U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

57–805 PDF WASHINGTON : 2025

S. HRG. 115–883 

NOAA’S BLUE ECONOMY INITIATIVE: 

SUPPORTING COMMERCE IN AMERICAN OCEANS 

AND GREAT LAKES 

HEARING 

BEFORE THE

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, 

FISHERIES, AND COAST GUARD 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, 

SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

UNITED STATES SENATE 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

JULY 24, 2018 

Printed for the use of the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

( 

Available online: http://www.govinfo.gov 

(II) 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS 

SECOND SESSION 

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi 

ROY BLUNT, Missouri 

TED CRUZ, Texas 

DEB FISCHER, Nebraska 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas 

DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska 

DEAN HELLER, Nevada 

JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma 

MIKE LEE, Utah 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin 

SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia 

CORY GARDNER, Colorado 

TODD YOUNG, Indiana 

BILL NELSON, Florida, Ranking 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut 

BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii 

EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts 

TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

GARY PETERS, Michigan 

TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin 

TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois 

MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire 

CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada 

JON TESTER, Montana 

NICK ROSSI, Staff Director 

ADRIAN ARNAKIS, Deputy Staff Director 

JASON VAN BEEK, General Counsel 

KIM LIPSKY, Democratic Staff Director 

CHRIS DAY, Democratic Deputy Staff Director 

RENAE BLACK, Senior Counsel 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, FISHERIES, 

AND COAST GUARD 

DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska, Chairman 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi 

DEB FISCHER, Nebraska 

JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma 

MIKE LEE, Utah 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin 

CORY GARDNER, Colorado 

TODD YOUNG, Indiana 

TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin, Ranking 

MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut 

BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii 

EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts 

GARY PETERS, Michigan 

(III) 

C O N T E N T S 

Page 

Hearing held on July 24, 2018 ............................................................................... 1 

Statement of Senator Sullivan ............................................................................... 1 

Statement of Senator Baldwin ................................................................................ 3 

Slides entitled ‘‘DOC Vision Setting Summit NOAA Contributions’’ by 

RDML Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., USN Ret. ..................................................... 12 

Draft dated June 2028 from the White House Office of Science and 

Technology Policy entitled ‘‘Science and Technology for America’s 

Oceans: A Decadal Vision.’’ .......................................................................... 18 

Statement of Senator Nelson .................................................................................. 4 

Statement of Senator Schatz .................................................................................. 57 

Statement of Senator Peters ................................................................................... 59 

Statement of Senator Markey ................................................................................. 61 

Statement of Senator Cantwell .............................................................................. 65 

WITNESSES

RDML Timothy Gallaudet, Ph.D., USN Retired, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere; and Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Department of Commerce .................................................... 6 

Prepared statement .......................................................................................... 8 

APPENDIX

Response to written questions submitted to RDML Timothy Gallaudet, Ph.D. 

by: 

Hon. Roger Wicker ........................................................................................... 71 

Hon. Bill Nelson ............................................................................................... 73 

Hon. Tom Udall ................................................................................................ 75 

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NOAA’S BLUE ECONOMY INITIATIVE: 

SUPPORTING COMMERCE IN AMERICAN 

OCEANS AND GREAT LAKES 

TUESDAY, JULY 24, 2018 

U.S. SENATE, 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEANS, ATMOSPHERE, FISHERIES, 

AND COAST GUARD, 

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION, 

Washington, DC. 

The Subcommittee met, pursuant to notice, at 10:03 a.m., in 

room SR–253, Russell Senate Office Building, Hon. Dan Sullivan, 

Chairman of the Subcommittee, presiding. 

Present: Senators Sullivan [presiding], Wicker, Gardner, Young, 

Baldwin, Nelson, Cantwell, Blumenthal, Schatz, Markey, and Peters. 

OPENING STATEMENT OF HON. DAN SULLIVAN, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM ALASKA 

Senator SULLIVAN. Good morning. The Commerce, Science, 

Transportation Subcommittee on Oceans, Atmospheres, Fisheries, 

and the Coast Guard will come to order. 

Today, we are here to discuss the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA’s, Blue Economy Initiative. And I 

want to thank Admiral Gallaudet, the Acting Administrator and 

Assistant Secretary for NOAA, for being here. 

This initiative is focused on increasing the economic contribution 

of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and Great Lakes 

over the next decade, or, in other words, the economy related to our 

oceans and the Great Lakes. The U.S. EEZ extends out 200 nautical miles from our shores, covering some 3.5 million square nautical miles of water that are home to diverse ecosystems and vast 

natural resources, including fish, energy, and minerals, transportation, and much, much more. 

A full third of the EEZ, more than any other state, extends from 

Alaska’s 33,904 miles of shoreline. That’s more shoreline than the 

rest of the Lower 48 states, combined. In Alaska, the ocean economy accounts for 21 percent of the state’s total gross domestic product, generating over $3 billion a year in wages. We are the Nation’s 

largest employer in the living resource sector of our oceans. The 

Seafood and Fisheries Department, where I like to say Alaska constitutes the superpower of seafood for America, over 50 percent of 

all seafood, commercial, recreational, subsistence harvested in 

America comes from Alaska. Also, we are the Nation’s second-largVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00005 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
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est contributor in the offshore mineral extraction sector, and, like 

many states represented here, Alaska’s natural beauty attracts 

more than two million visitors each year, half of which come by the 

cruise ship industry. 

NOAA plays a critical and central role in managing ocean resources and in providing environmental observations to America’s—who make a living from the oceans. And again, it’s great to 

have the Acting NOAA Administrator, Admiral Gallaudet, who’s no 

stranger to the ocean, having served 32 years in the Navy, culminating his military career as the oceanographer of the Navy and 

the commander of the Navy Meteorology and Oceanography Command. He holds a master’s and doctoral degrees in oceanography, 

and has served in NOAA in his current capacity since his confirmation in October 2017. 

The United States is often viewed as having the best-managed 

and healthiest fisheries in the world, through the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Conservation and Management Act, which we are 

working on a reauthorization in this committee. And if you’ve ever 

seen ‘‘The Deadliest Catch,’’ you know that Alaska’s Bering Sea can 

be unforgiving, and fishermen rely on accurate weather forecasts 

from NOAA to stay safe. 

So, this is a broad-based initiative that I think is going to impact 

many, many states. And we’re looking—I’m glad to have so many 

of my colleagues here. One of the other areas that I know NOAA 

is focused on is that, through foreign trade, America’s seaports are 

critical to our overall economy. NOAA provides the nautical charts 

that mariners use to safely navigate and also provide real data on 

environmental conditions that help get ships in and out of ports 

safely. Many of the nautical charts in my state on Alaska’s coasts 

are woefully outdated and rely on surveys conducted in the early 

1900s. Over 100 years old. Many of those measurements came from 

throwing a weighted rope over the side of a ship. Can you imagine, 

our mariners are still relying on charts based on measurements 

that came from a weighted rope? We are hoping your initiative, Admiral, can help with that. 

Given the importance of the oceans to our overall economy in the 

United States, it only makes sense that we, as a Nation, coordinate 

our use of oceans and coastal areas in an efficient manner. Last 

year, I had the opportunity of chairing this Subcommittee to hear 

stakeholders’ perspective on the National Ocean Policy. I’m glad to 

say that, in response to that hearing and concerns, the Trump administration and the President signed an executive order regarding 

Ocean Policy to Advance Economic Security and the Environmental 

Interests of the United States, which improves public access to marine data and information, improves Federal agency coordination, 

and encourages government engagement with maritime industries, 

science, and technology. 

Finally, Admiral, as you know, for the Blue Economy to thrive, 

we must make sure we have clean and sustainable oceans. Senator 

Whitehouse and I had a bill, the Save Our Seas Act, which highlights the challenge of ocean debris, plastics, ocean pollution, in 

which NOAA will play an increasingly critical role. That passed the 

Senate, and it’s due to pass the House this week. So, we are making good progress, in a bipartisan way. 

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I very much appreciate your leadership. I think this initiative on 

the Blue Economy can bring a bipartisan group of Senators together to support you in what you’re doing. And I’m glad that 

you’re here to testify on that initiative. 

I now turn the remarks over to Senator Baldwin, who I know has 

great interest in this, being a Great Lakes Senator. 

Senator Baldwin. 

STATEMENT OF HON. TAMMY BALDWIN, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM WISCONSIN 

Senator BALDWIN. Thank you. 

The term ‘‘Blue Economy’’ is probably not used very often at Wisconsin dinner tables, but what the term represents is integral to 

the economies of the eight Great Lakes states. By surface area, the 

Great Lakes are the largest freshwater body in the world. They 

contain 18 percent of the world’s freshwater supply. Thirty-five million people are dependent upon the Great Lakes for their drinking 

water, and more than 1.5 million jobs are directly connected to the 

Great Lakes, generating $62 billion in wages. 

In Wisconsin, we’re blessed with water, both our two Great 

Lakes and our third coast, the Mississippi River, and our 15,000 

inland lakes. So, it’s no surprise, then, that one-third of all registered voters in the United States reside in the Great Lakes 

Basin. The last comprehensive report to put a value on Great 

Lakes boating found that 911,000 boaters spend $2.36 billion per 

year on trips, $1.44 billion per year on boats, equipment, and supplies, and creates 60,000 jobs that contribute $1.77 billion in personal income. Recreational boating can increase the quality of life 

and the appreciation of the environment for many Americans, and 

it depends on access to clean, safe water and healthy fisheries and 

ecosystems. 

Shipping is also important as an industry for Wisconsin. The 

Saint Lawrence Seaway was completed in 1959, which made it possible for high-quality Wisconsin products to be shipped not only to 

other Great Lakes ports, but internationally. Now over 200 million 

tons of cargo are shipped every year through the Great Lakes. 

An integral part of the shipping industry is construction and repair of the vessels themselves. In the mid-1830s, the first Wisconsin shipyards opened in Milwaukee and Manitowoc. Nowadays, 

Fincantieri Marinette Marine, in Wisconsin, builds Navy ships, 

Coast Guard ships, and, in 2013, the NOAA research vessel Reuben 

Lasker. In fact, Mr. Chairman, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks 

regional Research vessel was built at Marinette Marine. There is 

an opportunity to expand our domestic shipbuilding industry, and 

I hope that all of my colleagues can support my Made in America 

Shipbuilding Act to do just that. And finally, Great Lakes commercial, recreational, and tribal fisheries are collectively valued at 

more than $7 billion annually and support more than 75,000 jobs. 

But, the economic viability of the Blue Economy hangs in the 

balance. Pollution, invasive species, harmful algal blooms, and climate change are bad for business in Wisconsin. And, while I’m always happy to highlight the ways in which the Great Lakes support Wisconsin jobs, this administration has taken several steps 

that undermine that very same economic prosperity, from budget 

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proposals that would slash the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative 

to recently released NOAA documents that suggest climate change 

won’t be a top priority for the agency. I’m concerned, Admiral Gallaudet. While I appreciate that you have stated publicly that 

NOAA’s mission statement will not be revised, it’s troubling to me 

that this proposal was ever presented to the Department, because 

it threatens to undermine the Blue Economy. 

Since 1900, average temperatures in the Great Lakes have increased by 2 degrees Fahrenheit. While we still get our cold and 

snowy winters, that’s a troubling trend. And, in recent years, we’ve 

seen Wisconsin’s iconic cross-country ski race, the Birkebeiner, canceled for lack of snow. Without snow for the skiers and 

snowmobilers, a lot of the tourism traffic in the winter season 

heads somewhere else. The warmer summers are also causing economic impacts, contributing to more algal blooms that clog waterways and close Wisconsin beaches in the summer. The lake levels 

seemed to peak in the 1980s, and have now fallen, possibly because 

of—higher temperatures increase the evaporation rates. And, if 

NOAA is, in fact, shifting its focus from climate science, management, and stewardship of our Great Lakes resources, as the slidedeck you presented last month indicates, that does not bode well 

for Wisconsin’s Blue Economy and the jobs that depend on it. 

I look forward to your testimony, and I hope you will take the 

opportunity to address those concerns. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Thank you, Senator Baldwin. 

And we are honored to have the Ranking Member of the full 

Commerce Committee, Senator Nelson, whose state of Florida 

knows a little bit about the Blue Economy. 

And, Senator Nelson, the floor is yours for an opening statement, 

as well. 

STATEMENT OF HON. BILL NELSON, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM FLORIDA 

Senator NELSON. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

And it’s of interest that all the Senators here, indeed, have coastline. Obviously, Senator Schatz has a lot of coastline. So does Senator Markey, and so does Senator Peters, as well as Senator Baldwin. 

Now, you said you have more coastline in Alaska than any other 

state, Mr. Chairman. Is that correct? 

Senator SULLIVAN. Well, from the rest of all the States in the 

Lower 48, combined. 

Senator NELSON. I see. Mr. Chairman, how many beaches do you 

have? 

[Laughter.] 

Senator SULLIVAN. Not many—not as many as you. 

[Laughter.] 

Senator NELSON. Well, obviously, that’s why we don’t just call it 

a ‘‘Blue Economy’’ in Florida, we call it ‘‘The Economy.’’ 

[Laughter.] 

Senator NELSON. Our vast coastline, which is mostly beaches, 

pristine environment, and abundant fisheries, are among the pillars of the state’s economy. It’s a multi-billion-dollar tourism industry, commercial and recreational fishing, and marine manufacVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00008 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6633 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
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turing. All of that is inextricably connected to the health of our waters. And that’s why, when the Deepwater Horizon oil spill happened, it really messed up—the winds brought the oil east from 

Louisiana, as far east as the northwest Florida beaches. It blackened the white sand beaches of Pensacola. That photograph went 

around the world, and the guests stopped coming for an entire 

year, not just on Pensacola Beach, but they thought all the beaches 

on the Gulf Coast, in fact, were tarred with oil, and they stopped 

coming. And it’s why we have an economy that, when you start diverting freshwater from the River of Grass, the Florida Everglades, 

it has really messed up the estuaries, it has hurt businesses exposed to toxic algae blooms, which occur when you release nutrientladen water instead of the cleansed water that the River of Grass 

would cleanse before it ever got to what is now Everglades National Park. 

And also, our Blue Economy is being threatened by the trade 

war. Mr. Chairman, we have a lot of people in Florida who depend 

on industries that are getting hit by the trade war. And we have 

a major boat manufacturing business in Florida. I visited this boat 

manufacturer, Correct Craft. One of their famous boats is the ski 

boat, Nautique. And when I visited them, they pointed out that 25 

percent tariff on steel and a 10 percent tariff on aluminum, that’s 

bad enough, but now there are retaliatory tariffs. There’s a 10 percent retaliatory tariff from Canada, where they sell a lot of boats, 

15 percent from Mexico, and, lo and behold, 25 percent retaliatory 

tariff from the European Union, of which Florida boat manufacturers—indeed, American boat manufacturers—I imagine you have 

some of them, Senator Peters, in your state—they can’t sell to Europe anymore, because the price is automatically bumped 25 percent with the retaliatory tariff. And so, they’re up creek, and they 

can’t get their boats launched. 

I heard from many companies involved in the manufacturing 

process. It’s not just the boat manufacturers. There’s Power Pole of 

Tampa, and Engel Coolers of Jupiter. And there are Marine Metal 

Products and 13 Fishing of Clearwater. And there are Costa del 

Mar sunglasses. You know, the famous sunglasses, Costas? They’re 

really getting hurt. They sell a lot of sunglasses that cut out those 

ultraviolet rays, out there on the water, to an abundant recreational fishing industry. All of these people, up and down the line 

of the economic chain, are getting hit. 

And how about hard-working lobstermen? How about it, Senator 

Markey? Do you know we have lobsters in Florida, as well? And, 

of course, Maine, New England, and Massachusetts, have a lot of 

lobsters. Well, it has forced prices down, because of the global demand for lobsters to drop. The President’s tariffs are causing this 

global demand to drop, forcing the prices down to 5 or 6 dollars a 

pound from what was 12 dollars a pound. That may be welcome 

news for consumers, but it’s damaging to your fishermen and to our 

fishermen, who rely on the global markets to make a living and 

provide for their families. 

And so, from lobster fishermen to boat manufacturers to the cooler manufacturers to the sunglass manufacturers, it’s staggering if 

it happens that they are being laid off—and that is what is happening. People are getting laid off. They’re feeling the pain. And 

6 

this is all coming from a trade war. It’s no wonder that so many 

companies are worried if they’re going to get crushed by the trade 

war. It is bad for the Blue Economy, the subject of this hearing. 

And so, I’m grateful that you’re holding this hearing. When it 

comes to discussing the Blue Economy, you can’t do it without talking about the trade war and how it’s going to definitely affect folks’ 

livelihoods. 

And so, who better to be here to talk to us than Admiral Gallaudet as the Acting Assistant Secretary. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Thank you, Senator Nelson. 

Admiral, you have five minutes for your opening statement. 

Again, we’re pleased that you’re here. Thank you for your leadership on this issue. And a longer written statement can be submitted for the record, if you so desire. 

The floor is yours. 

STATEMENT OF RDML TIMOTHY GALLAUDET, PH.D., USN 

RETIRED, ASSISTANT SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR 

OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE; AND ACTING UNDER SECRETARY 

OF COMMERCE FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE, 

NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Good morning. It’s a pleasure to be here to 

discuss NOAA’s support to the Blue Economy. I want to thank you, 

Chairman Sullivan, for hosting this hearing. 

Alaska is a key contributor to the U.S. ocean economy through 

fishing, shipping, tourism, and energy. I look forward to discussing 

how we can grow these sectors to benefit Alaska and the entire Nation. 

Coastal regions are home to 40 percent of the U.S. population and contribute $320 billion to our GDP. Recognizing this, the President issued a proclamation, in June, that commits the Nation to 

harness the vast resources of our Exclusive Economic Zone, or EEZ. 

By deploying new technologies from American innovators, streamlining regulations to promote economic growth, and protecting our 

marine environment for current and future generations, the administration intends to advance America’s economic security and environmental interests. 

Singled out as critical in this proclamation are NOAA’s activities 

to support the Blue Economy, including exploration, mapping, and 

surveying of our Nation’s waters, and employment of advanced observational technologies and forecasting capabilities. This work is 

one of NOAA’s two major priorities. The other priority is to lead 

the world in weather forecasting, which will greatly benefit the 

coasts and the heartland by more accurate storm warnings that 

protect lives and property, and improved seasonal predictions that 

help farmers and ranchers make better water management decisions. 

Key to NOAA’s Blue Economy work is promoting U.S. seafood 

production. This includes advancing fishery science and reducing 

unnecessary regulations on our commercial fishermen so that they 

can maximize their sustainable yields. We are also working to end 

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the importation of illegal, unreported, and unregulated seafood to 

level the playing field for U.S. fishermen. 

And we are supporting domestic aquaculture. The fact that the 

U.S. has arguably the largest EEZ in the world, but ranks 17th in 

worldwide aquaculture production, is unacceptable. We are changing that by executing a strategy to use existing authorities to expand aquaculture in Federal waters. We look forward to working 

with Senator Wicker to clarify the statutory authorities and provide the regulatory certainty required for a robust domestic aquaculture industry. 

Also important to NOAA’s Blue Economy work is our support for 

maritime transportation. Secretary Ross highlighted how NOAA 

improves the efficiency and safety of U.S. seaports in his Senate 

testimony on infrastructure. Ninety percent of U.S. overseas trade 

moves through our ports, adding up to $4.6 trillion annually, so 

that even small improvements in port efficiencies have tremendous 

economic impact. For instance, NOAA provided a precision navigation capability to the Port of Long Beach, California, where a combination of high-resolution bathymetric surveys and realtime environmental data increased the allowable draft for ships to enter 

port, enabling them to carry up to $2 million in extra product per 

foot of draft per transit. 

With commerce on top of the water and seafood from the water 

column, there also is value on and under the seabed. NOAA is promoting energy production, mineral extraction, and pharmaceutical 

development while meeting our statutory obligations to protect the 

marine environment. One way we are doing this is through ocean 

exploration. The United States has mapped the Moon and Mars to 

a better resolution than our sea floor. NOAA is examining ways to 

expand mapping our EEZ with autonomous vehicles and remote 

sensing technologies, allowing discovery of new areas with energy 

and mineral potential, as well as new ecosystems and species with 

boundless possibilities to benefit human health and understanding. 

We are also advancing research in underwater acoustics to reduce the uncertainty about the impact of noise on marine mammals. Better knowledge will help protect marine mammals while 

also facilitating the safe exploration for offshore energy. 

Last, NOAA is ensuring our ocean, coasts, and beaches are clean, 

safe, and productive. We do this by implementing statutes such as 

the Marine Debris Act, the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, the 

Endangered Species Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act, 

which support recreation and tourism by improving our environment and quality of life. 

Ultimately, a vibrant U.S. economy depends on healthy oceans, 

coasts, and Great Lakes. The science and management to conserve 

and sustainably use these resources is at the heart of NOAA’s mission. 

I look forward to answering your questions about how NOAA is 

promoting the Blue Economy for the benefit of our great Nation. 

[The prepared statement of Admiral Gallaudet follows:] 

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PREPARED STATEMENT OF RDML TIMOTHY GALLAUDET, PH.D., USN RET. ASSISTANT

SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE; AND ACTING UNDER

SECRETARY OF COMMERCE FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND

ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION, U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

Good afternoon. It’s a pleasure to be here today to focus on one of my favorite 

topics: the blue economy. 

I want to thank Chairman Sullivan for his leadership and foresight in hosting this 

hearing. Alaska is a key contributor to the Nation’s ocean economy, thanks to Alaska’s fishing, shipping, tourism, energy development and other industries tied to the 

ocean. Many Alaska communities also have strong subsistence economies that depend on ocean resources. The unique relationship that Alaska has with the sea has 

long made Alaska a leading voice on ocean policy matters. I look forward to discussing how we can grow the blue economy to the benefit of Alaskan communities 

and the entire nation. 

