I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 2533 

To provide for a study by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, 

and Medicine examining the impact of ocean acidification and other 

stressors in estuarine environments. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 14, 2021 

Mr. POSEY (for himself, Ms. BONAMICI, and Mr. MAST) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and 

Technology, and in addition to the Committee on Natural Resources, for 

a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for 

consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To provide for a study by the National Academies of 

Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine examining the impact of ocean acidification and other stressors in estuarine environments. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘National Estuaries and 

5 Acidification Research Act of 2021’’ or the ‘‘NEAR Act 

6 of 2021’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

2 Congress finds the following: 

3 (1) Ocean acidification impacts human health, 

4 natural resources, and the environmental, economic, 

5 and recreational uses of the coastline. 

6 (2) The current understanding of ocean acidifi7 cation impacts on estuarine ecosystems is inadequate 

8 to fully prepare and manage for changing environ9 mental conditions in nearshore locations. 

10 (3) While pH can be measured with high preci11 sion and accuracy in open ocean environments, more 

12 understanding of the carbonate system in estuarine 

13 ecosystems is needed for precise and accurate meas14 urements and observations. 

15 (4) The interaction of multiple stressors, includ16 ing salinity, pH, temperature, sea level rise, and nu17 trient input, within estuarine ecosystems is inad18 equately understood for managing the health, eco19 nomic, recreational, and environmental impacts driv20 en by these interactions. 

21 (5) A better understanding is needed of how 

22 anthropogenic influences in coastal environments af23 fect estuarine ecosystems. 

24 (6) More integration and coordination is needed 

25 among regional, national, and global environmental 

26 observations in estuarine environments, supporting 


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1 prior investments in related topics such as nutrient 

2 loading, hypoxia, ocean acidification, and harmful 

3 algae bloom research and observational systems. 

4 SEC. 3. STUDY EXAMINING THE IMPACT OF OCEAN ACIDIFI5 CATION AND OTHER ENVIRONMENTAL 

6 STRESSORS ON ESTUARINE ENVIRONMENTS. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 60 days after the 

8 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce 

9 shall make appropriate arrangements with the National 

10 Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (re11 ferred to in this Act as the ‘‘National Academies’’) under 

12 which the National Academies shall conduct a study 

13 that— 

14 (1) examines the existing science of ocean acidi15 fication in estuarine environments; 

16 (2) examines the challenges to studying ocean 

17 acidification and ocean acidification’s interactions 

18 with other environment stressors in estuarine envi19 ronments; 

20 (3) provides recommendations for improving fu21 ture research with respect to ocean acidification in 

22 estuarine environments; and 

23 (4) identifies pathways for applying science in 

24 management and mitigation decisions relating to 

25 ocean acidification in estuarine environments. 


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•HR 2533 IH

1 (b) CONTENTS OF STUDY.—The study described 

2 under subsection (a) shall include— 

3 (1) the behavior of the carbonate system within 

4 estuarine environments; 

5 (2) the interactions of the carbonate system 

6 with other biotic and abiotic characteristics of estua7 rine ecosystems; 

8 (3) how environmental and anthropogenic 

9 changes or disturbances could affect abiotic and bi10 otic processes within estuaries; 

11 (4) how estuarine biotic and abiotic processes 

12 will be affected under predicted environmental 

13 changes; 

14 (5) the current state of data collection, inter15 pretation, storage, and retrieval and observational 

16 infrastructure of abiotic and biotic parameters in es17 tuarine ecosystems; 

18 (6) the gaps that exist in understanding the 

19 socio-economic and health impacts of ocean acidifica20 tion in estuaries; 

21 (7) future directions for scientific research; and 

22 (8) pathways for applying science in manage23 ment and mitigation decisions. 

24 (c) REPORT.—In entering into an arrangement under 

25 subsection (a), the Secretary shall request that the NaVerDate Sep 11 2014 23:04 May 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H2533.IH H2533

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1 tional Academies transmit to Congress a report on the re2 sults of the study not later than 24 months after the date 

3 of enactment of this Act. 

4 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

5 are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

6 $1,000,000. 

Æ 


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