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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

NCCOS

Strategic Plan

FY 2005 – FY 2009

Foreword

The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) is pleased to present to its customers,

partners and staff its Strategic Plan for FY 2005 to FY 2009.

The strategic plan will guide NCCOS activities over the next five years as the organization

provides the scientific understanding and tools needed to support the coastal and oceans management responsibilities of NOAA and the National Ocean Service (NOS).

NCCOS will revisit the plan each year as it prepares a more detailed annual operating plan. The

NCCOS strategic plan and annual operating plans will in turn drive the specific plans for each

of NCCOS’ five Centers and other subparts of the organization.

This plan was developed by NCCOS management and staff. NCCOS welcomes continued

input on the plan from its customers and other stakeholders.

The plan is divided into the following sections:

• Introduction

• NCCOS Vision Statement

• NCCOS Mission Statement

• NCCOS Core Principles and Fundamental Approach (the “Integrated Assessment”)

• NCCOS Process for Defining FY 05-09 Research Agenda and Activities

• NCCOS FY 05-09 Goals and Objectives
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Introduction

NOAA created the National Centers for

Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) in 1999

to support NOS’ scientific mission and

NOAA’s coastal mandates.

NCCOS’ scientists:

• Conduct applied research

• Manage complex long-term research

projects

• Provide a link between the science

conducted in academia and the

specific needs of coastal decisionmakers

• Integrate research across scientific

disciplines

As part of NOAA/NOS, NCCOS is governed by

a series of statutes defining the national oceans

policy. These statutes require NOAA, through

NOS, to manage places, such as National Marine

Sanctuaries, and to provide coastal managers

with financial assistance, scientific knowledge

and other support to manage the coastal zone to

support society’s needs. A list of those statutes,

with short descriptions of NCCOS-related

research, is attached as Appendix A.

Much of NCCOS research responds to its legal

mandates. NCCOS responds, as well, to national

research needs on specific topics and to NOAA

constituent needs. NCCOS’ research agenda is

also the product of scientific findings by itself

and others, including the results of NCCOS’

“Integrated Assessments” of NOAA protected

areas. Figure 1 shows how these factors come

together to produce the NCCOS research agenda.

Figure 1: Identification of NCCOS’ Research Needs

Science required to

support NOAA

mandates, regulations

and policies

Research

Needs

Scientific Input

(workshops, reports,

advisory bodies, etc.)

Research identified in

Integrated Assessments

of places or assessments

of stressors/substressors

User Needs

Workshops,

Surveys, etc.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

NCCOS is comprised of five main organizational research centers, each with specific areas

of focus and expertise. Three of the centers

have on-site research facilities. Two of the

centers conduct research through analyses of

field data or through sponsored extramural

research.

The five centers include:

• The Center for Coastal Fisheries and

Habitat Research (CCFHR) in Beaufort,

North Carolina and Seldovia, Alaska.

• The Center for Coastal Environmental

Health and Biomolecular Research

(CCEHBR) in Charleston, South Carolina and Oxford, Maryland

• The Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean

Research (CSCOR), in Silver Spring,

Maryland

• The Center for Coastal Monitoring and

Assessment (CCMA), also in Silver

Spring

• A new center (yet to be named) housed

at the Hollings Marine Laboratory

(HML) in Charleston, South Carolina

In addition to NCCOS’ in-house research, the

Coastal Ocean Program, within CSCOR,

supports an extramural scientific research

program of multi-disciplinary studies. These

studies are focused on ecological research

relating to coastal fisheries management and

impacts from human-related activities. This

program supports long-range management

and policy decisions at regional scales. The

Coastal Ocean Program allows NCCOS to

tap into the general research community to

provide expertise not available through

NCCOS’ centers, each of which specializes in

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Center for Coastal

Monitoring and

Assessment

Silver Spring, MD

Center for Sponsored

Coastal Ocean

Research

Silver Spring, MD

Hollings Marine

Laboratory

Charleston, SC

Cooperative Oxford Laboratory

Oxford, MD

Figure 2: NCCOS Centers and Laboratories

Center for Coastal Fisheries and

Habitat Research

Beaufort, NC

Center for Coastal Environmental

Health and Biomolecular Research

Charleston, SC

Kasitsna Bay Marine Laboratory

Seldovia, AK
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Figure 3: NCCOS Centers

a specific scientific area. Over 65% of the FY

2000 NCCOS budget, or approximately $25

million, paid for extramural grants, contracts,

or transfers to researchers and support personnel in other federal agencies, states, tribes,

academia, and the private sector (including

small minority-owned businesses).

The remainder of NCCOS’ budget supports

technical managers of the extramural research

program, federal researchers, administrators,

and support personnel.

An overview of the scientific focus of each

NCCOS Center is shown in Figure 3.

NCCOS Vision Statement

Coastal stewardship decisions are guided

by science to maximize societal benefits.

In NCCOS’ vision, science is the basis for

coastal management decisions. By implementing this vision, NCCOS provides scientific

support for the NOS’ vision that “NOS is the

global leader for integrated management of the

oceans.” NCCOS is committed to providing

science of world-class quality that is credible,

relevant, and timely.

CCFHR:

Coastal

Habitats &

Ecosystem

Dynamics

CCEHBR:

Molecular

Processes &

Organism Health

HML:

Human

Health

Linkage to

Marine

Ecosystems

CCMA:

Ecosystem

Assessment &

Monitoring

CSCOR:

Sponsored

Research

Ecosystem Health
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

NCCOS Mission Statement

Provide coastal managers with scientific

information and tools needed to balance

society’s environmental, social and economic goals.

Coastal managers at the federal, state, tribal,

and local levels are responsible for reducing or

mitigating the negative impacts of ecosystem

stressors while balancing environmental with

social and economic goals in their decisionmaking. NCCOS’ mission is to provide them

with the scientific information and tools

needed to make effective decisions, often in

cases where knowledge is imperfect. NCCOS

mission is to provide coastal managers with

scientific knowledge that is both sound and

useful.

NCCOS’ commitment to practical science

drives both its fundamental approach to its

research output and its relationship to its

customers and partners.

NCCOS Core Principles and

Fundamental Approach

NCCOS has identified a set of core principles

and a fundamental approach (the “Integrated

Assessment”) that will guide it in providing

sound and useful scientific information to

coastal managers. A common set of principles

and a single fundamental approach ensures

that NCCOS effectively serves its stakeholders

as a single organization. NCCOS is also

committed to an ongoing process of “assessment, feedback, and improvement” with its

partners and customers.

I. NCCOS core principles

NCCOS’ core principles ensure that NCCOS

produces a high quality product for its stakeholders and that all parts of NCCOS reflect

the same values and approach to their work.

