An Ocean Research Priorities Plan 

 and Implementation Strategy

NSTC Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

 January 26, 2007

Charting the

 Course for

Ocean Science

in the 

United States 

for the

next decade

Charting the

 Course for

Ocean Science

in the 

United States 

for the

next decade

Charting the

 Course for

Ocean Science

in the 

United States 

for the

next decade

An Ocean Research Priorities Plan 

 and Implementation Strategy

NSTC Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

 January 26, 2007

An Ocean Research Priorities Plan 

 and Implementation Strategy

NSTC Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

 January 26, 2007
Department of Agriculture

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Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science 

and Technology (jsost)
Charting the

 Course for

Ocean Science

in the United States for the next decade

An Ocean Research Priorities Plan 

 and Implementation Strategy

NSTC Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

 January 26, 2007

 

Council on Environmental Quality 

Office of Science and Technology Policy 

Executive Office of the President 

January 26, 2007 

Dear Partners and Friends in our Ocean and Coastal Community, 

We are pleased to transmit to you this report, Charting the Course for Ocean Science for the United States 

for the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy. This document 

presents national research priorities that focus on the most compelling issues in key areas of interaction 

between society and the ocean. 

In 2000, Congress tasked the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy to investigate and provide 

recommendations for a “coordinated and comprehensive national ocean policy.” After extensive hearings, 

written input, and public comment, the Ocean Commission published An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st 

Century with more than 200 recommendations. The Bush Administration responded to these 

recommendations with the U.S. Ocean Action Plan, a broad plan that fundamentally restructured ocean 

governance, research, and management to “engender responsible use and stewardship of ocean and coastal 

resources for the benefit of all Americans.” 

The Ocean Action Plan called for the development of a national ocean research priorities plan and 

implementation strategy to provide a framework for research investments in ocean science for the coming 

decade. Through a collaborative process involving stakeholders from the relevant federal agencies as well 

as state and local governments, academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations, the National 

Science and Technology Council’s Joint Subcommittee on Science and Technology, the interagency group 

tasked with the development of the plan, also reports via the Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and 

Resource Management Integration to the Cabinet level Committee on Ocean Policy. 

This document draws from the contributions of numerous scientific and technical experts, resource 

managers, and concerned citizens who participated in public workshops, regional conferences, and 

responded to draft documents. Ultimately, the National Academy of Sciences–National Research Council 

Ocean Studies Board reviewed the plan. 

As pointed out by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, “America is a nation intrinsically connected to 

and immensely reliant on the ocean.” Given the importance of our waterways - including the open ocean, 

coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes - to societal well-being, quality of life, and the economy, our 

research priorities will harness the greatest opportunities to advance our understanding of critical processes 

and interactions and facilitate responsible use of the ocean environment, and help ensure the health and 

sustainability of our Nation’s ocean ecosystem for years to come. 

Sincerely,

 James L. Connaughton John H. Marburger, III 

Chair, Committee on Ocean Policy Director 

Chair, Council on Environmental Quality Office of Science and Technology Policy 
In This Report

Numbered superscripts indicate endnotes.

On the Cover

From left to right

1 Photo courtesy of the Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century. This 

image appeared in MMS Ocean Science, Volume 3, Issue 5 and 

is reprinted with permission of the U.S. Department of the 

Interior’s Minerals Management Service

2 From Backer, L.C. and D.J. McGillicuddy. 2006. Oceanography

19(2), Figure 8 by OhioView/T. Bridgeman

3 Lake Erie bloom. Arctic shot—NASA JPL, University of 

Alaska - Fairbanks

4 Department of Interior

5 Photo courtesy of NOAA. This image appeared in MMS Ocean 

Science, Volume 3, Issue 5 and is reprinted with permission of the 

U.S. Department of the Interior’s Minerals Management Service.

6 Emma Maersk

Contact

Shelby E. Walker, Ph.D.

Project Manager

Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST)

USGCRP/CCSP Office

1717 Pennsylvania Ave., Suite 250

Washington, DC 20006

T: 202-419-3464; F: 202-223-3064

http://ocean.ceq.gov/about/sup_jsost_prioritiesplan.html
Table of Contents

Executive Summary............................................................................................................i

Vision for National Ocean Research Priorities..................................................................1

Introduction ......................................................................................................................2

Critical Elements...............................................................................................................4

Expanding the Scientific Frontier: The Need for Fundamental Science............................6

Focusing the Nation’s Ocean Research Enterprise ............................................................8

Identifying Ocean Research Priorities...............................................................................9

Societal Themes...............................................................................................................11

Theme 1: Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Ocean Resources.............................12

Theme 2: Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards..................................................18

Theme 3: Enabling Marine Operations ....................................................................23

Theme 4: The Ocean’s Role in Climate .....................................................................29

Theme 5: Improving Ecosystem Health....................................................................34

Theme 6: Enhancing Human Health........................................................................39

Opportunities for Progress ..............................................................................................45

Developing the Tools................................................................................................45

Making a Difference .................................................................................................48

Near-Term Priorities .......................................................................................................51

Forecasting the Response of Coastal Ecosystems to Persistent Forcing 

 and Extreme Events ...........................................................................................52

Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Organization ......................................54

Sensors for Marine Ecosystems ................................................................................56

Assessing Meridional Overturning Circulation Variability: Implications 

 for Rapid Climate Change .................................................................................58
Implementation Strategy.................................................................................................60

Implementation Characteristics................................................................................61

Roles .........................................................................................................................63

Mechanisms for Collaboration..................................................................................65

Infrastructure Needs .................................................................................................69

Research Translation.................................................................................................70

Assessment and Evaluation.......................................................................................72

Budget and Plan Update Mechanisms......................................................................73

Addressing Near-Term Priorities..............................................................................75

Endnotes .........................................................................................................................82

Acronyms ........................................................................................................................84
i

Executive

 Summary

Proper stewardship of the ocean is critical to the long-term vitality of the United States. 

The ocean, consisting of the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes, 

provides food and recreation, contributes to the nation’s economic engine, is an element 

of national security, and is a major influence on the global climate system. Despite its vast 

extent, the ocean is finite and cannot indefinitely absorb all the stresses being placed on it; 

thus, the United States must commit to protecting the ocean through responsible stewardship and sensible management. Understanding society’s impact on the ocean and the 

ocean’s impact on society forms the basis for ensuring a clean, healthy, and stable ocean 

environment that can be responsibly used and enjoyed for generations to come. The goal 

of this document is to provide the guidance to build the scientific foundation to improve 

society’s stewardship and use of, and interaction with, the ocean.

Three central elements of science and technology will provide the United States with 

the knowledge and means to redefine its relationship with the ocean for the better. The 

capability to forecast key ocean and ocean-influenced processes and phenomena will change 

how society takes action in the future, much like weather forecasts do today. Developing the understanding and capability to forecast key processes related to hurricane and 

severe-storm formation, ocean currents, fish stocks, and human-health hazards, to name 

a few, will have significant economic, societal, and environmental benefits. Providing the 

scientific support for ecosystem-based management will allow resources to be managed in ways 

that account for the complex interactions between those resources and other parts of the 

marine environment, including humans. Deploying an ocean-observing system that can 

accurately describe the state of the ocean will revolutionize the access to and view of the 

ocean and increase the pace, efficiency, and scope of ocean research. In turn, this observing 

capability will enable ocean forecasting and ecosystem-based management.
ii

1

2

3

The focus on ocean forecasting, scientific support for ecosystem-based management, 

and ocean-observing capabilities was born out of a comprehensive community effort to 

define ocean research priorities for the United States for the next decade. Aspects of these 

three central elements are evident throughout the twenty (20) national ocean research 

priorities, oriented around the most compelling issues in key areas of interaction between 

society and the ocean (societal themes). These priorities, each with equal weight, focus on 

understanding critical ocean processes and interactions, and applying that understanding 

toward stewardship and responsible use of the ocean.

Theme 1: Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Ocean Resources

Research Priority 1: Understand the status and trends of resource abundance and distribution through more accurate, timely and synoptic assessments

Research Priority 2: Understand interspecies and habitat/species relationships to support 

forecasting resource stability and sustainability

Research Priority 3: Understand human-use patterns that may influence resource stability 

and sustainability

Research Priority 4: Apply advanced understanding and technologies to enhance the 

benefits of various natural resources from the open ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes

Theme 2: Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards

Research Priority 5: Understand how hazard events initiate and evolve and apply that 

understanding to improve forecasts of future hazard events

Research Priority 6: Understand the response of coastal and marine systems to natural hazards and apply that understanding to assessments of future vulnerability to 

natural hazards

Research Priority 7: Apply understanding to develop multi-hazard risk assessments and 

support development of models, policies, and strategies for hazard mitigation

Theme 3: Enabling Marine Operations

Research Priority 8: Understand the interactions between marine operations and 

the environment

Research Priority 9: Apply understanding of environmental factors affecting marine 

operations to characterize and predict conditions in the maritime domain

Research Priority 10: Apply understanding of environmental impacts and marine 

operations to enhance the marine transportation system
iii

4

5

6

Theme 4: The Ocean’s Role in Climate

Research Priority 11: Understand ocean-climate interactions within and across regions

Research Priority 12: Understand the impact of climate variability and change on the 

biogeochemistry of the ocean and implications for its ecosystems

Research Priority 13: Apply understanding of the ocean to help project future climate 

changes and their impacts

Theme 5: Improving Ecosystem Health

Research Priority 14: Understand and predict the impact of natural and anthropogenic 

processes on ecosystems

Research Priority 15: Apply understanding of natural and anthropogenic processes to 

develop socioeconomic assessments and models to evaluate the impact of multiple human 

uses on ecosystems

Research Priority 16: Apply understanding of marine ecosystems to develop appropriate 

indicators and metrics for sustainable use and effective management

Theme 6: Enhancing Human Health

Research Priority 17: Understand sources and processes contributing to ocean-related 

risks to human health

Research Priority 18: Understand human health risks associated with the ocean and the 

potential benefits of ocean resources to human health

Research Priority 19: Understand how human use and valuation of ocean resources can 

be affected by ocean-borne human health threats and how human activities can influence 

these threats

Research Priority 20: Apply understanding of ocean ecosystems and biodiversity to 

develop products and biological models to enhance human well-being
iv

1

2

3

4

Four near-term priorities, reflecting efforts to be pursued over the next two to five 

years, were developed to initiate rapid progress towards the 20 ocean research priorities.

Forecasting the Response of Coastal Ecosystems to Persistent 

Forcing and Extreme Events

Understanding and forecasting the response of natural and constructed landscapes and 

ecosystems to extreme weather events, natural disasters, and changing ocean conditions 

will inform hazard mitigation and response plans, support navigation safety, and assist 

regional resource managers and public health officials in sustaining ecosystem and public 

health and promoting hazard resilience.

Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem Organization

Marine ecosystem management can be improved by elucidating their underlying dynamics at a variety of scales through development of dynamics models and their application in 

comparisons of managed ecosystems. This effort will provide a greater basic understanding of ecosystem processes and practical tools for evaluating the effectiveness of local and 

regional ecosystem-based management efforts.

Sensors for Marine Ecosystems

New sensor capabilities are necessary to realize the full potential of in situ ocean observing networks and satellite-based observations. These capabilities will enable expanded 

and more accurate information on the ocean environment to better define management 

options, understand processes that influence ecosystem productivity, serve as the basis for 

forecasting ocean-related risks to human health and safety, and shed light on the impact 

of climate variability and change on the ocean, marine life, and humans.

Assessing Meridional Overturning Circulation Variability: 

Implications for Rapid Climate Change

The meridional overturning circulation (MOC) of the Atlantic Ocean, an element of the 

global-scale ocean circulation responsible for long-term climate variations, has been identified as a key process related to rapid or even abrupt climate change (i.e., changes over a 

few years to a few decades). Improved understanding of this major component of ocean 

circulation and the ability to monitor, detect, and analyze changes in it could improve 

society’s response to significant changes in climate.
v

Common among the societal themes is the need to develop the tools necessary to pursue research and to effectively translate the results of that research in ways that are useful 

to resource managers, policy-makers, and the general public. Society’s ability to knowledgeably address key ocean-related societal issues depends on technological and intellectual innovation, incorporating many infrastructure assets, including ocean-observing 

and modeling capabilities. A healthy relationship between society and the ocean depends 

on having the scientific foundation to develop and implement new strategies to educate 

and instill a sense of stewardship in the public and translate research results into effective 

decision-making tools.

This document’s final section details an implementation strategy that will ensure the 

ocean research priorities are successfully addressed. The implementation strategy describes 

characteristics of implementation, roles of various sectors, mechanisms for collaboration, 

the need for an infrastructure assessment, mechanisms for research translation, strategies for assessment and evaluation, and mechanisms for budget and plan updates. It does 

not stipulate specific federal-agency actions or budgets, provide timelines for activities, 

or mandate how other sectors should respond to the research priorities independent of 

federal collaboration—activities that are best defined in specific project plans. Carrying 

out this implementation strategy will require a national and international effort involving 

many sectors of the ocean community, from state, local, and tribal governance to academic 

institutions to nongovernmental organizations.

1

We envision a future in which our understanding of the world ocean, national coasts, 

coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes protects lives, enriches livelihoods, and enhances 

quality of life. At the same time, the research we undertake will help ensure the health 

and sustainability of our ocean ecosystem for years to come.

As expressed by the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy (USCOP) and similar community efforts, increased scientific knowledge of the ocean will strengthen decision-making 

at all levels, enhance economic development, support sustainable resource use, and conserve biological diversity and natural beauty.

As the linchpin in this vision of the future, ocean research, bolstered by cutting-edge 

technology, will give us the ability to understand the past, observe the present, and predict 

the future. As an educated and informed nation, our knowledge will give us the tools to 

know well what the consequences and outcomes of our actions will be in the complex 

ocean ecosystems of which we are a part.

 Vision for National

Ocean Research Priorities
2

Introduction

The basic necessities for protecting lives, enhancing livelihoods, and improving quality 

of life depends, in no small measure, on functioning and healthy ocean ecosystems, the 

availability of ocean resources, and on a safe and secure maritime domain and associated 

marine-based economic sectors. The ocean1 provides food, recreation, and other forms 

of enrichment, but at the same time, presents risks that, if not understood and respected, 

pose serious threats to lives and livelihoods. Informed management of the ocean environment will prevent or minimize the risks of illness and disease; bolster the resilience of 

coastal communities and regions to hazards that arise from the marine environment; 

enhance the national, homeland, and economic security of the nation; ensure the economic productivity of the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes; and 

improve the health of the ecosystems within them.

Understanding society’s impact on the ocean and the ocean’s impact on us forms the 

basis for ensuring a clean, healthy, and stable ocean environment that can be responsibly 

used and enjoyed by generations to come. This productive relationship depends on having the scientific foundation to develop and implement new strategies to enhance the 

health of the ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes; promote public health; 

and adjust resource management and use patterns. The ability to translate research results 

into effective decision-making tools, adapt governance structures to ensure conservation of resources, and educate and instill a sense of stewardship in the public will provide 

a path for a sustainable future. The purpose of this document is to develop and present 

ocean research priorities oriented around six societal themes that address key interactions 

between society and the ocean. If acted upon, these priorities will result in considerable 

strides toward enhancing the quality of life of the nation’s citizens and safeguarding the 

health of the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes.

Community efforts, such as the USCOP, which inspired the activities to generate this 

plan, and the Pew Oceans Commission, produced detailed assessments of the state of the 

ocean and the means to address challenges revealed by these assessments. These assessments were developed using expert testimony, nationwide community input, and recommendations from previous reports. The ocean research priorities identified in this document are built on this foundation of community efforts to explore society’s interaction 

with the ocean, to understand the impacts of human activities on the ocean, and to find 

new ways to restore and enhance the health of the ocean and its ecosystems.
3

This document considers the ocean as a dynamic global system; it does not attempt to 

identify research needs based on historical academic disciplines or independent activities such as resource distributions, fisheries assessments, and ocean currents. Research 

efforts must recognize the ocean’s inextricable links to the land and atmosphere and take 

an interdisciplinary approach to exploring and understanding the ocean’s role in many 

of society’s most pressing challenges, such as understanding climate change and mitigating its impacts, sustaining natural resources, improving public and ecosystem health, 

and enhancing hazard mitigation. This document is also unique in that it recognizes the 

important relationship between society and the ocean and, therefore, places high emphasis 

on understanding the interactions between humans and ocean ecosystems—the human 

dimension of ocean issues. Finally, this document recognizes the unprecedented capabilities in the areas of advanced in situ and remotely sensed data acquisition, integration, and 

interpretation; information management; and computer simulation and visualization.

The national ocean research priorities described in this document build upon ocean 

science’s strong legacy and take advantage of new interdisciplinary research approaches, 

sophisticated research and computational tools, and the availability of shared assets 

such as personnel and research platforms. An appropriately balanced research portfolio 

will provide insight into ocean processes that will enable better and timelier policy and 

resource-management decisions. These decisions will help ensure appropriate use and 

protection of the ocean, particularly the coastal margins, where so much of America lives, 

works, and plays, and that contributes so heavily to the nation’s economy. This approach 

will require careful coordination among local, tribal, state, regional, and federal government agencies as well as academic, private sector, and nongovernmental entities. The 

ocean research priorities presented in this document are national in scope yet reflect the 

need to provide benefits at the local, tribal, state, regional, national, and global levels, 

while involving all parties in the enterprise.
4

Critical

 Elements

Three critical elements of science and technology will provide the United States with the 

scientific and technical means to redefine its relationship with the ocean for the better: 

developing the understanding and capability to forecast ocean processes; providing the 

scientific information needed to support ecosystem-based management, particularly in 

coastal and nearshore environments; and accelerating deployment of an ocean-observing 

system that will, in turn, advance both forecasting and adaptive ecosystem-based 

management capabilities. Aspects of these three key elements are evident throughout 

the national ocean research priorities identified in this document. These three elements 

are critical and necessary to expand society’s vision of the ocean and ensure the ocean’s 

legacy for future generations.

Developing the understanding and capability to forecast certain ocean and ocean-influenced 

processes and phenomena will change how society takes action in the future, much like 

weather forecasts do today. The tremendous potential of this capability has been demonstrated in the forecasts of El Niño and La Niña phenomena that are now used routinely 

by governments and the private sector. For example, these forecasts currently influence the 

buying and selling of energy resources and reduce loss by enabling agricultural interests to 

anticipate and prepare for El Niño-related weather hazards. These forecasts have emerged 

from investments in the basic understanding of equatorial Pacific Ocean circulation and 

its relation to weather, in observing systems capable of providing key data, and in model 

and simulation capability. Developing the capability to forecast key processes related to 

hurricane and severe-storm formation, ocean currents, fish stocks, and human-health 

hazards, to name a few, would expand not only the economic benefits of ocean forecasts, 

but their societal and environmental benefits as well.
5

Managing resources in ways that identify and account for the complex interactions 

between those resources and other components of the marine environment—including 

humans—is a substantial challenge. The principle of ecosystem-based management2 is 

now widely recognized as one of the most effective ways to cope with a variety of increasing natural and human-induced pressures. Providing the scientific support for ecosystembased management requires a multi-dimensional, multidisciplinary effort to enhance current understanding of ecosystem processes, determine which interactions are most critical, 

and assess the dynamics of the natural and human factors affecting those interactions, 

including how those factors will change in the future.

