy as it positions the ocean science community for success. OUR MISSION COL shapes the future of ocean science and technology through discovery, understanding, and action, by: Supporting DISCOVERY of the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the ocean critical to life on our planet Building UNDERSTANDING and educating society on the ocean’s influence on human life Taking ACTION to influence policymakers to advance ocean science, education, and marine policy 2 DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION (DEI) STRATEGIC MISSION STATEMENT The ocean sciences are severely lacking diversity, and action must be taken to make the field more diverse, equitable, and inclusive. As a community-based organization, COL has an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in this critical effort, given our unique work spanning the ocean science community from the ocean-STEM pipeline to public and private ocean shareholders. COL strives to accomplish our mission to shape the future of ocean science and technology through discovery, understanding, and action while fully embodying DEI values. If we are to achieve this mission, we must take action against discrimination and harassment; leverage our position to promote all aspects of DEI; amplify the voices of people and organizations that are tirelessly working in support of these efforts; and actively engage more diverse participation in our community. Our organization’s mission cannot be achieved without this, to the detriment of the ocean sciences and society as a whole. All ocean scientists, no matter their background, should support diversity; diverse perspectives lead to better science. COL is committed to transparency and accountability around our internal and external initiatives concerning diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to effecting positive change in our own internal policies and procedures, through our community influence, and in the design of our programs and initiatives. 3 A NOTE FROM OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO: BETWEEN PANDEMIC BLUES AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA At the beginning of 2020, the year looked bright. Fresh off an energizing regional partnership workshop we held in Monterey, the Monterey Ocean Science and Technology (MOST) Summit, in January and several successful town halls at the Ocean Sciences Meeting 2020 in February, our momentum was carrying us towards what would surely be our best Public Policy Forum yet as well as a special NOSB Finals in the Gulf that would coincide with the 10-year anniversary of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Then, the spread of COVID-19 across the United States and the rest of the world suddenly went from a distant worry to an imminent danger. Like so many people, we left our offices on a Thursday not knowing we wouldn’t be back in that building the following Monday, or any of the Mondays to follow. Jonathan W. White But now, having weathered the storm that was 2020 and with the benefit of RADM (Ret.), USN hindsight (since hindsight is, of course, 2020), I’m astonished at and proud of all the amazing things the ocean science community accomplished this year. Supporting the reauthorization of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and other legislation that recognizes the importance of the ocean; successfully transitioning NOSB Finals to a virtual format with only a month’s notice; taking the first steps towards a truly national, multisector ocean exploration enterprise in the United States; advancing the OceanObs’19 Living Action Plan to transform global ocean understanding; building new partnerships around the development and use of uncrewed systems in ocean science — this seems to be a pretty impressive list of ocean accomplishments in a year that was defined by a global pandemic. We did it, though, thanks to the resilience and perseverance of our members and our ocean science champions, and especially the heroic staff of COL. Amidst global turmoil and, at times, great personal grief, our consortium of ocean leaders turned a truly dismal year into one filled with shared progress and success. Looking to the future, I am hopeful that this momentum behind the cause of a healthy, well understood ocean carries into 2021 and beyond. On top of our accomplishments, 2020 also brought about a sea change in the ocean science community with regards to our commitment as institutions and individuals to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Many members of our community have worked tirelessly on advancing DEI goals for years, but the ocean science community as a whole is finally embracing and taking responsibility for the importance of centering DEI in every aspect of our work, from the research process to the climate of our workplaces. Even seemingly minor changes will have huge impacts: At a workshop we hosted this summer to generate recommendations for one of NOAA’s key science and technology focus areas, the entire focus area was renamed “Uncrewed Systems” from “Unmanned” to be more inclusive. While it may seem small, this will set the tone for this critical technology area going forward, and I hope to see more changes like this, since we still have a lot to do. Even with all the uncertainty around the post-pandemic future, I remain optimistic that science will chart the course to a much brighter future for us and our ocean. The success of any voyage, however, relies upon leadership and teamwork to sail successfully along the charted course. COL is an organization that is designed to enable this leadership and teamwork across the broad, multisector “oceanscape” of science and technology that our members represent, along with our colleagues throughout the ocean community. I know that COL is ready to embark on this voyage and sail ahead smartly with new leadership at the helm as I walk down the brow and help cast off the lines. 4 A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS THE VALUE OF MEMBERSHIP The strength of our consortium lies in the strength of our members: what they each do on their own to advance ocean science and what we can do when we come together. Our membership is unique in that academia, industry, and the larger nonprofit sector (to include aquariums, associations, and philanthropy) all have a seat at the table. Together, we take action on our common priorities and, where opinions differ, find compromises on areas of critical importance to the ocean science community and the world at large. The support, engagement, and leadership of our members is crucial to the success of COL’s programmatic work and advocacy efforts. ADVOCACY IN ACTION With input and guidance from our member-led Public Policy Committee as well as our larger membership, COL’s advocacy efforts in 2020 focused on securing reauthorizations for key federal programs, growing ocean science funding, and helping Congress and our members navigate the impacts of COVID-19 on the science and technology “oceanscape.” Since 2017, COL has led the community in pushing for a congressional reauthorization of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) that would catalyze ocean innovation and transformative partnerships on a national scale. By facilitating interagency and public-private partnerships among federal agencies, academia, industry, and other members of the ocean science and technology community for over 20 years, NOPP has led to successes such as the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), the Argo program, the JASON Project, and of course the launch of the National Ocean Sciences Bowl. The broadly shared goal of a “new NOPP” moved a step closer to being realized when a revitalized version of the program was reauthorized in the fiscal year (FY) 2021National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). We also worked with Congress and our members on important federal initiatives combatting ocean plastics, covered under the Save Ours Seas 2.0 Act, as well as those strengthening the U.S. ocean observing enterprise, through bills including the Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act and Digital Coast Act; all of these were successfully signed into law by the end of the 116th Congress. 5 Each fiscal year, COL weighs in on the federal appropriations process to ensure that Congress understands the funding needs and priorities of the ocean science community. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic last year, in addition to our regular requests, it was critical for COL to share how ocean science — from graduate student funding to next generation blue technology and infrastructure — fits into the larger picture of COVID relief and recovery plans.