NCCOS’ core principles are:

• To deliver high quality science in a

timely and consistent manner using

productive and strong partnerships

• To develop and maintain relevant

research, long-term data collection and

analyses, and forecasting capabilities in

support of its customers, stakeholders,

and partners

• To build capacity in the private, local,

state, and tribal sectors by transferring

technology, and by providing technical

assistance and knowledge to its customers and partners

• To conduct the anticipatory science

necessary for managing the potential

impacts of multiple stressors on coastal

ecosystems

• To provide the best possible work

environment for each employee by

treating each individual with fairness,

respect and recognition, and with

adequate training in the safest facilities

with the most current equipment

possible
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

II. NCCOS’ fundamental

approach to fulfilling its scientific

mission: the “Integrated

Assessment”

NCCOS’ formal mechanism linking science

and management is the “Integrated Assessment” (IA). An IA is similar to an Environmental Impact Statement done pursuant to the

National Environmental Policy Act less the

selection of a preferred alternative. The

structure of each IA consists of five components, as shown in Figure 4.

A successful Integrated Assessment:

• Responds to policy-relevant questions

• Identifies uncertainties in the existing

data and information

• Includes public participation and peer

review

• Integrates and synthesizes data and

information across multiple disciplines

• Uses existing high-quality data and

information

• Forecasts future conditions and outcomes

During the next five years NCCOS will build

its in-house and extramural research capabilities to prepare IAs. NCCOS will work through

partnerships with the external research community and within NOAA to determine the

status of ecosystems based upon specified

criteria (ecological indicators), and to understand the causes and consequences of environmental stressors.

Figure 4 - Integrated Assessment

Evaluate Success of Management Actions

Assess Baseline Conditions

Assess Stressors on the Ecosystem

Predict Ecosystem Health with No

Management Action

Predict Ecosystem Health with Different

Management Actions
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

III. NCCOS’ relationship with its

partners and customers:

continuing assessment, feedback

and improvement

NCCOS is committed to a continuing process

of assessment, feedback, and improvement in

cooperation with its customers, stakeholders,

and partners.

This process will be based on a life cycle of

events: generating Integrated Assessments,

distributing the information contained therein,

determining the use of the information by

managers, adjusting the NCCOS research

agenda where needed, and producing updated

Integrated Assessments.

Through this process NCCOS will learn

whether or not the science it produces was

actually used, and if not, why not; and whether

or not the decisions made actually maintained ecosystems at sustainable levels.

NCCOS works with:

Customers: Coastal managers (including

those in NOAA, NOS, other federal and state

agencies), tribes, and other governments.

Stakeholders: Those who have an interest in

what NCCOS does and how NCCOS decides

which research to conduct. These include

universities, environmental groups, recreational and commercial industry groups,

other NOAA Line Offices (especially the

National Marine Fisheries Service, Oceanic

and Atmospheric Research and the National

Environmental Satellite and Data Information Service), and the general public.

Partners: Those with which NCCOS collaborates in a mutually beneficial way,

including universities and state agencies.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

The following graphic, Figure 5, shows how NCCOS’ customers, stakeholders and partners

support NOAA, NOS, and NCCOS in achieving their goals.

NOAA

Understand and Predict Changes in the

Earth’s Environment; Conserve and Manage

Protect,

Restore,

& Manage

Ecosystems

Understand

Climate

Serve

Society’s

Needs

Support

Commerce

Figure 5: NCCOS Customers, Stakeholders, Partners

Customers Stakeholders Partners

NOS

Preserve and Enhance Coastal Resources and Ecosystems

NCCOS

Provide Managers with Scientific Information and Tools
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

NCCOS Process for

Defining FY 05 – 09 Research

Agenda and Activities

NCCOS will follow a three step process in

determining its research agenda. The research agenda will be consistent with the

objectives and goals set out in the next

section of the Plan.

I. Produce Integrated Assessments of

NOAA-protected areas in terms of

key stressors.

NCCOS’ principal output measure for the

next five years is to produce Integrated

Assessments, using the best available

scientific knowledge, of all NOAA protected areas in terms of the key stressors

identified below. In the process of conducting the IAs NCCOS will identify areas for

new research.

The IAs can be defined by a matrix that

combines protected areas with the key

stressors with the integrated assessment

representing the assessment of each stressor

against the area being studied (see Figure 6.)

The NOAA Protected Areas

The NOAA protected areas on which

NCCOS will concentrate its work include:

• Coastal Estuaries (including the subset of

National Estuarine Research Reserves)

 There are 155 recognized estuaries in the

contiguous U.S. NCCOS will work with

federal, state, and other agencies to supply

the research information needed to manage

these ecosystems. The 26 National Estuarine Research Reserves (2 more are proposed) are a network of protected areas

established for long-term research, education and stewardship.

• National Marine Sanctuaries

 National Marine Sanctuaries have been

established in the Great Lakes, Exclusive

Economic Zone (EEZ) and adjacent states’

territorial seas to protect the unique

biodiversity, sustainability of use or cultural

heritage of certain areas. There are currently thirteen National Marine Sanctuaries, with one Ecosystem Reserve under

consideration for Sanctuary status.

• Coral Reef Ecosystems

 In addition to producing the IAs for each

NOAA protected area that is a coral reef

ecosystem, NCCOS will fulfill, on behalf

Environmental Stressors:

Climate Change

Extreme Natural Events

Pollution

Invasive Species

Land & Resource Use

Protected Areas:

Coastal Estuaries & Estuarine Research Reserves

National Marine Sanctuaries

Coral Reef Ecosystems

Coastal Oceans

Figure 6: Protected Areas & Environmental Stressors
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

of NOAA, the biannual reporting

requirements of the Coral Reef Conservation Act of 2000. There are approximately 1,825 coral reefs in waters of

the U.S. and Pacific Freely Associated

States, which are divided into 9 regions.

• Coastal Oceans (all ocean areas

within 200 miles of the coastline—

i.e., the Exclusive Economic Zone or

EEZ—that are not in one of the

other categories)

 In working on coastal oceans NCCOS

will rely upon and assist the National

Marine Fisheries Service and its

partners in their efforts to manage

fisheries and protect marine mammals

and threatened and endangered species,

and their supporting habitats. NCCOS’

activities will address further the

ecosystem sustain-ability goal in the

EEZ and adjacent State’s Territorial

Seas.

The Key Stressors

NCCOS has identified five key categories

of ecosystem stress. As NCCOS carries

out its mission, it is committed to understanding these stressors individually and

as they interact.

• Climate Change

 Climate change may alter sea level,

temperature, water current and stratification patterns, storm frequency and

intensity, and change precipitation

delivery of freshwater, sediments and

pollution to the coastal zone. Salinity

and tidal changes and increases in

erosion and coastal flooding exacerbate

the vulnerability of coastal ecosystems

and communities. Predicting these

changes and associated consequences allows

more informed decisions that can mitigate

adverse environmental and economic effects.

• Extreme Natural Events

 Hurricanes, coastal storms, floods and

droughts produce profound ecosystem

changes both directly and indirectly. Such

events may result in unusual biological events

such as harmful algal blooms. Predicting these

impacts is useful in both emergency response

and long-term planning and mitigation.

• Pollution

 Point source pollution (including such events

as oil spills and the impacts of past contamination) continues to require diligence, despite

progress over the last three decades. In

addition, non-point sources (particularly

excess nitrogen from agricultural and suburban runoff and atmospheric deposition of

automobile and industrial emissions) have

become increasingly significant stresses on

coastal ecosystems. Predicting the effects and

effectiveness of these control actions allows

more cost effective and environmentally

beneficial actions to be taken.