Coastal regions are home to 40 percent of the U.S. population and the U.S. ocean economy contributes $320 billion to our GDP. Under the Department of Commerce, 

the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) supports the sustainable use, management and conservation of our ocean and coastal resources 

through research, observations and environmental forecasts. You cannot manage 

what you cannot measure. So we measure quite a bit at NOAA—from ocean conditions at the bottom of the sea, to the abundance of fish in the pelagic zone, to atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, to solar wind. 

In June, the President issued a proclamation to mark National Ocean Month that 

states the following: 

‘‘To harness the vast resources of the EEZ [Exclusive Economic Zone], we will 

develop and deploy new technologies in partnership with American academic institutions and innovators. We will streamline regulations and administrative 

practices to promote economic growth, while protecting our marine environment 

for current and future generations. We will also create new opportunities for 

American products in the global marketplace, including through continued support of our commercial fisheries and promotion of domestic aquaculture. 

To advance America’s economic, security, and environmental interests, it is also 

critical that we explore, map, and inventory our Nation’s waters and pursue advanced observational technologies and forecasting capabilities. By exploring, developing, and conserving the ocean resources of our great Nation, we will augment our economic competitiveness, enhance our national security, and ensure 

American prosperity.’’ 

This proclamation clearly sets the stage for how NOAA will address and prioritize 

the blue economy in this Administration. In particular, I will highlight how NOAA’s 

work on fisheries management, aquaculture production, maritime transportation, 

and energy production and mineral extraction while protecting important marine resources supports our Nation’s blue economy. 

The United States leads the world in sustainable fisheries management and our 

domestic fisheries management system has produced great economic and environmental success stories. However, seafood is traded globally, and our domestic fishermen are rarely allowed to compete on a level playing field. The Trump Administration is working to reduce, eliminate, and streamline regulations on our commercial 

fishermen so that they can fish up to the maximum sustainable yield. We are also 

working to end the importation of illegal, unreported, and unregulated seafood. We 

should take great pride in our achievements in ending overfishing domestically and 

our global leadership in protecting fishery resources on the high seas. As this committee knows all too well, we cannot turn a blind eye to nefarious fishing practices 

that threaten our domestic industry and the long-term viability of fish stocks globally. This committee introduced and considered all of the key legislative tools that 

enable both domestic and international marine resource protection—the Magnuson 

Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, the Marine Mammal Protection 

Act, the Oil Pollution Act, and the High Seas Driftnet Fishery Enforcement Act, to 

name just a few. 

While NOAA is working to expand fishing opportunities and access to foreign 

markets for our wild-caught fishing industry, we must also do more to develop a 

viable domestic aquaculture industry. The fact that the U.S. has one of the largest 

EEZs in the world, but ranks 17th in worldwide aquaculture production, is shocking. One-half of the global seafood supply is farmed, but in the U.S. less than 10 

percent of our seafood is from aquaculture. NOAA, as well as the Department of 

Commerce as a whole, is looking to change that dramatically—while keeping a 

sharp eye to protect our wild-caught stocks and expand export markets for wildVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00012 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
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caught fish. NOAA has been scaling up our aquaculture research efforts so we can 

grow the aquaculture industry wisely and sustainably. However, to do so this will 

also require a change in the regulatory regime to reduce confusion which has to date 

deterred investment in Federal waters. To date, the United States has been exporting our aquaculture science and expertise, rather than farmed seafood. That needs 

to change as the global population approaches 10 billion and the world looks to the 

ocean for protein. Seafood production via aquaculture can be a resource-efficient way 

to produce protein and has already helped improve nutrition and food security in 

many parts of the world. 

NOAA is committed to streamlining the use of existing authorities to expand 

aquaculture in Federal waters. We look forward to working with Senator Wicker to 

clarify the statutory authorities and provide the regulatory certainty required to develop a robust domestic aquaculture industry. Whether it be a wild-caught salmon 

from Bristol Bay, or a farmed oyster from the Chesapeake Bay near where I now 

live, American consumers should have great faith and pride in the fact that all U.S. 

seafood is healthy, sustainable and safe to enjoy. 

Human civilization sprung up along our coasts for access to food, but also for access to transportation. Today, perhaps more than ever, coastal communities and 

ports play a vital role in the transport of goods in the global marketplace. Earlier 

this year, Secretary Ross highlighted NOAA’s investments to improve the efficiency 

and safety in our Nation’s port facilities in his Senate testimony on infrastructure. 

Few Americans realize that 99 percent of U.S. overseas trade moves through our 

ports. Billions of tons of product valued in the trillions of dollars move through our 

ports annually, so even small improvements in our ports efficiencies have tremendous economic impact. For example, NOAA installed precision navigation products 

in the port of Long Beach, where a combination of high resolution bathymetric surveys of the sea floor and real-time oceanographic and meteorological data on swells, 

tides, currents, wind, temperature, and salinity increased the allowable draft for 

cargo ships to enter the port. The result was that vessels could carry up to $2 million in extra product per foot of allowable draft per transit. Given that there are 

thousands of ships that enter U.S. ports every day, the potential return on investment for such precision navigation products could be very advantageous to the U.S. 

economy. We are looking to expand these products and services to more ports across 

the Nation. 

Goods are transported on top of the water, seafood is harvested from the water 

column, and there is tremendous value beneath the seabed. NOAA has a role to play 

in promoting energy production and mineral extraction, while meeting our statutory 

obligations to protect subsistence resources, the marine environment and protected 

species. We can do so in a few ways. First, we can do more to explore and characterize our ocean and coastal resources. We import almost all of our Nation’s critical 

minerals, which help build modern infrastructure from jet engines, to power plants 

and cell phones. Relying on foreign sources of critical minerals is a national security 

vulnerability that NOAA can help address through ocean exploration. The United 

States has mapped the moon and Mars to a better resolution than our own seafloor. 

Thus, NOAA is examining ways to expand activities related to the mapping of our 

EEZ. The advancement of autonomous vehicles and remote sensing technologies will 

facilitate the characterization of our EEZ which will aid navigation and identify 

sources of valuable minerals, energy and, potentially, pharmaceuticals. 

Second, we are looking for opportunities to advance research on underwater 

acoustics to reduce uncertainties around the impact of noise on marine mammals. 

Better knowledge will help NOAA protect marine mammals while also facilitating 

the safe exploration of offshore energy sources. I believe we have great opportunities 

to work with Alaska Natives, industry, foundations and NGOs to expand our underwater acoustic observations, improve our understanding of how sound impacts mammals, and develop reasonable mitigation measures to protect threatened species. 

NOAA sees the cooperative process used by the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission 

and the oil industry to ensure offshore exploration does not adversely impact subsistence hunting for bowhead whales as a great example of how the blue economy 

can move forward. 

Life began in the ocean, and humans, including myself, are intrinsically drawn 

to the sea. We go there for recreation, we go there for relaxation, and we go there 

for inspiration and reflection. NOAA works every day to ensure our ocean, coasts 

and beaches are clean, safe and productive. NOAA conserves and protects the marine environment through its statutory authorities, ranging from the Marine Debris 

Act, to the Endangered Species Act, to the Marine Sanctuaries Act, to the Marine 

Mammal Protection Act, to coastal management through the Coastal Zone Management Act, to protecting essential fish habitat and managing recreational fisheries 

through the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. NOAA 

10 

also consults with other agencies regarding the Endangered Species Act and Essential Fish Habitat. Thus, NOAA’s work to support a healthy and productive marine 

environment is fundamental to supporting the blue economy. 

Ultimately, a vibrant U.S. economy depends on healthy ocean, coastal, and Great 

Lakes resources. The science and management to conserve and sustainably use 

these resources is at the heart of NOAA’s mission. I look forward to answering your 

questions about our efforts to sustainably utilize our EEZ for the benefit of this and 

future generations. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Well, thank you, Admiral. And again, thank 

you for being here. 

Let me begin with some just kind of basic questions that help 

frame the topic of discussion today and what you’ve been working 

on. 

You know, the U.S. Government doesn’t have an official definition of the ‘‘Blue Economy.’’ Can you share your interpretation of 

the term, in terms of how you frame that, look at it? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Chairman Sullivan. Thank you for the 

question. 

We, at NOAA, view the Blue Economy, or the aspects that we 

support, to it be—being or encompassing areas such as marine 

transportation and commerce, as well as tourism and recreation 

and ocean exploration and, of course, fisheries. 

Senator SULLIVAN. OK. And do you have kind of a ballpark figure, in terms of the size of that economy for the United States, and 

maybe as a percentage of our overall annual GDP? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Chairman Sullivan. 

The number that our National Oceans Service was—reported was $320 billion, I think, which contributes about—you know, to— 

as a percent of our $18 billion GDP. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Trillion dollar. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Trillion. Yes, sir, thank you. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Great. Let me ask another question. I know 

that you’re going to be visiting a number of states, in your capacity, 

to discuss—stakeholders meetings throughout the country on this 

and other topics. I’m looking forward to having you in Alaska soon. 

Can you elaborate a little bit more on your visits, not just to my 

state, but to other states, I think, this summer and through the 

fall? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Chairman Sullivan, thank you. 

I look forward to visiting Alaska, Juneau and Anchorage, in August. And that’s part of a—several trips I am making across the 

country as part of a—the public listening sessions. And, in this, 

we’re asking members of the public to come in and give their feedback on how we’re aligning our priorities with the Department of 

Commerce’s vision and strategy. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Are you going to give public notice to, you 

know, not only communities in Alaska, but to other states that you 

plan on traveling to? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Chairman. And I think we put this on 

the Web today, and we’ll—it’s—it will be published in the Federal 

Register tomorrow. 

Senator SULLIVAN. OK. 

Let me ask—you know, we’re having our salmon runs, back home 

in my state, which is obviously very important. Some of the runs 

have been disappointing. Some of the runs have been disastrous, 

11 

to be perfectly frank. I’d like to get your commitment, once the 

salmon season is done in Alaska, to have you and your top officials, 

like Chris Oliver, and perhaps some experts from the states like 

mine, and maybe some other Pacific Coast states, to have a hearing 

to kind of get your best sense with regard to what’s happening on 

these runs, why some are strong, why some are weak, why some 

have been very challenging. These negatively impact my state, the 

Blue Economy, my constituents in an enormous way. And there’s 

a real desire to get a handle on the science and what is exactly 

happening. Can I get your commitment on that, as well? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, sir, Chairman Sullivan. You have our 

commitment to help you in understanding what’s happening to 

salmon and doing the things that will continue to sustainably manage the fisheries in your state and across the country. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Let me throw out a concern that relates to the 

last commitment you just made. One of the things that I think we 

see bipartisan support for, on this committee certainly, is having 

the best science and best data available to help you and other Federal agencies, but primarily NOAA, bring that to councils, like the 

different Magnuson-Stevens Act councils that manage our fisheries 

throughout the country so that they can make the best recommendations on fish stocks and sustainability based on science. 

I see a NOAA budget request that came out that proposes more 

than a $17 million decrease in NOAA fisheries programs in the 

fishery science and management element of NOAA for FY19. If we 

were to enact these kind of budget figures, which I’m not going to 

support, wouldn’t that undermine the Blue Economy and the value 

of our, not just commercial fisheries, but recreational fisheries, as 

well? And how do you square that with the initiative, which I support, but it seems like you’re not requesting the full amount that 

I think there’s a bipartisan support for, in terms of science management of our fisheries? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Chairman Sullivan, I agree with you that 

fishery science is very important to sustainably manage our stocks, 

and—— 

Senator SULLIVAN. Critical. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Absolutely, sir. Critical. And we are committed to continuing our stock assessment work. And I believe, in 

the FY19 request, we are not decreasing funding in stock assessment work, but there is efficiencies we think we can gain through 

improved monitoring and observations using unmanned systems 

technology, for example, and electronic monitoring. And so, those 

have—I believe, is where we can make some efficiencies. And we’ve 

already made great advances in that kind of observational work to 

date. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Great. OK, thank you. 

Senator Nelson. 

Senator NELSON. Go ahead with Senator Baldwin. 

Senator SULLIVAN. OK. 

Senator Baldwin. 

Senator BALDWIN. Mr. Chairman, at this time, I’d like to submit 

the slide deck that Admiral Gallaudet presented to the Department 

of Commerce leadership last month into the record. And I’m—— 

Senator SULLIVAN. Without objection. 

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[The information referred to follows:] 


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Senator BALDWIN. Thank you. And also like to submit a draft released last month by the White House’s Office of Science and Technology Policy entitled ‘‘Science and Technology for America’s 

Oceans: A Decadal Vision.’’ 

Senator SULLIVAN. Without objection. 

[The information referred to follows:] 


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About the National Science and Technology Council 

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) is the principal means by 

which the Executive Branch coordinates science and technology policy across the diverse entities that make up the Federal research and development enterprise. A primary objective of the NSTC is to ensure science and technology policy decisions and 

programs are consistent with the President’s stated goals. The NSTC prepares research and development strategies that are coordinated across Federal agencies 

aimed at accomplishing multiple national goals. The work of the NSTC is organized 

under committees that oversee subcommittees and working groups focused on different aspects of science and technology. More information is available at http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/ostp/nstc. 

About the Office of Science and Technology Policy 

The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) was established by the National Science and Technology Policy, Organization, and Priorities Act of 1976 to 

provide the President and others within the Executive Office of the President with 

advice on the scientific, engineering, and technological aspects of the economy, national security, homeland security, health, foreign relations, the environment, and 

the technological recovery and use of resources, among other topics. OSTP leads 

interagency science and technology policy coordination efforts, assists the Office of 

Management and Budget with an annual review and analysis of Federal research 

and development in budgets, and serves as a source of scientific and technological 

analysis and judgment for the President with respect to major policies, plans, and 

programs of the Federal Government. More information is available at http:// 

www.whitehouse.gov/ostp. 

About the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology 

The purpose of the Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST) is to 

advise and assist on national issues of ocean science and technology. The SOST contributes to the goals for Federal ocean science and technology, including developing 

coordinated interagency strategies, and fostering national ocean science and technology priorities. 

About this Document 

This document was prepared by the SOST. This document serves as the second 

U.S. ocean science and technology decadal plan, following Charting the Course for 

Ocean Science for the United States for the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy (2007)—which was updated in 2013 with the 

release of Science for an Ocean Nation: An Update of the Ocean Research Priorities 

Plan. 

Copyright Information 

This document is a work of the United States Government and is in the public 

domain (see 17 U.S.C. § 105). Subject to the stipulations below, it may be distributed 

and copied with acknowledgment to OSTP. Copyrights to graphics included in this 

document are reserved by the original copyright holders or their assignees and are 

used here under the government’s license and by permission. Requests to use any 

images must be made to the provider identified in the image credits or to OSTP if 

no provider is identified. Printed in the United States of America, 2018. 

NATIONAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY COUNCIL 

Chair Staff 

Ted Wackler, Deputy Chief of Staff and 

Assistant Director, Office of Science and 

Technology Policy 

Chloe Kontos, Executive Director, National 

Science and Technology Council 

COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT 

Chair Staff 

Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Science Advisor, 

Environmental Protection Agency 

Lisa Matthews, Executive Secretary, Environmental Protection Agency 

RDML Timothy Gallaudet, Assistant Secretary 

of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, 

National Oceanic and Atmospheric 

Administration 

20 

Chair Staff 

Deerin Babb-Brott, Principal Assistant 

Director, Oceans and Environment, Office of 

Science and Technology Policy 

SUBCOMMITTEE ON OCEAN SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY 

CO-CHAIRS 

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION

OFFICE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY POLICY

MEMBERS 

Arctic Research Commission 

Department of Agriculture 

Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

Department of Defense 

Department of Defense, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 

Department of Defense, Navy 

Department of Energy, Office of Science 

Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 

Department of Health and Human Services, Food and Drug Administration 

Department of Health and Human Services, National Institutes of Health 

Department of Homeland Security 

Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Coast Guard 

Department of Homeland Security, FEMA 

Department of the Interior, BOEM 

Department of the Interior, National Park Service 

Department of the Interior, United States Geological Survey 

Department of Justice 

Department of State 

Department of Transportation, Maritime Administration 

Environmental Protection Agency 

Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget 

Executive Office of the President, Office of Science and Technology Policy 

Joint Chiefs of Staff 

Office of the Oceanographer of the Navy 

National Aeronautics and Space Administration 

National Science Foundation 

Marine Mammal Commission 

EX OFFICIO MEMBERS 

Ocean Resource Management Interagency Policy Committee (ORM–IPC) 

U.S. Committee on the Marine Transportation System (CMTS) 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

List of Acronyms 

Executive Summary 

Introduction 

Goal I. Understand the Ocean in the Earth System 

Goal II. Promote Economic Prosperity 

Goal III. Ensure Maritime Security 

Goal IV. Safeguard Human Health 

Goal V. Develop Resilient Coastal Communities 

Moving Forward 

21 

LIST OF ACRONYMS

AIS—Automatic Identification System 

AUV—Autonomous Underwater Vehicle 

DMAC—Data Management And Communications 

eDNA—Environmental DNA 

EEZ—Exclusive Economic Zone 

eMSI—Enhanced Marine Safety Information 

EOV—Essential Ocean Variable 

FDA—Food and Drug Administration 

FEMA—Federal Emergency Management Agency 

GDP—Gross Domestic Product 

GOOS—Global Ocean Observing System 

HAB—Harmful Algal Bloom 

IARPC—Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee 

IDSS—Impact-based Decision Support Services 

IMO—International Maritime Organization 

IOOS—Integrated Ocean Observing System 

IUU—Illegal, Unregulated, and Unreported 

LRIT—Long-Range Identification and Tracking 

MSI—Marine Safety Information 

MTS—U.S. Marine Transportation System 

NAIS—Nationwide Automatic Identification System 

OECD—Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development 

OSSE—Observing System Simulation Experiments 

OSE—Observing System Experiments 

PAH—Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon 

PCB—Polychlorinated biphenyl 

PORTS—Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System 

QPF—Quantitative Precipitation Forecast 

R&D—Research and Development 

ROV—Remotely Operated Vehicle 

S&E—Science and Engineering 

S&T—Science and Technology 

SES—Social-Ecological System 

SLR—Sea Level Rise 

SOCCOM—Southern Ocean Carbon Climate Observation and Modeling 

SOLAS—International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea 

STEM—Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math 

UUV—Unmanned Underwater Vehicle 

VTS—Vessel Traffic Services 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

America’s unrestricted access to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Gulf of Mexico, 

Western Rivers, Great Lakes, and Arctic region powers domestic and global commerce. The ease of moving cargo and people beyond its coasts fuels the Nation’s 

competitive advantage, advances trade, generates capital, and drives the domestic 

economy forward, in turn projecting strength abroad and safeguarding its national 

interests. Ensuring responsible ocean stewardship with science and technology 

(S&T) breakthroughs depends on a strategic Federal portfolio supported by foundational basic research. Science and Technology for America’s Oceans: A Decadal Vision identifies pressing research needs and areas of opportunity within the ocean 

S&T enterprise for the coming decade, 2018–2028. This vision identifies five goals 

to advance U.S. ocean S&T and the Nation in the coming decade: (1) Understand 

the Ocean in the Earth System; (2) Promote Economic Prosperity; (3) Ensure Maritime Security; (4) Safeguard Human Health; and (5) Develop Resilient Coastal Communities. Each goal is supplemented with specific objectives and actionable priorVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00025 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
22 

1For the purposes of this document, ‘‘ocean’’ includes the open ocean, coasts, estuaries, coastal 

watersheds, and Great Lakes. 

ities to achieve those objectives. The objectives for the five goals as well as an additional section that outlines areas of immediate ocean research and technology opportunities are summarized below: 

Goal I. Understand the Ocean in the Earth System: 

1) Modernize Research and Development (R&D) Infrastructure; 

2) Harness Big Data; 

3) Develop Models of the Earth System; 

4) Facilitate Research to Operations 

Goal II. Promote Economic Prosperity: 

1) Expand Domestic Seafood Production; 

2) Explore Potential Energy Sources; 

3) Assess Marine Critical Minerals; 

4) Balance Economic and Ecological Benefits; 

5) Promote the Blue Workforce 

Goal III. Ensure Maritime Security: 

1) Improve Maritime Situational Awareness; 

2) Understand a Changing Arctic; 

3) Maintain and Enhance Marine Transportation 

Goal IV. Safeguard Human Health: 

1) Improve Forecasts of Marine Contaminants and Pathogens; 

2) Combat Harmful Algal Blooms; 

3) Discover Natural Products 

Goal V. Develop Resilient Coastal Communities: 

1) Prepare for Natural Disasters and Weather Events; 

2) Reduce Risk and Vulnerabilities; 

3) Empower Local and Regional Decision-Making 

Areas of immediate ocean research and technology opportunities include: 

1. Fully integrate Big Data approaches in Earth system science; 

2. Advance monitoring and predictive modeling capabilities; 

3. Improve data integration in decision support tools; 

4. Support ocean exploration and characterization; 

5. Support ongoing research and technology partnerships 

Two cross-cutting topics that are relevant to each of the five goals are a modernized ocean infrastructure, and an educated, diverse, and dynamic ‘‘blue’’ workforce. 

Continued investments in these two areas will contribute to U.S. global leadership 

within ocean S&T. 

This document presents a decadal vision for an innovative and collaborative ocean 

S&T enterprise that promotes American security and prosperity while conserving 

the marine environment for present and future generations. Carrying out the research goals will require investments in and coordination of ocean S&T across all 

levels of government and private industry, academia, and nongovernmental organizations over the long term. These goals will be achieved over years, working with 

Federal and non-Federal partners to direct and leverage the necessary resources. 

Additionally, while this document will provide important guidance to Federal agencies on ocean S&T priorities, implementation of this plan is dependent upon available resources and will vary year to year. 