Deployment of a robust ocean-observing system that can describe the actual state of the 

ocean, coupled with a process to synthesize observational data, will fundamentally alter 

society’s view of the ocean environment. Observations underpin fundamental knowledge 

of the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes. Although much work 

remains, communities interested in ocean research and management have developed 

mature plans for many components of an integrated, global ocean-observing system.

Deploying the priority elements of that observing system will increase society’s access 

to the ocean and allow researchers to enable the promise of ocean forecasting and 

ecosystem-based management during the next decade
6

Scientific discovery, driven by competitive, peer-reviewed investigations, is the foundation of the nation’s research enterprise and is an intrinsic and highly valued component 

of the ocean research portfolio. Fundamental research that expands the scientific frontier enhances and deepens our understanding of the ocean and its role in the Earth 

system. It is essential that the nation cultivate and investigate new ideas about the ocean 

and new approaches for exploring the marine environment that may challenge existing 

interpretations. In doing so, society should recognize and even encourage risk-taking in 

supporting the most exciting and promising ideas for making progress in understanding the ocean. Progress requires the continued support of both systematic measurements of the ocean’s properties and the freedom to pursue new ideas and technology. 

Discipline-oriented research focuses on examining the intricacies of one facet of science, 

while interdisciplinary collaborations capitalize on this focus to investigate connections 

and feedbacks between diverse elements. Both of these efforts need to be enhanced in 

parallel to enable comprehensive understanding of the ocean and its place in the Earth 

system. The path ahead as presented in this document necessarily includes the need for 

“creative individuals to pursue the kind of fundamental scientific research that can lead to 

unforeseen breakthroughs” 3.

The ability to access all aspects of the ocean environment, made possible by fostering 

scientific and technological innovation, will enable breakthroughs in basic understanding of ocean biology, chemistry, geology, and physics and the connections among these 

disciplines. Improved access to the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great 

Lakes depends on advances in infrastructure and technology, from advanced sensors to 

satellites and unmanned vehicles. The development of innovative tools, from remotely 

operated and autonomous vehicles, to molecular techniques and genetic sequencing, to 

physical, chemical, and biological sensors, will facilitate novel experiments and permit 

the study of processes ranging from isolated episodes to global cycles. Observing and 

understanding ocean processes that operate on different temporal and spatial scales and in 

 Expanding the

 Scientific Frontier:

The Need for

 Fundamental Science
7

different regions requires a balanced combination of in situ observing platforms, a robust 

fleet of ships, remotely operated autonomous vehicles, satellites, and land-based marine 

laboratories supporting specialized equipment and instrumentation. The reach of ocean 

science research can be significantly expanded by leveraging the capabilities of other 

disciplines, including nanotechnology, genomics, and robotics, enabling new access to and 

perspectives on the ocean environment. A workforce eager to push the limits of scientific 

knowledge and technological innovation will support the scientific discoveries necessary 

to address fundamental scientific questions and to advance the use of scientific research 

for operational activities to help meet national needs.

The research community identifies many promising areas for scientific investment 

through workshops and other planning activities. The National Research Council and 

other community groups also publish analyses of promising new directions in fundamental ocean research that are used by funding agencies to guide investments4

. Attempting to prioritize research efforts driven by new ideas and the desire for discovery would 

constrain these creative and visionary activities critical to the research enterprise. By 

definition, unforeseen breakthroughs and paradigm shifts cannot be planned. Therefore, 

this document focuses on underscoring—rather than attempting to define or enumerate comprehensively—the fundamental research efforts that provide the foundation for 

understanding the ocean. This document emphasizes the research efforts with particular 

anticipated societal applications, while invoking the fundamental research that provides 

the foundation for those applications.
8

Focusing the Nation’s 

Ocean Research Enterprise

Framing the Approach

The scope of ocean science is to promote discovery that will provide new insights and perspectives 

on the ocean environment; impart greater understanding of ocean properties and processes; and 

expand opportunities to apply that knowledge to enable safe, prosperous, and sustainable use of the 

ocean. As the three interlinked components of the research enterprise, discovery, understanding, 

and application serve as the foundation for the research priorities developed in this document.

Discovery

Discovery entails both the pursuit of the unconstrained fundamental science questions (see 

Expanding the Scientific Frontier) that drive the imagination and the exploration of new phenomena and terrain, remote geographies, and unique marine systems. Discovery provides the foundation upon which society builds comprehension of life; it has the potential to fundamentally shift 

our understanding of the ocean, its role in the Earth system, and society’s place in that system.

Understanding

An understanding of ocean processes is required to predict the consequences of interactions 

between humans and the ocean, and manage those interactions. Supported by discovery efforts, 

the need to understand often focuses on those processes that cascade through spatial and temporal scales, describe the interactions between ecosystem components, and/or cross thematic 

boundaries. Enhancing understanding is an ongoing task that requires continuous innovation in 

both ideas and technology. The benefit of this understanding is that new knowledge can then be 

applied to promote responsible use and stewardship of the marine environment.

Application

A critical component in the research process is to apply the knowledge gained from discovery and 

understanding to serve the public interest. Application includes efforts to translate information so 

that policy-makers, managers, and the public will be able to understand and use the knowledge to 

make informed decisions as well as provide feedback to define additional research needs. Application also includes developing new tools, new techniques, and new approaches to address complex 

issues and inform societal choices.

8
9

Identifying Ocean

Research Priorities

This document focuses national attention on six themes that represent key areas of human 

interaction with the ocean.

• Theme 1: Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Ocean Resources

• Theme 2: Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards

• Theme 3: Enabling Marine Operations

• Theme 4: The Ocean’s Role in Climate

• Theme 5: Improving Ecosystem Health

• Theme 6: Enhancing Human Health

These themes and associated research priorities were developed through collaborative 

efforts involving all federal agencies with interest and responsibilities linked to the ocean, 

as well as representatives from state and local governments, academia, industry, and nongovernmental organizations. For each societal theme, priorities are identified that focus on 

essential research efforts that must be undertaken in the coming decade (Figure 1). The research 

priorities encompass natural sciences as well as those disciplines focusing on human 

interaction with the ocean, such as economics and other social sciences (e.g., sociology, 

anthropology) and public health. In addition, tools universally critical to pursuing the 

Figure 1. Overview of 

Ocean Research Priorities.

Understanding

and Capability to

Forecast Ocean

Processes

NEAR-TERM PRIORITIES

Targeted

Deployment of an

Ocean Observing

System

Enhanced

Scientific Support

for Ecosystem-Based

Management

NATIONAL OCEAN RESEARCH PRIORITIES

Making a Difference

Developing the Tools
10

research priorities and realizing their results—ocean-observing and modeling capabilities, mechanisms to translate research results into effective decision-making tools, and 

initiatives to educate and instill a sense of stewardship in the public—are described and 

revisited throughout this document.

The ocean research priorities emerged from a larger suite of questions that were considered, and emphasize topics such as systems research and predictability. The following 

questions, with equal overall weight, were used to identify the most compelling research 

priorities for each theme, recognizing that the prioritization criteria for one theme may 

not be equally applicable to another:

• Is the proposed research transformational (e.g., will the proposed research enable 

significant advances for insight and application, even with potentially high risk for its 

success; would success provide dramatic benefits for the nation?)?

• Does the proposed research impact many societal theme areas?

• Does the research address high-priority needs of resource managers?

• Would the research provide understanding of high value to the broader 

scientific community?

• Will the research promote partnerships to expand the nation’s capabilities (e.g., contributions from other partners, including communities outside of ocean science, such 

as health science; unique timing of activities)?

• Does the research serve to contribute to or enhance the leadership of the United 

States in ocean science?

• Does the research contribute to a greater understanding of ocean issues at a 

global scale?

• Does the research address mandates of governing entities (federal agencies, state, 

tribal, and local governments)?

Four near-term priorities were developed to initiate rapid progress towards the 

20 ocean research priorities. These near-term priorities are not a direct subset of the larger 

research priorities, but incorporate issues highlighted in many of them. These priorities 

were selected from a larger suite of efforts using the criteria above, with an added focus on 

impact (i.e., the value of the work), urgency (i.e., the need for a concentrated effort over 

the next two to five years), and partnerships (i.e., the effort will maximize collaborations 

among agencies and external partnerships).
11

Societal

Themes
12

The resources of the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes generate tremendous benefits and opportunities. The ocean is a source of food, minerals, and energy 

and is used for transportation, recreation, and tourism. The ocean preserves a record of 

the nation’s cultural past. The ocean remains a vast, unexplored realm with the capacity to 

provide new pharmaceuticals, industrial products, and energy sources. At the same time, 

its resources are subject to many pressures, such as overfishing, habitat destruction, and 

competition with invasive species. To unlock the full resource potential of the open ocean, 

coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes, society must improve understanding of these 

resources and balance their health and use.

1

Theme 1: Stewardship of 

Natural and Cultural Ocean Resources

The ocean is home to some of the nation’s 

cultural resources. Photo credit: NOAA

Fishery survey catches 

document the abundance 

and recruitment trends 

of species. This catch of 

Acadian redfish was taken 

in the Gulf of Maine aboard 

the NOAA R/V Albatross IV. 

Photo credit: NOAA

Energy exploration and production from the ocean 

represent important contributions to the nation’s 

energy supply. Photo credit: Department of the Interior
13

Rationale

U.S. waters are the source of many of the resources society uses daily. The United States 

has the largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of any nation5. Fishery production 

within the EEZ and contiguous inshore waters supports a $60 billion annual seafood 

industry and a $20 billion recreational fishing industry6. Recent advances in aquaculture 

are providing an increasing contribution to the seafood supply. The total current market 

value of the oil and gas inventory is approximately $8 trillion, consisting of $1 trillion in 

discovered remaining reserves and an estimated $7 trillion in undiscovered, technically 

recoverable resources7. Estimates for offshore wind energy suggest a potential of 900 gigawatts within 50 nautical miles of the coast8

. Approximately 200,000 trillion cubic feet of 

gas hydrate are present on land and the U.S. outer continental shelf (OCS)9, 10. The Great 

Lakes are the largest source of freshwater in the world11. Healthy ocean and coastal natural and cultural resources provide the foundation for a huge coastal tourism and recreation 

industry that is the fastest growing area of the ocean economy12. Prehistoric landscapes, 

shipwrecks, and historic and living waterfronts along the nation’s coasts and Great Lakes 

all contribute to the national cultural heritage.

The scale and diversity of ocean resources is immense, however, resource use and 

development often compete with other societal needs and values. Overexploitation of 

many fish stocks and alteration of habitats due to human activities and/or natural influences such as climate change have had profound consequences for many ecosystems and 

fishing communities. Increasing domestic energy production from the EEZ (renewable 

and non-renewable) brings with it concerns about environmental impacts. Increasing 

populations at the coasts and Great Lakes impact freshwater supplies and inappropriate 

wastewater disposal can degrade water quality, impacting marine resources. Evaluating 

and addressing environmental impacts of resource use and extraction, combined with 

increased understanding of the factors influencing overall ecosystem health, can help 

balance the pressures being placed on coastal ecosystems, enable restoration of degraded 

habitats, and, ultimately, support robust and coordinated ecosystem-based management 

and governance strategies for sustainable resource use.
14

Research Priorities

Central to effective management of natural and cultural resources is the ability to 

accurately assess their current condition. This knowledge will provide the foundation to 

understand the complex relationships between living and non-living resources and the 

cumulative impacts of human activities, and help determine the likely impacts of various management alternatives. Research into issues of resource development, use, and 

extraction, such as exploration for mineral resources and pelagic and benthic communities, and regional variability and influence on resources, will help society prevent major 

impacts to ecosystems, promote sound development and use of resources, preserve cultural sites, and support management efforts to restore depleted populations to healthy 

and sustainable levels.

Research Priority 1: Understand the status and trends of resource 

abundance and distribution through more accurate, timely, and 

synoptic assessments.

Assessing the impacts of resource use and extraction (e.g., fisheries, ocean mining, tourism [cultural sites]) requires measuring the abundance and distribution of living and 

non-living resources in the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes. 

Capabilities necessary for these measurements include the ability to: assess fish-stock 

and protected-resource status and health; monitor living resources (spanning multiple 

trophic levels) nearly continuously over wide swaths of ocean at appropriate levels of species resolution; assess the spatial and temporal variability (both natural and use-induced) 

of resources (e.g., biota, energy, minerals, and pharmaceuticals), including in deep-water 

settings; and provide long-term and sustained monitoring and mapping of natural and 

cultural resources. Development and implementation of these capabilities will enable 

adaptive approaches to the management of natural and cultural resources, using empirical 

evidence to design and modify management efforts (e.g., individual harvest quotas, special 

use areas, marine protected areas [MPAs]) to be most effective.
15

Research Priority 2: Understand interspecies and habitat/species 

relationships to support forecasting resource stability and sustainability.

Understanding the individual and cumulative impacts of an ever-widening array of human 

activities (e.g., transportation, recreation, land use, fishing, energy exploration and development, and increased food production from aquaculture) on water and habitat quality 

and the ocean’s ability to support marine life and biodiversity is necessary for enabling 

ecosystem-based management approaches to ocean-resource use. Often the data necessary 

for these assessments are difficult to obtain because of practical limitations of controlled 

experimentation and replication in natural systems. Investing in observations, process studies, and advanced modeling will expand current understanding of impacts at appropriate 

temporal and spatial scales, and help identify crucial data and process-understanding gaps 

such that the proper resource-management techniques can be developed and implemented. 

Priorities to enable improved natural-resource forecasting include: (1) development and 

validation of ecosystem and species interaction models at appropriate scales that incorporate feedback mechanisms among trophic levels; (2) assessments of regional and local 

models of environmental changes (e.g., responses to annual, decadal, and longer-term 

climate drivers; rapid regime shifts; hydrodynamic circulation; watershed discharge) to 

help determine how these changes impact resources; (3) development of approaches and 

scenarios to understand and integrate the specific and cumulative impacts of various natural resource policies on living resources and human communities (incorporating improved 

assessments of impacts on ecosystems [see Improving Ecosystem Health]); and (4) collection of necessary data (observational and experimental) to support model robustness.

Research Priority 3: Understand human-use patterns that may influence 

resource stability and sustainability.

Determining the “worth” of natural and cultural resources and evaluating effects of alternative management scenarios requires considering economic (i.e., market and non-market 

valuation), sociological, and cultural factors, and potential competing uses, in addition to 

ecological factors. These assessments will also support evaluations of the socioeconomic 

trade-offs inherent in management efforts. Human-use data can be acquired through 

expanded surveys and analysis of economic and sociological factors associated with a broad 

range of open ocean, coast, coastal watershed, and Great Lakes resource activities. The use 

of geocoded socioeconomic data (e.g., resource cost and earning, demographics, income), 

combined with new methods to assess non-market valuation (see Improving Ecosystem 

Health), will enable the integration of socioeconomic and natural processes into models to 

determine interactions between these systems. Human behavior and economic research, 

combined with resource-use assessment and modeling, will help support effective evaluation of the success of various management options on resource use and sustainability.
16

Research Priority 4: Apply advanced understanding and technologies to 

enhance the benefits of various natural resources from the open ocean, 

coasts, and Great Lakes.

Key technological developments are required to facilitate long-term and effective resource 

management; to make more responsible use of available sustainable and non-sustainable 

resources, such as energy, minerals (including sand), and pharmaceuticals; and to support 

alternatives to resource extraction (e.g., aquaculture, alternative energy sources), in conjunction with efforts to enhance the efficacy of and limit impacts from marine operations. 

Areas of focus include, but are not limited to: development of sustainable approaches to 

aquaculture that consider implications for surrounding ecosystems, wild genetic resources, 

and impacts on coastal economies; advancement of new sustainable energy technologies 

from the ocean, including efficient methods for power generation (e.g., wind and tidal 

power), and scientific information to fully consider impacts on marine life; development of new generations of military subsurface detection systems or other mitigation 

methods that are less deleterious to species sensitive to acoustic emissions in certain 

sound ranges; development of bycatch-reduction technologies for fisheries and protected resources (e.g., seabirds), enabling sustainable resource use; and use of advances in 

exploration technologies (e.g., geospatial, biooptical) to map and characterize the EEZ 

and the U.S. continental shelf, to establish the outer limits of the U.S. continental shelf 

where it extends beyond the limits of the EEZ, and to assess its important ecological 

and economic resources.
17

Necessary Tools

Technologies and procedures will be needed to enable rapid, efficient, and synoptic 

assessment of ocean resources (including inventories and alterations). An expanded and 

technologically more capable domestic fleet of ships would improve the capability to 

provide important information on the status of managed populations and ecosystem 

effects of human populations. Additionally, improved remote-sensing tools are needed 

to obtain necessary biological (e.g., biomass) and physical (e.g., current direction, wave 

height) parameters, and to survey deep waters, particularly as energy exploration moves to 

the edges of the OCS. Advances in unmanned aerial and autonomous vehicles will aid in 

collecting synoptic resource information. In addition to monitoring and assessment with 

existing technologies, new and improved technologies and protocols are needed to expand 

the capabilities of fixed and mobile observing platforms to include biological and chemical sensors, and advanced acoustics and mapping capabilities. 

Enhanced information-technology and data-support infrastructure are essential. Comprehensive environmental databases with appropriate spatial and temporal resolution that 

integrate information from local, regional, national, and global sources are key to understanding ecosystem interactions and providing the necessary information for effective 

and adaptive resource management. Information systems using geographic information 

systems (GIS) can integrate diverse data sets (e.g., physical, biological, social, cultural) to 

promote spatial analysis and static and dynamic modeling. Development of integrated 

ecosystem assessments will, in turn, expand understanding of interrelationships among 

the physical environment, ecosystems, and human activities.

Implementation of these new approaches requires more technical and scientific personnel skilled in diverse disciplines, including natural sciences, social sciences, and 

information technology for the operation, maintenance, and interpretation of information. Investments in training and maintaining this workforce are key priorities for nextgeneration, natural-resource decision-support systems, improved resource management, 

and decision-making.
18

Recent hurricanes and tsunamis have clearly demonstrated the potential for natural 

disasters to have economic, environmental, social, and public-health impacts on regional, 

national, and global scales. Communities, maritime operations, cultural resources, social 

services, and ecosystems are vulnerable to coastal and marine physical hazards. Although 

society cannot eliminate natural hazards, their impacts can be reduced. Sustained and 

coordinated investment in research and technology will provide the knowledge and 

information base needed to assess and reduce risk, save lives and property, ensure more 

rapid recovery and effective mitigation, and develop informed and effective responses to 

future hazard events.

