# Presentation: 347938

## NOAA KEEPING PACE WITH OUR CHANGING WORLD 

- Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S. Navy (Ret.)
- Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and AtmosphereNOAA AdministratorAugust 9, 2005

- 23rd Meeting of the NOAA Science Advisory Board
- Seattle, Washington

**Notes:**
The Science Advisory Board is an important partner in NOAA’s commitment to providing science-based policies.  

I know that you have a full agenda of NOAA updates, but I want to take this opportunity to add my thoughts in a few key areas.  

## Sab Public Session Welcome

- Current environment
- FY06 Budget
- New Leadership
- SAB—New Working Groups
- Hurricane Intensity Research Working Group
- Ocean Exploration Advisory Working Group
- GEOSS Updates
- NOAA Happenings

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
I’ll start by highlighting the Budget for FY 06 and addressing some recent leadership changes within the Department of Commerce and NOAA. 

Then, I’ll talk briefly about 2 new SAB working groups and GEOSS.  I anticipate all these will influence the future of research, operations, and management. 

## Budget OutlookHistorical NOAA Budget Trends

- Budget OutlookHistorical NOAA Budget Trends

- ($ in Billions)

- Senate Mark

- House Mark

- $4.5

- $3.4

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
Money isn’t everything, but in Washington it tells you a lot.

We continue to make progress in both budget cycles

FY 06 President’s Budget is a $205M or a 6% increase over the FY 05 request

Upward trend is a reflection of support within the Administration and Congress

## Leadership Changes in DOC and NOAA

- Deputy Secretary Dr. David Sampson
- Dr. James R. Mahoney (Assistant Secretary) retiring
- Dr. Colleen Hartman (NESDIS DAA) to NASA
- Dr. Marie Colton (NESDIS Director of Research and Applications) to NOS Technical Director
- Dr. Rebecca Lent (NMFS DAA) to head NMFS International Affairs
- Replaced by Dr. Jim Balsiger
- Dr. Mike Sissenwine (NMFS Director of Scientific Programs) retired
- Replaced by Dr. Steve Murawski
- Rollie Schmitten (NMFS Habitat Director, IWC) retired
- Acting Dr. Garry Mayer

- Dr. David Sampson

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
Changes in DOC and NOAA leadership

## New SAB Working Groups

- Hurricane Intensity Research Working Group
- A independent review of NOAA’s hurricane intensity research, development, and transition to operations
- NOAA seeks advice to help answer fundamental questions on the dynamics and behavior of hurricanes that will lead to significant improvements in forecasting and service to the Nation.
- First Meeting: September 1-2, 2005

| Members (as of July 29, 2005) |  |
| --- | --- |
| Chair: Dr. John Snow, University of Oklahoma | Dr. Frank Fendell, Northrop Grumman Space Technology |
| Dr. Howard Baum, National Institute of Standards and Technology | Dr. Greg Holland, National Center for Atmospheric Research |
| Dr. Shu-Hua Chen, University of California, Davis | Dr. Tiruvalam N. Krishnamurti, Florida State University |
| Dr. Russell L. Elsberry, Naval Postgraduate School | Dr. Peter Webster, Georgia Institute of Technology |

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
You’ve heard updates yesterday on 2 SAB working groups that are already underway, addressing NOAA Ecosystem science and research and NOAA Climate research.  Two new working groups, on hurricane intensity research and ocean exploration, have just begun.

Hurricane Intensity Research Working Group
Issue Background
NOAA has achieved advances in hurricane track forecasting through research.  Improvements in intensity forecasts is a much more difficult problem, as it requires an understanding and simulation of the crucial physical and dynamical processes that determine the inner core structure and interactions with the environment.  
Significant improvements in the simulation and forecasting of hurricane intensity would represent a great leap in our ability to protect life and property from hurricanes.

Charge to the Working Group
Conduct an independent review of NOAA’s hurricane intensity research, development, and transition to operations.  
Address NOAA’s approach to its research and development efforts in support of improved observations, numerical modeling and operational warnings and forecasts. 
NOAA seeks advice to help answer fundamental questions on the dynamics and behavior of hurricanes that will lead to significant improvements in forecasting and service to the Nation. 
This review is to include NOAA’s working arrangements with other Federal agencies and the academic community, and the level of effort and resources devoted to this work currently and planned.

## New SAB Working Groups

- Ocean Exploration Advisory Working Group
- A standing subcommittee of the Science Advisory Board to provide NOAA with guidance on:
- General priorities for ocean exploration
- Advice concerning emerging ocean exploration-relevant technologies.