INTRODUCTION

The ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes are among the United States’ most 

treasured resources. They are an integral part of our national identity and our Nation’s future. The ocean 1 covers 71 percent of the Earth’s surface and hundreds of 

23 

2 Hoegh-Guldberg, O. et al., (2015) Reviving the Ocean Economy: the case for action—2015. 

WWF International, Gland, Switzerland. Geneva, p. 60. https://www.wwf.de/fileadmin/fmwwf/Publikationen-PDF/WWF-Report-Reviving-the-Ocean-Economy-Summary.pdf (accessed 

April 17, 2018). 3Ocean services are the benefits humans derive from different aspects of ocean structure and 

function. These can be partitioned into (1) Provisioning Services, (2) Supporting Services, (3) 

Regulating Services and (4) Cultural Services. More information can be found at: NOAA (2017) 

Ecosystem Status Report for the Northeast Large Marine Ecosystem https://www.nef 

sc.noaa.gov/ecosys/ecosystem-status-report/ecosystem-services.html (accessed June 12, 2018). 4 Cornell, S., I.C. Prentice, J. House, and C. Downing. (2012) Understanding the Earth system: 

Global change science for application. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, p. 267. https:// 

doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511921155 (accessed June 15, 2018). 5 Jin, X., B.W. Wah, X. Cheng, and Y. Wang. (2015) Significance and challenges of big data 

research. Big Data Research 2:59–64. https://wah.cse.cuhk.edu.hk/wah/Wah/papers/J94/J96 

.pdf (accessed June 15, 2018). 6 National Ocean Service. Socioeconomics https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/science/socioeconomic/ 

(accessed April 17, 2018). 

millions of people rely on a viable ocean to sustain them.2 The ocean provides and 

creates jobs, gives mobility to our Armed Forces, helps feed our Nation, secures our 

borders, fuels our economy, enables safe movement of goods, and provides places for 

recreation. A healthy, productive, and resilient ocean contributes significantly to our 

quality of life. Understanding the physical, chemical, biological, and geological 

changes in the ocean is vital to the survival and prosperity of humanity. 

In the United States, the ocean and its wealth of natural resources have played 

a critical role in fueling American prosperity and energy dominance, protecting our 

country, generating jobs, sustaining industries, and contributing to Americans’ overall well-being. Our coastal ports and global waterways make up the epicenter of 

world trade, facilitating a thriving U.S. economy through the maritime enterprise. 

At the same time, the coastal communities that take part in and benefit from the 

ocean economy are also vulnerable to events such as hurricanes and sea level rise. 

Many of these changes to the ocean and its services 3 are evident by human observation, exhibiting visible alterations to coastlines and ecosystems, navigation routes, 

water quality, species compositions, the timing and occurrence of pathogens, abundance of marine debris, and populations of commercially and ecologically important 

marine species. 

The ocean science and technology (S&T) enterprise can provide the foundational 

knowledge needed to address many complex ocean-related challenges and inform decision-making that will ultimately strengthen our Nation and its communities. One 

essential objective of this document is to facilitate the integration of natural and social sciences. No single discipline can comprehensively address the complex and 

pressing problems facing the ocean, which can no longer be studied in isolation but 

must be considered as a part of a dynamic Earth system. This document recognizes 

the connections among ocean, land, ice, and atmosphere. Humans are an important 

element of the Earth system as agents of change to Earth system processes. They 

are beneficiaries of Earth’s natural resources and are at risk from Earth’s natural 

hazards. The inclusion of human dimensions in ocean S&T ensures holistic understanding of the Earth system. The scientific understanding of the Earth system,4

the need to obtain, analyze, and manage Big Data,5 and the relevance of dynamic 

feedbacks between socioeconomics and biophysical systems,6 are key concepts that 

are evident throughout this document. As an ocean Nation and a global leader, the 

United States can advance the ocean S&T enterprise by fostering innovation and 

investing in basic and applied ocean research, technology, education, and workforce 

development—all key to increasing knowledge and understanding of the ocean system and maintaining our country’s influence and leadership in an ever-challenging 

global arena. 

Two cross-cutting topics emerged as critical components among all goals in this 

document. They include the modernization and management of ocean-related research infrastructure, including ocean-observing and modeling capabilities, and an 

educated, diverse, and dynamic workforce. State-of-the-art research infrastructure 

provides the United States with unique competencies, allows for advances in discovery, minimizes potential economic and societal losses, and ensures the S&T 

workforce has the capabilities it needs to conduct world-leading ocean research. Infrastructure and advanced technologies such as airborne, underwater, and landbased assets support U.S. ocean research and technology interests. Modernized technologies, and improvement in capabilities such as data acquisition and high-performance computing, are two related priorities relevant to all goals in this document. U.S. economic well-being and global leadership in S&T depends on an oceanliterate society and a well-trained workforce of the future. A strong ‘‘blue’’ workforce 

24 

7Prospectus: Ocean Research in the Coming Decade. (October 2016) https://www.nsf.gov/ 

geo/oce/orp/orp-prospectus.pdf (accessed April 17, 2018). 8 NSTC Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology. (2007) Charting the Course for 

Ocean Science in the United States for the Next Decade. An ocean research priorities plan and 

implementation strategy, p. 85. https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/micro 

sites/ostp/nstc-orppis.pdf (accessed April 17, 2018). 9 National Ocean Service. How much of the ocean have we explored? https://ocean 

service.noaa.gov/facts/exploration.html (accessed April 17, 2018). 

will enable the Nation to address tomorrow’s ocean needs and contribute more jobs, 

enhanced production, and national prosperity. 

The vision for the coming decade is a Nation that recognizes the importance of 

a science-based and technologically driven understanding of the ocean to American 

livelihoods, national security, and economic independence. This same knowledge enhances the conservation and stewardship of the ocean and its resources. Advancing 

the ocean S&T enterprise enables a better understanding of the past, enhanced opportunities to observe the present, and the ability to predict the future. 

About this Document 

Science and Technology for America’s Oceans: A Decadal Vision identifies research 

priorities and areas of opportunity within the ocean S&T enterprise for the coming 

decade, 2018–2028. The aim of this document is not to prescribe policies, but to provide guidance for U.S. Federal agencies and non-Federal sectors to align their resources and areas of expertise, and further build the scientific and technological 

foundation that will improve our knowledge and stewardship of the ocean, address 

issues of national and global importance, and inform decision-making for the coming 

decade.7 This document considers the needs of researchers, resource managers, policymakers, educators, tribal, State, territorial, and local governments, and other 

stakeholders and will rely on the continuous stream of information and knowledge 

derived from fundamental basic research by and for the ocean S&T community for 

the well-being of the Nation. 

This document builds on a number of initiatives outlined in Charting the Course 

for Ocean Science for the United States for the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy (2007) 8—the first comprehensive national 

ocean research priorities plan—which was updated in 2013 with the release of 

Science for an Ocean Nation: An Update of the Ocean Research Priorities Plan. Over 

the last decade, the ocean community has advanced novel ocean technologies, discovered new marine life and ocean-derived therapeutics, helped marine populations 

recover, tracked environmental changes, and answered important questions about 

how the ocean works. This document charts the course for the next decade. 

Organization of this Document 

This document presents five high-priority ocean S&T goals: (1) Understand the 

Ocean in the Earth System; (2) Promote Economic Prosperity; (3) Ensure Maritime 

Security; (4) Safeguard Human Health; and (5) Develop Resilient Coastal Communities. The first goal serves to improve the foundational understanding of the global 

ocean and is followed by the application of such scientific knowledge into more specific goals. Within each goal are S&T objectives, identified as key areas to advance 

the U.S. ocean S&T enterprise in the next decade. Subsections describe specific research and development (R&D) priorities to advance the U.S. ocean S&T enterprise. 

These priorities will likely evolve as the U.S. ocean S&T enterprise advances during 

the next decade. Many of these actions will produce short-term benefits that respond 

to immediate needs of communities, industries, ocean stakeholders, and the public. 

Others create building blocks to support key outcomes in the medium-to long-term. 

The goals, objectives, and priorities in this document were developed through a collaborative effort involving Federal agencies and stakeholders with interests and responsibilities linked to the ocean. 

GOAL I. UNDERSTAND THE OCEAN IN THE EARTH SYSTEM

Overview 

The ocean is the largest habitat and is home to some of the most biodiverse areas 

of the planet. To date, we have explored less than five percent of the global ocean.9

The ocean is the predominant physical feature on our planet and drives the global 

climate through the absorption, retention, and transportation of heat, water, and 

carbon. The global ocean S&T enterprise has made significant progress in understanding the physical, chemical, and biological aspects of the ocean system, but the 

dynamic ocean environment is changing in terms of ocean chemistry, temperature, 

25 

10Lenton, T.M., H. Held, E. Kriegler, J.W. Hall, W. Lucht, S. Rahmstorf, and H.J. 

Schellnhuber. (2008) Tipping elements in the Earth’s climate system. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science 105(6):1786–1793. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC 

2538841/ (accessed June 15, 2018). 11 IPCC Fourth Assessment Report: Climate Change 2007. Working Group I: The Physical 

Science Basis. 5.2.2.3 Implications for Earth’s Heat Balance. https://www.ipcc.ch/publications_and_data/ar4/wg1/en/ch5s5-2-2-3.html (accessed June 15, 2018). 

sea-level, and currents, all of which affect marine biology.10 Consequently, we must 

make observations, refine our models, and develop new predictive capabilities to be 

able to sustainably manage our ocean resources. 

Scientific and technological advances have brought significant improvements in 

our understanding of the ocean. Exploration, discovery, and assessment of marine 

resources, processes, and ecosystem structure and function are vital to capitalize on 

economic opportunities, improve human health, and protect life and property at sea. 

Molecular and chemical techniques and biological tools allow us to identify and understand the contributions of the smallest organisms, while satellites and autonomous vehicles have revealed ocean behavior on temporal and spatial scales that 

were previously inaccessible. Developments in electronic technologies have opened 

new research and technological horizons. However, a combination of existing and 

emergent technologies and modeling capabilities are needed to further elucidate the 

ocean’s behavior, its future trajectories, and its connections to other components of 

the Earth system. These technological capabilities will inform evidence-based stewardship, ensuring continued safeguarding of the air we breathe, the water we drink, 

and the food we eat. 

The study and exploration of the ocean begins at the sea surface and reaches to 

the deepest depths, where the ocean interacts with the sediments on the seafloor 

and, further still, the deep biosphere found in the ocean sediments and crust beneath the seafloor. Recent studies have demonstrated the increasing importance of 

the deep ocean for heat storage and of ocean variability on global climate and 

weather patterns. The ocean’s heat content and stratification have increased, which 

in turn have affected its oxygen content and pH, and other key biogeochemical and 

ecological components. The increase in ocean heat content accounts for most (over 

90 percent) of the overall changes in the Earth’s energy budget.11 Coastal oceans 

are regions of high carbon storage and rapid change, and are especially important 

to fisheries. To understand present conditions, determine rates of change, and make 

reliable projections of the future states of the Earth system and climate, we need 

to understand the underlying characteristics of our environment. This first goal 

seeks to improve the foundational understanding of the global ocean, which is paramount to achieving the other four goals highlighted in this document. 

Modernize R&D Infrastructure 

Access to the sea has always been a fundamental hurdle for marine research as 

the ocean can be a harsh, unforgiving, and dangerous environment. Consequently, 

our research infrastructure is critical to our Nation’s leadership role in ocean 

science, and plays a significant foundational role in each of the areas this document 

addresses. The infrastructure and technology necessary for successful ocean research includes ships, submersibles, aircraft, satellites, land-based radar, moorings 

and cabled buoys, and various unmanned underwater, surface, and airborne vehicles. Research infrastructure also includes land-based facilities, i.e., state of the art 

laboratories, to support deployed ocean assets and to receive, analyze, and manage 

incoming data using high-performance computing and communications networks 

that support wide access to and use of information. Additionally, investment in modern laboratories is critical to conducting corresponding experiments that are essential to our understanding of the changes we observe in nature. 

Ocean observations, both remote and in situ, remain vitally important for advancing knowledge of and detecting changes in the ocean system over time, and for predicting weather impacts on community infrastructure, safety, and commerce (Box 

1.1). They also feed into tactical models and decision aids for marine operators, as 

well as critical information for economic and national security activities. Observations and regular surveys are supported by essential infrastructure, including ship 

and aircraft fleets, and ocean remote sensing assets. Networks of fixed monitoring 

stations and moorings, drifting floats, and cabled observatories also represent 

foundational infrastructure for ocean research. Autonomous underwater vehicles 

(AUVs) and remotely operated aerial and surface vehicles are innovative technologies that are changing marine research and rapidly expanding and improving 

accessibility to the research and technology seascape. With precision navigation, 

high endurance, and multiple sensors, these vehicles now routinely launch from 

26 

12The Task Team for an Integrated Framework for Sustained Ocean Observing. (2012) A 

Framework for Ocean Observing. UNESCO, Washington, D.C. IOC/INF–1284 rev. p. 25. http:// 

unesdoc.unesco.org/images/0021/002112/211260e.pdf (accessed June 15, 2018). 13 Henson, S.A., C. Beaulieu, and R. Lampitt. (2016) Observing climate change trends in ocean 

biogeochemistry: when and where. Global Change Biology 22(4):1561–1571. https://www.ncbi 

.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4785610/ (accessed June 15, 2018). 

ships and land stations with the capability to efficiently collect and automatically 

send large volumes of valuable data. 

Box 1.1. Connecting Observations to the Distant Ocean, an Example from 

the Southern Ocean 

The Southern Ocean Carbon Climate Observation and Modeling (SOCCOM) 

project seeks to extend sparse physical and biogeochemical observations of the remote Southern Ocean by deploying a robotic observing system composed of some 200 

autonomous profiling floats to provide greatly increased coverage in time and space 

of the Southern Ocean. The Southern Ocean plays an important role in regulating 

global ocean circulation and long-term climate patterns. The processes and changes 

occurring therein will be analyzed and used to improve the next generation of high 

resolution coupled Earth system models used to project the future changing paths 

of the Earth’s climate and biogeochemistry. As well as SOCCOM’s mission to transform scientific and public understanding, the education of a new generation of ocean 

scientists is needed to extend the SOCCOM float technology to a broader user community. 

Figure 1.1. SOCCOM technology and map. (Images courtesy of NSF) 

Presently, most observations occur in the upper few hundred meters of ocean, and 

mostly take place in the Northern Hemisphere. However, ship-based observations, 

complemented by sustained deployment of subsurface floats, moored instruments, 

and autonomous vehicles (e.g., ocean gliders and other AUVs) have enabled significant expansion of our reach in observations of biological, chemical, physical, and geological variables (Box 1.2) as well as energy resources throughout the ocean. 

Box 1.2. Essential Ocean Variables 

Ocean observations are often prioritized based on nationally and globally agreed 

upon Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs) that are key to assessing change and causes 

of change in the ocean.12 These variables include physical, biogeochemical, biological, and acoustic measurements that influence societal needs such as ocean health 

as well as short- and mid-term weather forecasting, and longer-term changes in climate. EOVs provide input to numerical models, and improve our ability to more 

quantitatively project changing ocean and atmospheric conditions. Emerging technologies should consider current EOVs and develop technologies to improve measurement of EOVs, while maintaining the quality required for sustained observational records that can capture EOVs, while maintaining the quality required for 

sustained observational records that can capture events, as well as identify the 

emergence of longer trends through time.13

Ocean research infrastructure is one of the highest priorities of the ocean S&T 

community. Our Nation’s ocean research infrastructure needs to align capabilities 

with the requirements, including the number and type of research vessels, to ensure 

that our assets are optimized through coordination and collaboration while also retaining the capacity to meet its goals. This includes satellite and other autonomous 

data collection efforts and the related archive and data storage infrastructure. The 


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14 ‘‘Big data’’ refers to data sets so large and complex that commonly used or traditional data 

processing tools to capture, curate, and manage data within a tolerable elapsed time are inapplicable. Compared to traditional data, ‘‘Big Data’’ is characterized by high volume (enormous size 

of data), high velocity (timely response requirements), high variety (diversified data types), low 

veracity (uncertainties in the data), and high value (significance in knowledge and products). 15Gomberg, J.S., and K.A. Ludwig. (2017) Reducing risk where tectonic plates collide: U.S. 

Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2017. 302:1–4. https://pubs.usgs.gov/fs/2017/3024/fs20173 

024.pdf (accessed May 9, 2018). 16 Buck, J. (2013) NASA Helps Launch Student-Built Satellites as Part of CubeSat Launch 

Initiative. NASA Public Release 13-343. https://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/november/nasahelps-launch-student-built-satellites-as-part-of-cubesat-launch-initiative (accessed April 20, 2018). 

increase in autonomous data collection will result in increased storage and processing of Big Data 14 and improve analytical methods. 

Next-generation observing systems are needed to meet the growing risk and limited understanding of the physical processes controlling the occurrence, timing, and 

magnitude of geohazards and extreme weather events. Fundamental understanding 

of Earth processes and basic research of the subduction zone phenomena 15 will lead 

to the scientific understanding needed for robust forecasts of future geohazards and 

related events and can ultimately greatly assist risk mitigation. Obtaining longterm, high-quality seismic observations on the seafloor, and regularly telemetering 

these data to shore, is now feasible due to recent technological advances in timing, 

power, shielding, underwater and satellite telemetry, and autonomous vehicles (Box 

1.3). While hurricane track forecasts have improved dramatically, improvements in 

hurricane intensity predictions have lagged. At-sea observations of water column 

temperatures are essential for improving both hurricane track as well as hurricane 

intensity forecasts. 

Box 1.3. CubeSats and Other Readily Available Sensing Technologies 

Satellites once exclusively operated by nation states now have the simplicity to 

be built by high-school students.16 As launch opportunities grow, the ocean science 

community is better poised to rapidly enhance global observations of the world’s 

oceans. Similarly, autonomous and remote- controlled air vehicles can now be 

equipped with sophisticated sensors suitable for shipboard and coastal studies. 

Multi- or hyper-spectral electro-optical sensors can now routinely measure ocean biological parameters over wide areas. Day-night, all-weather sensing of the ocean 

surface using radar allows measurement of ocean winds and waves, as well as detection of vessels. Transmission of data from satellites to users will soon be significantly enhanced by Wi-Fi satellites, so that high fidelity data can be readily transmitted without regard for bandwidth limitations. Likewise, data from drifters, gliders, and unmanned surface vessels can be rapidly routed to users. 

Figure 1.2. Students contribute to collecting Earth observations while getting hands-on experience building CubeSats: inexpensive, small, 3-pound satellites. (Image courtesy of NASA) 


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17Tollefson, J. (2016) Massive network of robotic ocean probes gets smart upgrade. Nature 

531:421–422. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/531421a (accessed June 15, 2018). 18McAfee, A., and E. Brynjolfsson. (2012) Big Data: The management revolution. Harvard 

Business Review 3–9. https://hbr.org/2012/10/big-data-the-management-revolution (accessed 

April 17, 2018). 19The term omics refers to fields of study in molecular biology with the suffix—omics, which 

aim to better detect, characterize, quantify, and understand pools of biological molecules [such 

as genes (genomics), mRNA (transcriptomics), proteins (proteomics), and metabolites (metabolomics)] in a given sample. More information can be found at: Horgan, R.P., and L.C. (2011) ‘Omic’ 

technologies: genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics and metabolomics. The Obstetrician & 

Gynaecologist 13:189–195. https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1576/toag.13.3.189 

.27672; Gilbert, J.A., G.J. Dick, B. Jenkins, J. Heidelberg, E. Allen, K.R. Mackey, and E.F. 

DeLong. (2014) Meeting report: Ocean ’omics science, technology and cyberinfrastructure: current challenges and future requirements (August 20–23, 2013). Standards in Genomic Sciences 

9(3):1251. https://doi.org/10.4056/sigs.5749944 (accessed June 15, 2018). 

Priorities 

• Sustain critical ocean monitoring and support new observations and discovery 

in the world’s ocean to provide the continuous information streams that inform 

research, advance forecasts, and support resource management decisions. 

• Prioritize new observing methods focused on processes that lack fundamental 

understanding, such as the recently released biogeochemical versions of Argo 

floats 17 and gliders, especially in areas identified as being important for human 

health and safety. 

• Identify and expand observations for unique processes and locations for extreme 

events, as well as in under-sampled areas of the global ocean, such as the deepsea, offshore frontiers, the Southern Hemisphere, and key continental margins 

(Box 1.1). 

• Support the development and accuracy of technologies in controlled environments at the interfaces: where land meets water, where water meets air, where 

water meets ice, and where water meets the ocean bottom. 

• Utilize data from local hydrographic, geophysical, and atmospheric variables, 

and bathymetric maps of the ocean floor to serve as boundary conditions for observations and models and to advance early tsunami and earthquake warning 

systems. 

Harness Big Data 

Big Data is revolutionizing our understanding of the ocean Earth system. Big 

Data allows scientists to measure and gain large amounts of information about the 

environment and directly translate that knowledge into enhanced scientific models 

and products to improve decision-making.18 From a broad perspective, Big Data is 

the bond that connects and integrates the environment, human society, and cyberspace.5 Big Data allows for the assessment of relationships between the ocean and 

other elements of the Earth system through rigorous, data-driven methods. Advancements in Big Data capabilities can improve general circulation models and, ultimately, integrated Earth system models, as well as improve dynamic, integrated 

and/or coupled biophysical models for future condition forecasting. Two sources of 

Big Data in oceanography are: (1) large amounts of multi-dimensional data measuring a wide range of ocean variables collected by remote and in situ sensors across 

the globe, and (2) well-constrained and ground-truthed model simulations of ocean 

processes on global, regional, and local scales with high spatial and temporal resolution. 

Critical to sustaining ocean biodiversity is a mixed set of research and applications including, but not limited to, sustained ocean observations, the infrastructure 

needed for those observations in support of Essential Ocean Variables (EOVs), and 

blending in new approaches such as ‘‘omics.’’ Omics,19 a subset of molecular tools 

including genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, is an emerging Big Data field 

with the potential to transform our ability to characterize the biological composition 

of the ocean efficiently, comprehensively, and at reduced costs (Box 1.4). For example, using metagenomics to inventory the microbiomes of various ocean habitats has 

allowed for a greater understanding of diverse microbial population structure and 

gene expression (i.e., behavior) over space and time. Metagenomics tools can be extended beyond bacteria to include the study of marine viruses (an emerging area 

of epidemiology), phytoplankton, zooplankton, and holobionts such as sponges and 

corals. A challenge for the coming decade is determining how microbial population 

structure and function vary with physical and chemical oceanographic parameters. 