2

Theme 2:

 Increasing Resilience

to Natural Hazards

Understanding the impact 

of severe storms on coastal 

regions is critical to improving 

hazard resilience. Composite 

photo: University of Wisconsin 

- CIMSS Tropical Cyclones 

Group, NOAA, NASA.
19

Rationale

With over 50 percent of the U.S. population living in coastal counties and that number 

rising each year13, the United States must be adequately prepared for coastal disasters. 

Even as the nation continues to direct significant federal funding toward science and 

technology to assist in reducing the impacts of natural hazards, the United States still 

faces enormous losses each year from ocean and coastal hazards, including:

• Severe storms, hurricanes, and tornados, and the associated coastal and offshore 

wind, wave, and current damage

• Coastal inundation and flooding from storms, tsunamis, and regional meteorological events

• Earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions along the coast and offshore, and 

resulting tsunamis

The costs of these events are significant and will likely increase. In 2005, Hurricane 

Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast and is estimated to be the costliest natural disaster 

yet to strike the United States14. The potential short-term and long-term human and 

economic costs, including impacts to public health, threats to subsistence, disruption of 

livelihoods, population relocation, infrastructure damage, and ecosystem degradation, to 

at-risk regions from tsunamis (Pacific Northwest, Alaska, Hawaii, southeastern United 

States, Caribbean) are substantial.

Effective response to natural hazards is impeded by limitations in the ability to comprehensively assess hazard potential, vulnerability, and risk. Human and natural processes 

(e.g., land development, sea-level rise) constantly alter system vulnerability and the risk 

of hazards to coastal communities. To reduce the social and economic impact of natural hazards, the public and decision-makers must be educated about the risks, associated impacts, and response costs of natural hazards. A sound scientific and technological basis for decision-making must include improved models of hazard impacts, more 

accurate and timely forecasts, and comprehensive assessments of future hazard potential, 

vulnerability, and risk.
20

Research Priorities

Hazard assessments must be comprehensive, reflecting multiple hazards and their 

impacts on diverse economic, social, and ecosystem sectors. Physical processes must first 

be assessed and then coupled with improved understanding of the role of social systems 

and human behavior in increasing vulnerability or enhancing resilience. This effort will 

be enhanced by investigations of ecosystem health (e.g., in response to resource and land 

use), impacts of climate change (e.g., sea-level rise, storm intensification and/or concentration), and direct and indirect risks to public health that broadly influence hazard 

resilience. Assessment of hazard impacts and risk that incorporate improved hazard 

understanding, effective research translation, communication, and education, are integral 

for developing a “risk-wise” population, supporting cost-effective strategies designed to 

increase resistance, enhancing resilience to hazards, and promoting avoidance.

Research Priority 5: Understand how hazard events initiate and evolve, 

and apply that understanding to improve forecasts of hazard events.

Quantifying future hazard potential requires understanding hazard generation (e.g., 

storms, submarine and coastal landslides, tsunamis, flooding) and past hazard occurrence. 

Enhanced hazard forecasts, particularly of storm formation, track, intensity, and associated waves, surge, and flooding, will support more effective responses to developing hazard 

events. Research in this area should focus on process studies and development and validation of models of hazard generation (e.g., tsunami-source modeling, seafloor-stability 

modeling, storm formation) and evolution (e.g., tsunami propagation, storm and inundation modeling). Probabilistic models and assessments of hazard potential should include 

effects of land subsidence and future climate change (e.g., changes in storm intensity or 

frequency, sea-level rise, landscape change) on hazard potential and vulnerability.

Research Priority 6: Understand the response of coastal and marine 

systems to natural hazards and apply that understanding to assessments 

of future vulnerability to natural hazards.

Natural hazards impact infrastructure directly through alterations to the underlying 

landscape and through secondary processes (e.g., slope failures, shoreline change, inlet 

formation, coastal erosion, sediment transport, flooding). Natural hazards have significant 

impacts on coastal features, such as shorelines, as well as cascading and nonlinear impacts 

throughout ecosystems, during and after the hazard event. Natural systems, such as 

wetlands and reefs, play a significant role in coastal resilience. Understanding the capacity 

of these systems to mitigate the effects of natural hazards, how altering the system (i.e., 

through physical destruction, sediment diversion) affects this capacity, and understanding 
21

altered ecosystem dynamics and processes, will improve the ability to facilitate recovery 

of ecosystem functions and to undertake appropriate restoration efforts. Priorities include 

understanding and modeling landscape change (including impacts/influences across the 

adjacent watershed) associated with coastal hazards, determining structure and infrastructure resilience, and assessing vulnerability of coastal communities, public health, infrastructure, marine operations, and ecosystems. Models based on observations of pre-event 

conditions and post-event impacts are required to forecast the magnitude and nature of 

impacts, the changing vulnerability of the altered landscape, such as the influence of land 

use and restoration on a system’s ability to resist or adapt to hazards, and the long-term 

impacts on ecosystem functions and health.

Research Priority 7: Apply understanding to develop multi-hazard risk 

assessments and support development of models, policies, and strategies 

for hazard mitigation.

Integrating observations, data, and models will enhance understanding of hazard 

potential and vulnerability, and improve risk assessments for coastal communities, public 

health and safety, infrastructure, marine operations, and ecosystems. Research efforts must 

identify vulnerable ecosystem functions and infrastructure components, determine the 

potential for cascading component failure, and assess the efficacy of natural (e.g., barrier islands, coastal wetlands) and engineered systems (e.g., hurricane barriers, levees) in 

hazard mitigation. These assessments should be integrated with improved understanding 

of system responses to hazards and incorporated into comprehensive risk assessments. 

These risk assessments will support identification of effective and affordable systems, 

materials, and technologies for hazard-resilient and resistant communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems as well as support development and management approaches 

minimizing hazard impacts.

Models of resilience and resistance to hazards must also address social and economic 

drivers that influence pre-hazard activities (e.g., land use, shoreline development) and 

responses to hazards (e.g., warning responses, community development, economic 

restructuring). Integration of models and risk assessments into decision-support tools 

will inform short- and long-term public and policy responses to hazards that will minimize economic, social, and environmental costs associated with natural hazards. Integrating natural and social sciences will ensure that hazard products and policies address 

public perceptions of risk, communicate the consequences of community and individual 

responses to immediate and long-term hazards, and enhance appropriate public response 

to hazard assessments and warnings at all levels (“risk-wise” behavior).
22

Necessary Tools

Meeting the broad requirements necessary to reduce hazard impacts and increase hazard 

resilience will require continued expansion of existing observational systems, data-delivery 

systems, and modeling capabilities at regional, national, and global scales. Sustained and 

integrated marine and coastal observations, including technological improvements in 

remote and in situ sensing of multiple time-sensitive parameters (oceanographic, geophysical, hydrological, chemical, biological, geographic) are required. Comprehensive 

geospatial characterization combined with sustained and reactive deployment modes of 

operation are required to acquire baseline (pre-impact) and post-hazard data. Deployments must be capable of assessing diverse hazard processes and impacts, such as coastal 

and inland inundation and water quality. These deployments would support development 

of improved models of, for example, storm evolution and coastal response. The capability 

to provide up-to-date characterization of coastal vulnerability and pre-storm conditions 

(including topography and bathymetry, land-use/land-cover, monitoring of riverine and 

coastal water levels) must be maintained.

Multi-hazard assessments will require information infrastructure supporting development of an “all-hazard” GIS resource with defined standards supporting information 

integration and application. Advanced computational resources and the establishment of 

community computational standards are required for data-assimilation systems, coupled 

land-ocean-atmosphere models, and data management and delivery systems. The design 

and implementation of robust, reliable, and widely available notification systems will help 

enable more effective communication of warnings.

Research communities that address hazards currently focus on single hazards, single 

elements of the hazard cycle (e.g., generation, impact, policy), or single research disciplines (e.g., physical, ecological, social, and engineering sciences). These diverse communities must be coordinated and integrated to inform and evaluate mitigation strategies with 

the broadest consideration of costs and effectiveness (i.e., on economic, sociological, ecological levels). An integrated approach will lead to more effective translation of research 

results and development of tools for informed and comprehensive decision-making.
23

Estin, FL, August 24, 

2005. Coast Guard boat 

crews prepare for search 

and rescue missions. 

Photo credit: Petty Officer 

2nd Class NyxoLyno 

Cangemi, USCG

Maritime transportation 

is a critical element in U.S. 

commerce. Photo credit: 

Bill Snyder

Marine operations are essential components of the global economy and vital elements of 

economic prosperity, national security, and homeland defense15. Marine operations require 

freedom of navigation in the global ocean and the ability to conduct mapping and charting activities, gather tide and current information, and use U.S. ports, harbors, estuaries, 

and the Great Lakes. Marine operations also deal with issues such as bridge clearance, 

dredging, navigation aids, and ice coverage. Forward-thinking, innovative research, 

coupled with technological advances, will permit marine operations to meet challenging requirements for increased levels of transportation and commerce in the maritime 

domain and to address security concerns, while balancing sustainable use and protection 

of the environment.

3

Theme 3: Enabling

 Marine Operations
24

Rationale

Marine operations comprise a broad set of activities, including merchant ship traffic, 

commercial fishing, marine public transportation, and military operations that occur in 

the open ocean, coasts, coastal waterways, and Great Lakes. Even a brief interruption in 

marine operations can have serious consequences for many sectors of society, national security, and the U.S. economy. The broad scope and far-reaching impact of marine operations 

requires expanding knowledge in several key areas. Though the priorities identified in this 

theme emphasize the transportation sector, the knowledge derived from these efforts will 

have broad applicability in other operational areas, such as national security (see Box 1).

Given that the majority of the nation’s commerce (by weight) travels through U.S. ports 

and is anticipated to expand, including increased volume of open-sea shipping (potentially through an ice-reduced or ice-free Arctic16) and short-sea shipping17, the capacity of 

the U.S. marine transportation system must be enhanced18. With that expansion, projections state that trade will increase, ships will become larger, and population along coasts 

will grow, all of which will have impacts on the marine environment and the nation’s ability to conduct marine operations.

The United States has more than 90,000 miles of shoreline, 25,000 miles of navigable 

waterways, and 3.4 million square miles of open water within the U.S. EEZ19,20. Safe and 

effective navigation of harbors, ports, and waterways by various users requires reliable 

weather and sea-state forecasts and up-to-date maps and charts.

Numerous other commercial but non-transportation uses of the maritime domain exist, 

including offshore aquaculture, energy extraction/harnessing (i.e., facilities for oil, gas, and 

wind), seabed and mineral-rights uses, and laying of subsea communications and cables, 

all of which greatly affect the environment and use of the maritime domain. Resolving 

conflicts among the numerous existing and emerging uses of the maritime domain represents a challenge. To properly address these issues and to use the results of the research 

outlined below effectively requires improved communication and collaboration among the 

diverse stakeholders involved in marine operations, including industry; local, tribal, state, 

and federal governments; and researchers.
25

Research Priorities

Increased understanding of the environmental impacts of marine operations and the 

environmental conditions affecting marine operations is necessary as these activities 

expand (e.g., increased oil and gas development, aquaculture, transportation, and other 

ship operations in the open ocean and close to shore [e.g., military, search and rescue]). 

This increased understanding is necessary to ensure a balance of operations and environmental protection. Additionally, more effective collection, processing, and modeling of 

environmental data are required to ensure safe and secure operations.

Research Priority 8: Understand the interactions between marine 

operations and the environment.

Central to enabling effective and environmentally viable marine operations is understanding how marine operations (including port development and vessel maintenance and 

operations) affect the environment, and how environmental conditions affect operations. 

This understanding will be particularly important in environmentally sensitive areas such 

as the Great Lakes, coastal areas with low tidal exchange, and coral-reef systems. Areas of 

study include the release, dispersion, cycling, and cumulative ecological impacts of contaminants (i.e., from oil spills and releases, air emissions); interactions with marine life 

(e.g., bird migration, ship strikes, ocean sound); impacts of aquaculture development and 

production; factors contributing to the introduction and persistence of invasive species 

(e.g., ballast water); and effects of expanding transportation routes (e.g., Arctic routes). 

These research efforts will build upon investigations into factors influencing ecosystem 

dynamics (e.g., invasive species, contaminants) and sustainable resource use (e.g., impacts 

on wild stocks from aquaculture). They will also enable the development of mitigation 

strategies and technologies (e.g., passive sonar, spill prevention and containment, ballastwater treatment, vessel routing to avoid ship strikes).

Research is also needed to address the feedback effect of environmental conditions on 

marine operations. Such research includes refining sediment transport models to enable 

rapid, efficient, and environmentally sustainable dredging and dredged-material management. Investigations of environmental changes related to climate change (e.g., sea-level 

rise, sea-ice abatement21, lake-level decreases) will help determine impacts on the development of alternative transportation routes, necessary changes to ports and harbors, and the 

stability and safety of energy-extraction platforms.
26

Research Priority 9: Apply understanding of environmental factors 

affecting marine operations to characterize and predict conditions in the 

maritime domain.

Enhancing environmental observation, characterization, and forecasting of ocean and 

waterway conditions (e.g., currents, turbidity, surface waves, sea-ice extent, lake levels, 

biogeochemical conditions) across the global ocean (open ocean, coasts, coastal waterways, 

and Great Lakes) is necessary for safe and efficient marine operations. Increased precision 

in forecasting marine conditions (e.g., improved real-time, ocean-current models; stormsurge projections, in conjunction with efforts to address natural hazards) will promote safe 

and efficient operations, including transportation, military operations, and search-andrescue efforts, and will minimize negative impacts on marine operations and the environment. Technologies (e.g., robust sensors and infrastructure, autonomous vehicles) must be 

developed to enhance data collection in all weather conditions to support high-spatialresolution and near-real-time forecasting throughout the open ocean and coastal zone.

Research Priority 10: Apply understanding of environmental impacts and 

marine operations to enhance the marine transportation system.

As commerce increases, the capacity of the marine transportation system must also 

increase through improved waterway traffic mobility and safety, enhanced port operations and productivity, expanded capabilities (e.g., short-sea shipping, higher-capacity 

vessels), and reduced congestion. Effective seaport planning, including port development, 

expansion, or modification and coordination with land and air transportation routes, and 

waterway improvements, must incorporate environmental impacts, social and economic 

drivers, and operational needs. Social and economic assessments that address human 

demographics, land use, income, and output must be developed and incorporated into risk 

assessments and models that address environmental impacts of marine operations (e.g., 

benthic disturbance, contaminant releases, impacts from invasive species) and operational 

requirements (e.g., port and waterway depth and capacity). These models can be used 

to design the safest and most effective and environmentally sustainable mechanisms to 

expand the operational capacity of the marine transportation system.
27

Box 1. Ensuring National and Homeland Security

The coast and open ocean are critical domains for the security of the United States, 

both at home and abroad. National-security operations in the ocean take place globally 

and often require continuous, near-real-time monitoring of environmental conditions 

using tools such as autonomous sensors, targeted observations, and adaptive modeling. 

Expanded awareness of the ocean environment for security operations requires improved 

capabilities in:

• Autonomous monitoring of desired ocean parameters in any location for extended 

time periods

• Integration of multi-sensor data, including data from a robust, satellite-based global 

earth observation system

• Numerical models to provide nowcasts and forecasts for critical parameters.

These capabilities, combined with improved understanding of the ocean environment 

enabled by other ocean science research activities, will support accurate ocean-state assessments and allow future forces to conduct joint and combined operations in nearshore and 

deep-ocean operating environments, anywhere and at anytime.
28

Necessary Tools

Achieving safe, effective, efficient, and secure marine operations that support environmental protection requires a diverse suite of infrastructure and technology, ranging from 

assessment methodologies (e.g., rapid-assessment methods for detecting marine contaminants/pollutants and harmful, non-indigenous species) to observing systems and 

information networks. Providing accurate and comprehensive environmental information 

will require expanding observational networks to monitor, record, and present real-time, 

surface-monitoring data (e.g., high-frequency, coastal-based radars). This expansion will 

require advancing sensor and technology development, particularly for autonomous and 

persistent observations, as well as for long-term observing systems; expanding real-time 

or near-real-time data collection on environmental variables by incorporating observational capabilities of ships of opportunity (e.g., fishing, cargo, and passenger vessels); and 

enhancing automated and autonomous bottom-mapping capabilities for change detection 

to improve rapid, full-scale survey scheduling.

Data collected by the observing systems must be accessible through a comprehensive 

national data network, either through a single system22 or a distributed network. Developing this data network will require new methodologies that address gaps in data collection, 

sharing, and interoperability of technologies, and should permit integration of existing 

research into operational systems (e.g., systems providing real-time navigation data to 

vessels). This data network should be able to link with other databases, such as those 

focusing on ecosystem data, and developed in accordance with international standards for 

data exchange. The national data network will also provide the data needed for models 

simulating multiple scenarios to better understand potential impacts weather events or 

man-made disruptions on marine operations, and to support operations restoration plans.
29

The ocean plays a fundamental role in governing climate through its capacity to store and 

distribute heat and carbon. The challenge is to accurately assess the ocean’s past and present state, processes, and phenomena influencing climate, and society’s influence on them, 

and to improve predictions and projections of climate change. These predictions and 

projections will improve society’s ability to respond to and reduce, where feasible, climaterelated hazards; to adapt to climate change and variations (e.g., sea-level rise, changing 

weather patterns); and to inform management and policy decisions addressing human and 

environmental impacts.

4

Theme 4: The Ocean’s Role in Climate

A comparison of September minimum sea 

ice concentration over the Arctic Circle, 

acquired in 1979 (top) and 2005 (bottom). 

Image courtesy of Scientific Visualization 

Studio, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
30

Rationale

The ocean covers more than 70 percent of the planet and has a much higher capacity to 

store heat than the atmosphere. Imbalances of the planetary energy budget are manifested 

in changing ice conditions and ocean temperatures. Runoff from melting ice sheets and 

glaciers and an expanding water mass due to increasing temperatures lead to rising sea 

levels. Low-lying coastal regions are particularly impacted by gradual sea-level rise 

in addition to episodic events (e.g., storm surges, coastal flooding). A more complete 

understanding of how changing sea level impacts coastal communities is needed at 

regional, state, and local levels.

The tropical ocean is a vital component of seasonal-to-interannual climate variability. 

For example, the El Niño-Southern Oscillation is known to have a substantial impact on 

many regions of the world, influencing agricultural yields and hurricane intensity. Current evidence suggests that the tropical ocean also influences the occurrence of multi-year 

droughts. The global ocean is also an important component of the global water cycle; it 

receives and redistributes freshwater from rivers and ice discharge, and provides moisture 

(through evaporation) to the atmosphere that precipitates over the ocean and continents. 