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
Ocean Exploration Advisory Working Group
Issue Background
The Ocean Exploration program represents NOAA’s response to the 2000 Report of the President’s Panel on Ocean Exploration. 
Accomplishment of the OE program’s goals will result in important, and likely critical, new ocean knowledge and will help enable NOAA to respond to emerging ocean-related issues and missions.  The results of ocean exploration and discoveries will lead to subsequent systematic research, monitoring, and development of management strategies.

Charge to the Working Group
A standing subcommittee of the NOAA Science Advisory Board
Provide NOAA with timely and expert guidance and oversight on:
(1) general priorities for ocean exploration, including geographic areas of interest as well as subject matter topics, and 
(2) advice concerning emerging ocean exploration-relevant technologies.  
Organize and conduct periodic reviews, including a peer review of the program, every 3 years, to assess program accomplishments and provide guidance and perspective for the program’s future.  

Membership
Members will be selected from a wide range of disciplines, including:
Physical, chemical, biological, and geological oceanography, 
Social sciences, 
Ocean engineering, technology, and/or operations
Marine Archaeology

## GEOSS: An Integrated System

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
I know you are all familiar with GEOSS, and we have discussed it many times.  

I’d like to take a few moments now to bring you up to date on some recent developments.

The U.S. approach toward taking observations has never really focused on integration of the data, for short or long term purposes.  GEOSS attempts to do that on an International scale.  

## Recent GEO Highlights

- Outreach in Europe—as Co-chair of GEO
- 	GEO I
- WMO headquarters, May 2-3, 2005
- GEO agreed to 12 member Executive Committee
- Tsunami Update from IOC
- GEO II - December 2005
- Continuing the Dialogue in the U.S.
- 	Public Engagement Workshop
- Washington, DC, May 9-10
- +400 attendees from all sectors
- Discussion of Societal Benefit Areas & Near Term Opportunities Integration Frameworks
- Data Management

- GEO Director selected:  José Achache

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
A milestone in GEO progress was the selection of its director in June.  Jose Achache is the former head of Earth observations at the European Space Agency and has partnered with NOAA for years.  He will bring a strong vision and work ethic to the position.

I just returned from a busy trip to Europe where I had bilateral meetings with our counterpart agencies in France and Norway.  In my capacity as GEO co-chair, I also addressed several groups on Earth observations:  
the International Symposium for Remote Sensing and Environment, 
the World Meteorological Organization, 
the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, and 
the Institute of Electronic and Electrical Engineers.  
Each of these groups had chosen to focus on GEO.  These opportunities permitted me to address thousands of international participants – remote sensing and information technology experts, meteorologists, oceanographers – on the benefits of Earth observations to society, and how international cooperation can help make them a reality.

## NOAA HappeningsLeadership

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
Since we met in March 2005 and in addition to GEO, NOAA has been actively engaged in numerous activities.  You have heard about some of these yesterday and will here about more today.  Thus, let me introduce a few happenings and review a few other happenings.

This is just a sample of some of the domestic and international organizations that NOAA are involved in:

Discuss Ocean Action Plan in the context of JSOST, SIMOR, CENR, and IOOS
World Meteorological Organization (WMO) – Jack Kelly
Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) – Rick Spinrad
Group on Earth Observations (GEO) - VADM
International Whaling Commission (IWC) - Hogarth
International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) - Hogarth

## NOAA Happenings NOAA Vessels

- July 8, 2005
- Henry B. Bigelow christened in Moss Point, MS and scheduled to be deployed late 2006 in the Northeast
- July 7, 2005
- Construction began on FSV3
- May 28, 2005
- OSCAR DYSON was commissioned
- These are significant milestones in the modernization of the NOAA Fleet

- Henry B. Bigelow
- Photo by NOAA

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
Second of four planned Fisheries Survey Vessels
Thursday, July 7, construction began on FSV3
May 28, 2005, the first FSV, OSCAR DYSON, was commissioned 
These are significant milestones in the modernization of the NOAA Fleet
HENRY B. BIGELOW is scheduled to be placed into operation in the Northeast in late 2006
After calibration, it will replace the ALBATROSS IV
First ship named by a regional contest won by students from Winnacunnet High School in New Hampshire

## New England Harmful Algal Bloom

- NOAA support
- Monitoring
- Funding from NOS for sampling
- Research
- Seafood Inspection Program
- Real time tracking of the bloom
- $540,000 to WHOI
- Commercial Fishery Failure Determinations
- Federal Waters closed, sampling underway with FDA and industry partners
- State waters reopening, possible new wave of cells in ME
- NOAA coordination, HAB program
- Public visibility, link to observations

- Credit: Dr. Don Anderson

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
On June 9th, Governor Mitt Romney declared a state of emergency for the state waters off of the coast of Massachusetts that prohibited shellfish from being landed in Massachusetts ports.  