Addressing such a challenge will enhance marine monitoring by measuring food web 

function, species biodiversity, prevalence of pathogens and pollution, and the rate 

29 

20Masutani, M., T.W. Schlatter, R.M. Errico, A. Stoffelen, E. Andersson, W. Lahoz, J.S. Woollen, G.D. Emmitt, L–P Riishøjgaard, and S.J. Lord. (2010) Observing System Simulation 

Experiments. 647–680. In: Lahoz W., B. Khattatov B., and R. Me ́nard (eds.) Data Assimilation. 

Making sense of observations. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. 21Lord, S., G. Gayno, and F. Yang. (2016) Analysis of an observing system experiment for the 

Joint Polar Satellite System. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society 97(8):1409–1425. 

https://doi.org/10.1175/BAMS-D-14-00207.1 (accessed June 15, 2018). 22For example, ongoing efforts by NOAA, the U.S. Navy, and others are focusing on building 

a common ocean modeling framework merging Arbitrary Lagrangian Eulerian (ALE) ocean models by establishing a merged code-base permitting options for different spatial resolutions and 

temporal model integration extents. 

at which microbes degrade materials. Such omics technologies can augment traditional observation programs and are being integrated into buoy-deployed and mobile 

AUVs. 

The ocean S&T enterprise must continue to support data repositories, cloud computing, and data-sharing efforts. Observing System Simulation Experiments 

(OSSE)20 and Observing System Experiments (OSE) 21 used in parallel with ocean 

models and data assimilation strengthen the impact of fewer observations and costeffectively optimize remote and in situ ocean sampling. A unified national effort 

should aim to establish common frameworks across diverse computing systems and 

facilitate data integration. These efforts will establish a common structure for Big 

Data datasets and promote efficient data sharing while minimizing costs and resources.22

Box 1.4. Big Data from Environmental DNA 

As organisms move through the ocean, they leave in their wake a path of tiny 

particles which scientists can sample for DNA. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is an 

emerging omics technology that allows researchers to sample water, soil, or air in 

order to determine the species found in that area. eDNA is a cost-efficient and quick 

surveillance tool useful for assessing a habitat’s biodiversity, monitoring for invasive 

species, and tracking the movements of threatened and endangered species. Informing on the presence, absence, and abundance of certain species has great potential 

for better understanding and managing vulnerable ocean habitats. Ensuring quality 

control of eDNA data, managing the massive amount of data generated from sampling eDNA, and applying eDNA data to support decision-makers will allow the Federal government to capitalize on the potential benefits of eDNA technology. 

Priorities 

• Advance Big Data analytics and cloud computing platforms to identify and forecast changes in ocean circulation and heat transport, ocean biogeochemical cycling, marine ecosystems and ecosystem services, and sea level rise. 

• Increase and sustain the ocean community’s access to usable Big Data, and 

strengthen the interactions between the ocean observing, research, and modeling communities. 

• Strengthen high-performance computing to effectively process and use Big Data 

analytics and omics technologies that enhance the understanding of the ocean 

Earth system. 

• Deploy recent technological advances such as environmental DNA (eDNA) and 

other omics approaches to ocean assessments. 

Develop Models of the Earth System 

The foundational research and technology needed to advance our understanding 

of the ocean within the Earth system includes modeling ocean conditions, atmospheric and weather dynamics, and climate. In particular, monitoring and understanding changes in the coastal zone is fundamental to improving capacity to predict 

how the coastal ocean may respond to future changes, the associated impacts on marine ecosystem services, and the resilience of the communities that depend on them. 

Coastlines consist of distinct, but tightly coupled systems that are connected to 

nearby terrestrial systems by the flow of water and materials from coastal and estuarine drainage areas to the ocean (Box 1.5). Understanding and quantifying the impacts and feedbacks of human and environmental influences on coastal ecosystems 

requires comprehensive, multi-and-inter-disciplinary research, including steps toward development of predictive capabilities. Added emphasis should be placed on 

particularly vulnerable systems, such as bays, estuaries, coastal wetlands, marshes 

and mangrove systems, and high latitude regions, such as the Arctic. 

30 

23 Adger, W.N., J. Barnett, K. Brown, N. Marshall, and K. O’Brien. (2013) Cultural dimensions 

of climate change impacts and adaptation. Nature Climate Change 3(2):112–117. https:// 

www.nature.com/articles/nclimate1666 (accessed June 15, 2018). 

Box 1.5. The Interconnected Earth System 

Focused research and application to advance our knowledge of the Earth system 

includes a variety of many ocean S&T perspectives to account for the interconnectedness of key components. The flow of water and constituents (dissolved and particulate) from land to the coastal ocean connect the terrestrial and marine systems. 

Natural and anthropogenic processes add and alter riverine constituents that flow 

to the coastal ocean; inputs are regulated by hydrology (precipitation and evaporation), land use, and condition of the drainage network (including reservoirs and 

ecological condition of estuaries). In the coastal zone, physical and biogeochemical 

processes control the transport and fate of the discharged material, which may be 

recycled or removed (via export) from the system. 

Figure 1.3. Water flow and transformations with the Earth system. (Image courtesy of NASA) 

Adaptation to and mitigation of coastal change, and resilience to extreme events, 

requires understanding the vulnerability of coastal zones.23 Reliable and validated 

models that integrate coastal processes, hydrography, and land use and change, and 

include biogeochemical processes and biodiversity, are essential to predict changes 

in ecosystem services. Such models are also important to project potential impacts 

on public health, infrastructure, and the economy, and to provide communities and 

decision-makers with options and cost-benefit analyses. Understanding the interaction between land and ocean cannot be limited to the development of technologies 

or model improvement. In order to ensure ocean resource sustainability, biological, 

chemical, geological, and physical process studies should consider applications useful 

to decision-making by coastal managers, and should forge synergies across disciplines to put forward an integrated understanding of the coastal system. 

Priorities 

• Focus research and modeling activities that integrate dynamic parts of the 

Earth system, including the interface of the ocean-cryosphere, the ocean-atmosphere, and the land-ocean coastal zones. 

• Improve and validate Earth system models that feature interactions between 

the ocean and atmosphere to better predict and forecast weather around the 

globe. 


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24 As also supported by Performance Element 3.1.2 in the Interagency Arctic Research Policy 

Committee. (2016) Arctic Research Plan FY2017–2021. Washington D.C. p. 84. https:// 

www.iarpccollaborations.org/plan/objective/3.1 (accessed April 17, 2018). 25 NOAA. (2018) Report on the U.S. Ocean and Great Lakes Economy. Charleston, SC: NOAA 

Office of Coastal Management, p. 27. https://coast.noaa.gov/data/digitalcoast/pdf/econ-report.pdf (accessed May 31, 2018). 

• Engage various research communities, including academia, to enhance model 

success and provide continuous improvement and support. 

• Improve biological modeling and the development of bioinformatic analyses to 

better predict effects caused by stressors on coastal and marine ecosystems. 

• Examine quantitative precipitation forecasts (QPFs) and data assimilation resulting in more accurate coupled ocean-land-weather modeling. 

Facilitate Research to Operations 

Applying R&D advancements to operation, commercialization, or other uses is 

fundamental to advance the United States in ocean S&T, and to enhance economic 

prosperity, maritime security, human health, and resilient coastal communities. 

Such transitioning of research concepts requires a comprehensive understanding of 

the ocean Earth system including the role of external factors. Research which 

adopts a social-ecological system (SES) lens and considers the whole system, particularly context-specific factors, is more likely to observe operational success. Coupled physical, biological, chemical, and socioeconomic models support the systems 

based approach that many ocean S&T applications depend upon. 

For example, much progress has been made in weather forecasting in the last decade, both with respect to more accurate modeling, and moving from forecasting 

(modeling) to Impact-based Decision Support Services (IDSS). Sustained progress in 

forecasting and IDSS will critically depend on a more holistic approach to environmental modeling, particularly on shorter ‘‘weather’’ time scales, by expanding coupled modeling experiences gained with seasonal forecasting, tropical cyclone and 

weather-ice-ocean models to fully-coupled global and regional atmosphere-ocean-iceland-aerosol-wave prediction for weather time scales. 

Priorities 

• Integrate environmental observing and prediction systems with multi-use prediction and simulation systems to promote economically efficient, environmentally sound, and successful operations across the broad spectrum of marine 

operations. 

• Support global operational modeling capabilities in order to improve the ability 

to protect operational forces, installations, and equipment from hazardous conditions of the physical environment. 

• Develop programs that provide a more accurate, validated, longer range, global 

ocean, atmosphere, and sea ice forecast system for decision support to safety of 

flight, safety of navigation, and mission planning. 

• Advance interagency collaborations in order to pursue goals such as the deployment of unmanned underwater gliders prior to hurricane season, which will 

provide better awareness of storm intensity leading to improved hurricane forecasts. 

• Sustain forecasting capabilities, for example, by maintaining a network of drifting buoys in the Arctic Ocean, which collect sustained weather and oceanographic observations for 3–5 years and provide operational and scientific communities access to in situ data.24

GOAL II. PROMOTE ECONOMIC PROSPERITY

Overview 

Optimizing sustainable use of our exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and the high 

seas is vital to America’s global economic leadership (Box 2.1). The U.S. ocean economy, which includes six economic sectors that depend on the ocean, is estimated to 

have contributed more than $320 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) 

and supported 3.2 million jobs directly dependent on these resources in 2015.25

These economic sectors include: living resources, marine construction, offshore mineral extraction, tourism and recreation, ship and boat building, and marine transportation. 

Our ocean is home to a vast array of living and non-living marine resources. Much 

of the ocean is underexplored, and offers great potential for advancing science, technology, and our growing economy. Our resources are central to the national economy 

32 

26 NOAA. (2011) The United States is an Ocean Nation. https://www.gc.noaa.gov/documents/ 

2011/012711_gcil_maritime_eez_map.pdf (accessed June 18, 2018). 27 NOAA. (2013) National Coastal Population Report: Population Trends 1970 to 2020. http:// 

oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coastal-population-report.pdf (accessed April 17, 2018). 28 Colby, S.L., and J.M. Ortman. (2014) Projections of the size and composition of the U.S. 

Population: 2014 to 2060. Current Population Reports, P25–1143, U.S. Census Bureau. Washington, D.C. https://census.gov/content/dam/Census/library/publications/2015/demo/p25-11 

43.pdf (accessed June 18, 2018). 29 NOAA. (2016) State of the U.S. Ocean and Coastal Economies 2016 Update. National Ocean 

Economics Program. National Marine Fisheries Service. http://midatlanticocean.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/NOEP_National_Report_2016.pdf (accessed April 19, 2018). 30 National Marine Fisheries Service. (2016) Fisheries Economics of the United States, 2015. 

U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS–F/SPO–163, p. 237. https://www.fish 

eries.noaa.gov/feature-story/fisheries-economics-united-states-2015 (accessed June 15, 2018). 31 ERISS Corporation, the Maritime Alliance. (2016) The Ocean Enterprise. A study of U.S. 

business activity in ocean measurement, observation and forecasting. https://ioos.noaa.gov/ 

project/ocean-enterprise-study/ (accessed April 19, 2018). 

and American quality of life, and thus we must balance our present use of ocean 

resources with a productive and healthy ocean for future generations. Characterizing the primary uses of the marine environment (including fisheries, aquaculture, 

transportation/shipping, energy, national security, land values, mineral extraction, 

recreation, and protected species habitat) and the goods and services, beneficiaries, 

and market and non-market values attributable to those uses, is key to understanding the ocean’s potential. 

Living marine resources serve critical roles in their ecosystems and in sustaining 

life on land; they are used for food, medicine, and cosmetics, and support services 

such as fisheries and tourism, as well as processes that may regulate climate (e.g., 

biologically-controlled marine processes absorbing excess atmospheric carbon dioxide 

and the absorption and transport of atmospheric heat). Non-living marine resources 

also serve multiple roles, in powering our communities, reducing our dependence on 

foreign sources of minerals, providing avenues for transportation, and controlling 

climate (e.g., through thermohaline adjustments). The ocean S&T enterprise can expedite and better inform the exploration, assessment, and sustainable management 

of America’s living and non-living marine resources. 

Emerging innovative technologies serve a critical role in capitalizing on marine 

resource economic opportunities while sustaining future options. S&T advancements 

will provide the necessary information to guide future development and investment 

opportunities and allow resource-dependent communities to adapt to ocean changes. 

As resource identification and surveying progresses, it is critical to ensure balance 

among multiple ocean uses, such as between exploring energy resources while also 

supporting recreational activities. Ocean education will drive technological breakthroughs, will strengthen public understanding and engagement in best using and 

protecting ocean resources, and will provide a foundation for the Nation’s growing 

blue workforce. Readily available data and user-friendly quality assured tools incorporating the best available environmental and social data will empower our resource 

managers and policy makers to harness America’s resources responsibly. 

Box 2.1. The U.S. EEZ 

The United States’ Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) is one of the largest in the 

world, encompassing approximately 4.38 million square miles.26 Coastal counties 

contain approximately 40 percent of the U.S. population, yet account for only 10 percent of the area within the U.S.27 As the U.S. population is expected to surpass 400 

million by the middle of this century,28 it is important to understand how ocean 

changes will impact the Nation’s economic security, safety, environment, and health: 

• 42 percent of the U.S. labor force is employed in coastal watersheds.29

• In 2014, counties adjacent to the shore contributed to 43 percent of the U.S. 

GDP.29

• The offshore mineral industry contributed over 170,000 jobs in 2013 and $122 

billion, the majority of which was predominantly from the oil and gas sector.29

• Approximately 88,000 square miles of the Nation’s coastal wetlands provide 

nursery areas for commercially harvested fish and places of refuge for migrating 

birds.29

• In 2015, the commercial and recreational fishing industry supported 1.6 million 

jobs and contributed $208 billion in sales to the U.S. economy.30

• Ocean measurements, observations, and forecasting generate about $7 billion in 

revenues annually.31

33 

32 NOAA. Fisheries of the United States, 2016. https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/fisheries-united-states-2016-report (accessed April 17, 2018). 33World Bank. (2013) Fish to 2030: Prospects for Fisheries and Aquaculture. World Bank. 

Washington, D.C. Report 83177–GLB. http://www.fao.org/docrep/019/i3640e/i3640e.pdf 

(accessed April 17, 2018). 34 Bycatch refers to discarded catch of marine species and unobserved mortality due to a direct 

encounter with fishing vessels and gear. More information can be found at: https:// 

www.fisheries.noaa.gov/insight/bycatch (accessed May 31, 2018). 35 Hazen, E.L., K.L. Scales, S.M. Maxwell, D.K. Briscoe, H. Welch, S.J. Bograd, H. Bailey, S.R. 

Benson, T. Eguchi, H. Dewar, and S. Kohin. (2018) A dynamic ocean management tool to reduce 

bycatch and support sustainable fisheries. Science Advances 4(5):eaar3001. http://advances.sciencemag.org/content/4/5/eaar3001.full (accessed June 15, 2018). 36Mariculture is a subset of aquaculture, referring to aquaculture activities within the open 

ocean. The term aquaculture refers to the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of animals and 

plants in all types of water environments. More information can be found at: NOAA Aquaculture. (2018) https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/topic/aquaculture#overview (accessed June 5, 

2018); National Ocean Economics Program. (2007) http://www.oceaneconomics.org/LMR/ 

Aquaculture/ (accessed June 5, 2018). 

Figure 2.1.Total sales and jobs supported by commercial and recreational fisheries. (Images 

courtesy of NOAA) 

Expand Domestic Seafood Production 

The United States currently imports 90 percent of its seafood, leading to a $14 

billion seafood trade deficit.32 Given that the World Bank projects a nearly 50 percent increase in worldwide fish consumption between 2006–2030,33 the United 

States has an opportunity to meet this demand, ensure food security, create new 

industries, and accordingly provide jobs by maximizing sustainable wild and aquaculture harvest. 

The United States leads the world in science-based sustainable fishery management, yet maximum sustainable harvests are not realized in all fisheries and 

changes in ocean temperatures threaten the stability of key populations. Advances 

in technologies such as underwater sensors (cameras, audio recorders, biochemical, 

etc.) to better survey and land target species and reduce bycatch 34 can lead to more 

efficient and effective fishing.35 Electronic real-time reporting of landings and modern data management techniques for our commercial fisheries will lead to greater 

certainty in what is being caught and what is left in the water. 

To meet our Nation’s seafood demands, narrow the trade deficit, and reduce pressure on wild populations, the United States needs to complement wild fisheries with 

aquaculture, including mariculture.36 Using sustainable and environmentally responsible marine aquaculture methods, the United States could change from being 

a net seafood importer to a net seafood exporter, using only a fraction of our EEZ. 

Sustainable aquaculture requires improved understanding of environmental risks, 

technical infrastructure, and active collaborations between Federal, State, territorial, and tribal governments and the private sector to streamline the permitting 

process. 

Public acceptance for aquaculture products will be essential for market success 

and should be a key focus of education. Key research infrastructure includes test 

beds for industry and researchers to try new ideas, and technology and development 

of key inputs to production such as feed and fingerlings. Support industries such 

as animal health, processing, manufacturing, and engineering will create more jobs. 


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37Seabed 2030 is a collaborative partnership between the General Bathymetric Chart of the 

Oceans (GEBCO) and the Nippon Foundation aimed to facilitate the complete mapping of the 

ocean floor by 2030. More information can be found at: https://seabed2030.gebco.net/ (accessed 

May 8, 2018). 

Priorities 

• Support development and deployment of sensors to detect, identify, and quantify target and protected species. 

• Employ real-time data techniques and modern data management to reduce uncertainty in fishery management. 

• Leverage and evolve scientific tools and information to support a clear road map 

for aquaculture permitting including effective siting, water quality, genetics, 

and other science-based computer tools to aid industry with applications for 

aquaculture sites and compliance with government mandates. 

• Develop and test genetic approaches that safeguard wild genetic diversity while 

allowing for genetic improvement of resources such as farmed shellfish stocks, 

and use the hatcheries to develop such genetic selection programs for a range 

of commercially valuable resources such as mollusks. 

• Advance ocean-based biomass research and technologies to better produce food, 

fiber, biofuel, and other products from sources such as seaweed farms and 

transfer technology to industry. 

Explore Potential Energy Sources 

America’s coastline and extensive EEZ contains vast untapped renewable (wave, 

tidal, wind, thermal) and non-renewable (oil and gas) energy sources to help power 

the Nation (Box 2.2). The Federal government has an interest in harnessing American energy sources safely and efficiently through new and innovative technologies. 

In particular, the United States can use emerging technologies to rapidly increase 

seafloor mapping and further assess the ocean’s potential as an energy source. New 

acoustic technologies will expand ocean exploration and discovery, and provide a 

better understanding of energy development impacts on the marine environment. 

The ocean floor is similar to the terrestrial environment; it has mountains, canyons, channels, and hills. Most of these features are unmapped and unexplored, 

with only 5–15 percent of the ocean floor currently mapped. Detailed mapping and 

depth measurements, i.e., bathymetry, are important to better understand climate, 

earthquakes, tsunami, and weather forecasting, habitat, and biodiversity, as well as 

ocean resource use and exploration. ‘‘Seabed 2030’’ is an international collaboration 

of public and private partners focused on compiling a high-resolution map of the 

global ocean over the coming decade.37 The Federal government will continue to 

map and better characterize America’s EEZ. Bathymetric data will provide the necessary information to identify energy sources, and will also have cascading benefits 

for fisheries management, mineral extraction, cable and pipeline routing, natural 

hazard preparedness, and military and defense applications. 

Box 2.2. Potential Untapped Sources of Energy 

Oceanic and coastal gas hydrates are possible significant sources of untapped energy, albeit which are environmentally challenging due to their role in destabilizing 

continental shelf and slopes as well as their presence in regions with permafrost. 

Similarly, untapped energy may exist in deep ocean hydrothermal systems. Understanding the processes of hydrothermal systems requires a systematic approach integrating magmatic, tectonic, geochemical, fluid flow, heat and mass flux, mineral 

formation, circulation, and biological processes. These hydrothermal systems 

produce deep-ocean mineral deposits, seafloor massive sulfides, and contribute to 

ferromanganese crusts and nodules through fluxes of metals to seawater. Iron and 

manganese play key roles in the geochemical balance of the ocean, including processes relevant to the production of carbon and its flux within and out of the ocean. 

35 

38Pratson, L.F., and W.F. Haxby (1996) What is the slope of the U.S. continental slope? Geology 24(1):3–6. https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article-abstract/24/1/3/206427/ 

what-is-the-slope-of-the-u-s-continental-slope (accessed April 15, 2018). 39Department of Interior. (2018) Final list of critical minerals 2018. https://www.gpo.gov/ 

fdsys/pkg/FR-2018-05-18/pdf/2018-10667.pdf (accessed June 15, 2018). 

Figure 2.2. Perspective bathymetric image looking southeast of Cascadia margin (Image from 

Pratson and Haxby 1996) 38

Priorities 

• Continue mapping the U.S. EEZ and perform surveys and characterizations of 

ocean resources and their habitats, data tools, and logging platforms to provide 

temporal and spatial coverage, and assessments of classification, condition, and 

valuation mapping. 

• Develop efficient and cost-effective at-sea power generation (wave, methane, 

etc.) for ocean observation platforms. 

• Study contaminant releases (e.g., oil spills, natural seeps, pollutant loading) and 

benthic disturbances to improve understanding of their effects on coastal communities and transportation routes. 

• Support new technologies to measure underwater noise levels and acoustic conditions in coastal and open ocean environments in order to quantify long-term 

trends in ocean noise levels, monitor changes in acoustic habitats, and assess 

the impacts of increases in human produced noise. 