Alterations in large-scale ocean circulation can influence long-term climate change and, 

possibly, short-term or abrupt changes.

Recently, changes in major ocean processes have been demonstrated to affect marine 

ecosystems, causing, for example, large swings in the populations of commercial fisheries, 

changes in seabird-population distributions, and coral-reef-bleaching events. Warming 

oceans have resulted in changes in the distribution and abundance of populations (e.g., at 

the poles, in temperate regions, and in coral-reef habitats). The future amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, such as carbon dioxide (CO2

) and methane, will depend, 

in part, on the exchange of these gases in open-ocean and coastal systems (e.g., wetlands). 

Substantial changes in ocean chemistry as a result of oceanic uptake of these gases will further influence ecosystems and their processes. For example, rising atmospheric CO2

 levels 

are lowering ocean-water pH. A more acidic ocean affects calcifying organisms, such as 

corals, with significant effects to reefs, the ecosystems they support, and their ability to protect vulnerable coastlines. The growing body of knowledge about the impact of climate on 

marine chemistry and ecosystems will also enhance ecosystem-based management efforts.

The ocean has a controlling influence on the path and intensity of major storm systems, 

such as hurricanes, mid-latitude winter storms, and intraseasonal atmospheric oscillations. 

Improved understanding of the drivers of these systems resulting in predictive capability 

will enhance society’s ability to prepare and adapt cities and other public infrastructure for 

the inevitable arrival of severe events and to take advantage of opportunities presented by 

climate predictions.
31

Research Priorities

Consistent with the scientific challenges identified in the Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change 

Science Program (CCSP)23, it is essential to improve understanding of the ocean’s role in past, present, 

and future climate and to educate decision-makers and the public about this role. Phenomena that 

contribute to climate change and variability include large-scale, long-term coherent variability (e.g., 

Pacific Decadal Oscillation [PDO], North Atlantic Oscillation [NAO], Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation [MOC]); large-scale, nonlinear behavior (e.g., abrupt changes in large-scale ocean 

circulation); and ocean-atmosphere fluxes (i.e., of carbon, momentum, heat). Applying improved 

understanding of the ocean’s past and present role in climate change and variability will enable better 

predictions and projections of climate effects on ocean processes and components (e.g., ecosystems). 

This understanding will help inform current and future management efforts, including coastal land use 

and development, and alternative energy use and development (e.g., wind and tidal power). A pressing barrier to improved understanding and an item for immediate attention is the lack of sufficient 

observing capabilities. Determining impacts on the ocean from climate changes, including identifying 

impacts associated with natural variability and anthropogenic influences, as well as the effect of ocean 

processes on climate, will be enhanced through coordination of efforts from other societal themes 

(e.g., factors influencing ecosystem health, natural-resource use, natural-hazard mitigation, impacts to 

marine operations, and efforts to protect public health).

Research Priority 11: Understand ocean-climate interactions within 

and across regions.

Ocean regions, such as tropical, polar, and deep sea, can exert powerful influences on, and in turn, be 

influenced by, climate change. Current understanding of the type or temporal and spatial extent of 

this influence is limited. Improved short-term climate predictions require a more complete understanding of the influence of global tropical ocean phenomena (as demonstrated by El Niño, PDO, 

and NAO events and monsoons in the Indian and eastern Pacific Oceans). Increasing global temperatures could lead to an ice-free Arctic Ocean in summer, with potentially widespread impacts, such as 

changes in polar albedo and ocean-atmosphere heat exchange, alterations in sensitive Arctic ecosystems, and development of new shipping routes (see Enabling Marine Operations). A warmer Arctic 

can contribute to coastal flooding due to melting ice sheets, and may influence abrupt or longer-term 

climate change. At the opposite pole, the Southern Ocean is a region of significant biological productivity, CO2 uptake, and large-scale ocean circulation forcing, with significant climate implications. 

Finally, the role of the deep ocean must be ascertained, particularly with regards to mitigating climate 

change (e.g., via carbon sequestration and heat storage). Processes within these regions (e.g., ocean 

circulation, air-sea interaction, convection, water-mass formation) can have a variety of individual and 

compounded impacts over many spatial and temporal scales, ranging from regional effects of sea-ice 

diminishment on Arctic ecosystems to global effects of sea-level rise.
32

Research Priority 12: Understand the impact of climate variability 

and change on the biogeochemistry of the ocean and implications 

for its ecosystems.

Changes in physical properties of the ocean (e.g., heat, freshwater and circulation), as well 

as biogeochemical properties(e.g., carbon, nitrogen, dust, trace elements, pollutants), can 

have a variety of impacts, particularly on ecosystems, ranging from coastal watersheds, 

to shallow and deep-water coral reefs, to open-ocean systems. For example, increasing 

ocean acidity, altered biogeochemistry, changing current patterns, loss of sea ice, rising sea 

levels, and modified salinity and sea-surface temperature may irreversibly alter ecosystems. Sustained observations (e.g., global and coastal observatories), process research (e.g., 

air-sea exchange, ecosystem interactions) and modeling (e.g., coupled models integrating 

global and regional biological, chemical, and physical data) will help determine fluxes and 

cycling of biogeochemical variables and help identify and quantify impacts on ecosystems 

of the greatest importance. These efforts will also help identify subsequent feedbacks 

regarding the influence of ecosystems on climate (e.g., influence of ocean acidification 

on carbon uptake and sequestration, desertification, increasing iron dust and subsequent 

oceanic algal blooms). This effort will serve to support effective management of these 

ecosystems so that they remain healthy and viable, in conjunction with research examining impacts to and influences on ecosystem health.

Research Priority 13: Apply understanding of the ocean to help project 

future climate changes and their impacts.

The ocean is getting warmer, more freshwater is being added by melting ice sheets, and 

more CO2 is being absorbed from the atmosphere. The ability to predict the timing and 

magnitude of climate changes due to these and other processes and to understand how 

such changes will impact society will be enhanced by quantifying the predictability of 

these processes and increasing temporal and spatial resolution and dynamical complexity of global ocean models. Integrating expanded global and regional ocean observations, 

coordinated paleoceanographic data and assessments, and enhanced process research 

into global coupled ocean-ice-atmosphere-land climate models will help determine the 

past and present influence of ocean processes on climate change, including the potential 

for rapid or abrupt change (e.g., “tipping points”). Coupled climate models will support 

improved short-term predictions (e.g., hurricane intensity) and long-term projections 

(e.g., sea-level rise) that will enable local, tribal, state, regional, and federal policy- and 

decision-makers to plan for and adapt to effects of climate change.
33

Necessary Tools

The continuing challenge for climate-related ocean research remains the lack of a robust, 

integrated system of global ocean observatories (based on quantitative design studies) 

capable of sustained observations and integrated with international observing efforts. 

The development of coastal and coastal watershed observing systems is integral to this 

effort. Observations from the individual components of this system (including in situ and 

remote [e.g., satellite] sensors) must be integrated through data management and communication capabilities that provide open access, searchable content, and routine delivery 

to all users. In addition to collecting physical, biological, and biogeochemical data, the 

observing-system effort should include the capability to integrate with future observing 

systems and incorporate data collected outside of this effort (e.g., sediment and ice-core 

paleoceanographic data) into a larger database. The databases from these systems should 

be integrated with the global system. Data systems should have the capability to develop 

climate-data records for physical and biogeochemical data sets and to reconstruct past 

ocean states, including the development and refinement of climate proxies.

Ocean and coupled climate model improvements will be necessary to integrate large 

volumes of observational data and reconstruct past ocean states and predict future states. 

Increased computational capabilities, including versatile software, efficient algorithms, 

focused resolution, and capacity, are required to support these advances in data and 

modeling capabilities.

Sustained and improved satellite and in situ sensors are necessary to collect information 

for a sufficient time period to be able to detect subtle, background climate trends over 

a broader range of climate parameters, such as currents, salinity, and sea-ice thickness, 

to draw a more complete picture of fundamental climate processes. Next-generation, in 

situ chemical and biological sensors that collect a variety of information, including data 

on sentinel organisms and habitats, will also be important. This enhanced data collection 

must be accomplished while maintaining long-term climate records of key variables.
34

Multi-faceted and complex, marine ecosystems, including the open ocean, coasts, coastal 

watersheds, and Great Lakes, provide a wealth of benefits to humankind. They are also 

finite and vulnerable to overuse or misuse from human activity and impacts from natural 

events. Comprehensive, well-focused, interdisciplinary research can provide the information needed to balance competing uses of the marine environment, to better predict the 

impacts of such use, to manage those impacts in a manner that ensures the long-term 

health24 and sustainability of marine ecosystems, and to help restore ecosystems damaged 

from past and current activities or events.

5

Theme 5: Improving 

 Ecosystem health

The nation’s coastal ecosystem provides a complex array 

of goods and services, and is 

influenced by a multitude of 

climatic and human factors. 

Graphic credit: NOAA
35

Rationale

Marine ecosystems provide abundant products and services that not only enhance, but 

also are essential for, life on Earth, such as climate regulation, food and marine products, 

waste disposal and pollution control, energy sources, and recreation25. Marine ecosystems 

range from the Great Lakes and ice-capped polar expanses to warm tropical seas, from 

deep-ocean waters and productive continental shelves to coastal waters, including bays, 

estuaries, and wetlands. They interface with terrestrial ecosystems not only at shorelines, 

but also through watersheds and the atmosphere. Marine ecosystems are also subject to 

individual and cumulative impacts from an array of human activities (e.g., resource extraction, shoreline alteration, modified land use, increased flux of compounds, introduction of 

invasive species) and natural events and processes (e.g., hurricanes).

Much remains to be learned about the structure, function, and vulnerability of ecosystems, including factors controlling ecosystem stability and function; processes across 

the air-land-water interface, including the effects of human activities; linkages between 

ecosystem types (e.g., riverine and coastal, continental shelf and deep pelagic) and trophic 

levels; and the role of marine ecosystems in the ocean-Earth-atmosphere system that 

enables life in its myriad forms. Scientific understanding provides the foundation for 

effective management and governance that will help ensure the sustained vitality and 

diversity of marine ecosystems, as well as the social, economic, ecological, and humanhealth benefits society derives from them.
36

Research Priorities

Effective and adaptive ecosystem-based management will require a more complete 

understanding of the mechanisms governing ecosystems and an ability to accurately 

predict society’s effects on them. Expanding understanding of ecosystem structure, function, complexity, and stability will require investments in exploration, inventory, and novel 

methods to investigate ecosystem components and their interactions. Such investigations will be complemented by research in other societal themes, all of which are linked 

to marine ecosystem health. This improved understanding and predictive capability will 

enable effective evaluation of the success of management efforts (e.g., MPAs).

Research Priority 14: Understand and predict the impact of natural and 

anthropogenic processes on ecosystems.

The complex relationships that determine ecosystem structure and function vary spatially 

(e.g., local, regional, basin-wide, global) and temporally (e.g., seasonal, annual, decadal, 

centennial), and incorporate various feedback effects. Shifts in ecosystem structure can 

be induced by climate-ecosystem interactions (e.g., impacts from El Niño/La Niña, 

increases in ocean temperature, ocean acidification), human activities (e.g., watershed 

activities, sediment/nutrient/contaminant flux, resource extraction), and productivitydriven or predation-driven trophic mechanisms (e.g., invasive species). Understanding 

these relationships requires incorporating new and existing knowledge and observations 

at appropriate temporal and spatial scales to explore the full range of physical, chemical, 

biological, and ecological mechanisms that determine observed ecosystem structure, function, and variation. Improved ecosystem forecasting requires: (1) comprehensive analyses 

of natural and anthropogenic changes in physical, biological, and chemical properties and 

their individual and cumulative impacts on productivity and overall ecosystem health; 

(2) assessment of dispersal mechanisms for marine organisms; (3) development of nextgeneration trophic dynamics models, spanning multiple trophic levels; and (4) process 

studies and model development to assess impact (loss) and recovery responses to natural 

and anthropogenic stressors.
37

Research Priority 15: Apply understanding of natural and anthropogenic 

processes to develop socioeconomic assessments and models to evaluate 

the impact of multiple human uses on ecosystems.

Understanding human impacts on marine ecosystems, whether positive (restoration) or 

negative (degradation), will require integrating traditional ocean science with socioeconomic science. To determine and predict society’s total impact on marine ecosystems, 

social and economic factors (e.g., energy uses, coastal and watershed development, land 

use, water use, resource-use perception) that determine how society views and uses marine 

ecosystems must be assessed and modeled. Existing non-market values of ecosystem services and processes are often geographically and topically fragmented, rendering temporal 

and spatial analysis of non-market valuation difficult. Research efforts must include developing new methods to evaluate non-consumptive use of ecosystem services and characterizing the value society places on competing uses. To ensure sustainability of ecosystem 

goods and services, those methods must consider the rights of future generations and 

include discounting procedures for adjusting cost-benefit analyses over time.

Research Priority 16: Apply understanding of marine ecosystems to 

develop appropriate indicators and metrics for sustainable use and 

effective management.

A robust suite of indicators of ecosystem structure, function, productivity, and services 

must be evaluated and implemented at multiple scales (local, regional, basin-wide). These 

indicators will help assess factors that stress and degrade ecosystems (e.g., eutrophication and harmful algal blooms, loss of coastal wetlands, shoreline development, overuse 

of harvested species, invasive species, introduction and cycling of contaminants, changes 

in biodiversity, ecosystem productivity or resilience). Additionally, indicators and metrics 

are needed to help monitor the restoration and recovery of degraded ecosystems. Input 

from a range of scientific disciplines is needed to identify such indicators or develop them 

where existing indicators are insufficient or gaps are identified. Metrics and indicators 

must evolve based on new scientific understanding and management needs and goals. 

Such metrics and indicators, evaluated through integrated ecosystem assessments, will 

provide feedback for assessing management efficacy and a basis for incorporating new 

information and understanding to adapt and improve management practices.
38

Necessary Tools

These ambitious but essential research priorities depend on the continued development 

and implementation of ocean-observing capabilities for assessing physical, chemical, and 

biological properties of marine ecosystems at appropriate temporal and spatial scales, as 

well as for assessing human impact on key ecosystem properties, such as productivity, 

diversity, and resilience. Effective observing capabilities must provide essential data on 

ecosystem types, ranging from terrestrial watersheds, to productive coastal and continental 

shelf regions, to the deep, pelagic realms. The information gathered will support essential 

ecosystem-related analyses and provide necessary input into effective, reliable ecosystem 

models. Collection of such data will require extensive infrastructure, including research 

vessels, automated buoys, and autonomous vehicles for short- and long-term sampling of 

water-column properties; satellite-based assessment of surface characteristics (e.g., temperature, biogeochemical properties, surface currents, wave heights); in situ observatories 

in the ocean, on the seafloor, and across the land-water interface; shore-based facilities for 

sample analysis, experimental manipulation, and observing-system maintenance; and a 

range of survey (e.g., mapping) capabilities. Improvements in information technology and 

infrastructure also will be essential to ensure that data assimilation, analysis, and modeling 

tools are available accommodate and enable the integration of ecosystem and socioeconomic data.

Ensuring an effective and adaptive ecosystem-based research and management 

approach requires an investment not only in technology and infrastructure, but also in 

the education systems that produce the scientists and managers needed to implement 

this approach. Research efforts also require a diverse workforce knowledgeable in natural 

aquatic and terrestrial sciences (e.g., biogeochemistry, taxonomy, systematics26) and social 

sciences (e.g., sociology, economics), as well as individuals trained in transforming data 

into information products for end users.
39

The ocean can be a source of health hazards. Understanding the causes of health hazards 

and how they can be mitigated or managed will lead to fewer illnesses from contaminated 

seafood, polluted waters, known and emerging disease-causing microbes, and harmful 

6

algal blooms (HABs). In the next decade, efforts to enhance human health will focus on 

the cause, prevention, and treatment of disease. The ocean also holds abundant resources 

that convey a variety of health benefits to humans. Exploration of new habitats, combined 

with emerging biochemical and biotechnical techniques, will promote discovery and 

development of bioproducts that promote human health.

Theme 6: Enhancing 

 Human Health

Yondelis® (trabectedin, ET-743) was originally derived from the 

mangrove tunicate Ecteinascidia turbinata, which occurs throughout subtropical mangrove and sand-flat habitats in Florida, the 

Caribbean, and Mediterranean. It is now produced synthetically and is being developed by PharmaMar in partnership with 

Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceutical Research & Development 

(J&JPRD) for the treatment of soft-tissue sarcomas and ovarian 

cancer. Photo credit: Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution.

Microsystis bloom, August 2003 as seen 

in Landsat 7 photo of western Lake Erie. 

From Backer, L.C. and D.J. McGillicuddy. 

2006. Oceanography 19(2), Figure 8 by 

OhioView/T. Bridgeman
40

Rationale

Waters from the open ocean, coasts, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes present health 

risks to people through the consumption of contaminated seafood or drinking water 

(containing pathogens, toxins, or current or emerging contaminants); direct contact 

through recreation, work, and weather events; and indirect contact such as breathing salt air that may contain algal toxin aerosols. Illnesses due to the consumption of 

contaminated shellfish and finfish are estimated to affect hundreds to thousands of people 

per year27. However, these figures are uncertain due to major gaps that exist in illness 

reporting and epidemiological knowledge of seafood-caused28 human illnesses29. Given 

the number and diversity of marine organisms and associated pathogens, the ocean should 

not be overlooked as a potential reservoir of pathogenic threats to humans30. Isolating the 

causes and impacts of these hazards will help protect human health and safeguard the 

quality of the seafood supply.

In addition to providing a wealth of known resources such as food, the ocean is full of 

potential human-health assets. In recent decades, scientists have discovered whole new 

ecological communities in the ocean with unique biochemical systems, such as those 

associated with thermal vents and hydrocarbon seeps. These communities, along with 

ones yet to be discovered, hold huge possibilities for development of products to improve 

human health and well-being. Prior discoveries that now have practical applications 

include pharmaceuticals (i.e., anti-cancer drugs), diagnostics (i.e., endotoxin detection), 

molecular probes (used in biochemical process/disease research), and nutrients (e.g., xanthophyll feed additives derived from algae)31.
41

Research Priorities

The ocean community faces many challenges in addressing the relationship between the 

ocean and human health. Adequate process studies and assessments, monitoring, and data 

sharing and interpretation are needed to determine sources of human health risks, assess 

and predict risks to human health from those sources, and support the needs of a wide 

variety of end users. Expanded exploration and investigation of the ocean environment 

will contribute to our current understanding of the potential benefits from the ocean. 

These efforts also strongly interface with initiatives to improve ecosystem health and 

understand ecosystem processes, impacts of climate change, and effects of natural hazards.

Research Priority 17: Understand sources and processes contributing to 

ocean-related risks to human health.