On June 10th, DOC/NOAA received two letters.  One letter was from the FDA on behalf of the Secretary of HHS requesting that NMFS enact (publish) an emergency rule closing federal waters off of the coasts of Massachusetts and NH to the harvest of shellfish (except scallops shucked at sea).  The state closure only applied to shellfish harvested in state waters.  The second letter was from Governor Mitt Romney requesting that NMFS determine whether a commercial fishery failure had occurred for the commercial shellfish fishery.  This declaration would allow money to be appropriated from Congress.

On June 14th, DOC/NOAA received a letter from Governor David Baldacci requesting that requesting that NMFS determine whether a commercial fishery failure had occurred for the commercial shellfish fishery in the state of ME. 

DOC determined on June 16th that a commercial fishery failure had occurred in MA and made the same determination for ME on June 22.

NMFS published an emergency rule closing the federal waters to the harvest of shellfish on June 16th (filed and effective on June 14th).  This is in effect until September, or earlier if sampling indicates that the level of toxin has decreased to safe levels.  Sampling of the federal closed area is currently underway with FDA and industry partners.

Recent sampling indicates the bloom has dissipated within Massachusetts Bay but is still present in offshore waters to the east.  There is evidence that cysts, the dormant form of the cells causing the bloom, are being deposited within the federal closed area.  This could be the source of future blooms.  Previously suspected threats to nearshore shellfish beds in Rhode Island, Long Island and Connecticut also seem to be reduced.  State waters have been slowly reopening in Massachusetts and Maine.  Indications are that more shellfish beds will be re-opened in Massachusetts Bay, along the north shore of Massachusetts and in western Maine over the next week or two.  Evidence indicates that a new wave of the cells causing the blooms may be forming offshore of the northeast coast of Maine.  It is too soon to tell the extent or severity of this new wave.  Sampling of bivalves in the federal closed area has begun in cooperation with the Food and Drug Administration and the fishing industry.

There are a few things to take away from this event.  It has highlighted that NOAA needs to work on coordination of our piecemeal efforts and develop one HAB program.  This is currently underway.  It also created a lot of public visibility.  NOAA needs to take advantage of this and educate the public on terminology (red tide vs. HAB) and use it as platform to discuss earth observations.

ANIMATION: Courtesy of Dr. Don Anderson (WHOI), demonstrating the different paths the water and cells take depending on which direction the wind is blowing.  A northeasterly wind (left hand panel), which we saw with storms this spring, pushes the water into Cape Cod Bay.  This is the path that the current bloom took as it moved from ME to MA.  On the right hand side, you can see a more “typical” situation with southwesterly winds which pushes the water – and cells – off of the coast.

## NOAA Happenings

- Satellite Launches
- Successful launch of the NOAA-18 polar-orbiting satellite on May 20 from Vandenberg Air Force Base.
- GOES-N geostationary satellite launch was delayed due to issues with the Boeing launcher, scheduled now for July 28 from Kennedy Space Center.
- Revised Scope and Schedule of the Climate Change Strategic Plan Synthesis and Assessment Products
- NOAA has the lead of 7 on the 21 and contributes to 11 others

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
And continuing with more NOAA Happenings:

Satellite launches

Revised Scope and Schedule of the CCSP Synthesis and Assessment Products - This revised schedule was transmitted to Congress by the VADM (who referenced a letter from Dr. Mahoney) on July 15. 

## NOAA HappeningsDiscussed During SAB Meeting

- NOAA’s Aquaculture Legislation
- Research Review Team
- Tsunami Program
- Shared Salmon Strategy
- Ecosystem Approach to Management

- Science Advisory Board Public Session

**Notes:**
All these topics have been or will be discussed in separate talks during this SAB meeting 
NOAA’s Aquaculture Legislation (agenda)
Research Review Team (agenda)
Tsunami Program (agenda)
Shared Salmon Strategy (agenda)
Ecosystem Approach to Management (agenda)

## NOAAWhere Science Gains Value

**Notes:**
Science is at the crux of NOAA’s mission.  Thank you for your role as science advisors in furthering this.  

And now I look forward to a full day of presentations on critical issues to NOAA and the Pacific Northwest region.