• Invasive Species

 Exotic plants and animals brought to the U.S.

from other countries, or moved to new areas

from within the U.S., can damage native

plants and animals, change native community

structure, and produce enormous economic

impacts. NCCOS will predict the potential

risk from non-indigenous species introduction

by understanding species tolerances and life

cycles. This will provide the focus for management to address high risk species and the

tools for mitigating their effects.

• Land and Resource Use

 Increasing domestic and international demands for food, fiber and space are accelerating changes in land and resource use, resulting
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Stressor/Ecosystem Coastal Ocean Corals Estuaries NERRS NMS

Pollution

 Toxic Contaminants

 Oil Spills

 Pharmaceuticals

 Coliform Bacteria

 Nutrients

 Disease

Land/Resource Use

 Navigation

 Waste Management

 Recreation

 Fishing

 Development/Urbanization

 Habitat Modification

 Freshwater delivery/removal

 Aquaculture

 Ecotourism

Invasive Species

 Ballast Water

 Interspecies Competition

Climate & Long Term Change

 Sea Level Rise

 Global Warming

 Salinity Change

 Carbon/Nitrogen Cycle

 Subsidence

Extreme Natural Events

 Hurricanes

 Coastal Storms

 Floods

 Droughts

 El Niño/ La Niña

 HABs

 No activity if blank High Medium Low

in exhausted fisheries, loss of habitat, degraded

water quality and increased chemical and

sediment runoff. Increased understanding of

the consequences of these human uses will

allow for better regulation and balancing of

economic demands and environmental

sustainability.

Figure 7: Stressors and Substressors

This figure presents the key stressors and related substressors. The Figure also shows the anticipated level

of effort for each substressor on the part of NCCOS.

These stresses often occur together and their

cumulative effects are poorly understood.

NCCOS is committed to developing new

paradigms for studying, understanding, and

predicting the effects of these stressors alone

and in combination.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

II. Based on the IAs and interaction

with customers and

stakeholders, NCCOS will

develop a specific research

agenda for each protected area.

The goal of the new research agenda will be

specific tools, approaches, or knowledge that

improve outcomes for NCCOS customers.

Upon completing the baseline IA defined by

the NOAA protected area/key stressor

matrix, NCCOS will generate a specific

research agenda for each protected area using

the following process:

1. NCCOS will first work with customers and

other stakeholders for each protected area to

understand their practical needs in managing

and responding to stresses in their areas of

responsibility

2. NCCOS will get input from the broad scientific community, including its own Center

directors, to determine national research needs

3. NCCOS will then determine, based on the IA

and stakeholder needs:

3.1. Which questions need to be addressed through research

3.2. The best approach for addressing

areas that are unknown

4. NCCOS will use the following “screening

criteria” to determine if the proposed research

is appropriate for NCCOS:

4.1. Specified by Legislative, Executive,

and Judicial requirements

4.2. Is a key NOAA/NOS mission

4.3. Has been identified as high annual

priority (area of emphasis) by

NOAA or NOS

4.4. Has a defined user community

which considers the topic very important for coastal management

4.5. Has a defined outcome

4.6. Can be transitioned to the user

community when research completed

4.7. Is a topic of growing concern and

expected to be significant in 3-5 years

4.8. Builds on related NCCOS scientific

capabilities or ongoing NCCOS

programs

4.9. NCCOS has capabilities in house or

can obtain from external community

4.10 Has cross-cutting or general application to other protected areas

5. NCCOS will review the proposed research to

ensure that the mix of NCCOS projects

includes the social and economic costs and

benefits of human activities

6. NCCOS will design the project with the enduse community and include it in the annual

operating plan
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

III. NCCOS will undertake

research or activities of general

importance that cut across

specific protected areas.

NCCOS will also undertake research or other

activities that have general or cross-cutting

application to the needs of its customers and

other stakeholders and that meet the general

criteria for research selection described in II,

above. NCCOS will give priority to projects

that have applications to more than one

protected area, and that address larger

scientific or management issues. Some of

these projects will be undertaken without

initial IAs. Included in these activities will be

the preparation of synopses of activities and

research needs on specific stressors or

substressors of high agency or stakeholder

interest. The development of NCCOS’

research agenda is shown in Figure 8 and its

planning implementation cycle is depicted in

Appendix B.

 NCCOS Research Agenda

High Priority of NOAA

and NOS?

Builds on NCCOS

scientific programsinternal or sponsored

externally?

 Has applicability to many

place?

Is anticipatory: growing

problem or application of

new scientific technology?

Has defined user community

with whom NCCOS can work

and transfer results of

research?

Cost effective approach

possible (e.g., leveraging) /

adequate resources

 Is tractable within 3-5

year research funding?

Has defined outcome when

research completed?

List of Research Needs

(see Figure 1)

Figure 8: Setting NCCOS Research Priorities
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

NCCOS FY 2005 – 2009

Strategic Goals and

Objectives

NCCOS has identified four Strategic Goals

that are critical to achieving its vision and

mission. The four goals address the natural

and social aspects of ecosystem management

as well as the internal operations, workforce,

and partnerships of NCCOS.

Three of the goals support NCCOS’ “substantive” responsibility of providing accurate,

timely, and useful scientific support to coastal/

ocean managers.

 The first goal is to support coastal/ocean

managers in preserving ecosystems at sustainable levels. This goal includes NCCOS’

fundamental objective of completing baseline

IAs of all NOAA-protected areas.

NCCOS then commits itself to understanding

the human (Goal 2) and natural (Goal 3)

stressors that affect coastal ecosystems. Goals

2 and 3 are in a sense, subsets of Goal 1. They

are separated in this plan, however, because of

the importance of understanding human and

natural stressors separately from the overall

ecosystem assessments in Goal 1.

NCCOS’ fourth goal is institutional — ensuring that NCCOS continuously improves its

leadership as a group of skilled professionals

and as an organization.

Under each goal the plan lists more specific

strategic objectives that show more concretely

how the goal will be achieved.

NCCOS’ multi-year and annual operating

plans will provide further detail on the implementation of each of the strategic goals and

their supporting objectives. The specific

research activities in support of the goals will

be determined through the process outlined in

the last section. They will therefore flow from

the baseline IAs and/or represent general or

cross-cutting projects addressing key issues of

concern to coastal managers. Some important

projects will also continue as part of NCCOS’

current activities.

1.0 Ecosystem Conservation

Coastal Managers rely upon science

to maintain ecosystems at levels

consistent with society’s desires and

ecological constraints.

The first step in meeting this goal is for

NCCOS to accomplish its fundamental

output measure of producing IAs for all

NOAA protected areas.

Once IAs are completed, the information

will be distributed to the appropriate audiences. NCCOS will learn from them their

practical needs for tools to meet their

coastal management responsibilities. By

integrating what NCCOS learns from the

IAs, input from the scientific community,

and user needs, NCCOS will generate a

research agenda to produce specific tools,

approaches, or knowledge that improves

outcomes for NCCOS customers.

NCCOS will also monitor how effectively

its information is distributed and used.

NCCOS will rely upon its existing capabilities and the academic social science community to identify appropriate techniques

for communicating and monitoring its

results.

In addition to the IAs for the four specific

categories of “NOAA Protected Areas,”

NCCOS will also undertake projects of

more general application that examine the

impacts of selected stressors on ecosystems.