Investigations into ocean-related risks should target ocean ecosystems and processes that 

impact human health. The introduction (e.g., runoff, atmospheric deposition), cycling 

(sediment, water column, atmospheric), and effect (chronic and acute) of current and 

emerging pathogens, toxins, and contaminants (e.g., mercury, flame retardants, endocrine 

disruptors, hydrocarbons) must be evaluated in coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes environments. Assessments of food webs can help determine the fate of these compounds (e.g., 

bioaccumulation, biotransformation, biomagnification), which can impact human health. 

Coastal and watershed processes and mechanisms that stimulate and sustain HABs must 

also be ascertained. Given current climate trends, the influence of climate change and 

variability on water-borne diseases (e.g., cholera) must be determined. Identifying, developing, and implementing new and improved sensors, rapid assays, models, and methods 

will enable assessment, monitoring and prediction of a variety of human health risks, such 

as HAB onset, extent, and duration; infectious disease potential (including microbes that 

can cross from animal to humans); and pollutant source and loading. These new sensors 

and methods will also provide crucial information related to the health of marine wildlife 

populations. The resulting improved understanding will enable development of mitigation strategies and technologies, such as stormwater-runoff and wastewater-discharge 

controls, and new approaches to minimize health-related impacts of hurricanes and 

other natural hazards.
42

Research Priority 18: Understand human health risks associated with the 

ocean and the potential benefits of ocean resources to human health.

While many ocean-based benefits and risks to human health are known, most are poorly 

understood and their direct health effects on humans are inadequately documented32.

Benefits to humans associated with consumption of seafood (e.g., improved cardiovascular health, cognition) should be better characterized. Investigations should also quantify 

risks and impacts of exposure to health hazards (e.g., contaminants, pathogens, and toxins) via various pathways, including skin contact, respiration (e.g., inhalation of airborne 

materials), and consumption of food or water and determine the incidence and severity 

of human illnesses. Efforts to quantify risks and benefits require improving assessment 

methodologies and enhancing the accuracy and sophistication of epidemiological studies. Initial epidemiological studies focusing on risks should be directed towards those 

human populations expected to be most at risk (e.g., children, pregnant women, individuals with compromised respiratory or immune systems, people who spend a large amount 

of time on or in the ocean, coasts and Great Lakes—such as commercial, recreational, or 

subsistence fishers) and on diseases in ocean species that may serve as sentinels for new 

or ongoing threats. Ocean data and modeling should be integrated with assessments and 

epidemiologic studies to define exposures and focus risk assessments.

Research Priority 19: Understand how human use and valuation of ocean 

resources can be affected by ocean-borne human health threats and how 

human activities can influence these threats.

Coastal and Great Lakes environments are highly attractive places for recreation and they 

play major roles the nation’s culture and economic vitality. However, the use and value 

of these environments and their resources may be significantly impacted by ocean-borne 

threats. These impacts include, but are not limited to, beach closures, constrained resource 

use (e.g., fishery and shellfish harvest area closures), and reduced marine operations and 

recreation due to contamination by pathogens, toxins, or pollutants, and other humanhealth threats (real and perceived). Human activities, such as coastal development, contribute to the onset and persistence of many of these human health threats. Understanding and predicting the relationship between social and economic drivers (e.g., shoreline 

development, tourism, recreational and subsistence fishing) and human-health threats 

will require integrating socioeconomic data and investigations with ecosystem-based 

studies of health threats at appropriate temporal and spatial scales. The integration of 

information from natural and social sciences will, in turn, help support management and 

mitigation efforts.
43

Research Priority 20: Apply understanding of ocean ecosystems and 

biodiversity to develop products and biological models to enhance 

human well-being.

The intricacies and biodiversity of ocean ecosystems provide unparalleled opportunities 

for discovery and development of useful materials. Collaborative research efforts incorporating multiple disciplines (e.g., evolution, ecology, genomics, pharmacology) should focus 

on expanded exploration (conducted with care to prevent transfer or introduction of wildlife diseases or invasive species), assessment (e.g., genomics, advanced non-culture based 

methods), and development (e.g., biosynthesis) of ocean bioproducts (e.g., pharmaceuticals, nutrients, diagnostic tools, reagents, enzymes). Research efforts should also include 

developing the capability to use marine species as mechanistic models for the study of 

diseases, toxicology, and biochemical processes relevant to human health; and identifying 

and using appropriate sentinel species (e.g., aquatic, avian) and habitats that may serve as 

early-warning systems of potential ocean risks to humans.
44

Necessary Tools

A system is needed to record illness data due to pathogens, biotoxins, and chemical pollutants. Integral to this system is expanded environmental monitoring and infrastructure. 

Such a system would require collection of human and animal health data and relevant 

environmental data (via remote, moored, and mobile platforms and sensors as part of an 

integrated ocean-observing system), coupled with new data integration and interpretation 

capabilities, and rapid data-communication plans. Once in place, the system could serve 

to monitor and predict ocean conditions that place people and other animals at risk or 

that may be favorable to human health.

Sensors capable of detecting biological and chemical parameters, such as microbial 

species and densities, and toxin and contaminant identifications and concentrations 

must be enhanced or developed. Remote sensing of ecological changes and real-time, 

high-frequency (temporal and spatial), in situ monitoring combined with modeling 

efforts (statistical-empirical and mechanistic) are necessary to inform understanding of 

ecosystems and to track and predict outbreaks and other impacts. Designing advanced 

sensors for hostile and extreme environments will enable more extensive ocean exploration. Developing, enhancing, and applying new methods and tools at shore-based marine 

laboratories and other facilities with specialized instrumentation (e.g., for large-scale 

gene sequencing) and computational resources in areas such as genomics, proteomics, 

and bioinformatics will expand surveying and screening capabilities. Improved coordination of federal and state data systems is needed for toxic algal-bloom monitoring, 

pathogen-source tracking, marine-disease surveillance, and medical-illness reporting, 

and in the design and development of a national database of monitoring and screening methodologies.

Many of the research efforts require interaction between oceanography and other 

disciplines, such as biomedicine and public health, to provide a broader understanding of the issues and to communicate the results of this research to support effective 

decision-making. 
45

Developing the Tools

To address key ocean-related societal issues and to apply existing understanding to support meaningful decision-making requires development and implementation of a broad 

infrastructure. Each societal theme outlines the tools needed to address the respective 

research priorities, such as vessel time and new ship-based technologies (Stewardship of 

Natural and Cultural Ocean Resources, Improving Ecosystem Health), shore-based facilities with specialized instrumentation (Enhancing Human Health), and reactive deployment capabilities (Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards), all of which are critical 

to pursing the research priorities. Several key infrastructure needs were common across 

many themes and are described below.

Observing Systems

The need to acquire, manipulate, analyze, and deliver requisite information about the 

ocean calls for development of an integrated ocean-observing system that includes 

coupled observational and research components. This system will consist of existing 

capabilities (e.g., established in situ networks, current and planned satellite missions) 

that will be continually integrated with future systems (e.g., seafloor networks, regional 

observing systems). Covering a diverse suite of spatial (coastal watersheds to polar seas) 

and temporal (microseconds to decades) regimes, an integrated ocean-observing system 

will provide data (in real time or near real time) to address a broad spectrum of societal 

Opportunities

for Progress
46

and ecological issues, including human-dimension processes; build the foundation for 

advancing basic understanding of open ocean, coastal, coastal watershed, and Great Lakes 

processes; and revolutionize scientific and public access to the ocean. An integrated system represents an ambitious effort of the national and global ocean community to establish and maintain a robust, adaptive, continuous presence in the ocean and provide critical 

information and models to users and stakeholders. Given the interconnected nature of 

land-sea-air systems, an integrated ocean-observing system should be capable of interfacing with current and future terrestrial, aquatic, and atmospheric observing systems and 

be closely coordinated with the Global Ocean Observing System, as part of the Global 

Earth Observing System of Systems (GEOSS)33. Several key steps must be taken to fully 

implement the system:

• Fully integrate existing (e.g., buoy networks) and future (e.g., surface-water-quality 

monitoring networks) components of a national observing system (“national 

backbone”) to provide nationwide coverage of the most commonly required 

ocean parameters.

• Expand regional and local coastal observing-system capabilities (fixed and mobile) to 

provide greater density and diversity of observations on a regional basis, and address 

region-specific observational needs, such as watershed-specific monitoring and landwater fluxes.

• Maintain continuity of existing satellite missions and incorporate new remotesensing capabilities into future missions. Integral to this effort is the need for continued sensor development, validation, and calibration that will ensure delivery of 

functional data to users.

• Incorporate new and existing biological, chemical, physical, and geological measurements into the observing system, and expand sensor development for biological, 

chemical, and physical parameters.

• Implement data-management and communications plans that will modernize existing data systems. Integrate current and future systems by promoting interoperability 

among system components; developing metadata standards; integrating new components; and enabling data discovery, availability, use, and archiving of the data streams 

collected by the observing system and other observing assets (e.g., vessels).

• Integrate the data needs for decision-support tools into the development of observational and information systems and models.
47

Models

Combining existing data sets with scientific and social theory and modeling will enhance 

understanding and address user needs by providing a window on past conditions, permitting an assessment of present conditions, and enabling predictions of future conditions. Models may be developed for several reasons, including exploring the relationships among physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic variables; hindcasting

previous conditions in an area; and forecasting the impacts of environmental change or 

management practices.

Models can comprise a certain configuration, including parameters, domain, and 

boundary conditions. The term model can also be used to describe a modeling system, 

which incorporates an array of algorithms (a set of sequenced, computational instructions) 

from which the most appropriate combination can be selected for a particular application. The discussion of models throughout the societal themes incorporates both model 

configurations as well as modeling systems.

Key elements to enable modeling efforts nationwide:

• Expand translation of data and insight derived from ocean research and observations 

to improve representation of this information in models.

• Develop new application-specific model configurations where necessary.

• Consolidate existing modeling capabilities into a flexible and comprehensive unified 

ocean-modeling software environment, building on the diverse existing community 

and developmental ocean models.

• Improve model analysis and capabilities through model diagnostics and intercomparison activities.

• Conduct systematic best-practice studies to develop guidance in the selection of 

optimal algorithms and techniques for particular modeling applications.

• Expand development of high-resolution, global ocean model configurations for 

use in real-time, short-term forecasts out to days or months, reanalysis of historical 

ocean state, and multi-century climate forecasts.

• Expand current computational capacity to assimilate increasing amounts of data 

provided by ocean-observing assets and to support and process model advancements 

incorporating increased process and mechanistic understanding.

To ensure the effective use of model output, developers and users must address several 

issues, including how the temporal and spatial scales of the input data compare to the 

outputs and products, how uncertainty in data sets and model calculations is propagated, 

and how the models are intended to be and are actually used.
48

Making a Difference

Information To Support Decision-Making

Scientific results must be actively translated into readily understandable information and made available to the public, and their trustees and elected representatives. 

Information from managers and decision-makers will, in turn, help develop and 

inform research efforts.

Develop mechanisms to further integrate research results into adaptive 

management efforts.

Effective resource management must include mechanisms to design, evaluate, and modify 

management approaches. Science-based management decisions require a close coupling 

of problem formulation and data collection. A two-way interface connecting research 

results and management efforts will support more rigorous adaptive management, where 

management efforts are designed and can be modified based on empirical evidence of 

system response. This interface between researchers and decision-makers, enabled through 

extension programs and technical training, will allow managers to acquire the information they need, and researchers to help focus research to priority areas identified by 

resource managers.

Establish dedicated mechanisms to translate research results into readily 

used products.

To enhance communication among sectors (e.g., researchers and resource managers) and 

enable translation of results into readily used information products, communication strategies must be investigated, developed, and enacted. Part of these communication efforts 

may include the development of professional communicators to assist researchers and end 

users in developing more accessible, derivative products. These professional communicators would be cognizant of both scientific objectives and management goals. Communicators can also help groups exchange information, including research needs and research 

results, and enhance communication among disparate sectors.
49

Foster mechanisms to transition developing technologies into 

operational capabilities.

Many of the research priorities outlined in this document require new sensors, platforms, 

data-management technologies, and models. However, there is often a gap between the 

development of these capabilities and their use as robust components of integrated systems. Fostering communication among agencies, researchers, engineers, and end users will 

support efforts to overcome technical barriers and promote effective development, implementation, and use of these technologies.

Establishing An Ocean-Literate Nation

The goal of ocean education is a nation whose citizens are good stewards of the ocean 

and who possess the knowledge to make informed decisions about their interactions 

with it. This goal can only be attained through improved education efforts for the entire 

spectrum of ages (“K–gray”) through formal and informal education—to ensure ocean 

literacy for the general public, development of a well-trained workforce, and more 

effective communication.

Ocean research provides the information needed to develop education, communication, 

and management materials that are based on sound science. Ocean-research activities 

also provide a training ground for a range of ocean professionals, an aspect of the research 

enterprise that is particularly important as ocean science incorporates other fields, such as 

medicine and social sciences. Efforts to enhance ocean literacy will support and, in turn, 

be supported by efforts to promote fundamental math and science skills. Coordinated and 

sustained education and training efforts for diverse groups, from government agencies and 

the academic community, to school systems and scientific societies, will promote a knowledgeable, ocean-literate public and a larger and well-prepared workforce. These efforts will 

help retain U.S leadership in science and technology.

Expand and sustain formal and informal education efforts

Currently, ocean science is rarely included in formal education settings. Assessing current ocean-based curricula and then developing well-focused, ocean-related materials will 

help incorporate ocean science into K–12 curricula, in coordination with ongoing national 

science education efforts. Ocean science is an ideal mechanism to convey fundamental 

scientific concepts and mathematical skills. Providing professional-development opportunities for teachers (“educating the educators”) and expanding and acknowledging the role 

of scientists, managers, and policy-makers in education and outreach efforts are additional 

key steps in expanding ocean science in formal education settings.
50

Incorporation of education goals will add value to research efforts. Integrating oceanobserving data and information product into K–12 classrooms will help realize the full 

potential of the observing systems and provide real-world application to the learning 

environment. Strategies for using these data need to be coordinated at a national level.

Aquaria, museums, marine laboratories, science centers, zoos, and other informaleducation centers welcome over 142 million visitors a year and play a major role in educating the public about the ocean34. Media outlets, such as newscasts, television specials, 

movies, magazines, and online portals, provide necessary information, such as hazard 

warnings, and provide a window into the world of ocean-science exploration and discovery. Citizen science initiatives can also serve to engage citizens with the ocean while promoting ocean research and monitoring efforts. Expanding and supporting these forums 

for lifelong learning will enable the transfer of understanding about the ocean from the 

research community to the general public.

Advancements in formal and informal education must be accompanied by efforts to 

address and capitalize on differences in culture, geography, language, and values to reach 

a diverse audience. These efforts should include strategies to recruit and retain students 

from all population segments.

Expand intellectual capacity

The diversity of technical and research requirements presented in this document illustrates the need for a well-trained workforce, including individuals with disciplinary (e.g., 

biology, chemistry, geology, physics), interdisciplinary (e.g., biogeochemistry, aquatic, and 

terrestrial sciences), and inter-community (i.e., connecting oceanography, biomedicine, 

engineering, economics, information technology, public health, community planning) 

training. This need is particularly evident as ocean science expands from having singlediscipline foci to addressing topics that transcend natural sciences and incorporate social 

and economic sciences. The workforce necessary to use the research results outlined in 

this document must include individuals who are well versed in scientific discovery and 

understanding, and who possess the means to effectively communicate research results 

to inform management decisions and policy development. Developing this workforce 

requires new models by which students are trained and evaluated that recognize the 

value of interdisciplinary work. Individuals trained in research must also be educated in 

policy, regulation, and resource management to better understand and address user needs, 

where appropriate.
51

The Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology ( JSOST) developed 

four near-term (2–5 years) priorities, each with equal weight, to focus initial research 

efforts. However, these efforts do not preclude other activities towards all 20, longerterm (7–10 years) research priorities. These near-term priorities, which reflect multiple 

aspects of the national research priorities and the critical tools needed to address them, 

were selected from a larger suite of efforts using the criteria outlined in Identifying 

Ocean Priorities, with an added focus on impact (i.e., the value of the work), urgency 

(i.e., the need for a concentrated effort over the next two to five years), and partnerships 

(i.e., the effort will maximize collaborations among agencies and external partnerships). 

The primary societal themes from which the near-term priorities were developed are 

highlighted in the individual discussions.

Near-Term Priorities
52

1

Forecasting the Response 

of Coastal Ecosystems to 

Persistent Forcing35 and 

 Extreme Events

Coastal ecosystems are subject to a variety of forcings, ranging from extreme events 

(Increasing Resilience to Natural Hazards), to human activities (Improving Ecosystem 

Health), to changing ocean conditions (The Ocean’s Role in Climate). Understanding 

the response of natural and constructed landscapes and ecosystems (e.g., algal blooms, 

hypoxia, coral-reef bleaching, decline in sea ice) to these forcings; forecasting the frequency, intensity, and impact of those forcings; and providing tools to develop policy and 

management responses are integral to constructing more resilient structures and communities, and protecting the natural environment. Research and observations will focus on 

establishing the basis for both short-term forecasts and long-term, probabilistic assessments of coastal vulnerability to extreme events, persistent natural processes, and human 

influences across the coastal zone. This effort will enhance regional observing systems and 

models, integrate substantial existing observations, and incorporate new observations to 

address critical regional data gaps. Data and information products will be made widely 

available to diverse end users through a national ocean-observing capability. Results from 

this effort will inform hazard mitigation and response plans, provide forecasting data to 

support navigation safety, and assist regional resource managers and public health officials 

in sustaining ecosystem and public health, and promoting hazard resilience.

Observations of physical characteristics and processes, including material inputs from 

adjacent watersheds and contributing airsheds, ocean influences on hurricane intensification, and characterization of submerged and coastal landscapes, will be integrated to 

support data-assimilative modeling of, for example, water quality, nutrient, sediment, and 

contaminant transport; waves and water levels; and the coastal response to hurricane processes. Biological observations, including new DNA-based techniques, will enable development of coupled physical and biological models of ecosystem-level response to various 

stressors. Coupled research, observations, and model development might focus on identification, quantification, and transport of pathogenic microbes and various species of harmful 

algae, and lead to robust, timely forecasts of human-health threats and natural-resource 

impacts. Additionally, linking environmental-quality data with public-health surveillance 

activities will support modeling and prediction of the geographic expansion of potential 

health risks from hurricanes and specific waterborne vectors, toxins, and pathogens.
53

Storm surge data posted 

by the National Hurricane 

Center at 9:20 AM CDT

8/28/05 provided critical 

data on the potential impacts of Hurricane Katrina. 