Assess Marine Critical Minerals 

U.S. offshore and deep-sea areas remain mostly unexplored and unused. Especially important for American independence and prominence in the global market 

is access to critical minerals in the marine environment. Given that China is the 

top supplier of many of the 35 critical minerals identified in the U.S. 2018 list of 

critical minerals,39 the U.S. needs policies, infrastructure, and technologies to 

produce and maintain supplies of critical minerals. A recent Executive Order highlighted the importance of ‘‘identifying new sources of critical minerals’’ and ‘‘increasing activity at all levels of the supply chain, including exploration, mining, conVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00039 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE

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40See Executive Order 13817, issued on December 20, 2017, A Federal Strategy to Ensure 

Secure and Reliable Supplies of Critical Minerals. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/presidential-executive-order-federal-strategy-ensure-secure-reliable-supplies-criticalminerals/ (accessed June 18, 2018). 

centration, separation, alloying, recycling, and reprocessing critical minerals.’’ 40

Such efforts can be supported by exploration of the outer continental shelf to the 

abyssal plains and hydrothermal vents and seamounts along the mid-ocean ridges 

for valuable resources including manganese modules, cobalt-rich crusts, and 

polymetallic sulfides. 

In the past, the harsh environment and inaccessibility of potential extraction sites 

have meant that the marine environment was often discounted as a source for critical minerals. In the coming decade, the ocean S&T enterprise can support the 

United States in the discovery and assessment of marine resources. Basic mapping, 

baseline data, and ocean condition observations are foundational for understanding 

these resources and planning how to best use them. 

Priorities 

• Identify and quantify the location, size, and nature of important deep-sea minerals to better understand the complexity and scalability of resource use 

through sediment characterization and geochemical signals. 

• Conduct basic and applied research to characterize the effects of deep-sea mining on vulnerable marine ecosystems, including the impact of light, heat, rock 

debris, underwater sediment plumes, noise, and biodiversity loss. Such research 

should include documentation of deep sea biodiversity, and improved prediction 

of the scale and extent of environmental impacts from deep sea exploration. 

• Study the physical conditions at environmentally sensitive and important areas 

using surveys and gap analyses to assess effectiveness of current monitoring efforts and platforms. 

• Continue involvement in global endeavors such as the SeaBed 2030 Initiative, 

which aims to map the entire ocean floor by 2030; and the International Seabed 

Authority, which aims to limit harm to the marine environment from deep seabed mining. 

Balance Economic and Ecological Benefits 

Adaptive management allows U.S. managers and decision-makers to effectively 

govern America’s ocean resources according to new information and changes in context, while also balancing short-term gains with long-term objectives. Decision-makers rely on research on the changes in resource and habitat condition as well as upto-date information on human uses (e.g., frequency, duration, and intensity of use). 

The United States is exceptional because of its wide range of coastal ecosystem 

types, from the cold Arctic waters of Alaska to the temperate Gulf of Mexico to the 

tropical reefs of southern Florida. Management of these unique ecosystems requires 

location-specific data and information to be included in adaptive management strategies. Regional knowledge provides the context needed for successful adaptive management of marine resources. 

Adaptive management which adopts a systems lens can contribute to balancing 

economic and ecological goals. System-based management relies on decision-support 

tools that incorporate socio-economic data, include stakeholder knowledge, and better link physical and chemical ocean changes with corresponding biological responses. Research on how organisms and marine populations respond to environmental changes will enable better predictions of economic and societal effects from 

environmental changes, especially for the most at-risk industries such as fisheries, 

ocean recreation, and marine tourism. Trade-offs are inevitable in using and managing natural resources, and decision-support tools can provide management options 

when assessing use of ocean resources. Further understanding of ecological and economic relationships can better support effective valuation methods (e.g., for food, 

transportation, land values, extraction of minerals and other natural products, and 

recreation). Integrating socioeconomics and ecosystem-based management can facilitate more adaptive management. 

Understanding of cumulative impacts is also critical to improving adaptive management and to optimizing objectives. Ocean resources are exposed to many different stressors, such as eutrophication, marine debris, and ocean noise. Our Nation 

will rely on research to evaluate cumulative impacts of multiple human influences 

as well as data on how changes in natural environmental stressors exacerbate 

stressor impacts. Recent developments have led to the increased use of advanced 

technologies such as DNA-probes and biosensors. Monitoring and forecasting efforts 

37 

41Gedamke, J., J. Harrison, L. Hatch, R. Angliss, J. Barlow, C. Berchok, C. Caldow M. 

Castellote, D. Cholewiak, M.L. DeAngelis, R. Dziak, E. Garland, S. Guan, S. Hastings, M. Holt, 

B. Laws, D. Mellinger, S. Moore, T.J. Moore, E. Oleson, J. Pearson-Meyer, W. Piniak, J. Redfern, 

T. Rowles, A. Scholik-Schlomer, A. Smith, M. Soldevilla, J. Stadler, S. Van Parijs, C. Wahle. 

(2016) Ocean Noise Strategy Roadmap. NOAA, p. 144. https://cetsound.noaa.gov/Assets/ 

cetsound/documents/Roadmap/ONS_Roadmap_Final_Complete.pdf (accessed April 17, 2018) 42Such efforts can be enhanced through interagency initiatives, such as through the CMTSled Maritime Energy and Air Emissions Working Group https://www.cmts.gov/topics/energy_and_air_emissions (accessed June 14, 2018). 43See Executive Order 13801, issued on June 15, 2017, Expanding Apprenticeships in America. https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/3245/(accessed June 15, 2018). 44 National Science Board. (2010) Preparing the Next Generation of STEM Innovators: Identifying and Developing our Nation’s Human Capital. NSB–10–33. https://www.nsf.gov/nsb/publications/2010/nsb1033.pdf (accessed June 15, 2018). 45 Cuker, B. (2005) Programmatic approaches to building diversity in the ocean sciences. Marine Technology Society Journal 39(4):8–11. https://doi.org/10.4031/002533205787465869 

(June 15, 2018). 

will be enhanced through state-of-the-art passive acoustic observing capabilities by 

the national Ocean Sound and Noise Monitoring Network.41

Priorities 

• Develop biological and ecosystem indicators and determine their efficacy for understanding cumulative impacts and assessing the overall vulnerability of marine resources and ecosystem services to human influences at all trophic levels, 

particularly in light of shifting baselines. 

• Identify evaluation and performance criteria that managers can use to gauge 

effectiveness of management strategies. 

• Continue quantitatively monitoring coastal and open ocean biogeochemical 

trends to characterize changes in ocean acidification, and assess impacts of Sea 

Level Rise (SLR) on ocean resources. 

• Explore ‘‘intervention’’ science and techniques that recognize and leverage the 

inherent resistance and adaptive qualities of species under the threat of degradation or mortality with changing environmental conditions. 

• Support development of next generation biodegradable plastics to reduce marine 

debris impacts on marine life and coastal communities. 

• Explore low impact, alternative fuel sources for maritime and port-related uses, 

balancing stewardship with energy efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and marine 

safety.42

Promote the Blue Workforce 

The United States has excelled as a leader in scientific research and technological 

innovation; but today’s world and environmental-related challenges continue to 

evolve. Meeting these challenges requires enhancing our knowledge about the ocean. 

It is essential to our economic well-being that we create and support an ocean-literate society focused on the development of an educated and diverse workforce. This 

workforce would ensure that the United States maintains a competitive advantage 

in our understanding of the oceanic environment by capitalizing on a strong knowledge base and is in support of Executive Order 13801.43 Studies reveal that advances in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) are central to our Nation’s ability to create new jobs, improve quality of life, and maintain our position 

as a global leader in S&T.44 STEM fields are also vital for national defense purposes 

to build ocean models, create systems that protect our nation, and maintain tactical 

advantage. 

A well-trained, diverse, and dynamic workforce, capable of addressing tomorrow’s 

career needs, has long been identified as a priority for our Nation.45 There is a 

growing need for a dynamic workforce to address national ocean challenges focusing 

on Big Data analysis, computational modeling, offshore renewable energy, and instrumentation operation and maintenance. It is imperative that we bridge the gap 

between identified challenges and the workforce training required in order to effectively pursue S&T that may be relevant to the ocean enterprise. The development 

of cutting edge, advanced training opportunities will give the present ocean workforce the ability to make educational advancements outside of the traditional training opportunities. Investments in people, basic and applied research, and facilities 

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46The White House. (2015) National Security Strategy. Washington, D.C. p. 35. http:// 

nssarchive.us/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/2015.pdf (accessed June 15, 2018). 47 National Science Board. (2018) Science and Engineering Indicators 2018 Digest. NSB–2018– 

2. Alexandria, VA: National Science Foundation, p. 28. https://www.nsf.gov/statistics/digest/ 

(accessed June 15, 2018). 48 National Science Foundation. (2013) Underwater Robotics Competition Helps Students 

Build Skills for Ocean Occupations https://www.nsf.gov/discoveries/disc_summ.jsp?cntn_ id=128911 (accessed June 1, 2018). 49This cooperation includes the Knauss Sea Grant Marine Policy Fellowship Program. More 

information can be found at: https://www.seagrant.noaa.gov/knauss (accessed May 28, 2018). 50Department of Defense. (2018) National Defense Strategy of the United States of America: 

Sharpening the American Military’s Competitive Edge, p. 14. https://www.defense.gov/Portals/ 

1/Documents/pubs/2018-National-Defense-Strategy-Summary.pdf (accessed June 19, 2018). 51George, R. (2013) Ninety Percent of Everything: Inside Shipping, the Invisible Industry 

That Puts Clothes on Your Back, Gas in Your Car, and Food on Your Plate. Metropolitan Books: 

New York, p. 304. 52 National Chamber Foundation. (2003) Trade and Transportation: A Study of North American Port and Intermodal Systems. U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Washington, D.C., p. 7. https:// 

perity.46 These opportunities and investments will foster the workforce’s ability to 

adapt to dynamic technological advancements made within the S&T enterprise. 

At the same time, the ocean S&T enterprise offers workforce opportunities for 

workers at all education levels—not just those with advanced degrees—and across 

demographic groups. America’s skilled technical workforce, which consists of individuals who may use STEM knowledge and skills in their jobs but don’t have a fouryear degree, are important to U.S. economic competitiveness. In addition, unemployment rates of skilled technical workers in science and engineering (S&E) or S&Erelated jobs were significantly lower than those of workers in non-S&E jobs without 

bachelor’s degrees, and their earnings were significantly higher.47 The Federal government is well positioned to encourage courses and programs in marine technology 

and coastal engineering and to facilitate student-led missions related to the ocean 

workspace, such as through remotely operated vehicle (ROV) competition challenges.48

Community and technical colleges can help expose a more diverse body of students to job opportunities in the blue workforce. Special degree programs geared toward ocean work, hands-on experience, and professional development offered 

through these institutions can prepare students for marine occupations, including 

marine forecasters, ocean instrument technicians, and underwater ROV developers. 

Priorities 

• Develop and enhance programs between agencies and education institutions 

that provide certification in Unmanned Maritime Systems. These programs 

would enable students to participate in short (e.g., 3-month) training cycles 

where they study nautical science, 3–D positioning, ocean policy, autonomous 

systems, and the interfaces of all aspects of unmanned maritime systems. 

• Share resources to support shallow water bathymetric surveys and unmanned 

system operations, allowing operators from multiple agency oceanographic fleets 

to identify best practices and apply lessons learned through joint cooperation. 

• Improve and support cooperation between the Federal government and academic universities to successfully recruit researchers and ocean policy experts 

into the ocean science workforce, including the Federal component.49

• Support coastal communities to provide them with the latest skills necessary to 

conserve coastal resources, protect traditional livelihoods, and capitalize on future opportunities (e.g., offshore renewables, etc.). 

GOAL III. ENSURE MARITIME SECURITY

Overview 

Maritime security is essential to the Nation’s ability to defend the homeland and 

to sustain military advantages, both globally and in key regions.50 Maritime security is the foundation for the Nation’s economic prosperity. Approximately 90 percent of all products sold worldwide are transported by the ocean.51 Maritime security is essential to the Nation’s economic prosperity, national and homeland security, and global leadership. An efficient, safe, and secure maritime environment enables commerce, including: marine public transportation, tourism, merchant ship 

traffic, aquaculture to improve nutrition and food security, economic activities in the 

Nation’s EEZ, and on the high seas. Given the Nation’s coastal ocean and inland 

waterways act as gateways of commerce and that the United States has one of the 

most extensive maritime transportation systems in the world,52 the ability to effecVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00042 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
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ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/txdot-info/library/projects/la_entrada/portstudy.pdf (accessed June 18, 

2018). 53 United States Navy. Chief of Naval Operations. (2016) A Design for Maintaining Maritime 

Superiority. p. 10. http://www.navy.mil/cno/docs/cno_stg.pdf (accessed June 19, 2018). 

tively navigate, map, chart, and predict ocean variability is critical for maritime security. 

The rapid global growth of information dissemination and evolving technologies 

including artificial intelligence, and satellite remote sensing, has added immense 

complexity to both national defense (military) and homeland security (law enforcement and safety) challenges, as well as to the emergence of new operations such 

as automated cargo and naval vessels. An agile, rapid, and economical approach to 

ocean S&T investment will continue to contribute to national security. 

Maritime security for National defense and law enforcement must be strengthened by continued scientific and technological advance to keep America competitive 

in an increasingly complex global maritime environment. Developing the next generation of ocean S&T capabilities is a tremendous challenge that must be undertaken to ensure not only the Nation’s maritime security, but its maritime superiority.53

Improve Maritime Situational Awareness 

Maritime domain awareness and security operations require continuous, nearreal-time monitoring of the ocean and its changing conditions. The rapid growth of 

a range of sensing capabilities can be leveraged for the benefit of ocean sciences and 

other vital purposes. The increased understanding of the ocean enhances environmental protection, safe navigation of the ocean, and other uses, while providing essential information required for maritime security and military operations. In concert with this is the need to acquire situational awareness and context to better interpret the totality of data. 

While an immense amount of data is collected in the physical, chemical, geological, acoustical, and biological observations of the ocean, we can improve the way we 

both model ocean environments and spark new innovations through the use of 

newly enabled machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms. Both advanced hardware and software are required to assimilate and understand new observations, analyze the vast existing amounts of ocean data, and run the integrated 

models that are used to predict the maritime environment for operational decision 

making. Ship-based seafloor and sub-seafloor surveys are now being supplemented 

by autonomous and remotely operated vehicles to assess the ocean (Box 3.1). Continued development of not only vehicles but autonomous behaviors and technologies is 

needed to reduce the need for human intervention. The United States should take 

better advantage of its technological workforce to develop systems for Earth system 

models, which have unique architecture requirements. 

Box 3.1. Tactical Advantage 

Only 5 percent of the world’s oceans have been explored. Unmanned underwater 

vehicles, i.e., gliders, allow researchers to explore more of the ocean, and faster, at 

a fraction of the cost of a manned submersible or a ship. Gliders are propelled by 

ocean currents and navigate with fins by diving and surfacing. These gliders have 

no active propulsion system and can operate to depths of 1,000 meters, for up to 

four months before retrieval and servicing. Gliders have the ability to provide hundreds of profiles per month, thus freeing oceanographic ships to perform missions 

in other areas. 

The temperature and salinity data collected by the gilders are used by ocean modelers to forecast future environmental ocean conditions. The model forecasts are provided in near-real time to support strategic, operational, and tactical fleet requirements and activities. These forecasts allow better prediction of ocean currents, density, sea states and tides, which provide physical battlespace awareness and a common operational picture for U.S. Armed Forces. 

40 

Figure 3.1. An unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV) is deployed from a Naval Oceanographic 

Office (NAVOCEANO) survey vessel. (Image courtesy of U.S. Navy) 

A thorough understanding of a range of oceanographic parameters and their interactions is critical for homeland security and commercial operations to safely operate 

and deploy in the marine environment. Direct observations of ocean currents, waves, 

tides, sound propagation, ocean temperature, and salinity provide robust predictive 

models. Safety at sea for commercial, security, and defense operations is also influenced by factors such as wave height and period, winds over water, and the sudden 

onset of hazardous conditions, compounded by lack of open sea, in situ weather observations. 

Remote sensors are unable to observe the ocean depths existing in situ observation systems are sparse. More diversification in maritime observing systems will 

better help us establish trends in the maritime environment that are significant to 

our Nation’s security needs. Accordingly, an important component of this strategy 

is to maintain and enhance the existing profiling and drifting sensor arrays, expanding capabilities through the addition of sensors, and more flexible and capable platforms. Comprehensive datasets provide essential inputs into these models to increase their fidelity, which can be achieved through a more diversified maritime observing sensor suite. 

A diverse suite of space-based sensors capable of interrogating the ocean across 

the usable electromagnetic spectrum will support ocean models and improve forecasts of winds, waves, currents, species distributions, significant weather events, 

and seasonal to longer-term ocean variability. Measurements must be effectively 

communicated and aggregated in coupled data assimilative global models of the 

ocean, atmosphere, and ice to support maritime operations in nearshore and deepocean environments. 

Such computational capabilities can address the considerable vulnerability to detrimental activities that exist in unobserved locations. Illegal, unregulated, and unreported (IUU) fishing is a risk to marine species and ecosystems, undermines sound 

management of sustainable fisheries, and poses significant commercial, humanitarian, and security risks. The connection to human trafficking and IUU fishing is 


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41 

54Shipboard or in situ sensors that are incorporated into a larger body, and are used to collect 

and present integrated situational awareness data. 55 Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee. (2016) Arctic Research Plan FY2017–2021. 

Washington D.C. p. 84. https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/plan/ (accessed April 17, 2018). 56This objective aligns with IARPC Research Goal 9: Enhance Frameworks for Environmental 

Intelligence Gathering, Interpretation, and Application toward Decision Support. Interagency 

Arctic Research Policy Committee. (2016) Arctic Research Plan FY 2017–2021. Washington D.C. 

p. 84. https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/plan/research-goal/environmental-intelligence 

(accessed April 17, 2018). 

already strong, and the Federal government continues to assess the risk of such 

unmonitored transport for the smuggling of people and materials for criminals and 

terrorists. 

Populations reliant on their coastal waters and lacking sufficient modern infrastructure are at risk for loss of food security if IUU fishermen poach fish populations on which these populations depend for sustenance, or if ocean acidification 

and warming leads to the loss or migration of staple fish stocks. Additional research 

is needed to understand the scale of both of these problems, develop monitoring and 

mitigation technologies, and identify effective interventions and policies. 

Priorities 

• Support the maritime observing framework that ensures diverse sensing capabilities for a range of U.S. end users. 

• Sustain oceanographic sensors and autonomous monitoring technologies to enhance data collection under the ocean’s surface and at the surface in all weather 

conditions to support high-spatial-resolution and near-real-time forecasting of 

the Earth system (terrestrial and oceanic). 

• Pursue new methodologies and/or observing technologies and use of distributed 

networks of organic, tactical sensors 54 for collection of maritime environment 

variables. 

• Emphasize studies of the air-sea interface to provide better understanding of 

the relationships between ocean characteristics, including mixing processes that 

transport surface momentum, and the ocean interior. 

• Develop inexpensive sensors for remote sensing studies that enable observations 

across the electromagnetic spectrum, and for full-ocean-depth sensors that exploit soft materials. 

• Establish a national glider coordination and standards to provide ocean sampling in coastal regions, strong oceanographic currents, and other regions where 

drifters and floats are impractical. 

• Develop advanced computational capabilities to analyze vessel, operator, cargo, 

and infrastructure data to identify anomalous behaviors in the maritime domain, such as IUU fishing, human migration, at-sea smuggling, transnational 

maritime criminal activities, etc., to better support appropriate security response. 

Understand a Changing Arctic 

Many nations are interested in understanding the Arctic’s harsh environment and 

its resources. Research into the Arctic is motivated by scientific curiosity and longerrange commercial considerations.55 Arctic dynamics influence both geophysical and 

biochemical systems, including freshwater storage and export, ocean-ice-atmospheric 

interaction, primary production, and the ocean’s response to acidification, and shape 

human activities in the region. Opinions on the future of Arctic shipping and related 

activities within the Northwest Passage, the Northern Sea Route, and a potential 

transpolar route vary. Improved coupled Arctic ocean-climate models will help constrain predictions of future conditions. Overall, the changing conditions of the Arctic, particularly the diminishing sea ice, are resulting in increased vessel traffic and 

extraction of natural resources. These developments impact homeland and national 

security operations such as search and rescue, oil spill preparedness and response, 

and overall domain awareness necessary to ensure that the Arctic region does not 

become a seam through which illegal activities can occur undetected. 

Accurate operational forecasts of the environment, such as the location of the ice 

edge, the characteristics and evolution of sea ice, and the wind and wave conditions 

at the surface, will be critical to safe and efficient operations (defense and commercial) in the Arctic.56 To achieve this, Arctic system models that integrate the ocean, 

ice, and atmosphere incorporate the physical processes, interactions, and feedbacks 

involved in the seasonal evolution of ice extent, area, thickness, and volume. 

42 

57 Eiben, A.E., and J. Smith. (2015) From evolutionary computation to the evolution of things. 

Nature 521:476–482. https://www.nature.com/articles/nature14544 (accessed June 18, 2018). 58 Consists of ocean, coastal, and inland waterways, intermodal connections, and vessels. 59 U.S. Coast Guard. (2018) 2018 State of the Coast Guard. Admiral Zukunft. March 1, 2018. 

https://www.uscg.mil/SOTCG2018/ (accessed May 15, 2018). 60The National Ocean Service. (2018) How important is our ocean economy? https:// 

oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/oceaneconomy.html (accessed April 15, 2018). 61 U.S. Coast Guard. (2017) Cyber Risks in the Marine Transportation System. p. 10. https:// 

www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/CG-FAC/Documents/USCG_Paper_MTS_CyberRisks.pdf?ver=2017 

-07-19-070403-473 (accessed April 19, 2018). 

Space-based observation of oceanographic parameters and ice in the Arctic can 

supplement in situ measurements in the harsh polar environment. Such observations will be increasingly important to understand processes in the marginal ice 

zones as ice coverage diminishes and the Arctic becomes a commercially viable 

transportation route. To achieve this, a change in how we approach Arctic system 

models that integrate the ocean, ice, and atmosphere must occur, for example, 

through the use of evolutionary computation 57 and artificial intelligence. Many of 

these priorities will be addressed in collaboration with the Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee (IARPC). 

Priorities 

• Support validated integrated ocean-ice-wave-atmosphere models for improved 

Arctic prediction at multiple time scales. 

• Improve models for enhanced forecasting and prediction of Arctic weather. 