This will further NCCOS’ ability to understand changes in ecosystems beyond its

focused geographic scope.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Strategic Objectives – Goal 1.0

1.1 All NOAA-protected areas will have

baseline assessments of

ecological “resources”.

These assessments are the first step in

NCCOS’ goal of producing integrated assessments for all NOAA protected areas. The

“resource” assessments will include definition, geographic boundaries, and trends in

ecological indicators (e.g., physical, chemical

and biological composition of the resources)

within each area. These assessments will

define key parameters important to each

ecosystem and the baseline values that characterize it. NCCOS will place particular

emphasis on National Marine Sanctuaries,

National Estuarine Research Reserves, and

coral reef ecosystems. In estuaries beyond the

reserves and coastal oceans, NCCOS will

work with others to identify key parameters

for characterizing their condition and develop

assessments of their present “health”. They

will be done in partnership with the NOS

office responsible for the protected area and

with the affected States. Where possible,

existing information will be used as the

foundation for these assessments.

1.2 All NOAA-protected areas will have

Integrated Assessments.

NCCOS will produce Integrated Assessments

that will quantify the impact of ecosystem

stressors (climate change, extreme natural

events, pollution, invasive species, and land

and resource use) in coral reef ecosystems,

estuaries, National Marine Sanctuaries, and

selected coastal ocean regions. These assessments will be based upon field and laboratory

studies, existing data, and models forecasting

environmental conditions under different

scenarios. They will include an evaluation of

these protected areas with no management

action in response to these stressors, as well as

outcomes with different management actions.

Because of time and resource constraints,

NCCOS will not be able to devote the same

level of effort to all Integrated Assessments.

NCCOS will prioritize its levels of effort in

producing integrating assessments using the

following criteria:

•NOAA/NOS mission requirements

• User community priorities

• Adequacy of data

• Significance of issue

• Consequences of management action/

inaction

1.3 NCCOS will determine the

effectiveness of coastal managers’

decisions in NOAA-protected

areas.

To evaluate the effectiveness of NCCOS’

science, NCCOS, in partnership with coastal

managers, will conduct assessments of its

science in affecting coastal decision-making

and in predicting the outcomes of ecosystem

change. The basis for these evaluations will

be protected area management plans, specifically those for National Marine Sanctuaries

and selected marine protected areas. In

estuaries and coral reef ecosystems, where

management plans may not exist, or where

ecosystem management goals are not welldefined, NCCOS will develop a suite of

indicators to assist states, federal agencies,

and others to evaluate the effectiveness of

management actions in restoring impaired or

altered estuaries and coral reef ecosystems.

This is critical for NCCOS to evaluate its

capability in translating its science to managers, as well as the efficacy of its science for

coastal managers.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

2.0 Societal Stressors

Coastal managers rely upon science

to influence human activities affecting

coastal ecosystems.

NCCOS’ second goal focuses on the human

activities that affect coastal ecosystems.

Successfully managing those activities to

reduce the stress they impose on ecosystems

requires a sound scientific basis. It also requires a good understanding of what society

desires of the services provided by the management of coastal ecosystems. By combining the

social expectations, economic costs and

benefits, and the natural sciences, NCCOS will

be able to make predictions (with specified

certainty) of the social and economic costs and

benefits of alternative management actions that

could be taken to achieve ecosystem conservation goals.

The purpose of this goal is to ensure that

NCCOS’ agenda includes work on societal

stressors.

The multi-year and annual operating plans

describe in detail particular projects and lines

of research to be pursued under this and

NCCOS’ other strategic objectives.

Strategic Objectives – Goal 2.0

2.1 NCCOS will determine the social

and economic costs and benefits

to humans of two kinds of

activities dependent upon coastal

ecosystems.

Humans are one component of the marine

ecosystem. They not only benefit from

using the ecosystem, but they also have an

impact on the functioning of the other

ecosystem components.

Three uses of coastal ecosystems are of

particular interest to NOAA: navigation,

aquaculture, and fisheries. NCCOS will focus

its efforts on the social and economic costs

and benefits from the ecosystem perspective

of navigation and aquaculture. Although

navigation is a primary mechanism sustaining

the economy through the flow of goods and

services, it has several negative effects on the

ecosystem, such as the introduction of nonindigenous species that can become invasive

by out-competing native species. Aquaculture

is a growing industry that provides a means

for expanding the production of seafood

without harming the natural stocks; however,

its successful development is dependent upon

proper choice of species, location, and

understanding of the local ecosystem so that

negative impacts are minimized. To wisely

sustain these two types of industries, it is

important to know the economic and social

costs and benefits so that decisions can be

made with a full understanding of the negative costs as well as the economic and social

benefits.

2.2 NCCOS will determine the social,

economic, and biologic effects of

human activities on specific

coastal ecosystems.

Providing useful information to coastal

decision-makers requires the integration

of all sciences—social, economic, and

natural. These integrated assessments will

focus on specific stressors or substressors

and include forecasts of the consequences

of different management strategies.

NCCOS will conduct assessments of the

effects of human activities in four watersheds.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

 Candidates include:

• St Lucie Estuary, FL where proposed decreases in

fresh water inflow, as well as other human

activities, will potentially impact the commercial

oyster industry

• Murrell’s Inlet, SC where land development is

affecting the sustainability of the local shellfish

harvest

• Albermarle Sound, NC where increasing water

temperatures are threatening ranges of native

species

• Barataria watershed in Louisiana that is experiencing multiple types of human-related stresses.

Studies in three of these watersheds will

examine one type of impact, whereas the

Barataria study will evaluate multiple

substressors and forecast the consequences

with no management change and with alternative management actions.

2.3 Coastal managers’ capacities will be

strengthened with the transfer of

knowledge and tools from NCCOS

research projects.

NCCOS is a research organization, not an

operational entity. Therefore, its success is

evaluated by the application of its research

results in meeting management’s defined goals.

Research results are primarily transferred to

users as ‘tools’, such as techniques or technologies for more rapid or reliable analyses; models

for improved forecasting of environmental

conditions; or improved knowledge that

strengthens others’ models for forecasting of

environmental conditions or resource

sustainability. NCCOS is focusing its efforts on

providing techniques/technologies that protect

ocean and human health from coastal oceanrelated uses and on restoring degraded environments. Its forecasting tools will focus on 1)

improving projections of habitat recovery

once restoration efforts have been implemented, 2) habitat impacts from different

types of human activity, such as land use,

and forecasts that support NOAA Fisheries

models for predicting resource sustainability,

such as for managed fisheries and protected

species.

2.4 NCCOS will investigate the

effectiveness of changing human

activities in preserving

ecosystems.

The success of sustaining human activities in

ecosystems at desired levels requires measuring how well the expected social and economic impacts of management’s actions

compare to the actual impacts. NCCOS will

evaluate the impacts of its harmful algal

bloom research in protecting human health

through improved management actions due

to its forecasting tools, through effective

mitigation strategies, and by creating a more

informed public. It will also evaluate its

success in minimizing risk to human health

from pathogens associated with fecal

coliform contamination by evaluating the

actions taken to minimize such contamination from various sources.