Graphic credit: NOAA

This effort will build upon extensive existing data sets, surveillance, observational, and 

modeling capabilities; promote the transition of models from research tools to operational 

applications; and support the establishment and linkage of regional and national oceanwater-quality data networks. Decision-support models will inform prevention strategies, 

rescue and recovery operations, spill tracking, safe maritime navigation, water-quality 

forecasting, and resource assessment and management, taking into account the vulnerability of ecosystems as well as their capacity for mitigating harmful impacts. Focus areas 

for implementation will be identified to build upon existing assets where integration and 

enhancement provide the greatest opportunity to impact public safety and public, economic, and environmental health.
54

2

 Comparative Analysis 

of Marine Ecosystem Organization

Forecasting marine-ecosystem responses to management strategies requires an 

understanding of the complex dynamics that control and regulate ecosystem processes 

(Improving Ecosystem Health, Stewardship of Natural and Cultural Ocean Resources). 

Management of marine ecosystems can be improved by elucidating the underlying 

dynamics of these systems at a variety of scales. This effort will provide a greater basic 

understanding of ecosystem processes and practical tools for evaluating the effectiveness 

of local and regional adaptive ecosystem-based management efforts.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) 

off the Northeast United States. 

Dark blue areas are closed 

to certain fishing techniques 

year-round, while other regions 

are closed in certain months. 

Graphic credit: NOAA
55

Ecosystem-based approaches emphasize interactions among components and the 

impacts that various human activities have on productivity and organization. Forecasting these impacts requires understanding complex dynamics controlling: (1) productivity of various trophic levels, (2) predator-prey interactions, (3) connectedness of subpopulations, (4) impacts of natural climate variation, and (5) anthropogenic pressures. 

Because classical controlled experimentation provides limited information on the complex dynamics of marine ecosystems, two types of analyses will be undertaken. The first 

approach will construct and apply various classes of energy-budget and dynamic models 

to managed marine ecosystems to enable greater understanding of the impacts of human 

activities by contrasting biomass changes according to trophic level. The second approach 

will compare systems where marine managed areas have been enacted to conserve species and ecosystems36. Such comparisons will include before and after area designation 

contrasts where sufficient data are available, and inside versus outside comparisons for 

established managed ecosystems. Mapping efforts will include ecosystem-scale characterization, design of interpretive products, and provision of tools to assimilate and disseminate geospatial information in support of research, observations, modeling, forecasting 

and management decision support.

Candidate ecosystem types for inclusion in this study may include the sub-Arctic, continental shelves, coral reefs, and estuaries. Analyses of these ecosystems will focus on how 

feedbacks influence ecosystem productivity, biodiversity, and conservation of managed 

species through comparisons using consistent modeling frameworks. Evaluation of the 

effects of management efforts will involve assimilation and synthesis of existing biological 

information by trophic level, linkages to higher levels, and impacts on human-use patterns 

(e.g., displacement of human activities from marine protected areas and their socioeconomic effects). These efforts will help ensure that effective ecosystem-based management 

strategies are based on sound scientific understanding.
56

Camera

(top)

Video &

Environmental

Data Acquisition

Computer

(bottom)

Flight

Control

Computer

Imaged

Volume

Tow Bridle

rotates on a

Universal Joint

TOP VIEW

(drawn

transparent

for clarity)

SIDE VIEW

Altimeter

Light

Sensor Strobe

Fluorometer Flow

Meter

Optical

Backscatter

Sensor

3

Sensors for

 Marine Ecosystems

Advances in ocean sciences have been made possible by technological innovation. 

The development of new sensor capabilities, integral to many of the research priorities, will help realize the full potential of in situ observing networks and satellite-based 

observations (Developing the Tools) and enhance understanding of marine ecosystems 

(Improving Ecosystem Health, Enhancing Human Health). Currently, significant limitations exist in observational capabilities and associated methodologies. Advancements in 

sensor capabilities can revolutionize understanding of the ocean environment by providing information at temporal and spatial scales not currently available.

Video plankton recorders 

(VPR) and other advanced 

biosensors can be used to 

provide rapid and synoptic 

data on biological phenomena (such as copepod 

abundance on Georges 

Bank). Graphic credit: Jayne 

Doucette, Woods Hole 

Oceanographic Institution
57

Immediate improvements can be made to in situ instrumentation in eco-genomics, 

to interdisciplinary ocean observing, and to sensors in support of satellite-derived ocean 

color (used to estimate biological [phytoplankton] and biogeochemical [carbon] materials in surface waters) and new biological and biogeochemical observations. Creation of a 

common library of genetic “barcodes” is a critical step in the development of fast, economical genetic screening procedures to identify marine organisms. Such procedures will 

help reveal basic ocean processes controlling biodiversity and productivity, such as the 

distribution and abundance of harmful algae and pathogens. Advancing novel capabilities 

and moving high-impact/high-utility sensors from research to broad operational use will 

allow for physical sensors capable of providing a better understanding of ocean transport 

and fluid velocity, and chemical sensors that can reliably detect toxins and ecologically 

important nutrients. Enhancing in-water instrumentation used in ground-truth exercises 

will improve the quality and usefulness of ocean-color data provided by satellites, and will 

aid in the development of new space-based, ocean biological and biogeochemical measurements. Improving ground-truth and in situ observations will significantly advance 

understanding of—and ability to model—ocean systems (ecology, biology, carbon) and 

their role in the Earth system, as well as the potential impact of human activities. Parallel 

advances in power-supply technologies and data transfer must also occur to ensure in situ

sensor operation in a variety of environments and within a variety of networks. Advancing sensor capabilities will enable new, multiscale observations that provide information 

needed to better define marine resource management options, help understand processes 

that influence ecosystem health, serve as the basis for forecasting ocean-related risks to 

human health and safety, and shed light on the impact of climate variability and change 

on the ocean, marine life, and humans. Expanding sensor capabilities will build on existing mechanisms of support (e.g., agency programmatic priorities) and coordination (e.g., 

public-private partnerships), and development efforts (e.g., laboratory-based prototypes, 

expanded capability of existing satellite sensors).
58

4

Assessing Meridional 

Overturning Circulation Variability: 

 Implications for Rapid Climate Change

The ocean plays a critical role in global climate. Thus, incorporating ocean observations 

and understanding into an integrated, Earth-system-analysis capability is needed to assess 

the current state of the climate system. Specifically, the Atlantic Ocean MOC, an element 

of the global-scale ocean circulation responsible for long-term climate variations, has 

also been identified as a key process related to rapid or even abrupt climate change (i.e., 

changes over a few years to a few decades) (The Ocean’s Role in Climate). Rapid changes 

the MOC could have a profound effect on European and global weather patterns and 

ecosystems in the Atlantic Ocean.

Assessing the potential for future abrupt climate changes and developing the capability to predict their occurrence will require a national program that incorporates: (1) ocean 

observations, including in situ instruments (e.g., currents, temperature, carbon), satellites 

(e.g., sea surface height, surface vector winds), and ocean data computational and assimilation capabilities to provide routine, basin-scale analyses; (2) now-casting (an assessment 

of current conditions); (3) model development for decadal forecasting; (4) past climatechange reconstructions; and (5) climate-impact assessments. Ongoing national and 

international observing efforts and process studies aimed at improving climate and ocean 

general circulation models provide the foundation upon which to expand the understanding, observation, and prediction of the MOC and its impacts. New research on the MOC 

will build on the legacy of seasonal-to-interannual climate prediction systems developed 

since the 1980s based on Pacific and Atlantic tropical ocean variability. Establishing the 

basis for a long-term monitoring system for the MOC over the next two to five years will 

provide the observational data needed to challenge and improve climate models, and to 

more accurately establish the true variability of the MOC and its effects.
59

Pathways of the overturning 

circulation in the Atlantic 

Ocean that represent the 

large-scale conversion of 

surface waters (red arrows) 

to deep waters (blue arrows) 

that have global impacts. The 

Atlantic overturning circulation has many complex and 

interacting parts (e.g. rings, 

interbasin exchanges), but 

the most important aspect is 

the large heat it carries and 

its apparent sensitivity to the 

hydrological cycle and climate 

change. Graphic credit: NOAA
60

 Implementation 

Strategy

Addressing the national ocean research priorities requires a nationwide effort. The 

involvement of end users of scientific information, including resource managers, public 

policy-makers, and individual citizens, will enhance the impact and value of research 

efforts. Given the significant investment state and local entities make in collecting and 

disseminating environmental data and supporting research, and the emerging role of 

private foundations in supporting ocean science, federal efforts represent a key, but not 

exclusive, element of the national research effort. A well-planned and robust federal effort 

will provide leadership, focused initiatives, and resources against which non-federal efforts 

can be better leveraged.

The implementation strategy described in this section is a set of operational principles 

and conceptual guidelines developed by the federal agencies (the JSOST) to address the 

national ocean research priorities. This section lays out the characteristics of implementation, the roles of various sectors, mechanisms for collaboration, the need for an infrastructure assessment, mechanisms for research translation, strategies for assessment and 

evaluation, and mechanisms for budget and plan updates. No one group or sector, including the federal agencies, is expected to address the priorities (near- and long-term) alone; 

thus, the efforts will reflect differing levels of investment from different sectors, depending on agency missions and sector interests and needs.

This section provides direction to ensure the ocean research priorities are successfully 

addressed; as such, it outlines an implementation strategy, not a detailed implementation 

plan. This section does not stipulate specific federal-agency actions or budgets, provide 

timelines for activities, or mandate how other sectors should respond to the research priorities independent of federal collaboration. Those activities—by virtue of their dynamic 

nature—are best defined in specific program and project plans. This strategy also leaves 

open the possibility that dialogue with non-federal partners will play a role in shaping 

detailed implementation plans intended to address specific research priorities. Applying 

this implementation strategy will lay the foundation for the multi-tier and multi-sector 

collaboration that is needed to ensure the nation’s ability to make progress toward achieving the vision articulated by the USCOP and the Ocean Action Plan (OAP).
61

Implementation Characteristics

To successfully address both near- and long-term ocean research priorities, several implementation aspects must be considered.

Use of Existing Mechanisms

Many of the mechanisms required to address effectively the ocean research priorities 

currently exist (see Mechanisms for Collaboration). Capitalizing on appropriate existing 

mechanisms will streamline implementation by reducing redundant organizing efforts, 

helping develop and maintain collaboration among diverse parties, and helping ensure 

that the majority of available resources are dedicated to addressing the research priorities 

and realizing research results.

Partnerships

Partnerships among local, state, tribal, regional, federal, and international bodies, as well as 

academic institutions, nongovernmental organizations, and industry, are required to successfully develop, enhance, and expand current and future research projects in ocean science and technology. These partnerships will enable leveraging of limited resources across 

sectors, build user capacity, and promote connectivity among diverse groups and regions.

Merit-Based Peer Review

Independent peer review promotes rigorous, objective, and equal treatment of all proposals for addressing the ocean research priorities. Although this process may not apply with 

the same weight to all scientific pursuits, such as those in mission-oriented or operational 

agencies, the merit-based peer-review process enables investments in projects that couple 

the best ideas and the most capable members of the community.

Sustained Efforts Versus New Development

New initiatives and assets may be required to address gaps in knowledge or to take advantage of significant technological advances. However, many existing programs and infrastructure also address the research priorities. An appropriate balance of sustained existing 

efforts and new developments must be maintained for research efforts and the infrastructure that supports them.
62

National Priorities, Scaled Implementation

The development of ocean research priorities has focused a national effort on pursuing 

critical areas of ocean research necessary for the health and welfare of the nation. Successful efforts to address these priorities must account for differences in scales of the research 

efforts and research needs.

National implementation

Addressing certain research priorities requires national and/or federal effort. Many 

mechanisms to pursue this type of priority currently exist in the federal system and can 

be enhanced through the expanded agency collaboration under the Committee on Ocean 

Policy (COP) governance (see Mechanisms for Collaboration).

Regional, State, Tribal, and Local implementation

The national priorities outlined in this document need to be addressed at global to local 

scales and tailored to address differences among geographic regions, as well as different 

ocean uses, interactions, and phenomena within these areas.
63

Roles

The success of the effort to address the priorities described in this document requires the 

effective participation of not only federal agencies, but of numerous organizations and 

entities that exist in the United States and around the world.

Federal Agencies

Recognizing that no one group can fully address the ocean research priorities on its own, 

the role of the federal agencies is to provide the foundation of coordination, support, and 

resources to make progress on the priorities, consistent with the respective agency missions, and provide the impetus for collaboration among all sectors.

Local, Tribal, State, Regional Governance

Participation of governance entities at local, tribal, state, and regional levels will help 

ensure that efforts to address the national ocean research priorities are tailored to the 

needs of specific areas or groups, as appropriate. This focus can include the establishment 

of partnerships to address watershed or coastal issues affecting multiple states, such as 

accurate storm-surge and coastal-inundation forecasts. These governance entities also 

enable the effective use of results from nationally coordinated research efforts, such as 

hazards observations (e.g., hurricanes, tsunamis), by state and local agencies to advise the 

public and help mitigate impacts.

International Entities

International entities coordinate and implement global ocean research, management, and 

policy among the United States, other nations, and international groups. International 

entities also play a role in collaborating with the United States on all matters of regional 

oceanography (e.g., issues that cross national borders) and can influence research on 

natural hazards, ecological and human health, and fundamental processes affecting the 

Earth system.

Research Institutions

Research institutions provide a venue for scientific initiatives and collaborations among 

disciplines and sectors. These institutions can help enable close collaboration between 

researchers and stakeholders to better incorporate stakeholder issues into the research 

planning process, identify and coordinate synergistic research opportunities (e.g., shared 

data) among ongoing efforts, and identify and disseminate research findings to appropriate user groups.
64

Educational Institutions

Educational institutions communicate research results to the public and provide a foundation for informed discussion about society’s interaction with the ocean. Educational 

institutions, ranging from the public and private K–16 educational providers, to universities, to informal venues such as aquaria, also provide a foundation for educating future 

researchers, managers, decision-makers, and leaders to expand understanding of the 

marine environment and to ensure the safe, effective, and sustainable future use of ocean, 

coastal, and Great Lakes resources.

Private Sector

The private sector provides expertise, resources, products, and services; uses research results in establishing economic development opportunities; and facilitates the development 

of research infrastructure. Developing research strategies in conjunction with the private 

sector will help ensure that these strategies leverage private-sector expertise, capability, 

and resources.

Nongovernmental Organizations

Nongovernmental organizations, such as advocacy groups and philanthropic organizations, are critical links among communities, whether representing and communicating 

needs, distributing resources, acting as conduits for research to enhance ocean literacy, 

or serving as stewards for the ocean ecosystem. Engagement of these organizations in 

developing plans to address high-priority ocean research is essential to ensure that diverse 

sectors have the opportunity to communicate and engage with each other.
65

Global Environment

Policy Coordinating

Committee

Co-Chairs: NEC & NSC

Committee on

Ocean Policy (COP)

Chair: CEQ

Interagency Committee

on Ocean Science

and Resource Management

Integration (ICOSRMI)

Co-Chairs: CEQ and OSTP

NSTC Joint Subcommittee

on Ocean Science

and Technology (JSOST)

Co-Chairs: NOAA, NSF, and OSTP

Subcommittee on

Integrated Management of

Ocean Resources (SIMOR)

Co-Chairs: CEQ, DOI, EPA, and NOAA

Ocean Research and

Resources Advisory

Panel (ORRAP)—

Expanded ORAP

Mechanisms for Collaboration

Among Federal Agencies

Collaboration and coordination among federal agencies was expanded with the establishment of the new governance structure under the COP (Figure 2). This new structure, 

comprised of representatives from the 25 federal agencies with interests or activities in the 

ocean, includes several subgroups that allow the federal agencies to coordinate efforts on 

issues such as science and technology ( JSOST), resource management (Subcommittee on 

Integrated Management of Ocean Resources [SIMOR]), and international ocean issues 

(Ocean Sub-Policy Coordinating Committee [Oceans Sub-PCC]). Efforts within these 

groups are further defined along topical areas, including ocean education, partnerships, 

and observations. Other ocean-related interagency collaborations focus on topical or 

geographic areas (e.g., Committee on the Marine Transportation System, U.S. Coral Reef 

Task Force, Great Lakes Interagency Task Force) and can be accessed to facilitate efforts 

to address the ocean research priorities. The JSOST and SIMOR, under the integrating 

auspices of the Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management 

Integration (ICOSRMI), are leading the effort to coordinate federal-agency activities. 

These activities will include coordinating with other federal initiatives (e.g., U.S. CCSP, 

U.S. Group on Earth Observations), expanding interaction with other sectors, promoting 

collaborations among sectors, and advancing connections with regional initiatives.

Figure 2. COP 

governance structure.
66

Within Regions

Mechanisms for collaboration within geographic regions exist on the federal scale as 

well as on the regional, state, and local scale. These mechanisms include forums for 

interaction between federal agency representatives and state officials and resource managers (e.g., SIMOR Federal-State Science and Management Integration Task Team 

[FSSMITT], Coastal States Organization) on issues that have regional, state, or local 

relevance, such as the ocean research priorities.

Key mechanisms for collaboration will be derived from existing regional, state, tribal, 

and local entities, and where needed, new mechanisms may be established to address 

regional ocean and coastal issues. It is critical that collaboration mechanisms at all levels 

of government remain flexible enough to address specific needs at the appropriate scale. 

For example, regional consortia have been used to define a set of regional challenges, set 

regional research priorities based on regional needs and national research priorities, and 

develop and enact regional research implementation plans. Although no single regional 

structure can be applied to all cases, several existing or emerging organizations demonstrate key aspects to consider. The Sea Grant program encourages regional collaborations 

among diverse stakeholders through regional science planning efforts. The Chesapeake 

Bay Program is a watershed-based initiative designed to address ecosystem goals for the 

Chesapeake Bay and is supported by collaborations among local, state, and federal entities. Organizations oriented around ecosystem-based areas (e.g., Large Marine Ecosystems), such as Regional Fishery Management Councils (RFMCs) and Integrated Ocean 

Observing System (IOOS) Regional Associations, allow federal and regional interests 

to be represented and can help further ecosystem-based management. Still others are 

based on the common needs of groups of states, such as the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, the 

Northeast Regional Ocean Council, the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration, and the 

recent West Coast Governor’s Agreement on Ocean Health, which represent local and 

state interests, in current or future collaboration with federal partners.