• Promote collaborative networks of researchers, communities, and native peoples 

to advance and disseminate knowledge and prediction of the sea ice and Arctic 

weather systems. 

• Support domestic and international R&D focused on innovative response technologies and procedures suitable for the Arctic environment. 

• Study the use of dispersants and the impacts of petrochemicals and other hazardous materials in order to provide better oil spill response options and protection for Arctic sea life and migratory marine mammals. 

Maintain and Enhance Marine Transportation 

The U.S. Marine Transportation System (MTS)58 is critical to the economy and 

national security (Box 3.2). Vital commercial, government (including military), and 

recreational traffic rely on a safe, secure, and efficient transportation system. The 

Nation’s maritime critical infrastructure—ports, inland waterways, and systems and 

structures supporting maritime commerce—contributes some $4.6 trillion in economic activity and millions of jobs each year.59 This includes about $1.5 trillion of 

cargo annually through U.S. seaports to and from international trading partners.60

Ocean S&T can support improved waterway management and safety, expanded 

shipping infrastructure and vessel capabilities, cyber resilience, and enhanced port 

operations and productivity. Understanding of cyber vulnerabilities in the maritime 

domain–both ashore and shipboard, mapping and predicting cyber-threats, as well 

as developing cyber-resilient options for maritime systems–would support mitigation 

strategies to manage cyber risks in the MTS.61

Box 3.2. America is a Maritime Nation 

• Our Nation enjoys tremendous geographic advantages in its unhindered access 

to the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Arctic region. 

• America possesses a vast network and thousands of miles of navigable rivers, 

canals, and other waterways, on which ships and barges carry massive amounts 

of commodities and products both within the United States and to and from the 

world market, taking advantage of 360 major ports. For example, sixty percent 

of U.S. grain exports are moved by barge for at least part of the journey.65

• The MTS is the economic lifeblood of the American and global economy, and 

plays an essential role in U.S. national security and economic interests. It enables critical national security sealift capabilities, where it supports U.S. Armed 

Forces logistical requirements around the globe. 

• Any disruption to the MTS, whether man-made or natural, would have a potentially devastating impact on the domestic and global supply chain. 

• New technologies, which often add complexity to vessel designs, propulsion systems, operations, automation, robotics, and networked systems, and new methods for offshore natural resource exploration, production, and transportation, 

make the MTS even more vulnerable to disruption. 

43 

62The NAIS is an automatic tracking system used by ships, Vessel Traffic Services (VTS), and 

other maritime community users. 63PORTS is a program of NOAA’s National Ocean Service that supports safe and cost-effective 

navigation by providing accurate real-time information required to avoid groundings, allisions, 

and collisions. The information provided at key hubs (currently 31 locations) includes tide/water 

level, current, wave, meteorological, and bridge clearance information. 64MSI is currently provided by the U.S. Coast Guard through ‘‘Local Notice of Mariners’’ and 

via VHF–FM marine band broadcasts. 65 U.S. Department of Agriculture. (2015) A Reliable Waterway System is Important to Agriculture. https://www.ams.usda.gov/sites/default/files/media/Importance%20of%20Waterways 

%2010-2015.pdf (accessed June 15, 2018). 66 Blunt, J.W., B.R. Copp B.R., R.A. Keyzers, M.H.G. Munro, and M.R. Prinsep. (2015) Marine 

natural products. Nature Product Report 32:116–211. https://doi.org/10.1039/c4np00144c 

(accessed June 18, 2018). 

• The Federal government, in its enduring role of promoting safety, security, and 

stewardship, safeguards the MTS and helps ensure the uninterrupted flow of 

maritime commerce. 

The maritime community relies on critical data during voyage planning and while 

transiting through U.S. navigational waterways (e.g., data from the Nationwide 

Automatic Identification System (NAIS),62 the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time 

System (PORTS),63 and Marine Safety Information (MSI)64). Such technologies 

allow for tracking and monitoring of vessel movements using systems along the 

coast or, when out of range of terrestrial networks, through a growing number of 

satellites equipped with automatic identification system (AIS) receivers. The International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Convention for the Safety of 

Life at Sea (SOLAS) requires AIS to be equipped aboard vessels of 300 or more 

gross tons engaged in international voyages, and all passenger ships regardless of 

size. The IMO also requires a similar global system, Long-Range Identification and 

Tracking (LRIT) for applicable vessels, to provide global identification and tracking 

in the maritime domain. 

In addition to technological advances, the ability to effectively communicate and 

maintain connections across ocean networks enhances safe navigation, search and 

rescue operations, and domestic and global trade. This can be achieved through advancing knowledge of the impact of invasive species on maritime transportation, 

electronic information to support cargo risk assessments, capability to screen cargo 

at loading, techniques to prevent smuggling of weapons, enhanced container security technologies, and other measures to ensure cargo integrity and in-transit visibility through maritime domain awareness.65

Priorities 

• Modernize the delivery of Marine Safety Information by experimenting with 

transmitting enhanced MSI (eMSI) via AIS technology for display on integrated 

bridge systems. 

• Support ocean/maritime information sharing and cybersecurity to deploy maritime surveillance and communications in remote regions. 

• Support and validate field detection equipment to detect nuclear, chemical, disease, biological, and other threats at ports of entry. 

• Develop and validate systems to identify and track vessels failing to transmit 

required identification signals (e.g., AIS). 

• Examine the vulnerabilities and dependencies between national security and a 

sustainable national and international commerce (e.g., stable currency value, 

safe ship transit, reliable transportation, and enhanced infrastructure). 

• Improve port security through diversified monitoring systems; e.g., use of autonomous platforms, monitoring of undersea cables, and improvement of detection 

technologies at the entrance to the Nation’s ports and other navigable waterways for counter-terrorism evaluation and enhanced maritime security. 

GOAL IV. SAFEGUARD HUMAN HEALTH

Overview 

The ocean More than 28,000 biochemicals have been isolated from marine species; 

many are important pharmaceutical products and hundreds of new compounds from 

the marine environment are discovered each year.66 The ocean provides a vast array 

of resources, natural products, and ecosystem services that impact human health 

and support our quality of life. It also provides safe and nutritional sources of food 

and drinking water, and natural products that ameliorate health issues and offer 

44 

67 HABs are hyper-proliferating colonies of algae that produce toxic or harmful effects on people, animals, and surrounding ecosystems. More information can be found at: Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Act. (2018) Harmful 

Algal Blooms and Hypoxia in the United States. A report on interagency progress and implementation. Washington D.C. p. 153. https://cdn.coastalscience.noaa.gov/page-attachments/research/FINAL_USEC%20signed%20-%20Progress%20and%20Implementation%20Report_HABH 

RCA.pdf (accessed June 15, 2018). 68 Chen, C.Y., C.T. Driscoll, K.F. Lambert, R.P. Mason, L.R. Rardin, C.V. Schmitt, N.S. 

Serrell, and E.M. Sunderland. (2012) Sources to Seafood: Mercury Pollution in the Marine Environment. Maine Sea Grant College Program. Orono, Maine. p. 26. http://www.dartmouth.edu/ ∼toxmetal/assets/pdf/sources_to_seafood_report.pdf (accessed April 17, 2018). 69 Evers, D.C., J.G. Wiener, C.T. Driscoll, D.A. Gay, N. Basu, B.A. Monson, K.F. Lambert, 

H.A. Morrison, J.T. Morgan, K.A. Williams, and A.G. Soehl (2011) Great Lakes Mercury Connections: The Extent and Effects of Mercury Pollution in the Great Lakes Region. Biodiversity Research Institute. Gorham, Maine. Report BRI 2011–18, p. 44. http://www.briloon.org/uploads/ 

BRI_Documents/Mercury_Center/Mercury_Connections/GLMC_FinalReport.pdf (accessed April 

17, 2018). 70 National Ocean Service. (2017) Why Do Harmful Algal Blooms Occur? https:// 

oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/why_habs.html (accessed April 19, 2018). 71 National Ocean Service. (2018) What are Microplastics? https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/ 

facts/microplastics.html (accessed June 15, 2018). 72 Eriksen, M., L.C.M. Lebreton, H.S. Carson, M. Thiel, C.J. Moore, J.C. Borerro, F. Galgani, 

P.G. Ryan, and J. Reisser. (2014) Plastic pollution in the world’s oceans: More than 5 trillion 

plastic pieces weighing over 250,000 tons afloat at Sea. PloS one 9:e111913 https://doi.org/ 

10.1371/journal.pone.011191 (accessed June 18, 2018); Wilcox, C., N.J. Mallos, G.H. Leonard, 

A. Rodriguez, and B.D. Hardesty. (2016) Using expert elicitation to estimate the impacts of plastic pollution on marine wildlife. Marine Policy (65):107–114. 73Woodall, L.C, A. Sanchez-Vidal, M. Canals, G.L.J. Paterson, R. Coppock, V. Sleight, A. 

Calafat, A.D. Rogers, B.E. Narayanaswamy, and R.C. Thompson. (2014) The deep sea is a major 

sink for microplastic debris. Royal Society Open Science 1:140317. http://rsos.royalsociety 

publishing.org/content/1/4/140317 (accessed June 18, 2018). 74Gregory, M. (2009) Environmental implications of plastic debris in marine settings-entanglement, ingestion, smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking and alien invasions. Philosophical 

Transactions of the Royal Society of London 364:2013–2025. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/ 

pmc/articles/PMC2873013 (accessed June 18, 2018); Fossi, M.C., S. Casini, and L. Marsili. 

(2007) Potential toxicological hazard due to endocrine-disrupting chemicals on Mediterranean 

top predators: state of art, gender differences and methodological tools. Environmental Research 

104:174–182. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16996053 (accessed June 15, 2018). 

safer alternatives to cosmetics, anti-fouling agents, pharmaceuticals, and other products. 

Despite these benefits, the ocean also contains hazards such as marine pathogens 

and harmful algal blooms (HABs),67 both of which can produce toxic chemicals detrimental to human health, and pose a threat to our growing economy.68,69 For example, the seafood, restaurant, and tourism industries lose about $82 million dollars 

every year due to the impacts of HABs.70 In addition, knowledge gaps impede decision-makers from effectively mitigating emerging threats to human health, such as 

microscopic plastic (microplastics) debris found in the ocean (Box 4.1). Advances in 

ocean S&T to improve seafood quality and safety, and harness the health benefits 

of seafood consumption, can benefit communities home and abroad. 

Recent advances in ocean science have led to discovering new products derived 

from nature and improving risk management. There is still a need, however, to increase our understanding of ocean dynamics and resources, spur technological innovations, and improve the discovery and use of ocean products and services. This can 

be accomplished by expanding exploration and discovery into unexplored ocean regions, collecting and studying natural products, and developing improved resource 

management practices, which can reduce the strain on known resources. Prediction, 

monitoring, and mitigation capabilities can also allow for a more strategic approach 

for how we use the ocean. 

Box 4.1. Microplastics Accumulation in the Food Chain 

Microplastics are particles of plastic that range in size from 1 nanometer to < 5 

millimeters.71 They can be manufactured for household products or result from larger pieces of marine debris breaking down over time into smaller pieces. It is estimated that 269,000 metric tons of microplastics are floating at or near the surface 

of the ocean, affecting over 700 marine species.72 The long stability of plastic debris 

can result in bioaccumulation over time. Depending on the material, microplastics 

may float or sink, contaminating both coastal and deep-sea sediments.73 Ingestion 

of microplastics by marine organisms at all trophic levels is well documented, showing that persistent exposure is toxic, causing infertility and poisoning.74 The transfer of microplastics from marine organisms to humans through seafood consumption 

45 

75 Caruso, G. (2015) Microplastics in marine environments: Possible interactions with the microbial assemblage. Journal of Pollution Effects and Control 3:e111. https://www.omicson 

line.org/open-access/microplastics-in-marine-environments-possible-interactions-with-the-microbial-assemblage-2375-4397-1000e111.pdf (accessed June 18, 2018). 76Seltenrich, N. (2015) New Link in the food chain? Marine plastic pollution and seafood safety. Environmental Health Perspectives 123(2):35–123. https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/wp-content/ 

uploads/123/2/ehp.123-A34.alt.pdf (accessed April 17, 2018). 77McMichael, A.J., C.D. Butler, and J. Dixon. (2015) Climate change, food systems and population health risks in their eco-social context. Public Health 129(10):1361–1368. https:// 

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25896548 (accessed June 15, 2018). 78 National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science. (2017) Chesapeake Bay Vibrio Pathogen Forecast. https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/chesapeake-bay-vibrio-pathogen-forecast/ (accessed 

May 30, 2018). 

may present a risk to human health, yet research is lacking.75 Likely, plastic-mediated toxin bioaccumulation occurs due to the preferred binding of persistent organic 

pollutants (including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs)) to plastic particles, while the accumulation of microplastics 

themselves leach into the tissue of marine organisms that consume them.76 For the 

coming decade, we should learn how these processes and direct exposure of microplastic chemicals through the food chain ultimately impact human health. In addition, further research is appropriate to determine the extent to which microbes in 

the ocean environment consume persistent plastics and what might be done to enhance the success of such natural processes. 

Figure 4.1. Accumulation of microplastics on a shoreline. (Image courtesy of NOAA) 

Improve Forecasts of Marine Contaminants and Pathogens 

Ocean chemistry can enhance human well-being by supplying healthy compounds 

in our food, but it can also put human health at risk, such as exposing people to 

toxins. Through state-of-the-art forecasting capabilities of ocean chemicals and conditions, researchers and managers have been able to reduce the risk of threats such 

as seafood-borne illness (e.g., shellfish and finfish poisoning). Through monitoring 

levels of known toxins and pathogens, the seafood industry provides healthier products, and the United States guards its citizens against potential health risks from 

the ocean.77 Predictive capabilities depend on research in ocean hydrodynamics, 

chemical fate and transport, and human reactions to toxins and pathogens. For example, continuous monitoring of temperature and salinity in coastal regions can 

help predict overgrowth of Vibrio vulnificus, the bacterium responsible for 95 percent of seafood-related death in the United States.78 Bacterial infections can result 

from ingestion of contaminated seafood or enter via the bloodstream by way of open 

wounds exposed to tainted seawater. Toxin-associated illnesses occur in a similar 

fashion via ingestion of animals (namely shellfish) that have been feeding on several 

species of toxin-producing algae. 

There are also large uncertainties in emission rates and ocean-mediated biogeochemical cycling mechanisms. An increased understanding of such processes can 

better inform consequences such as that of halogens and isoprene emissions from 

the ocean that can exert significant influences on atmospheric chemistry, including 


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79 Environmental Protection Agency. (2017) Nutrient Pollution: Harmful Algal Blooms. 

https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/harmful-algal-blooms (accessed June 12, 2018). 

ozone levels. Forecasting ocean biogeochemical and physical cycling is done at multiple spatial and temporal scales. For example, forecasting of waterborne pathogen 

levels might be necessary over a time scale of days for a specific recreational area, 

whereas forecasting of contamination levels in fish in a large area such as Lake Superior might change over years to decades. Forecasting tools require accurate estimates of contaminant sources, and how these sources change over time and need 

to be based on validated models (Box 4.2). 

Box 4.2. Building Forecasting Tools for Human Health 

• Contaminants produced in situ, such as biotoxins, require accurate estimates of 

generation or production rates under different conditions. 

• Understanding toxic chemicals require knowledge of loading rates from direct 

discharges, nonpoint sources, and indirect pathways such as watershed processes and atmospheric surface exchange, as well as the legacy distribution and 

amounts of the pollutant within the system resulting from past loading. 

• Forecasting of atmospheric deposition requires understanding of atmospheric 

emissions as well as atmospheric fate and transport processes. Once the loading 

and/or generation rates are understood, knowledge of the dynamic behavior of 

the contaminant in the oceanic ecosystem is required. 

Priorities 

• Improve predictive mathematical models of the sources, transport, fate, and 

degradation of constituents immediately relevant to human health. 

• Understand the pathways of human and animal exposure to waterborne pathogens, toxic chemicals, and algal toxins, including oral, dermal, and airborne 

routes via drinking water, food, recreational water, and aerosols. 

• Advance knowledge of exchange of chemical contaminants and nutrients between the ocean and the atmosphere, impacts of the changing ocean, and other 

contributors to the occurrence, frequency, and severity of human health impacts 

from constituents relevant to human health. 

Combat Harmful Algal Blooms 

Understanding the incidence, severity, and persistence of hazards to human 

health from oceanic, estuarine, and freshwater areas requires observations at multiple spatial and temporal scales. This includes arrays and networks of monitoring 

sites, in situ measurements from buoys and instrumented moorings, and remotelysensed data and imagery from aircraft and satellites. An example for this need to 

enhance monitoring capabilities is the increasing occurrence and spread of HAB 

events worldwide, including recent highly impactful HAB events in the United 

States.67

HABs have been reported in every U.S. coastal State and occur when algal cells 

proliferate rapidly and produce a toxic threat to humans and their local environment.79 This threat to the seafood and tourism industries calls for improved HAB 

toxin sensors, monitoring protocols, and quantification of toxins and their chemical 

structures. New technologies based on immunoassays, enzyme inhibition, optical 

biosensors, nucleic acid amplification, and other novel approaches continue to evolve 

under government and private funding. Federal leadership is needed on the provision and quality of reference materials (e.g., specimens, toxin standards, and molecular probes) as well as data management and data visualization tools, for increased 

awareness of public health risks and effective response and mitigation strategies. 

Policy-makers, public health authorities, and communities need the best available 

information to minimize current and future exposure to HABs and other known and 

potential ocean related health threats. Ongoing R&D should focus on analytical 

measurements, process understanding, and modeling to provide more reliable, useful, timely, and policy-relevant information. 

Priorities 

• Develop guidelines, testing methods, and rapid response strategies for accurate 

assessment and mitigation of pathogens, toxic chemicals, and algal toxins. 

• Enhance and transfer new tools and technologies such as omics and 

bioinformatics into management programs that promote human health and protect humans from HABs and other ocean-related issues. 

47 

80Stratton, C., D.J. Newman, and D.S. Tana. (2015) Cheminformatic comparison of approved 

drugs from natural product versus synthetic origins. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Let- ters 25(21):4802–4807. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4607632/ (accessed 

June 15, 2018). 81Food and Drug Administration. (2011) Fish and Fishery Products Hazards and Controls 

Guidance, Fourth Edition. Florida Sea Grant College Program. Gainesville, Florida. p. 468. 

https://www.fda.gov/downloads/food/guidanceregulation/ucm251970.pdf (accessed April 17, 

2018). 82 Alaska Fisheries Science Center. (2017) Small, deep-water Alaska sponge has molecules 

that selectively target and kill pancreatic tumor cells. https://www.afsc.noaa.gov/News/ 

Green_Sponge.htm# (accessed April 17, 2018). 83Mayer, A.M.S. (2018) Marine Pharmaceuticals: The Clinical Pipeline http://marine 

pharmacology.midwestern.edu/clinPipeline.htm (accessed April 17, 2018). 

• Generate data for computational and mathematical model evaluation and improvement to develop risk assessments of HABs and other known and emerging 

threats to human health. 

• Document human and animal exposure, illness, disease, and death related to 

HABs and other risks. 

• Emphasize public access to monitoring data, create user-friendly data formats, 

and ensure readily available metadata of parameters related to health risks. 

• Integrate new monitoring technologies into emerging ocean observation systems 

(e.g., U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS); the United Nations 

Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS)), while ensuring quality assurance and 

data comparability. 

• Develop socio-economic measures to estimate societal costs from exposure to 

HABs and other ocean-related human health hazards, and share that information with State, local, and tribal groups. 

Discover Natural Products 

While many promising pharmaceutical candidates are produced through synthetic 

approaches, approximately half of all new pharmaceutical approvals still trace their 

structural origin to natural products,80 illustrating the unique structural and chemical diversity found in the ocean environment. A substantial number of natural 

products with applications in medicine (anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-fungal, antibiotics), nutrients (dietary supplements, food additives), energy (biofuels), and other 

beneficial materials (e.g., antifoulant, diagnostics tools, and cosmetics) derive from 

marine hosts.81 For example, the Alaskan deep-water green sponge produces molecules that target and kill pancreatic cancer cells in the laboratory.82 Microbial (bacteria and archaea) and eukaryotic (fungi) symbionts of various marine hosts also 

produce a wide variety of compounds with potential for drug discovery. The rich diversity of the ocean presents enormous economic and biological potential (Box 4.3). 

Advances in ocean exploration and discovery technologies (e.g., acoustic tools, digital 

imaging, remote vehicles, deep-diving submersibles, and improved environmental 

sensors) will enable Americans to leverage such potential. 

Advances in molecular approaches such as metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, 

and metabolomics will improve the discovery, optimize production, and increase understanding of the mechanisms for how chemicals influence our bodies. Increased 

computational capabilities and improvements in bioinformatics analyses, as well as 

may open access knowledge and sharing of raw data, will open new doors for harnessing marine natural products. 

Box 4.3. Economic Potential of Marine Natural Products 

• Ocean-derived pharmaceuticals are rapidly expanding in the global market, 

from $5.3 billion in 2010 to about $8.6 billion in 2016.81

• Patent applications related to marine genetic material are increasing at a rate 

of 12 percent each year, with over 5,000 genes derived from marine organisms 

already patented.82

• The Marine Pharmaceuticals Clinical Pipeline 83 reveals over 30 natural products, which have been Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved or are in 

Phase III, II, or I of pharmaceutical development. 

» 59 percent of these compounds are isolated from bacteria associated with marine mollusks or sponges 

» 80 percent of these compounds target various cancers 

• Approximately 1,340 new marine natural product compounds were isolated from 

various marine microbes, invertebrates, and algae in 2015.81

48 

84Malve, H. (2016) Exploring the ocean for new drug development: Marine pharmacology. 

Journal of Pharmacy and BioAllied Sciences 8(2):83–91. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4832911 (accessed June 18, 2018). 85 National Centers for Environmental Information. (2018) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and 

Climate Disasters. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/(accessed April 17, 2018). 86 NASA. (2018) The Water Cycle and Climate Change. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/ 

Features/Water/page3.php (accessed April 17, 2018). 87Padgett, J., R. DesRoches, B. Nielson, M. Yashinsky, O.S. Kwon, N. Burdette, and E. 