3.0 Extreme Events

Coastal Managers rely upon science

to mitigate effectively the effects of

extreme events on coastal

ecosystems.

NCCOS will use and improve the predictive

capability of NOAA to lessen the environ-
18

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

mental and social impacts of natural but

extreme events such as storms and climate

change. The purpose of this goal is to ensure

that NCCOS’ agenda includes work on natural

stressors, including both direct (e.g., changing

precipitation and changing temperatures) and

secondary impacts (e.g., harmful algal bloom

events.) Again, the specific projects will be

described in greater detail in NCCOS’

multiyear and annual operating plans.

Strategic Objectives – Goal 3.0

3.1 NCCOS will forecast the ecological

impacts of climate change.

Climate change will have multiple effects on

coastal ecosystems, both directly and indirectly. These changes will in turn affect how

people use the coastal environment and its

resources. NCCOS will produce a forecast of

the ecological impact of at least one of the

consequences of climate change (e.g., sea level

rise as expressed by changes in shoreline

location and bathymetry) on one estuarine

system in North Carolina, including the potential consequences for the people who live,

work, recreate, and visit there. This pilot

project will become the basis for identifying

what data need to be available to forecast such

impacts, as well as providing the foundation for

adding other ecological changes due to climate

change. NCCOS will also develop better

indicators of environmental health that indicate

the effects of long term climate change, such as

coral bleaching.

3.2 NCCOS will provide forecasts for

the ecological effects of

hurricanes.

NOAA’s National Weather Service provides

forecasts of the landfall location and estimations of intensity of hurricane impacts. However, hurricanes also cause significant changes

to ecosystems, disrupting shallow seagrass

communities, exposing large expanses of

coastal environments to unusual amounts of

freshwater inundations with resulting lowering

of salinity, increases in nutrients and chemicals

from land run-off, and increasing turbidity

with consequent lowering of light penetration

for marine plants. Although coastal ecosystems have adapted to periodic hurricanes, the

significance of effects as related to intensity of

storms has not been assessed so that human

activities relying on coastal resources can be

adjusted to maintain sustainability. NCCOS

will forecast the ecological impact for at least

one region in North Carolina caused by the

passage of a hurricane. These forecasts will be

based on the classification of the storm, level

of storm surge, rainfall amounts, and the

quadrant of the storm over the forecast site.

The long-term goal is to provide forecasts of

ecological impacts that will allow coastal

managers to predict and adjust use of the

coastal environment, based upon the hurricane

forecasts, to better manage for the

sustainability of these ecosystems.

3.3 NCCOS will provide annual

forecasts of the ecological effects

of varying weather patterns.

NOAA’s National Weather Service provides

seasonal forecasts of certain climate conditions, such as temperature and precipitation.

Since there are known linkages between

certain organisms and these climate conditions, NCCOS will begin to provide forecasts

of selected species abundance or distribution,

based upon NOAA’s National Weather

Service’s forecasts.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

NCCOS will select two managed fishery

species whose life cycle is known to be closely

affiliated with weather patterns to improve

predictions of abundance. Such predictions will

enable resources managers to adjust estimates of

sustainable harvests and for users to adapt their

behaviors.

3.4 NCCOS will provide forecasts of

the initiation, trajectory, and

behavior of harmful algal bloom

events.

Harmful algal bloom events are occurring in

increasing frequency and now have been

reported in waters of virtually every coastal

and many Great Lakes states. The economic

impact of these blooms is estimated to exceed

one billion dollars over the next several decades. Although the exact mechanism causing

these events is not known, research has suggested that they are related to nutrient overenrichment. These blooms can impact shellfish

beds requiring them to be closed to harvest in

order to protect human health from ingestion

of contaminated seafood. These blooms, which

can be toxic, are also thought to be responsible

for over half of marine mammal mortalities,

based upon analyses of stranded animals.

NCCOS will develop models to forecast the

trajectory of harmful algal blooms for all U.S.

coasts and transfer these models to managers to

protect human health. NCCOS will also develop the capability to forecast the initiation of a

bloom and the longevity of the event in one

area.

3.5 NCCOS will provide annual

forecasts of the areal extent of the

hypoxic zone in the Gulf of

Mexico.

The northern Gulf of Mexico supports

approximately 20% (by dollar) of the

Nation’s commercial fishery landings as well

as supporting important recreational fisheries.

The vast majority of the commercial fishery

landings come from the area directly affected

by the Mississippi River. This region has

been significantly affected by increased

nutrient enrichment from the Mississippi

River that is carrying higher nutrient loads

from land-based sources. Such increased

nutrient loads are resulting in excessive

production of algae that reduces oxygen

concentrations in bottom waters due to

decomposition of these plants. Such low

oxygen levels (i.e., hypoxic zones) can kill

animals living in these waters.

NCCOS developed its first annual forecast of

the areal extent of this hypoxic zone in

FY2003 and will continue to issue and

improve its annual forecasts, based upon its

monitoring of the area and its research to

better understand the consequences of this

event to fisheries.
20

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

4.0 Leadership

NCCOS is a leader in the environmental

stewardship community as the employer,

partner and scientific resource “of choice”.

By succeeding as a high performing, integrated

institution, NCCOS will ensure that it achieves

its substantive goals and its mission of supporting coastal managers. Over the next five years

NCCOS will make significant progress in the

following areas:

• NCCOS will operate “like a business”, with a

commitment to continuing organizational

and process improvement

• NCCOS will be the employer, partner and

scientific source of choice for NOAA and

the larger stewardship community

• NCCOS will attract and retain outstanding

scientific, managerial, technical and administrative personnel in the nation

• NCCOS will be an effective partner for its

colleagues in the coastal ocean research and

application community

Strategic Objectives – Goal 4.0

4.1 NCCOS will continuously improve

as an organization.

NCCOS will create a culture of continuing

improvement. NCCOS will therefore use a

five-year strategic plan to manage, according

to a rigorous planning process, a multi-year

implementation plan and annual operating

plans. NCCOS’ annual budget requests will

flow from the planning process. NCCOS will

plan for and implement improvements to its

management structure, and explore opportunities to work effectively with its partners.

Feedback from customers and partners will

be critical to achieving continuing improvement and will be a key part of the planning

process.

4.2 NCCOS will optimize the capacity

of its diverse workforce to

accomplish work in a

professionally challenging

environment.

To achieve this objective, NCCOS will

develop a comprehensive human resources

strategy. The purpose of the strategy will be

to ensure effective recruitment of the high

caliber scientific and administrative staff,

with a special emphasis on ensuring a

diverse work force. The strategy will also

ensure effective development and performance of NCCOS’ existing work force. The

elements of the human resources strategy

will include systems for performance planning, succession planning, staffing needs

planning including increasing the diversity of

the workforce and comprehensive training

and career development.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

4.3 NCCOS will improve its operational

capabilities through the use of

safe, secure, state of the art

facilities, equipment and

processes.