By promoting regional efforts through the coordination of existing regional efforts or 

the development of new regional consortia, priorities critical to the stakeholders in those 

regions can be identified and addressed. To ensure productive regional-federal collaboration, the JSOST, SIMOR, and ICOSRMI will work to ensure effective collaboration 

between the federal agencies and these regional consortia. Research efforts will be coordinated through a liaison system in which federal agency personnel in each region will 

interface with regional groups.
67

With Other Sectors

Several mechanisms currently exist that facilitate interaction and partnerships among 

multiple sectors. These mechanisms include: formalized interagency activities designed 

to identify and fund efforts that demonstrate public-private partnerships in specified 

areas of interest (e.g., National Oceanographic Partnership Program proposal solicitation 

program, now under the auspices of the JSOST Interagency Working Group on Ocean 

Partnerships [IWG-OP]) or to pool capabilities, expertise, and information among 

sectors to address local problems (e.g., Coastal America); stakeholder focus groups and 

roundtables that bring together parties with vested interest in specific topics or activities 

(e.g., SIMOR stakeholder focus groups, industry roundtables); and governmental advisory 

groups (e.g., Ocean Research and Resource Advisory Panel [ORRAP]). Although many 

of these efforts are initiated at the federal level, they represent forums for discussion and 

interaction between different groups. The JSOST will actively support and use existing 

activities under its purview that promote collaborations across sectors and will coordinate with the SIMOR and ICOSRMI to integrate existing federal mechanisms into 

the COP structure.

With International Groups

By capitalizing on and expanding international efforts, such as international treaties, 

bilateral agreements, and international scientific forums, the nation can more effectively 

pursue global research efforts that extend outside its borders, both in terms of influence 

and impact. Expanding federal interaction with international groups, such as the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, the World Meteorological Organization, the 

International Maritime Organization, the International Hydrographic Organization, and 

the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will also promote effective two-way 

communication. The JSOST will coordinate with the Oceans Sub-PCC to further engage 

international ocean governance groups to promote international research efforts in support of the ocean research priorities.
68

With Resource Managers

Coordination between resource managers and ocean scientists will help ensure that the 

research needs for effective resource management are met and that the research results are 

applied by resource managers37. The ICOSRMI provides a venue to integrate ocean science and management at the federal level. The SIMOR, sister committee to the JSOST, 

is currently leading the federal effort to develop mechanisms for such scientist-resource 

manager coordination. One of these mechanisms is the establishment of task teams 

consisting of resource managers and researchers dedicated to improving two-way communication between these two communities (e.g., FSSMITT). Communication between 

resource managers and scientists can also occur as part of nationally sponsored regional 

outreach efforts (e.g., Sea Grant) and regional councils or groups (e.g., IOOS Regional 

Associations). Topical or region-oriented activities (e.g., National Dredging Team, 

coastal-zone conferences) or groups (e.g., RFMCs) can also be used to place new research 

results into the hands of resource managers, while providing a forum for resource managers to express their research needs and coordinate closely with the research community.

New Mechanisms For Collaboration

Although existing mechanisms for coordination should be used wherever possible, new 

mechanisms may be required to enable effective partnerships and collaboration. For areas 

where regional associations are not currently in place, the need for, and development of, 

a regional mechanism will be examined. Currently, there is no consistent and systematic 

set of coordinating mechanisms to develop broad-based regional research structures that 

would provide effective, ongoing regional implementation. The JSOST, working with the 

SIMOR, will guide a process leading to such a structure.

Additional new mechanisms for other sectors may include industry-university cooperative research centers that promote long-term partnerships among industry, academic 

institutions, and government, among others. The JSOST IWG-OP, working with its 

COP partners (e.g., other interagency working groups, JSOST, SIMOR), will identify 

areas that require new mechanisms for collaboration (e.g., technology development) and 

develop mechanisms appropriate for those sectors.
69

Infrastructure Needs

The priorities identified within each societal theme include some discussion of the tools 

critical to the success of the ocean research priorities. Additionally, elements common to 

many of the research priorities (e.g., ocean observing and models) are highlighted, along 

with a series of focused efforts necessary to achieve the full capabilities of these common 

elements. Central to effectively developing these necessary tools is an assessment of the 

many infrastructure and technology issues associated with the national ocean research 

priorities, such as a determination of current federal and national assets, recognizing that 

no one sector can fulfill all of the infrastructure needs. Development of this assessment 

will capitalize on the results of existing infrastructure assessments (e.g., fleet renewal 

plans) and projections of infrastructure enhancement or development (e.g., IOOS, Ocean 

Observing Initiative [OOI]).
70

Research Translation

Research translation—transforming research results into readily understandable and 

usable information, whether for decision-makers, resource managers, educators, or potential workforce participants—requires a common set of skills, currently embodied in many 

existing organizations. Building on existing mechanisms will be a critical component of 

moving research results into the broader community for use in education, management, 

and decision-making processes. Some organizations have begun to work together on 

topics such as ocean observing and workforce development, and provide a foundation for 

prototyping broader activities for research translation and expanding such activities.

Decision Support

Translating research results into decision-support and information products will arm 

resource managers and other decision-makers with the most accurate, research-based 

information possible. Mechanisms to do this translation already exist in some cases, 

and can be adapted and expanded. Federal entities, such as the National Oceanic and 

Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Services Center, currently assist the 

nation’s coastal-resource management and emergency-management communities by 

providing access to information, technology, and training, and by producing new tools 

and approaches that often are applied nationwide. State and local organizations, as well 

as regional councils and associations, can also serve to provide data, information, and 

products on marine and estuarine systems deemed necessary by user groups.

Future efforts related to decision support should consider a number of elements, many 

of which can be modified as needed and applied to education efforts. A good example of 

elements that should be considered for decision support is outlined in the Strategic Plan 

for the U.S. CCSP38. These elements are:

• Analyses structured around specific questions with consistent communications 

among all involved scientists and stakeholders addressing the questions

• Early and continuing involvement of, and feedback from, stakeholders, including resource managers, realizing that time and funding to attend workshops 

is severely limited

• Scientific syntheses and assessments that support informed discussion of ocean issues 

by decision-makers, stakeholders, the media, and the general public

• Adaptive management for resources and infrastructure

• Information resources that support adaptive management and planning and transfer 

these resources from research to application

• Methods (scenario evaluations, integrated analyses, alternative analytical approaches) 

that support policy-making
71

Research to Operations

Translating research capabilities to operational status is a critical concern for the ocean 

community, but its associated issues apply to science and industry across the board. Close 

collaboration with private-sector partners and identification of operational requirements 

is key to the success of transitioning research. Additionally, successful transitions will 

build on the tools and mechanisms of partnering (including with other research sectors 

outside of the ocean community), translation, and workforce development, outlined above.

Ocean Education

A variety of efforts exist to promote and support ocean education. Some entities connect 

ocean scientists with educators (e.g., Centers for Ocean Sciences Education Excellence). 

Others excel at introducing ocean-related concepts to the public (e.g., National Estuarine 

Research Reserve System), while still others focus on community-based outreach. The 

academic community is responsible for preparing a workforce with the interdisciplinary capabilities and intercommunity knowledge required to address the ocean research 

priorities. Coordination of education efforts at the local, state, and federal levels is key to 

establishing an ocean-literate nation.

Understanding how ocean science research and resource management communities 

can best contribute to improving formal education necessitates working in concert with 

the Academic Competitiveness Council, a federal group tasked to develop an inventory of federally funded science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) 

education programs and evaluate the effectiveness of these programs. The Interagency 

Working Group on Ocean Education, an entity under the auspices of the JSOST and 

SIMOR, provides the ideal forum in which to enhance ocean education in conjunction 

with broader national STEM efforts. These activities will also provide the foundation for 

a coordinated effort to develop and promote a comprehensive education message about 

the ocean and its role in the Earth system, and to enable the use of ocean-observing data 

for management and educational purposes. Such an effort would also help ensure that 

education-related translation efforts are more effective, that existing ocean science education networks and their ties to regional collaborations are strengthened, and that these 

individual activities are coordinated. 

Developing the intellectual capital to pursue the research priorities requires an assessment of the current technological and scientific (natural and social sciences) workforce to 

understand gaps, surpluses, and critical skills. This baseline assessment will help identify 

areas that need to be developed or enhanced to provide the necessary workforce, and provide guidance to universities and other educational institutions about how best to prepare 

students for current and future workforce demands. Efforts to develop and expand the 

ocean science workforce include expanding opportunities for obtaining graduate degrees 

and interdisciplinary training, including experience-based (“hands-on”) learning opportunities, developing professional certification programs, and creating competitive incentives 

to develop and establish training programs.
72

Assessment and Evaluation

Achieving the goals for each ocean research priority and ensuring that technology and 

infrastructure needs are met requires coordination among many research efforts. Thus, any 

regular assessment and evaluation of progress should have a performance-measurement 

structure that is comprehensive and reflective of multi-agency, multidisciplinary research 

efforts. The JSOST will consider both a large-scale evaluation of the effort as a whole as 

well as assessments of individual priority efforts.

Given the multi-agency scope of the ocean research priorities at the federal level, the 

JSOST intends to establish an umbrella mechanism for federal performance assessment 

of efforts to address the research priorities. Part of this mechanism will include evaluating 

the effectiveness of existing mechanisms for interagency and agency-sector (e.g., academia, resource management, nongovernmental organization, private sector) collaborative 

efforts. The performance-assessment structure in place for the multi-agency, multi-year 

U.S. CCSP is a useful reference for the development of this umbrella mechanism. The 

performance assessment will be reported to the ICOSRMI on an annual basis. Results 

of this assessment will also be used to guide the development of annual implementation activities. The external review that will occur as part of the five-year plan update 

(see Budget and Plan Update Mechanisms section) will also include an assessment of the 

effectiveness of the performance-assessment mechanism and an assessment of the success 

of the implementation.

The foundation of programmatic performance accountability at the federal level for the 

Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy will originate from the federal Government Performance and Results Act, which lays out clear guidelines for measuring program success. Milestones and metrics (qualitative and quantitative) that identify 

targets to be achieved and assess and determine outputs, outcomes, and impacts prior to 

specific implementation activities will be the centerpiece of an assessment and evaluation 

system. Performance goals for federal agencies should be consistent with the overarching 

goals of the individual priority as well as individual agency missions.
73

Budget and Plan

 Update Mechanisms

Many aspects of this implementation strategy will be useful for other sectors as they seek 

to implement the ocean research priorities. This section focuses specifically on federal 

budgetary aspects and federal actions to update the ocean research priorities.

Budget

Federal efforts to address the ocean research priorities should be considered during 

the development of the President’s budget, as these interagency efforts will greatly 

increase the effectiveness of federal activities when carried out in a coordinated and 

integrated fashion.

In consultation with the SIMOR and its partners and upon approval by the 

ICOSRMI, the JSOST shall produce a memorandum articulating the interagency priorities for the fiscal year (FY) under consideration to inform the annual federal budget 

process. The memorandum shall reference the specific interagency approaches to address 

the priorities, the nature of the programs to address each priority, and the partners to 

participate in efforts to address the priority. Cost estimates and funding options for the 

federal component of each effort will be determined separately for internal consideration. 

The memorandum shall be developed and forwarded to relevant federal departments 

and agencies approximately 22 months before the beginning of the fiscal year (e.g., the 

guidance memorandum for FY2010 will be released in January of 2008). The JSOST will 

work to incorporate their key recommendations in the joint Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP)-Office of Management and Budget (OMB) annual research and 

development memorandum. As the JSOST works to incorporate their key recommendations into the OSTP/OMB annual memorandum, the JSOST will also develop and 

implement a collaborative outreach effort to Congress, states, and stakeholders to advance 

the national ocean research priorities.
74

Plan Update

A successful effort to coordinate research nationwide must have adequate flexibility to 

address emerging challenges and to take advantage of opportunities provided by scientific 

and technological breakthroughs, while providing the context that comes from development of a long-term perspective.

The federal agencies, through the JSOST, will annually review the national ocean 

research priorities as part of the ongoing interagency planning and coordination activities 

undertaken by the COP groups. This annual review of the ocean research priorities will 

include the near-term implementation steps for the COP groups to address the priorities (both near-term and long-term). Near-term priorities (2–5 years) will be refreshed 

approximately every five years. On an intermediate frequency (~ 3 years), the JSOST (in 

cooperation with the SIMOR) will hold “consultation” workshops with major non-federal 

sponsors, participants, and end users of ocean science and technology development to 

identify opportunities to enhance the impact of federal research through strategic partnerships. The JSOST will conduct a formal review of the broad, national ocean research 

priorities every five years in a manner consistent with the development of the current 

report (e.g., internal assessments, public workshops, public-comment periods, outreach 

efforts). Such a frequency would allow long-term (decadal) priorities to be revisited and 

possibly revised. This update will also include a review of the implementation mechanism 

on the part of the federal government and an assessment of the success of the implementation of the priorities. An external review of the updated priorities and implementation 

mechanisms for the federal agencies and federal partners will also occur at this time.
75

Addressing

 Near-Term Priorities

Initial plans have been developed to address the current set of near-term priorities. 

Although these plans were developed by the federal agencies, successful implementation 

relies on the coordinated efforts of a variety of sectors, including state agencies, regional 

initiatives, academic collaborations, and industry partnerships.

Forecasting the Response of Coastal Ecosystems 

to Persistent Forcing and Extreme Events

The objective of this near-term priority is to provide managers and decision-makers with 

the tools needed to prepare for and respond to extreme weather events, natural disasters, 

and changing natural and human influences. This activity will require the development 

and integration of predictions of environmental conditions with a full assessment of the 

vulnerability and resilience of coastal ecosystems and communities.

Approach

This effort will focus on several regional systems and support end-to-end development 

and integration of observations, research, and forecast models leading to decision-support 

tools. Research on ecosystem and community conditions, processes, and responses to 

hazards and forcings, supported by observations, will enhance forecast capabilities and 

provide the necessary inputs for model development. Enhancement and integration of 

existing observing capabilities and infrastructure will ensure system interoperability and 

availability of critical observational data required to support model development, operational forecasts, and decision-support tools. These activities will leverage and advance 

national efforts to develop and integrate observational and modeling systems while 

addressing regional needs. This effort will coordinate and integrate existing observational, research, and monitoring programs from several federal agencies, reflecting their 

mission-focused roles and existing programs. Agency contributions necessary to address 

this priority include:
76

• United States Geological Survey—Conduct hydrological and biological monitoring and regional geologic and environmental mapping and characterization. Perform research on coastal processes and response to persistent forcing and extreme 

events. Develop models to forecast hydrologic, landscape, and ecosystem response, 

and tools to provide assessments of coastal vulnerability and predict future 

ecosystem conditions.

• NOAA—Acquire and integrate (including standards development) monitoring and 

mapping data from existing and enhanced coastal observation platforms. Conduct assessments to identify region-specific coastal and marine research priorities. 

Develop community inundation and ecosystem models for assessing storm vulnerability, oil-spill movements, and ecological impacts. Develop a Web-based geospatial 

framework and digital-elevation models essential for decision-support tools, including socioeconomic and environmental indices.

• United States Army Corps of Engineers—Expand shallow-water coastal mapping and 

wave-observation programs. Develop community, high-resolution coastal models and 

testbeds to support next-generation models for all agencies, and transition models 

from research to operational use. Enhance coupling among ecosystem, coastal hydrodynamic, and watershed models to provide integrated management tools for planning, hazard identification, and response.

• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)—Integrate and assimilate observations from 

coastal-condition surveys and observational platforms. Enhance coastal-condition 

surveys and assessments. Develop ecosystem models to forecast changes in ecosystem 

services. Develop models and decision-support tools, including socioeconomic measures of goods and services, to assess changes in ecosystem services resulting from 

regulatory programs, land-use planning, and natural events.

• National Science Foundation (NSF)—Generate real-time, reconfigurable, openocean observations that may be used to properly initialize forecast models through 

the OOI. Conduct research on physical and ecological processes relevant to model 

development and basic understanding of ecosystem response.

Collaborative Efforts

Region-specific priorities and implementation strategies to address those priorities will 

result from engagement across a variety of sectors. Federal, state, and academic research 

and user communities will join in planning and implementation; agencies will cooperatively execute the resulting suite of priority projects.
77

Comparative Analysis of Marine Ecosystem 

Organization

The objective of this near-term priority is to improve the management and sustainability 

of marine ecosystems by better quantifying ecosystem dynamics in relation to human 

activities. This improved quantification will be used in evaluating the effectiveness of 

MPAs in achieving management objectives. MPAs incorporate an array of managed 

marine ecosystems with differing levels of protection, from areas that allow multiple uses 

to those that restrict take and/or access. A better scientific understanding of the function and impacts of MPAs will assist in making decisions regarding alteration of current 

MPAs and potential designation of new U.S. MPAs.

Approach

Three primary research activities will address this near-term priority. First, new modeling and analysis procedures will be developed to provide the foundation for comparative 

analyses and evaluation. This development will also address a key challenge in providing 

reliable forecasts of biological phenomena supporting ecosystem-based management: the 

paucity of information on mechanisms controlling complex behaviors within ecosystems. 

Second, using these quantitative methods, data collected by agencies and academic scientists will be consistently applied to selected ecosystem types in order to provide improved 

understanding of ecosystem response to environmental change. Third, fieldwork, analysis, 

and modeling are needed inside and in adjacent areas outside selected MPAs to understand their impacts and evaluate their success on several scales. Agency contributions 

necessary to address this priority include:

• NSF—Improve ways of incorporating uncertainty in model-parameter estimates, 

the role of size and age structure in population demographics, and spatial dynamics. 

Facilitate application of quantitative frameworks to data sets to synthesize dynamics 

across ecosystems and conduct investigations with theory, design, observations, and 

experiments to interpret the ecosystem and socioeconomic impacts of MPAs.

• NOAA—Develop quantitative ecosystem models in partnership with academic 

and agency partners, apply appropriate data from multiple in-house monitoring 

databases, and interpret results. Analyze the MPA role in relation to conventional 

fisheries management tools, in addition to other ecosystem variables.

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)—Expand existing biological 

and biogeochemical models to encompass the function of ecosystems under study, 

and facilitate incorporation of satellite ocean biological and biogeochemical data into 

models to improve spatial ecosystem-function analyses. Examine quantified variations in key ocean properties from satellite data that may influence the amount and 

composition of primary productivity in and around MPAs.
78

• Department of Interior (DOI)—Contribute quantitative approaches for species 

assessments and ecosystem evaluation, coral reef, deep benthic and wetland/estuarine 

ecosystem data for the models, and relevant seafloor mapping data and analyses, 

especially where specific human activities that impact ecosystems are affected by the 

imposition of MPAs.

Collaborative Efforts

The federal agencies and their partners will select a set of geographical regions and MPAs 

that represent an optimal mix of system types to study. Physical and biological data 

sets collected by participating scientists and agencies will be used in models developed 

by the program. This effort will build upon existing academic programs such as Global 

Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics and the Long-Term Ecological Research network. Partnerships with these and other groups, such as the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force, RFMCs, and 

state and federal coastal management agencies, will be used to achieve priority objectives and ensure that the research results are used in current management and future 

area designations.

Sensors for Marine Ecosystems

The objective of this near-term research priority is to improve understanding of ocean 

ecology on multiple spatial (from individual cells to the global ocean) and temporal (from 

seconds to decades) scales by improving sensor capabilities and their associated timeseries measurements of ocean biological (e.g., genomic), biogeochemical, chemical, and 

bio-optical properties. Synthesizing multi-scale oceanographic observations with existing 

data will provide a new way of “seeing” and analyzing ocean-ecosystem functions. This 

new view will allow researchers to better understand ecosystem response to environmental 

and climate variability and change, resulting in improved ecosystem-management strategies and protection of public health.