Tavera. (2008) Bridge damage and repair costs from Hurricane Katrina. Journal of Bridge Engineering 13(1):6–14. https://ascelibrary.org/doi/abs/10.1061/(ASCE)1084-0702(2008)13%3A1(6) 

(accessed June 15, 2018); Kunz, M., B. Mu ̈hr, T. Kunz-Plapp, J.E. Daniell, B. Khazai, F. Wenzel, 

M. Vannieuwenhuyse, T. Comes, F. Elmer, K. Schro ̈ter, and J. Fohringer. (2013) Investigation 

of superstorm Sandy 2012 in a multi-disciplinary approach. Natural Hazards and Earth System 

Sciences 13(10):2579. https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-13-2579-2013 (accessed June 15, 2018). 88Morris, K.A., and N.M. Deterding. (2016) The emotional cost of distance: Geographic social 

network dispersion and post-traumatic stress among survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Social 

Science and Medicine 165:56–65. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5003656/ 

(accessed June 15, 2018). 89Shen, G., and S.G. Aydin. (2014) Highway freight transportation disruptions under an extreme environmental event: the case of Hurricane Katrina. International Journal of Environmental Science and Technology, 11(8):2387–2402. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/ 

s13762-014-0677-x (accessed April 15, 2018); Becker, A.H., P. Matson, M. Fischer, and M.D. 

Mastrandrea. (2015) Towards seaport resilience for climate change adaptation: Stakeholder perceptions of hurricane impacts in Gulfport (MS) and Providence (RI). Progress in Planning 99:1– 

49. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0305900614000427 (accessed April 15, 

2018). 

• There are currently over 20 marine natural products in FDA preclinical trials 

that target various diseases including bacterial and fungal infections, malaria, 

tuberculosis, diabetes, cystic fibrosis, and cancer.84

Priorities 

• Continue exploration and discovery of oceanic habitats and associated species, 

including bacteria, archaea, fungi, microbes, and viruses, to discover natural 

products and processes that improve human health and the environment. 

• Contribute to research on sensors and collection devices for extreme and hostile 

ocean environments, such as the deep-sea, to facilitate expanded ocean exploration and discovery sustainably. 

• Support the infrastructure (e.g., analytical methods, computer data mining technology, bioinformatics, computational capabilities) to screen, identify, and make 

use of beneficial natural products. 

• Understand opportunities for increasing macroalgae culturing for use as raw 

material for foods and biofuels. 

• Accelerate partnerships with private industry and academia to support biosynthetic assembly lines and incubation beds (i.e., demonstration projects) to more 

rapidly move products to market, and improve mariculture techniques to assure 

the supply of natural products for R&D. 

GOAL V. DEVELOP RESILIENT COASTAL COMMUNITIES

Overview 

In 2017, the United States experienced the most expensive year on record in terms of natural disasters, causing $306 billion in total damage, of which $265 billion came from hurricanes.85 Changing climatic conditions can affect the Earth’s 

hydrological cycle, atmospheric water vapor concentrations, clouds, precipitation 

patterns, and runoff and stream flow patterns.86 Flooding and coastal storms can 

have huge direct costs related to damaged local infrastructure87 as well as other indirect economic and social costs 88 that affect people throughout the country (Box 

5.1).89 To protect coastal populations and infrastructure, the Nation must find ways 

to encourage innovation while mitigating risk from storms and other hazards. It is 

critical to prepare communities for extreme weather using scientific information, 

adaptive management strategies, and enhanced communication to promote a more 

resilient weather-ready Nation. 

Our coasts and associated communities are economic engines that provide transportation, recreation, tourism, and energy for the millions of people that visit and 

reside in coastal as well as inland areas. Comprehensive understanding of the coastal and marine ecosystems, forecasting shifts of community vulnerability due to 

human and natural processes, and embedding that knowledge in decision-making 

processes that reduce risk and vulnerability and enhance economic prosperity of 

U.S. communities are long-standing scientific and technological challenges. ScienceVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00052 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
49 

90 National Centers for Environmental Information. (2018) U.S. Billion-Dollar Weather and 

Climate Disasters: Table of Events. https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/billions/events/US/1980-2018 

(accessed April 17, 2018). 91Office for Coastal Management. (2018) Hurricane Costs. https://coast.noaa.gov/states/fastfacts/hurricane-costs.html (accessed April 17, 2018). 92 Hurricane Research Division. (2017) Costliest mainland United States tropical cyclones 

1900–2017. Unadjusted for inflation. http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/tcfaq/costliesttable.html 

(accessed April 17, 2018). 93 United States Global Research Program. (2014) National Climate Assessment. USGCRP. 

Washington, D.C. http://nca2014.globalchange.gov/highlights/report-findings/extreme-weather 

(accessed June 15, 2018). 

based information and tools can help coastal communities respond and adapt to a 

changing ocean. 

The economic strength and sustainability of U.S. communities depends on services 

the ocean provides. Identification and measurement of communities’ strengths and 

vulnerabilities allow managers and other decision-makers to assess management 

strategies to build and maintain resilient and prosperous communities, while promoting sustainable economic growth and healthy ecosystems. This baseline information also enables temporal and geographic comparisons of social-ecological systems 

and associated ecosystem services to understand and forecast the impacts of environmental change on the well-being of human communities. 

Box 5.1. The Cost of Extreme Events 

• In 2017 alone, there were 16 weather and climate related events from drought, 

flooding, freeze, severe storm, tropical cyclone, or wildfire events in which, for 

each event, economic damage exceeded $1 billion.90

• Estimated damages from Hurricane Harvey, including property damage, lost 

wages, and disrupted business, were as much as $125 billion.91

• Superstorm Sandy made landfall on October 29, 2012, devastating coastal communities and causing over $70 billion in property damage and at least 147 direct deaths across the Atlantic basin.92

Figure 5.1. Scituate, Massachusetts, 2015. (Image courtesy of NBC News) 

Prepare for Natural Disasters and Weather Events 

The United States has experienced more than 219 weather and climate disasters 

since 1980, resulting in the total cost of more than $1.5 trillion93 which is about 

$45 billion per year. Disasters are generally focused and have a disproportionately 

larger impact on specific locations and communities. Building a weather-ready Nation, where society is prepared for and responds appropriately to extreme weather, 

water, climate and environmental threats is critical. Ensuring community resilience 

in the face of increasing vulnerability requires collaboration across all levels of government, industry, nonprofits, and academia (Box 5.2). Decision support services, 


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94More information can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/aboutepa/about-office-water 

(accessed June 12, 2018). 

along with physical, natural, and social science data and information, can help 

coastal communities mitigate the impacts from these threats. 

Whether on a fair, sunny, and mild day or during an extreme-weather event with 

potential for loss of life and property destruction, improved decisions contribute to 

better prepared communities. Nowhere is this more important than in the coastal 

environment, where there is a need for continued research, support, and data for 

informed decision making. Connections to the marine enterprise require relationship 

building, gathering and streamlining of requirements, and a coordinated approach 

to decision-support tools. Decision-support tools help build resilience and reduce adverse consequences. This all results in safer and more secure maritime transportation and enhances safe, enjoyable coastal recreation. The goal is a future with 

minimal weather-related losses of life and property at sea, along our coasts, and 

within our watersheds. 

Box 5.2. Hurricane Harvey 

Hurricane Harvey in 2017 resulted in major threats to lives and property due to 

extensive flooding from storm surge, unrelenting rainfall, and heavy riverine discharge. Model predictions are not yet able to quantitatively link these three sources 

of coastal inundation, highlighting a critical gap in capabilities. Addressing the 

‘‘Harvey-gap’’ in total coastal water-level prediction and Impact-based Decision Support Services (IDSS) capabilities requires coupled atmosphere-ocean-land-wave models. To address this, efforts are underway to develop a total coastal water plan to 

conduct modeling in a single estuary beginning in 2018 and expanding to a full national operational capability in 5–10 years. Initial capabilities will focus on water 

levels with 2-D ocean models, ‘‘end products’’ in the 10-year time frame will have 

to address navigation and water quality issues with 3D ocean models. 

IDSS requires both accurate modeling and an accurate assessment of model uncertainties. Stochastic atmospheric physics and developing strategies for coupled ensemble generation (particularly for non-weather coupled components) are active 

fields of research that will enhance operational improvement over the next 5-10 

years. 

Priorities 

• Conduct needs assessments to determine status of tools and information already 

provided, identify gaps existing and enhance the capacity and capability to offer, 

integrate, display, and disseminate data and information. 

• Support and disseminate tools for understanding and translating science to promote resilience-based approaches in ocean and coastal communities, waterborne 

recreational users, and those experiencing drought and flooding. 

• Identify needs, areas for coordination, methods for technology transfer, and develop and implement of a suite of integrated marine weather products to provide earlier warning and better highlight hazardous weather conditions at sea, 

fortify water quality efforts underway,94 and reduce risk to coastal residents unaware of extreme weather events and storm surge. 

• Produce and implement communications and outreach strategies with associated milestones, training tools and media relations platforms delivering technology, resilience and commerce-related success stories to showcase products 

and services, increase awareness, educate, and enable adaptation strategies. 

Reduce Risk and Vulnerabilities 

While natural disasters and weather events are major threats, coastal communities are at risk because of many other disturbances. In particular, many communities depend on coastal and marine resources for commercial and recreational uses, 

and changes to those resources provides both risks and opportunities to those industries and activities engaged in those uses. For example, fish populations may migrate along coasts, disrupting areas historically dependent on those populations, and 

providing new opportunities for other communities. Similarly, coastal economies and 

ecosystems are often dependent on their beaches and research into sediment transport and resulting changes in geomorphology is critical. 

The ability of communities to overcome these disruptions depends on reducing 

risk, and where possible, capitalizing on opportunities by understanding community 

dependencies, forecasting resource responses to environmental change, and providing options for resource managers and industries to plan for the future. Because 

our Nation’s security and prosperity is affected by our communities’ access and use 

of coastal resources (e.g., fisheries, energy, recreation, and cultural heritage), it is 

51 

95 Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee. (2016) Arctic Research Plan FY2017–2021. 

8.4 Improve observations, mapping, and charting to support research across the coastal interface. Washington D.C. 46–47. https://www.iarpccollaborations.org/plan/objective/8.4 (accessed 

April 17, 2018). 

important to understand the factors that affect the ability of communities to respond to, and recover from, natural and manmade disturbances. 

There is interest in better understanding the current state of resilience at multiple scales—from national to local—and the various determining factors that influence community resilience. Community resilience is affected by on economic stability 

and the ability for communities to survive and rebuild in response to diverse challenges and impacts. Coastal communities recognized as highly resilient will attract 

investment and strengthen the ocean economy. 

Understanding how communities change over time requires baseline information 

to assess vulnerability and resilience historically and into the future. This effort requires collaborative efforts between local community, State, and Federal governments to determine past conditions, current trends, and future projections. Thus, accurate observations, mapping, and ecosystem condition data must be available for 

modeling and analyses across the entire coastal area.95 This baseline information 

leads to a better understanding and measure of community vulnerability and resilience. 

Whether it be a coastal city planner developing a new 50-year infrastructure plan, 

or a fisherman preparing for the next season, individuals and communities are often 

presented with a myriad of choices, some which reduce risk and some which augment risk. Understanding the economic or social drivers that lead to support, opposition, or indifference to specific risk-reduction strategies or community enhancement actions could lead to increased effectiveness and reduced cost for local economies and response entities. 

Priorities 

• Examine community-driven resilience planning that uses the experience, concerns, and needs of industry and stakeholders, and incorporates their perspectives in conjunction with conventional science-supported, public-sector planning 

efforts. 

• Identify and document baseline conditions (e.g., biophysical, economic, ecological, social, and cultural) for use in assessments of environmental and natural 

hazards, catastrophic events, cumulative effects, and community vulnerability 

and resilience. 

• Examine how environmental hazards, including a changing climate and rising 

sea level, along our coasts are affecting American communities (e.g., economic, 

ecological, social, and cultural) at varied scales, resulting in questions concerning financial and social vulnerabilities to certain populations. 

• Understand, describe, and quantify where possible, social vulnerability and the 

factors that contribute to the resilience of communities that depend upon and 

engage with coastal and marine resources. 

• Assess how future conditions and changes to the environment could interact 

with hazards and catastrophic events, and affect community vulnerability, resilience, and continuity. 

• Describe and evaluate effects of key drivers on community and economic resilience (e.g., presence/absence, application, consistency, compliance, and effectiveness of planning and construction laws, regulations, ordinances, codes, and 

practices; barriers and effectiveness of incentive mechanisms, and existing 

socio-economic conditions of populations). 

• Research the risks of ocean acidification and other ocean changes as they relate 

to at-risk populations, food security, and the implications for humanitarian crises. 

Empower Local and Regional Decision-Making 

For a coastal community to be resilient, it must build capacity to respond to disturbances. This requires a better understanding of the particular characteristics of 

the community and industries, as well as information to support dynamic risk assessment and cost-benefit analysis of local and regional trade-offs. There is no ‘‘one 

size fits all’’ to understanding, measuring, or developing capacity for community resilience. Rather, developing capacity is context and location specific and depends on 

a community’s physical, social, economic, and cultural characteristics, which vary 

from place to place, by region, and through time. Access to local and regional speVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00055 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
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96Such local and regional data, tools, and technical support is available through integrated 

marine information systems such the Digital Coast Partnership (https://coast.noaa.gov/ 

digitalcoast/), the Marine Cadastre (https://marinecadastre.gov/), and Regional Ocean Partnership (ROP) portals (e.g., the Northeast Ocean Data Portal, https://www.northeastocean 

data.org/) (accessed June 11, 2018). 97FEMA. (2018) National Preparedness Goal. https://www.fema.gov/national-preparednessgoal (accessed April 17, 2018). 

cific data and data tools is key to effective decision-making when planning for the 

future of coastal communities.96

The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) defines capacity development as the ‘‘process by which individuals, groups, organizations, institutions and societies increase their abilities to: (1) perform core functions, solve 

problems, define and achieve objectives; and (2) understand and deal with their development needs in a broad context and in a sustainable manner.’’ In alignment 

with the other national initiatives (e.g., National Preparedness Goal 97), research, 

technical assistance, and capacity development actions should be fostered to understand existing conditions and address deficiencies for coastal community and economic resilience across multiple scales. 

The complex interconnections between humans and marine ecosystems require a 

better understanding of their spatial and temporal scales. Research that considers 

all the drivers influencing a resource is better equipped to provide government, industry, nonprofits, and academia a more accurate understanding of marine resource-based economies and their challenges and opportunities for growth. Such 

greater understanding will provide more realistic situational awareness of our coastal and marine resources so that coastal communities and marine industries can appropriately prepare for and adapt to changes. Capacity building depends on incorporating stakeholders who are dependent on marine resources into resilience planning. 

Incentive programs can aid in the acceptance of program requirements by offsetting real or perceived costs, but may not be adopted for reasons that are still not 

understood. Applied economics, psychology, and decision science can help determine 

what makes something acceptable and why, how opinions are formed and influenced 

by others, and ultimately which decision made by an individual or a community is 

refused or adopted. 

Priorities 

• Examine incentives and successful adoption of specific programs or concepts 

across segments of a community (e.g., by population characteristics, such as age, 

gender, profession, income, and education). Identify and inform decision-makers 

of specific incentives and disincentives related to actions to further improve 

community recovery and adaptation capabilities. 

• Assess and evaluate existing and potential community-level adaptations to environmental variability and change to understand what elements are most effective in mitigating impacts and what factors are most important in adoption of 

those adaptation measures. 

• Develop capacity to deliver research results and culturally relevant products to 

all communities at risk (e.g., translating scientific jargon, evaluating and communicating risk). 

• Determine methods and incentives for increasing capacity for communities to effectively evaluate and improve their resilience in alignment with their own specific needs and objectives. 

• Develop observation and monitoring systems, tools, and delivery mechanisms to 

evaluate scenarios, and to enable better decisions, in terms of social, ecological, 

cultural, and economic health and well-being taking into consideration the probabilities of the scenarios. 

MOVING FORWARD

This document establishes a vision for the Federal ocean S&T enterprise, in partnership with the broader ocean community, for the coming 2018–2028 decade. The 

outlined priorities are intended to guide the development of future Federal ocean 

research implementation plans within each agency. It also will inform Federal agencies’ collaboration with State and local governments, academia, private industry, 

and nongovernmental organizations to leverage non-Federal resources and support 

related non-Federal efforts. Its success will require an engaged, informed, and coordinated ocean community, as a concerted effort is essential to advancing ocean 

S&T and improving application of that understanding for the benefit of the Nation. 

53 

98 Interagency Ocean Observation Committee. (2017) Integrated Ocean Observing System. 

http://www.iooc.us/ocean-observations/integrated-ocean-observing-system/ (accessed April 17, 

2018). 

This document does not prescribe metrics and agency-specific tasks. Instead, it offers shaped directions in the form of priorities. These were designed to promote research that contributes to greater understanding of ocean issues and variability, addresses relevant needs of resource managers and mandates of governing entities, encourages partnerships to expand the Nation’s capabilities, and positively impacts 

national and economic security. 

Advancing national ocean R&D priorities requires a coast-to-coast effort. These 

priorities vary across regions, as do the ways in which different regional organizations address them. This Plan acts as a guide to identify areas requiring national 

attention, while recognizing the need for flexibility. 

Learning from the Last Decade 

This 2018 vision for U.S. ocean S&T builds off the 2007 Plan, aiming to advance 

the achievements and progress developed during the past 10 years. For example, the 

2007 Plan identified the need to forecast ocean and ocean-influenced processes and 

phenomena to produce better decision-making tools. This 2018 document advances 

such efforts to strengthen decision-making processes by incorporating socioeconomic 

data and regionally specific data. A significant area of growth since the 2007 plan 

is the establishment of a coordinated national and international network of observations 98 with associated data transmission, data management and communications 

(DMAC), and data analyses and modeling capabilities. We have collected an enormous amount of data about our ocean and coasts, and this 2018 document addresses 

the need to obtain, analyze, and manage such Big Data. 

Some identified research priorities in the previous Plan remain as continued objectives, while many of the priorities are even more relevant today. For example, 

the 2007 Plan called for advancing modeling capabilities to improve ‘‘understanding 

and forecasting the response of natural and constructed landscapes and ecosystems 

to extreme weather events, natural disasters, and changing ocean conditions to inform hazard mitigation and response plans, support navigation safety.’’ In light of 

2017’s hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, their aftermath, as well as the continued rise in Presidential Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Disaster 

Declarations in response to extreme weather and hazardous events, this 2007 priority remains just as crucial to continue the momentum toward improved predictions and proactive measures such as expedited warning and response time. 

Balance Short-Term Imperatives and Long-Term Investments 

Managing ocean S&T innovation is a long-term pursuit. There is, however, a need 

for balancing short-term research to address immediate needs or current perceived 

threats, with long-term R&D efforts to understand the fundamental ocean system 

and inform major challenges and decision-making. As technologies advance and research priorities shift, it is important to ensure that a balanced approach is taken 

between longer-term goals and areas of immediate opportunity. It is even more crucial to approach the next decade with a determined yet adaptable mindset, balancing resources needed for immediate action and applying enough science-based 

foresight to plan for what lies ahead. 

Areas of Immediate Opportunity 

Five recurrent topics emerged from the goals and objectives described in this document that provide focus for initial research and technology opportunities. These 

areas surfaced from Federal agencies with interest and responsibilities linked to the 

ocean, and thus represent synergy across Federal agencies and immediate areas of 

coordination and collaboration. They are not exclusive of other efforts directed to the 

full suite of longer-term (decadal) research and technology activities. These areas resulted from criteria that include impact of the work, urgency of the research and 

technology, funds availability, and partnerships and collaborations across agencies 

and the broader scientific community. 

1. Fully integrate Big Data approaches in Earth system science 

Big Data is revolutionizing the way scientists and the public approach and study 

the ocean Earth system. However, scientific communities often use Big Data for research objectives and require their data to be in a specific format, or the data is 

not made publically available in due course. As a result, many long-term measurements and models are not accessible to non-academic institutions and businesses. 

Sources of ocean-related Big Data in ocean sciences include the large amounts of 

multi-dimensional measurements on a wide range of ocean variables collected by reVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00057 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
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99 Command, Control, and Interoperability Center for Advanced Data Analysis. (2013) Fisheries Enforcement: U.S. Coast Guard is Sharpening Enforcement Tools with Big-Data Help from 

CCICADA. http://ccicada.org/2013/12/20/fisheries-enforcement-us-coast-guard-is-sharpeningnforcement-tools-with-big-data-help-from-ccicada/ (accessed April 23, 2018). 100Levin, P.S., and M. Poe. (2017) Conservation for the Anthropocene Ocean. Academic Press. 

London. p. 530. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/book/9780128053751 (accessed June 15, 

2018); Plaga ́nyi, E.E., and E.A. Fulton. (2017) The Future of Modeling to Support Conservation. 