NCCOS recognizes the importance of providing an optimal work environment to attract

and maintain a quality workforce. The environment must be safe and secure and the

facilities and equipment must support high

quality, cutting edge research. To achieve this

objective, NCCOS will develop strategies to

meet or exceed environmental compliance

requirements and safety and security requirements. NCCOS will develop long term

facility maintenance, repair and replacement

plans to ensure that facilities are maintained in

a safe and secure condition for the conduct of

research. NCCOS will continually review its

safety measures to ensure that appropriate

protocols and practices are in place for the

diverse range of research that NCCOS conducts. NCCOS will work with NOAA management to continually improve NCCOS

facilities and research platforms so that the

office can continue to attract and maintain

high quality scientists.

4.4 NCCOS will expand reliance on

effective partnerships.

Through aggressive outreach to customers,

stakeholders and partners, NCCOS will

improve the connections between its scientific

capabilities and those of its partners. NCCOS

will formally incorporate characteristics of

successful partnership into NCCOS business

practices and develop a mechanism for

identifying, nurturing and recognizing successful partnerships.

4.5 NCCOS science will be worldrenowned.

NCCOS’ scientists will be recognized

leaders in the scientific community. Their

work will be published in domestic and

internationally recognized peer-reviewed

literature, and regularly used and cited by

scientific peers and coastal managers.

NCCOS will develop and use measurement

techniques to ensure that NCCOS meets

these standards for scientific excellence.

NCCOS will also develop and implement

programs to recognize individuals and

partners for scientific excellence.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Appendix A: NCCOS

Statutory Authorities

The following is an alphabetical list of major

Statutory Authorities that apply to NCCOS

research. Included for each Authority is a

description of the legislation.

American Fisheries Act

(PL 105-277)

The American Fisheries Act (AFA) covers

management of the pollock fishery in the

Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands (BSAI)

management area. It also covers the other

groundfish fisheries in the BSAI, the groundfish fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA),

the King and tanner crab fisheries in the

BSAI, and the scallop fisheries off Alaska.

NCCOS has active research projects in the

Gulf of Alaska funded through its CSCOR.

This program, the U.S. Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (GLOBEC) Northeast

Pacific, is a project begun in 1997 that aims

to improve the understanding of the factors

controlling the major fisheries in the Gulf of

Alaska to improve NMFS’ ability to manage

these major fisheries.

Clean Water Act

(33 USC 1251 et seq)

It establishes the basic scheme for restoring

and maintaining the chemical, physical and

biological integrity of the nation’s waters.

The Clean Water Act (CWA) is the main

statute governing water quality. The CWA

regulates both the direct and indirect discharge of pollutants into the Nation’s waters,

including the coastal zones that are the

principal focus of NCCOS. Through the

CWA , EPA, through the states, sets standards

for nutrient loads into the Nation’s estuaries.

NCCOS’ research into the rates of nutrient

input that different estuaries can accept

without becoming eutrophic is critical for

managing non-point source pollution.

Coast and Geodetic Survey Act

of 1947 (33 USC 883a et seq)

and Amendments

This Act provides the basis for NOAA’s

navigation service programs. It authorizes

the Secretary of Commerce to conduct

hydrographic and topographic surveys, tide

and current observations, geodetic-control

surveys, field surveys for aeronautical

charts, and geomagnetic, seismological,

gravity, and related geophysical measurements to provide charts and other information for safe marine and air navigation. The

Act authorizes the Secretary to conduct

developmental work for the improvement of

surveying and cartographic methods and

instruments and to conduct investigations

and research in geophysical sciences. Some

of NCCOS’ research is in the geophysical

sciences. Additionally, NCCOS’ research in

remote sensing has improved NOS’ charting

capabilities, particularly in remote areas

such as the Western Pacific.

Coastal Ocean Program (201(c)

of PL 102-567)

Section 201(c) of PL 102-567 – The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Reauthorization Act — authorizes a

Coastal Ocean Program, and is therefore

basic authorizing legislation for NCCOS. In

the words of the law: “Such program shall

augment and integrate existing programs of

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
23

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Administration and shall include efforts to

improve predictions of fish stocks, to better

conserve and manage living marine resources,

to improve predictions of coastal ocean pollution to help correct and prevent degradation of

the ocean environment, to promote development of ocean technology to support the effort

of science to understand and characterize the

role oceans play in global climate and environmental analysis, and to improve predictions of

coastal hazards to protect human life and

personal property.” The Coastal Ocean Program, implemented through CSCOR, sponsors

3-5 year competitive, peer-reviewed research

projects, addressing NOS and NOAA coastal

management needs. These projects support

high quality scientific studies conducted by

experts from state, local, and federal government agencies and private organizations.

Coastal Zone Management Act

(16 USC 1451 et seq) and

Amendments

The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA)

is the statutory basis of NCCOS’ responsibility

for supporting coastal zone managers. The goal

of CZMA is to encourage states to preserve,

protect, develop and, where possible, restore

and enhance valuable natural coastal resources.

Participation by states is voluntary. Most

coastal states have a federally approved program. CZMA was amended in 1990 to require

coastal states with federally approved coastal

zone management plans to prepare and submit

coastal non-point source pollution control

programs. This requirement expands upon

EPA’s non-point source programs to include

consideration of land and water uses affecting

coastal waters.

The CZMA also authorizes the National

Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS).

Under the CZMA, the Secretary of Commerce may make grants to enable coastal

states to acquire, develop, and operate estuarine research reserves. Designation of an

estuarine reserve requires a state to agree to

long term management of the site for research

purposes and to provide information for use

by coastal zone managers. NCCOS participates in estuarine research under NERRS and

works with the NERRS program to better

understand these unusual sites and to provide

the tools to monitor their condition.

Comprehensive Environmental

Response, Compensation, and

Liability Act (CERCLA) (42 USC

9601 et seq)

CERCLA, or the “Superfund Act”, establishes the federal government’s authority to

respond to releases or threatened releases of

hazardous substances into the environment.

CERCLA is of significance to NOAA because the Act holds responsible parties liable

for damages, including reasonable assessment

costs, for injuries to, or the loss of, natural

resources. This liability for natural resource

damages gives NOAA the authority to work

with responsible parties to restore the injured

environment, once damages have been

assessed. NCCOS conducts research to

support a legally defensible assessment of

injuries to the coastal environment and the

tools to successfully restore the injured

resources.

Coral Reef Conservation Act (16

USC 6401-6409)

The Coral Reef Conservation Act requires the

Secretary of Commerce to develop a national

coral reef action strategy and to fund state and
24

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

local projects that advance that strategy. The

Act also authorizes mapping, monitoring,

assessment, restoration, and scientific research of coral reefs. NCCOS conducts

research 1– to better understand indicators of

the health of coral reef ecosystems, 2 – to

characterize existing coral reef ecosystems

through mapping and assessment of biological communities, and 3 – to effectively

restore injured coral reefs ecosystems. In

addition, NCCOS prepares a biennial report

on the status of coral reefs.

Coral Reef Protection Executive

Order (No. 13089)

The order establishes an interagency U.S.

Coral Reef Task Force, co-chaired by the

Secretary of the Interior and the Secretary of

Commerce through the Administrator of

NOAA. The U.S. Coral Reef Task Force is

charged with developing and implementing a

comprehensive program of research and

mapping to inventory, monitor, and identify

the major causes and consequences of degradation of coral reef ecosystems. This Task

Force is central to the implementation of the

Coral Reef Conservation Act.