Approach

Three major ecological spatial scales (from cells to ocean regions to the global ocean) need 

to be observed in a single snapshot, and the information integrated over multiple time 

scales, to attain the next level of understanding of ocean-ecosystem function. Immediate 

improvements can be made to in situ instrumentation in eco-genomics and interdisciplinary ocean observing, and in optical and bio-optical sensors in support of existing satel-
79

lite ocean-color data and new space-based biological and biogeochemical observations. 

Such advancements will provide information at temporal and spatial scales not presently 

available through any one agency’s observing capabilities. Agency contributions to address 

this priority include:

• NSF—Develop in situ ocean sensing systems, emphasizing chemical sensors for 

high-priority compounds such as nutrients, biological sensors for real-time ecosystem analysis, and physical sensors that enable better understanding of transport and 

fluid velocity. Develop associated technologies such as cyberinfrastructure tools (to 

link sensors in a broad network context) and advanced power-generation capabilities.

• NASA—Improve existing space-based, open-ocean, remote-sensing capabilities of 

biological and biogeochemical properties (and future satellite sensor capabilities 

in optically complex or coastal waters) by assessing accuracies in remote-sensing, 

optical, and bio-optical sensor calibration and validation data-collection activities. 

Develop next-generation optical and bio-optical field sensors and satellite data products that test new technological and methodological approaches.

• NOAA—Develop genomic libraries to advance understanding of ecosystem processes, as well as species abundance and distribution. Develop in situ sensors for rapid 

detection of pathogens, harmful algae, and toxins, and methods to integrate biosensor data with other ocean observations. Develop genomic and proteomic tools and 

supporting bioinformatics infrastructure to elucidate effects of multiple environmental stressors on marine organisms. Improve video plankton recorders for recruitment 

process studies.

Collaborative Efforts

Improving existing in situ sensors and developing new sensors requires the participation of engineering and research communities. Research communities will validate the 

new and improved measurements. Application of the data gained from these advances 

in sensors will be undertaken through the coordinated efforts of researchers and resource 

managers. Genomic, in situ biological, chemical, and bio-optical field observations, 

remote sensing, and numerical models will be combined into diagnostic tools for regional 

to global investigations and linked with the developing coastal and offshore observatory 

efforts to maximize stakeholder participation, input, and use of the advances. Communities will be engaged through a variety of mechanisms, including planning workshops and 

peer-reviewed research solicitations.
80

Assessing Meridional Overturning Circulation 

Variability: Implications for Rapid Climate Change

The objective of this near-term priority is improved understanding of the mechanisms 

behind fluctuations of the MOC, which will lead to new capabilities for monitoring and 

making predictions of MOC changes. These predictive capabilities will help identify the 

impacts of MOC changes on the ocean, climate, extreme weather events, regional sealevel changes, ecosystems, and carbon budgets.

Approach

Given current limited understanding of the MOC, describing the MOC, its variability, and critical processes, and improving the ability to model these will be an early and 

ongoing emphasis of the program. Enhanced understanding of the MOC system, including its processes and fluctuations, will be gained through the analysis of existing data sets. 

This expanded understanding will provide the foundation for the design and implementation of a comprehensive MOC observation and monitoring program. In parallel, new 

forecasting capabilities will be developed by improving ocean models, coupled models, 

and ocean analyses for their initialization. Finally, interdisciplinary research and modeling 

studies will be required to characterize the impacts and feedbacks of changes in the MOC 

on ecosystems, carbon budgets, and regional climate. Initial federal implementation is 

derived from the work of three agencies and has many linkages with CCSP. Agency contributions to address this priority include:

• NASA—Use current and future ocean measurements from satellites to assess 

processes responsible for MOC variability and to improve ocean models through 

advanced ocean-state estimation. Refine ocean-state estimates spanning the past 

50 years, incorporating all available in situ and remotely sensed observations. 

Use modeling studies to assess impacts of MOC changes on sea-level changes 

and high latitudes.

• NOAA—Conduct modeling experiments on the origins of MOC variability leading 

to improved understanding of the relative roles of wind and thermohaline forcing. 

Test models and theories against climate data sets and implement improved models 

for MOC-related studies.

• NSF—Conduct relevant ocean-process studies in the Atlantic and sub-Arctic 

Oceans to improve ocean-model parameterizations, and perform MOC analysis and 

modeling studies. Support historical MOC reconstructions and improved dataassimilation systems; initiate modeling studies of the impacts of MOC changes on 

North Atlantic storminess, ecosystems, and ocean carbon uptake.
81

Collaborative Efforts

This activity is founded on the coordinated efforts of university, federal, and international 

initiatives to understand and forecast this large-scale ocean phenomena and its potential 

for global impacts. This activity will leverage and support the Administration’s CCSP priority in “Assessing abrupt changes in a warming world.” It builds on ongoing collaboration 

with international partners such as the United Kingdom’s Rapid Climate Change program and the European Union Developing Arctic Modeling and Observing Capabilities 

for Long-term Environmental Studies program, as well as developing South American 

partnerships targeting observing needs for the southern hemisphere branch of the MOC. 

It takes advantage of national and international ocean remote-sensing satellites, which are 

part of GEOSS. Activities will be established to engage end-user communities to assess 

the impacts of decadal climate variability on their decision-making processes and to identify future product suites that would provide needed information.
82

1

The term “ocean,” unless explicitly noted in the text, refers to the open ocean, coasts (including bays 

and estuaries), coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes.

2

“Ecosystem-based management is an integrated approach to management that considers the entire 

ecosystem, including humans.” Scientific Consensus Statement on Marine Ecosystem-Based 

Management. March 21, 2005. http://compassonline.org/?=EBM (accessed January 24, 2007)

3

U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. 2004. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, Final Report.

Washington, DC, p. 378

4

For example, National Research Council. 2003. Exploration of the Seas: Voyage into the Unknown. 

National Academy Press, Washington, DC.; Brewer, P. and T. Moore, eds. 2001. Ocean Sciences 

at the New Millennium. UCAR/JOSS.

5

Approximately 3.4 million square miles (http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-o/g-opl/LMR/LMR.htm) 

(accessed January 24, 2007)

6

U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. 2004. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, Final Report. 

Washington, DC, p. 275.

7

Report to Congress: Comprehensive Inventory of the U.S. Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Natural Gas 

Resources. Energy Policy Act of 2005, Section 357, U.S. Department of the Interior, Minerals 

Management Service, Table 2, page 31, February 2006.

8

 http://www.nrel.gov/docs/fy06osti/39479.pdf (accessed January 24, 2007)

9

Collett, T.S. 1995. Gas hydrate resources of the United States. In: National Assessment of United States 

Oil and Gas Resources. D.L. Gautier, G.L. Dolton, K.I. Takahashi, and K.L. Varnes eds, available on 

CD-ROM: U.S. Geological Survey Digital Data Series 30.

10Collett, T.S. 1997. Resource potential of marine and permafrost associated gas hydrates, in Oceanic Gas 

Hydrate: Guidance for Research and Programmatic Development at the Naval Research Laboratory. M.D. 

Max, R.E. Pallenbarg, and B.B. Rath, eds, Proceedings of the workshop on Naval Research Laboratory gas hydrate research program, September 23–24, 1997, Washington, D.C. NRL/MR/6100-97-

8124, 51 pp.

11http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/pr/ourlakes/ (accessed January 24, 2007)

12U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. 2004. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, Final Report. 

Washington, DC, p. 35.

13http://www.oceanservice.noaa.gov/programs/mb/supp_cstl_population.html l (accessed 

January 24, 2007)

14http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/reports/tech-report-200501z.pdf (accessed January 24, 2007)

15U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. 2004. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, Final Report. 

Washington, DC, p. 192.

16Arctic Council and International Arctic Science Committee. 2004. Impacts of a Warming Arctic: Arctic 

Climate Impact Assessment. Cambridge University Press. Online available at http://www.acia.uaf.

edu/pages/overview.html (accessed January 24, 2007).

17Short sea shipping uses inland and coastal waterways to move commercial freight from major 

domestic ports to its destination. (http://www.marad.dot.gov/Programs/sssbroc.htm) (accessed 

January 24, 2007)

18Research efforts for marine transportation will be coordinated with efforts of the cabinet-level Committee on the Marine Transportation System (http://www.cmts.gov/; accessed January 24, 2007)

Endnotes
83

19http://www.uscg.mil/hq/g-o/g-opl/LMR/LMR.htm (accessed January 24, 2007)

20http://www.bts.gov/publications/pocket_guide_to_transportation/2005/excel/table_01.xls 

(accessed January 24, 2007)

21http://www.natice.noaa.gov/icefree/FinalArcticReport.pdf (accessed January 24, 2007)

22For example, the Multipurpose Marine Cadastre Initiative (http://www.mms.gov/ld/PDFs/

MappingInitiative.pdf ) (accessed January 24, 2007).

23U.S. Climate Change Science Program and Subcommittee on Global Change Research. 2001. Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. Washington, DC. Online available at http://

www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/final/default.htm. (accessed January 24, 2007)

24Ecosystem health goals and objectives are management tools that guide an ecosystem-based approach 

to environmental planning and management. Ecosystem goals are statements that describe the desired state of an ecosystem. Ecosystem objectives are more specific. They describe desired conditions 

for a given ecosystem accounting ecological characteristics and uses.

25Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. http://www.maweb.org//en/About.Overview.aspx (accessed 

January 24, 2007)

26The study of the evolutionary relationships of species

27http://seafoodandhealth.org/documents/MicrosoftPowerPointPainter.pdf (accessed January 24, 

2007); Scoging, A.C. 1992. Illness associated with seafood. Canadian Medical Association Journal

147(9):1,344–1,347.

28“Seafood” refers to all consumer seafood products as well as all forms of recreational and subsistence 

take, such as marine mammal harvest by Native Americans.

29Excluding allergic reactions to seafood

30Kuiken, T., F.A. Leighton, R.A.M. Fouchier, J.W. LeDuc, J.S. M. Peiris, A. Schudel, K. Stöhr, and 

A.D.M.E. Osterhaus. 2005. Pathogen surveillance in Animals. Science 309:1,680–1,681; Taylor, 

L.H., S.M. Latham, and M.E.J. Woolhouse. 2001. Risk factors for human disease emergence. 

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B:Biological Sciences 356:983–989.

31U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy. 2004. An Ocean Blueprint for the 21st Century, Final Report. 

Washington, DC, pp. 340–342.

32Mozaffarian, D., and E.B. Rimm. 2006. Fish intake, contaminants and health. Evaluating the risks 

and benefits. Journal of the American Medical Association 296:1,885–1,899.

33http://www.ioc-goos.org/content/view/12/26/ (accessed January 24, 2007)

34http://www.aza.org/AboutAZA/CollectiveImpact1 (accessed January 24, 2007)

35Persistent forcing includes non-extreme, non-episodic influences, such as prevailing climatologic 

and oceanographic conditions. Persistent forcings include, for example, variations in nutrient 

and sediment inputs and ocean chemistry beyond those associated with extreme episodic events 

such as hurricanes.

36The number of managed ecosystems continues to increase. For example, in 2006, the United States 

has designated the world’s largest marine conservation area in the Northwest Hawaiian Islands 

(http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/06/print/20060615-18.html) and, more recently, 

the world’s largest MPA in the Aleutian Islands (http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2006/s2673.

htm). (accessed January 27, 2007)

37Subcommittee on Integrated Management of Ocean Resources. 2006. Implementing the Work Priorities 

of the Subcommittee on Integrated Management of Ocean Resources (SIMOR): Work Plan. p. 10 (http://

ocean.ceq.gov/about/docs/SIMOR_WorkPlan_Final.pdf ) (accessed February 7, 2007).

38U.S. Climate Change Science Program and Subcommittee on Global Change Research. 2001. Strategic Plan for the U.S. Climate Change Science Program. Washington, DC. Online available at http://

www.climatescience.gov/Library/stratplan2003/final/default.htm. (accessed January 24, 2007)
84

Acronyms

CCSP...................................Climate Change Science Program

CEQ.....................................Council on Environmental Quality

CO2......................................Carbon dioxide

COP ....................................Committee on Ocean Policy

DOI .....................................Department of Interior

EEZ......................................Exclusive Economic Zone

EPA......................................Environmental Protection Agency

FSSMITT...........................Federal-State Science and Management Integration Task Team

FY.........................................Fiscal year

GEOSS ...............................Global Earth Observing System of Systems

GIS.......................................Geographic Information System

HAB ....................................Harmful algal bloom

ICOSRMI..........................Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration

IOOS ..................................Integrated Ocean Observing System

IWG-OP............................Interagency Working Group on Ocean Partnerships

JSOST.................................Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology

MOC..................................Meridional Overturning Circulation

MPA....................................Marine Protected Area

NAO...................................North Atlantic Oscillation

NASA.................................National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NEC.....................................National Economic Council

NOAA................................National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOPP.................................National Oceanographic Partnership Program

NSC.....................................National Security Council

NSF......................................National Science Foundation

OAP....................................Ocean Action Plan

Oceans Sub-PCC .........Ocean Sub-Policy Coordinating Committee

OCS.....................................Outer Continental Shelf

OMB...................................Office of Management and Budget

OOI.....................................Ocean Observatories Initiative

ORRAP..............................Ocean Research and Resource Advisory Panel

OSTP..................................Office of Science and Technology Policy

PDO....................................Pacific Decadal Oscillation

RFMC.................................Regional Fishery Management Council

SIMOR...............................Subcommittee on Integrated Management of Ocean Resources

STEM..................................Science, technology, engineering and mathematics

USCOP..............................U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy
CO-CHAIRS

• Margaret Leinen (NSF) 

• Richard Spinrad (DOC/NOAA)

• Dan Walker, David Halpern, and Teresa Fryberger (OSTP)

MEMBERS

• Arctic Research Commission 

Garrett Brass and John Farrell

• Department of Agriculture 

Meryl Broussard and Louie Tupas 

• Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

Ronald Baird, Marie Colton, Colleen Hartman, Steve Murawski, and 

Holly Bamford

• Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Charles Chesnutt and Joan Pope

• Department of Defense, Office of Naval Research 

Melbourne Briscoe, Frank Herr, and Steve Lubard

• Department of Energy, Office of Science 

Ari Patrinos, Jerry Elwood, and James Ahlgrimm 

• Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease 

Control and Prevention 

Michael McGeehin, Lorraine Backer, and G. David Williamson 

• Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug 

Administration 

George Hoskin and William Jones 

• Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health 

Allen Dearry 

• Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard 

Daniel McClellan and Jonathan Berkson 

• Department of the Interior, Minerals Management Service 

James Kendall, Robert LaBelle, and Walter Cruickshank

• Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey 

Linda Gunderson, John Haines, and P. Patrick Leahy 

• Department of Justice 

Peter Oppenheimer, Kristen Gustafson, and Vahid Majidi

• Department of State 

David Balton and Liz Tirpak 

• Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration 

Kevin Krick, Alex Landsburg, Carl Setterstrom, and Todd Ripley 

• Environmental Protection Agency 

Timothy Oppelt, George Gray, and Steven Hedtke 

• Executive Office of the President, Council on Environmental Quality 

Gerhard Kuska and Kameran Onley

• Executive Office of the President, Domestic Policy Council 

Annie Holand, Paul Skoczylas, and Allison Boyd

• Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget 

Lewis McCulloch, Emily Woglom, Kimberly Miller, and Marcus Peacock 

• Executive Office of the President, Office of Science and Technology Policy 

Dan Walker, David Halpern, and Teresa Fryberger

• Joint Chiefs of Staff 

Robert Winokur, James Kraska, and John Kauffman

• National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

Jack Kaye, Eric Lindstrom, and Lucia Tsaoussi

• National Science Foundation 

Julie Morris, H. Larry Clark, and James Yoder

• Marine Mammal Commission 

Tim Ragen and David Laist 

• Smithsonian Institution 

Leonard Hirsch 

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS

• JSOST Interagency Working Group on Facilities (IWG-F) 

Robert Winokur (Chair, JCS) 

• JSOST Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, 

Hypoxia and Human Health (IWG-4H) 

Paul Sandifer (Co-Chair, NOAA) and Lorrie Backer (Co-Chair, CDC) 

• JSOST Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal 

Mapping (IWG-OCM) 

John Haines (Chair, USGS)

• JSOST Interagency Working Group on Ocean Observations (IWGOO) 

Richard Spinrad (Chair, NOAA)

• JSOST Interagency Working Group on Ocean Partnerships (IWG-OP) 

Melbourne Briscoe (Co-Chair, ONR) and Eric Lindstrom (Co-Chair, NASA)

• National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP) 

Margaret Davidson (former Chair), Melbourne Briscoe (former IWG ViceChair), H. Larry Clark (former IWG Vice-Chair), and Michael Sissenwine 

(former Chair)

• Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel (ORRAP) 

Ellen Prager (Chair), Stephen Weisberg (Vice-Chair), and Debra Hernandez 

(Vice-Chair)

• Subcommittee for Integrated Management of Ocean Resources (SIMOR) 

Mary Glackin (Co-Chair, NOAA), Chris Kearney (Co-Chair, DOI), Gerhard 

Kuska (Co-Chair, CEQ), Suzanne Schwartz (Co-Chair, Acting, EPA), and 

Diane Regas (Co-Chair, EPA)

• Subcommittee on Oceans Policy of the Global Environment Policy 

Coordinating Committee (Oceans Sub-PCC) 

David Balton (Chair) 

Acknowledgments 

This report has been developed over two years, through the dedicated effort of many valuable contributors. We are grateful to all Interagency Committee on 

Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration (ICOSRMI) and Committee on Ocean Policy (COP) members for their strong support and constructive comments throughout the process of developing this report. We also recognize and sincerely appreciate the helpful efforts of the Subcommittee on 

Integrated Management of Ocean Resources (SIMOR), its Federal-State Task Team (FSTT) and the Ocean Research and Resources Advisory Panel (ORRAP).

Hundreds of individuals have written, edited and commented upon this report. We particularly acknowledge all those who participated in the public 

workshop and the community town hall meetings and those who responded during the public comment periods. Special thanks go to those who participated in the National Research Council (NRC) review of this document. To all of these contributors we express our appreciation. There are several individuals, in particular, who have delivered specific time and effort to this process. They deserve special citation and gratitude: Shelby Walker, for tireless attention 

to writing and editing; Lynn Dancy, Kristen Koch, Emily Larkin, Frank Lockhart, Sheridan MacAuley, Roxanne Nikolaus, Kenli Schaaf, Laura Snow, and Anne 

Tenney for outstanding technical support; and the JSOST members during the development of this report (see following list).