Endangered Species Act (16

USC 1531-1543)

The Endangered Species Act (ESA) requires

that the Secretary of Commerce list any

species that is threatened with extinction in all

or a significant portion of its range and designate critical habitat for that species. Through

its capabilities in supporting law enforcement

against illegal smuggling of protected species

into this country, to determining causes of

mortality or degraded health, NCCOS’ research aids the NMFS in more effectively

implementing the requirements of the ESA.

Estuary (Estuarine) Protection

Act (16 USC 1221-1226)

The Estuary (Estuarine) Protection Act

provides a means to protect, conserve, and

restore estuaries. The Act requires the

Secretary of the Interior to work with the

states and other federal agencies in undertaking studies and inventories of the

Nation’s estuaries. These studies and

inventories shall include the assessment of

the wildlife and recreation potential of

estuaries, their ecology, their value to the

marine, anadromous and shellfish fisheries, and their aesthetic value; their importance to navigation and flood control and

their mineral value for more intensive

economic development. NCCOS research

aids in understanding the dynamics of

marine ecosystems so that assessments are

effective in representing the critical

components required for sustainable

human uses.

Estuary Restoration Act of

2000 (33 USC 2901 et seq)

The Act highlights the importance of

estuaries for sustaining coastal ecosystems

by establishing an estuary habitat restoration program under which the Secretary of

the Army (Corps of Engineers) leads a

federal effort to restore the Nation’s

estuaries. The Act also requires NOAA to

develop monitoring protocols for funded

restoration projects and to track those

funded projects for their effectiveness in

restoration. NCCOS, on behalf of NOS,

developed the monitoring protocols to
25

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

meet this requirement, and continues to conduct

research to refine these protocols.

Fish and Wildlife Coordination Act

(16 USC 661-666e)

The Act requires federal departments and

agencies that undertake an action, or issue a

federal permit or license that proposes to modify

any stream or other body of water, to first

consult with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,

Department of the Interior; the National Marine

Fisheries Service (NMFS); and appropriate state

fish and wildlife agencies. The purpose of the

Act is to ensure that wildlife conservation

receives equal consideration, and be coordinated

with other aspects of water resources development. NCCOS research on the environmental

consequences of coastal managers’ actions has

provided both NCCOS scientists and other

NOAA managers with information required to

assess the significance of proposed federal

permits.

Florida Keys National Marine

Sanctuary and Protection Act (16

USC 1433)

This Act protects the unique and invaluable

natural and cultural resources of the Florida

Keys and establishes the Florida Keys National

Marine Sanctuary (FKNMS). The Act directed

the Secretary of Commerce to develop a comprehensive management plan and regulations for

the Sanctuary. NCCOS has conducted extensive

research in the FKNMS to support effective

management of this valuable area, as well as

supporting multiple cases of litigation for natural

resource damages caused by navigation accidents and recreational use. NCCOS is also

supporting research that assesses the potential effects on the FKNMS of altering the

freshwater flow from the Florida Everglades.

Harmful Algal Bloom and

Hypoxia Research and Control

Act of 1998 (16 USC 1451)

The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia

Research and Control Act of 1998 establishes an inter-agency task force, chaired by

the Secretary of Commerce, to assess ecological and economic impacts of Harmful

Algal Blooms on the ecosystems in which

they live and to develop alternatives for

reducing, mitigating, or controlling those

impacts.

The Act also charges the task force with

assessing the ecological and economic

impacts of hypoxia (reduced oxygen concentration within sea water) in United States

coastal waters and alternatives for reducing,

mitigating, and managing hypoxia. The Act

specifically charges the task force with

assessing hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of

Mexico.

For both hypoxia and Harmful Algal

Blooms, the Act requires the conduct of

research, education, and monitoring.

NCCOS has conducted an extensive program on understanding the causes, behavior,

techniques for early detection and prediction,

and mitigation strategies for harmful algal

blooms. NCCOS has also supported long

term monitoring of the ‘dead zone’ off the

Mississippi River and research into the

prediction and consequences of this large

area of depleted oxygen in the Gulf of

Mexico.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Invasive Species Executive

Order (No. 13112)

Executive Order 13112 requires federal

agencies, to the extent practicable and permitted by law, to prevent the introduction and

spread of invasive species. The EO creates the

Invasive Species Council, and states that it

shall be chaired jointly by the Secretaries of

Commerce, Interior and Agriculture. The

Invasive Species Council is required to

provide national leadership on invasive

species and prepare and issue a National

Invasive Species Management Plan. NCCOS

provides technical support to both national

and regional councils that are addressing the

goals of this Executive Order.

Magnuson-Stevens Fishery

Conservation and Management

Act (16 USC 1801 et seq)

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation

and Management Act (MSFCMA) establishes

exclusive federal management authority over

fishery resources of the Exclusive Economic

Zone. It is the principal Act governing U.S.

fisheries policy. NCCOS research on ecosystem health, on the role of estuaries in nurseries for commercial fisheries, and on contaminants, such as bacteria or harmful algae, of

commercial fisheries are key components in

supporting NMFS in managing the Nation’s

fishery stocks.

Marine Mammal Health and

Stranding Response Act (16 USC

1361)

The Act establishes the “Marine Mammal

Health and Stranding Response Program.”

The Program facilitates the collection and

dissemination of reference data on the health

of marine mammals and health trends of

marine mammal populations in the wild;

correlates the health of marine mammals and

marine mammal populations in the wild with

available data on physical, chemical, and

biological environmental parameters; and

coordinates effective responses to unusual

mortality events. NCCOS’ research on marine

mammal populations and the potential causes

of failing populations is assisting NMFS in

better protecting these species. NCCOS’ also

supports the marine mammal stranding

network in helping identify specific causes of

unexpected marine mortalities.

National Marine Mammal Tissue

Bank and Tissue Analysis (16

U.S.C. 1421f)

The Act makes provision for the storage,

preparation, examination, and archiving of

marine mammal tissues. NCCOS, through its

partnership with the National Institute of

Standards and Technology, helps to identify

causes of marine mammal mortality through

the use of biomolecular and genetic analyses.

Marine Mammal Protection Act

(16 USC 1361-1421h)

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA)

generally prohibits taking and importation of

all marine mammals, except under limited

exceptions. NCCOS’ research in understanding marine mammal health and identifying

early markers of deteriorating health helps in

the long-term protection of these important

animals.
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Marine Protected Areas

Executive Order (No. 13158)

Executive Order 13158 is intended to

strengthen management and protection of

marine protected areas (MPAs). The EO

requires the Secretaries of Commerce and

Interior, in consultation with other agencies

and affected States and territories, to develop a

national system of MPAs, to share information, to develop an MPA website, and to

publish a list of MPAs. The EO also requires

each federal agency to take appropriate steps

to enhance protection for existing MPAs or to

recommend, if appropriate, new MPAs.

NCCOS conducts research to assist managers

in the effective delineation of boundaries for

protected areas. Its research focuses on characterizing regions being considered for protection and the identification of the ecological

principles governing the distribution of biota.

Marine Protection, Research, and

Sanctuaries Act (MPRSA) (16 U.S.C.

1431 et seq., 1447 et seq.; 33 U.S.C.

1401 et seq., 2801 et seq)

MPRSA creates a comprehensive and continuing program of research on the long-range

effects of pollution, over fishing, and maninduced changes of ocean ecosystems. The

Act also covers ocean dumping. NCCOS

supports one of the largest collections of

environmental monitoring data on contaminants in coastal ecosystems. The National

Status and Trends program collects samples of

sediment and biota to provide a long term

contaminant ‘report card’ on the Nation’s

coastal environments for the major chemical

pollutants.

National Aquaculture Act (16

USC 2801-2810)

The Act requires the Secretaries of Agriculture, Commerce, and the Interior to establish

a National Aquaculture Development Plan in

consultation with appropriate federal officers, states, regional fishery management

councils and the aquaculture industry. The

Act also mandates a continuing assessment

of aquaculture in the United States.

The Act requires that the Secretary of Commerce conduct a study and report to Congress whether existing capture fisheries

could be adversely affected by competition

from commercial aquaculture products.

NCCOS research on the potential species for

successful coastal aquaculture based upon

the regional environmental characteristics

will provide the scientific foundation for

coastal managers to determine location,

species, and other requirements to support

sustainability of the coastal environment and

augmentation of the local economy.

National Coastal Monitoring Act

(Title V of 33 USC 2801-2805)

The Act requires the Administrator of the

Environmental Protection Agency and the

NOAA Under Secretary, in conjunction with

other federal, state and local authorities,

jointly to develop and implement a program

for the long-term collection, assimilation,

and analysis of scientific data designed to

measure the environmental quality of the

nation’s coastal ecosystems. The Act requires

the Administrator and the Under Secretary

jointly to submit to Congress a report, every

other year, on the condition of the nation’s

coastal ecosystems. NCCOS not only

supports the National Status and Trends
28

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

program, a long term national monitoring

program of contaminants in the Nation’s

coastal sediments and biota, but also is a

major author of the biennial report to Congress.

National Contaminated Sediment

Assessment and Management

Act (33 USC 1271)

Section 1271 of the National Contaminated

Sediment Assessment and Management Act

requires the Environmental Protection

Agency, in consultation with NOAA and the

Department of the Army, to conduct a comprehensive national survey of data regarding

sediment quality and a continuing program to

assess such quality. NCCOS’ National Status

and Trends program, within CCMA, is a

major source of the data used for this survey.

National Environmental Policy

Act (42 USC 4321 et seq)

The National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA) requires federal agencies to take

certain steps in their decision-making processes to ensure consideration of environmental impacts and alternatives.

In addition to the analytical requirements,

NEPA also requires agency decision makers

to integrate natural and social sciences and

environmental design in planning and decision-making; recognize the worldwide and

long-range character of environmental problems; make available to states, counties,

municipalities, institutions, and individuals,

advice and information useful in restoring,

maintaining, and enhancing the quality of the

environment.

Ecological forecasting is one of the major

thrusts in NCCOS’ scientific endeavors.

Such forecasting of the consequences and

significance of major federal actions is the

foundation of environmental impact statements that resulted from the passage of

NEPA. In addition, NCCOS has made major

strides in the incorporation of the social and

economic sciences with its natural sciences.

It has integrated with its restoration protocols

guidelines for analyzing the social and

economic consequences of restoration

projects so that society’s desires for restoration can be included in the definition of a

successful restoration project. NCCOS is

also working in other areas to include the

social and economic sciences as a routine

aspect of its research agenda.

National Marine Sanctuaries Act

(Title III 16 USC 1431-1445c-1)

The National Marine Sanctuaries Act

(NMSA) provides the Secretary of Commerce with the authority to protect and

manage the resources of significant marine

areas of the United States. This authority

has been delegated to NOAA. NOAA’s

administration of the marine sanctuary

program involves designating marine

sanctuaries and adopting management

practices to protect the conservation, recreational, ecological, educational, and aesthetic values of these areas.

NCCOS devotes a considerable degree of

attention to providing the science to manage

these sanctuaries wisely. NCCOS is continuing its characterization of these special

places in order to guide managers in conserving their resources as well as conducting research that improves managers’ ability

to forecast the impacts of different management options.
29

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Nonindigenous Aquatic Nuisance

Prevention and Control Act of

1990 and National Invasive

Species Act of 1996 (16 USC

4701-4751)

These Acts are intended to manage the adverse

impacts of aquatic nuisance species (ANS) by

preventing their unintentional introduction and

dispersal into the waters of the United States

through ships’ ballast water and other means.

They also provide for the management of those

ANS that have already become established and

for research and development. NCCOS, in

collaboration with numerous partners, is developing an early warning system for coastal

managers to alert them to the introduction of

new species in their coastal waters that may

become invasive.

Northwest Hawaiian Islands

Executive Order (No. 13178)

This recently signed Executive Order establishes the 84 million-acre Northwestern

Hawaiian Islands Coral Reef Ecosystem

Reserve — the largest protected area ever

created in the United States. NCCOS is

responsible for research on all protected

areas. NCCOS is conducting surveys of this

largely unknown region to characterize its

resources so that wise management plans can

be developed.

Oil Pollution Act (33 USC 2701 et

seq)

The Oil Pollution Act (OPA or the Act)

establishes a liability regime for oil spills. As

the primary federal natural resource trustee

for coastal resources, NOAA, as with the

“Superfund Act”, has responsibility for

ensuring the restoration of coastal resources

injured by releases of oil and hazardous

materials and of national marine sanctuary

resources injured by physical impacts.

NCCOS conducts research to support damage assessment claims and to support effective restoration of natural resources.

Protection and Conservation of

Sea Turtles (16 USC 1537)

This statute requires the Department of State

to seek agreements with foreign governments

whose commercial fishing operations may

adversely affect endangered species of sea

turtles. The Secretary of Commerce must

determine which foreign nations have commercial fishing operations that may adversely

affect the sea turtles. The statute also bans

imports of shrimp from any nation with

commercial shrimping operations that may

adversely affect the turtles. NCCOS support

law enforcement cases seeking to stop illegal

smuggling of protected species products,

such as sea turtles, from entering this country.
30

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009
31

NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

Executive Branch

Drivers

Legislative

Drivers

Judicial Drivers

Dept. of Commerce Strategic Plan

Annual cycle

3-5 Year Update

Cycle

Annual Review

(January)

Annual Update and

Readjustment to

Congressional Action

NOAA Strategic Plan

NOS Strategic Plan

NCCOS 5-Year

Implementation Plan

NCCOS Annual Operating Plan

(February or 1 month after

appropriations)

NCCOS Strategic Plan

NCCOS Center Annual Plans

(March or 1 month after NCCOS

Annual Plan)

Implementation

Office-wide

Quarterly

Review &

Assessment

Appendix B

Figure 9 - NCCOS Planning Cycle
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NCCOS Strategic Plan FY 2005 - FY 2009

United States Department of Commerce

Donald L. Evans

Secretary

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. USN (Ret.)

Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmospheres

National Ocean Service

Richard W. Spinrad, PhD

Assistant Administrator for Ocean Service and Coastal Zone Management

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Gary C. Matlock, PhD

Director

NAT OI NAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRAT OI N

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

September 2004