423–446. In: Levin P.S., and M. Poe (eds) Conservation for the Anthropocene Ocean. Academic 

Press. London. https://eprints.utas.edu.au/25751/ (accessed June 15, 2018). 101 Holsman, K., A. Hollowed, A. Haynie, S. Kasperski, J. Ianelli, K. Aydin, W. Cheng, A. Hermann, T. Kristiansen, and A. Punt. (2016) A stress test for fisheries management: using coupled 

physical-biological-socioeconomic models to evaluate alternative management approaches in 

Alaska. NOAA Fisheries. p. 42. https://cpo.noaa.gov/sites/cpo/MAPP/Webinars/2017/11-21- 

16/Holsman.pdf (accessed April 21, 2018). 

mote and in situ sensors across the globe. Big data can also include biological information in the form of genetics as well as high-resolution, ground-truthed model simulations of global, regional, and local ocean processes. Full accessibility and use of 

Big Data capabilities provides opportunities for new and strong collaborations between the observational, modeling, scientific, and technological communities, resulting in novel findings through deployment of cloud infrastructure, data-analytic tools, 

data-mining algorithms, and scalable workflow frameworks. For example, certain 

Big Data analyses can be used to combat illegal fishing by increasing enforcement 

efficiency through rapid identification of illegal vessels, and complementing concrete 

resources such as manpower, ships, and planes.99

2. Advance monitoring and predictive modeling capabilities 

Advances in understanding coupled and nonlinear ocean, atmosphere, land, and 

ice phenomena and variations are required to monitor the environment and predict 

future changes. These models are significantly enhanced by improving computational resources and enabling ensemble simulation approaches to forecasting. Recent 

hurricane events clearly illustrate that research efforts aimed at improving coupled 

ocean-coastal-hydrology models for total water and storm surge prediction capability 

is of high priority and critical to the preparedness of the Nation. A combination of 

existing and emergent technologies and modeling capabilities is required to further 

elucidate oceanographic systems, future trajectories and uncertainties, and the connections among Earth system components. For example, building a weather-ready 

Nation requires ports and open ocean transit systems to continuously include weather, water, climate, and environmental data and information into decision-making 

and planning to ensure safe, secure, and efficient maritime commerce. Unified efforts should target the establishment of common and interoperable frameworks that 

allow for efficient model execution on scalable computing systems, as well as interdisciplinary application and standardized interface with Earth system observations. 

3. Improve data integration in decision support tools 

Understanding and managing the interactions of the human dimensions within 

the Earth system needs to be enhanced in the coming decade. Decision-making pertaining to ocean use and conservation issues is challenged by increasing complexities of economic variability, ecosystem features, and community diversity. The situation is becoming more challenging as the number and types of ocean users increase, while interdependencies between the ocean’s ecosystems and human wellbeing continue to grow.100 Decisions will need to directly address the role of humans 

as shaping modern seascapes and coastal landscapes. For example, physical, biological, and socioeconomic models can be coupled with various Earth system models of 

potential impacts or benefits to people, industry, and the surrounding ecosystems 

to evaluate alternative management approaches.101 Science, research, and technology will be most useful for citizens if the results and the implications of those 

results are broadly understandable and communicated, and made easily accessible. 

Decision-support tools and allied approaches will help both individuals and their 

communities ensure their viability now and in the future. 

4. Support ocean exploration and characterization 

Advances in ocean S&T within the next decade will allow us to better explore our 

ocean and better understand our environment, such as improved seafloor mapping 

to better inform maritime transportation operations. The advent of molecular tools 

collectively referred to as omics, has the promise to revolutionize our ability to explore, sample, and characterize the ocean efficiently. Through omics it has been possible to characterize and quantify the distribution and function of several organisms 

in ocean ecosystems through space and time, and explore organisms for natural 

products discovery. The declining cost and rapid increase in omics technologies offer 

55 

102Stoeckle, M.Y., L. Soboleva, and Z. Charlop-Powers. (2017) Aquatic environmental DNA detects seasonal fish abundance and habitat preference in an urban estuary. PLoS ONE 

12(4):e0175186. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0175186 (accessed June 15, 2018). 103 An example of such collaborative programs is the National Oceanographic Partnership Program (NOPP). More information can be found at: http://www.nopp.org/ (accessed June 1, 2018). 

new opportunities to address pressing needs in ocean science. Further development 

of eDNA and other omics approaches to interpret the marine environment are likely 

to provide a high return on investment. Although there are sampling and 

cyberinfrastructure challenges for the coming decade, it is currently possible to address critical questions from managers and stakeholders. One example is how omics 

data can be used and/or coupled with models to effectively monitor and predict ecosystem changes and their consequences, as well as to manage marine resources such 

as fisheries. eDNA is one technology that can help facilitate fine-scale geographic 

and temporal mapping of fish populations to assess fisheries management effectiveness.102 The discovery of natural products is essential for the development of new 

therapeutics, nutrients, energy, ecological processes, and other beneficial products 

and technologies derived from a variety of marine hosts. Exploration, discovery, and 

assessment of marine resources, processes, and ecosystem structure and function, 

are vital to capitalize on economic opportunities, human health, and environmental 

resilience, among others. 

5. Support ongoing research and technology partnerships 

The success of the effort to advance the Nation’s ocean S&T enterprise described 

in this document requires effective collaboration of all organizations involved in 

ocean science. Participation of local, tribal, State, and regional governance entities 

will ensure that national ocean priorities incorporate the needs of specific areas or 

groups. Involvement of academic institutions provides scientific innovation and peer 

review, helps identify and address pressing research questions, and shapes society’s 

interaction with the ocean by communicating ocean science directly to the public. 

Increasing partnerships across government, non-government, international, and the 

private sectors prevents duplicative efforts, strengthens resources and opportunities, 

helps prioritize ocean science, and promotes an ocean-literate public. For example, 

programs have successfully used partnerships with Federal agencies, academia, industry, State, local, and tribal governments, and non-governmental organizations to 

increase ocean-related knowledge for the purposes of promoting national security, 

advancing economic development, protecting the marine environment, enhancing 

quality of life, and strengthening science education and communication.103

Senator BALDWIN. And I do that so that we can all have context 

for what I’m about to discuss. 

In your presentation to the departmental leadership last month, 

you proposed that the NOAA mission statement and vision either 

be amended or otherwise reconsidered. And specifically, the presentation included two columns, one labeled ‘‘Past’’ and one labeled 

‘‘Present.’’ The ‘‘Past’’ column included references to studying climate in order to realize resilient ecosystems, communities, and 

economies. The ‘‘Present’’ column does not even use the words ‘‘climate’’ or ‘‘resilience.’’ And I think both of these are very important 

priorities for NOAA. 

In the Great Lakes, higher-than-average temperatures and a less 

predictable climate have the potential to shorten the season for recreational activities, increase the rate and severity of storm and 

flooding events—and we’ve seen some enormous extreme events of 

late—impact shipping routes, threaten certain coldwater species, 

and impact our agriculture, tourism, and maritime industries. 

Admiral Gallaudet, you said, in response, that—and I quote— 

‘‘This presentation is a simplified draft for discussion. It was not 

intended to create change in the NOAA mission or policy from 

what it was before,’’ end quote. So, what, then, do these columns, 

‘‘Past’’ and ‘‘Present,’’ aim to represent? And why are they labeled 

‘‘Past’’ and ‘‘Present’’? 

56 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Thanks for your question, Senator Baldwin. 

The presentation was deliberative. It had not been cleared 

through the Department. And the purpose of the slide deck and the 

slides you’re talking about, in terms of mission, were merely to foster discussion on how NOAA is aligning under the Department’s 

strategic plan. And so, there were elements, like aquaculture and 

weather forecasting, which were singularly present in the strategic 

plan, and that was the purpose behind the language. 

Senator BALDWIN. The Decadal Ocean Vision document that I 

also entered into the record identifies goals to advance U.S. ocean 

science over the next 10 years. Remarkably, even though citations 

that include titles of study in the footnotes throughout the document use the term ‘‘climate change,’’ the plan itself never once uses 

the phrase. How does NOAA intend and plan to continue to study 

and address the threats of climate change? And maybe a more difficult question, How will you make sure that what appears to be 

glaring omissions of the term ‘‘climate change’’ don’t yield a subtext 

in which NOAA’s internal culture—that science, conservation, and 

management of natural resources are not valued or, worse, should 

be censored in this administration? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Thank you for your question, Senator Baldwin. 

The—as Secretary Ross and I stated publicly after the document 

hit the press, it was that we are committed to NOAA’s climate and 

conservation elements of our mission. And you can see, today, in 

FY18, we have $100 million dedicated—or nearly so—to climate research and we’re continuing to perform climate services through 

our Climate Program Office and Climate Prediction Center. So, we 

are committed to continuing that element of our mission. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Senator Nelson. 

Senator NELSON. Admiral, you retired from the Navy as the 

Chief Oceanographer of the Navy. Is that correct? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Senator. 

Senator NELSON. And what is that? Is that a Rear Admiral? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. I was a Rear Admiral when I retired, yes, 

sir. 

Senator NELSON. Two star. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. I was a one star, sir. 

Senator NELSON. Well, your long and distinguished record is certainly admirable, and we appreciate it. And personally, I’m very 

glad, with your background, that you are where you are. 

Now, you answered the question of the Chairman’s about fishing 

research, when he asked about a 17 percent cut—you answered it, 

‘‘We are committed to fishing research, but we think we can be 

more efficient.’’ When Senator Baldwin asked you about climate 

change and the lack of use of the term ‘‘climate change,’’ you, basically, answered that we are committed to studying the climate. And 

yet, the President’s budget has a $50 million cut in climate change 

research. How do you square that? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. In the President’s budget, Senator, of 

course, we had to make tough priority calls, and the President 

elected to prioritize national security funding, and that—therefore, 

Commerce and NOAA saw reduced levels in the proposed budget. 

I will answer to you, though, that we’re committed to our climate 

57 

support and research and advancement through the subseasonalto-seasonal forecasting capability, or element of it, that’s called out 

in the Weather Act. 

Senator NELSON. Well, you just answered that, that the priorities 

of national security sometimes trump the other parts of the budget. 

The specific question here is about climate change. And you are a 

retired Navy admiral. Does the effects of climate change have any 

effects on national security? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Senator, yes, sir. I saw that in my career, 

and I’ve spoken about the effects of climate change on national security. But, in fact, though—I would say, though, that there are 

many interagency efforts to assess those impacts. And therefore, 

again, I don’t believe that reductions in funding toward that in 

NOAA are significant in that. The Navy is also committed to studying climate and climate effects on national security, as is the Department of Energy, as is NASA. 

Senator NELSON. I appreciate that, and I’m not going to throw 

you softballs. I’m going to throw you harder pitches. Give me an 

example of where climate change would have a direct impact on 

the United States military with regard to our national security. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. I think the thing that I saw that was most 

obvious was the effects of sea level rise in Norfolk Naval Station, 

for example, which is experiencing increased levels of high tide 

flooding, which impact the infrastructure at the base, the airfields, 

and the piers, and just the accessibility by the sailors to get to 

the—their work every day. 

Senator NELSON. Well, with that, I’m going to back off the 

hardballs, because I think you’ve answered the question about why 

it ought to be all-hands-on-deck, to use a Navy term, about the 

issue of climate change, not just the U.S. military, but the very 

agency that is tasked with studying the climate. And that’s your 

agency: NOAA. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Senator Schatz. 

STATEMENT OF HON. BRIAN SCHATZ, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM HAWAII 

Senator SCHATZ. Thank you. 

Admiral Gallaudet, thank you for being here. Thank you for your 

service. 

I want to talk about coastal resilience. As you know, the 2017 

hurricane season—Harvey, Irma, Maria—showed incredible damage and resilience activities. Regardless of what we think the cause 

is, and the conversation about weather versus climate, and all the 

rest of it, it just simply makes sense to build more resilient coastal 

infrastructure. I’m wondering what you’re doing in that space. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. We’re doing quite a bit, Senator. And thank 

you for the question. 

You know, our fisheries has an Office of Habitat Restoration. 

And so, the—I’ve seen restored marshland in Louisiana, for example. I’ve stood on areas that—a restored marsh that was under 

water for decades. And that is now serving as an effective storm 

barrier for New Orleans. 

58 

Senator SCHATZ. So, I want to stop you right there, because this 

actually gets to my second question. And again, there’s a kind of 

way you can talk about this that’s going to freak people out if they 

don’t self-identify as environmentalists, but here’s the way I would 

describe it. We like to call it ecosystem services, but the other way 

to look at it is: If you destroy coastal ecosystems, then what you 

end up having to do, as a city or a town, is essentially levy taxes 

to reconstitute those services that the ecosystem provides: fresh 

water, flood abatement, even parks and recreation. You get rid of 

it, and then you end up building it back, but it doesn’t work as 

well, and it costs you a heck of a lot more. Is that consistent with 

NOAA’s view of ecosystem management? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Senator, yes, sir, it is. And our National 

Ocean Service, I believe, has performed a study about the economic 

contributions and gains made by investments in coastal resilience. 

Senator SCHATZ. I want to ask you about a 2016 study by the Department of Commerce which valued the gross sales and receipts 

from recreational fishing and boating at around $38 billion. And if 

we could count the indirect effects, like jobs, tourism, travel, the 

figure would be even higher. This is a significant and growing part 

of the Blue Economy. I think more people enjoying and appreciating our oceans and coasts is a good thing, because people are 

willing to take care of the things that they love and that they 

enjoy. What are you doing to support this growing industry? I know 

there has been a lot of talk about extractive industries—fisheries 

and minerals and other natural resources—less talk about recreational boating and fishing. I’d like you to talk about what you’re 

doing in that space. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Senator, thank you very much. 

That’s something I’m—personally am interested in. I have a—I’m 

a recreational boater and fisherman, and I live on the coast, in the 

Chesapeake Bay. And so, NOAA’s doing great work to support 

tourism and recreation. For example, we have our National Marine 

Sanctuaries, which provide for $8 billion of economic activity every 

year. And that—you see in our sanctuaries much activity devoted 

towards fishing, recreation, scuba diving, and just enjoying the 

coastlines. 

We also have great programs, like our Marine Debris Program, 

working to remove marine debris, plastics, not only offshore, but 

onshore, on beaches and coastlines, just because the citizens don’t 

want to recreate in trashy areas. And so, that program, I think, is 

doing great things in that area, as well. 

And I’d say, also, our weather forecasting through the National 

Weather Service is also supporting the safe conduct of recreation 

and tourism in our coasts. 

Senator SCHATZ. Let’s talk a little bit about surf forecasts. 

They’re important for safety, they’re also important for recreation. 

Forbes magazine is projecting around a $13 billion value for the 

international surf industry. We can’t find any specific data for just 

the United States. But, I want you to talk a little bit about getting 

better fidelity on surf reports, and the surf industry, more generally. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, sir, Senator. I’ll be glad to. 

59 

In fact, I’ve been really pleased to look at the improvements 

made in our coastal models. We have large-scale global ocean models and wave models, and then we, what they call, nest down into 

very localized, high-resolution coastal models. And we have them 

for regions all around the country. The latest one, the newest one 

we established was for the Gulf of Maine, and—but, that—we’re 

making great improvements through science and technology advancements, through modeling improvements. And what we’re encouraged to do is—as you cite, is share that technology with the 

private sector and encourage the growth of those kinds of industries, like surf line and—as we have done already with the private 

weather enterprise. 

Senator SCHATZ. Thank you. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Senator Peters. 

STATEMENT OF HON. GARY PETERS, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM MICHIGAN 

Senator PETERS. Thank you, Mr. Chairman, Ranking Member. 

Thank you for calling this important meeting. Particularly related 

to the Great Lakes, thank you very much. Appreciate that. 

Admiral Gallaudet, I understand that, on your trip around the 

country as you’re visiting various locations, you’re going to have 

the opportunity to—at least planning to do some scuba diving in 

the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Michigan in midAugust. And I appreciate your kind invitation for me to join you. 

I’m not going to be able to join you on this trip, although just— 

I guess it was about two years ago, I had the opportunity to be 

with our friends in NOAA and dive on some incredible wrecks. As 

you know, the Great Lakes and its fresh water just perfectly preserves these wrecks, so we have over 100 wrecks in the sanctuary. 

It is some of the most incredible scuba diving you’ll do anywhere. 

So, folks who are listening to this, please come to Michigan and 

visit us, because it’s part of the Blue Economy to come there to be 

able to experience that. 

And I think my friends in Alpina will tell you what this sanctuary has meant for the area. It has been an incredible driver for 

the economy as people have not only come to dive, but on the glassbottom boats, there is a Visitor Center that NOAA has that is 

world-class, that explains the heritage, the shipping, the nautical 

heritage, maritime heritage over the Great Lakes that built America as it—so, it’s a very important part of the Blue Economy. 

And that’s why I’m—I—my question to you, sir, is, Why has 

NOAA proposed to reduce the budget for sanctuaries and marine 

protected areas in fiscal 2019? And, specifically, what kind of impact is this going to have on Thunder Bay and other marine sanctuaries? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Well, Senator, thank you for your question. 

And my goal is to decorate my office with underwater photos, 

just like yours, in Thunder Bay. We think the impacts to the sanctuaries of those budget cuts are going to be minimal, and that 

we’re able to absorb them and still manage our sanctuaries in a 

fine way, as we have been for years, over two decades. And, in fact, 

we are seeking to secure, potentially, expansions in our sanctuary 

system, as well as two, possibly, new sanctuaries over the next 

60 

coming period. One is in Mallows Bay, in the Potomac. And we’re 

working with the State of Maryland on that. And I think that’s a 

great example of how each sanctuary is sort of tailored to each 

local economy and community’s interests and—so as to foster the 

great things that you’ve seen in Alpena through Thunder Bay. 

Senator PETERS. Well, still, these cuts will have an impact, and 

especially when you look at zeroing out coastal zone management 

grants, sea grant programs. This is cumulative. We know these are 

economic drivers. These grants are important. And the growth continues. In fact, in the Thunder Bay example, we’re—or they are undergoing research that they believe will find another 100 wrecks. 

This will continue to be an economic boom. These cutbacks have an 

impact, particularly in conjunction with these other programs, 

don’t you agree? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. I agree, they have an impact, Senator. And 

I’m—we understand that the—the work funded by the—or done at 

the sanctuaries in the coastal zone management programs is important. Again, our prioritization in the 2019 budget was to—for 

government services. And so, external grants to states and local entities were at a lower priority. It’s important work, and, I mean— 

and we are happy—in FY18, for example, we did see appropriations 

for coastal zone management, and we’ve been able to do good work 

in executing, I think, $75 million of funding toward those efforts 

this year. 

Senator PETERS. I’d also like to follow up on a longstanding concern for our state and region, and that’s the administration’s proposed review of all sanctuaries and maritime national monuments. 

A straightforward question for you. Do you support maintaining 

the existing boundaries of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Sir, I know that the administration has 

sought, through—to explore and examine the expansions that have 

occurred over the last few years. And I agree that we need to assess continuously how well and to what purposes our existing sanctuaries and monument systems serve the public, as well as the economic contributions they make. 

Senator PETERS. Well, I hope you have a lot of discussion, when 

you’re up in Alpina, with folks about the importance of those 

boundaries and how that is part of the Blue Economy in that part 

of northern Michigan. To keep that is going to be critically important. I hope you have that discussion. 

I’d also like to ask you a bit about NOAA’s oil-spill preventionand-response efforts. As you know, NOAA is tasked with updating 

environmental sensitivity index maps, which help summarize the 

coastal resources that are a risk of oil spills. We had a very large 

oil spill in Michigan—in fact, the largest pipeline break in history, 

a few years ago. We have a lot of concerns related to line 5, which 

is in the Straits of Mackinac. In fact, a recent report came out to 

show it would be a multibillion-dollar effort to clean up that kind 

of spill, should it occur. 

And, while the maps in the East, West, and Gulf Coasts have 

been updated within the last 5 years, it has been over 20 years— 

20 years—since NOAA maps were updated in the Great Lakes. 

61 

Why has NOAA not updated the environmental sensitivity maps in 

the Great Lakes for so long? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Senator, I’ll have to take that for the 

record. I don’t know the reason for being slow on the Great Lakes 

and not so in existing areas. 

[Information follows:] 

Admiral GALLAUDET. I can comment and say, though, that we 

have a Restoration and Response Office in our National Ocean 

Service, which does fantastic work responding to spills every week. 

And they’re all around the country, in the Great Lakes as well as 

every coast, doing very good work. And I’m proud of their efforts. 

Senator PETERS. Well, I’d like to enlist your efforts to make sure 

we get these maps done, particularly with the concern that we 

have related to a pipeline now that exists in what the University 

of Michigan has characterized as the most dangerous place anywhere in the Great Lakes Basin for an oil spill. And so, having sensitivity maps will be incredibly important as we try to work 

through issues related to that. 

I’ve introduced, actually, legislation with Senator Young, who’s a 

Member of this Committee, to require that NOAA update the Great 

Lakes coastal maps at least once every 7 years, which I think is 

appropriate. And our goal is to provide better, more actual information. I hope to get your support as we move that bill forward. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Well, thank you, Senator. We’ll look hard 

at that. And, as I said, I’ll get back to you on the—explaining why 

the delay. 

Senator PETERS. I appreciate that. Thank you. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Senator Markey. 

STATEMENT OF HON. EDWARD MARKEY, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM MASSACHUSETTS 

Senator MARKEY. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Admiral, welcome. 

The United States imports over 90 percent of all the seafood that 

we eat. And that amounts to a huge trade deficit. This seafood 

largely comes from countries who do not have laws like the United 

States that create sustainability, managed fisheries, such as Thailand. Many Americans understand that they can support local sustainable fisheries by buying from American fishermen, but seafood 

fraud, the fraudulent labeling of fish products, undermines these 

efforts and contributes to our seafood trade deficit. This isn’t just 

a case of one fish or two fish marketed as a redfish or bluefish. 

There have been multiple investigations finding systemic seafood 

fraud. In 2011, the Boston Globe did an investigation and collected 

fish from 134 restaurants, grocery stores, and seafood markets. 

After conducting DNA testing, they found that 48 percent of fish 

were sold with the wrong species name. More recently, in 2018, 

we’ve learned, from Associated Press investigations, that companies continue to label farmed seafood as wild-caught and sell fish 

that is out of season and illegal to catch. 

NOAA, in its Office of Law Enforcement, is responsible for monitoring fisheries and protecting the public by prosecuting seafood 

fraud. Admiral Gallaudet, let me give you the numbers. In June, 

I requested information from NOAA, and this morning I received 

62 

an answer. In the last 5 years, NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement 

has initiated 114 investigations related to seafood fraud, 24 of 

which were referred for prosecution. There are currently 30 active 

investigations. Do you believe that NOAA has enough resources for 

its Office of Law Enforcement in order to do this job, given the pervasive nature of fraudulent seafood being sold in the United 

States? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Senator Markey, thank you for your question. 

And the answer is, yes, I do. I believe that our Office of Law Enforcement, who are all fine public servants, by the way, do great 

work and can handle the work by partnerships with State entities 

as well as foreign partners and interagency partners, such as the 

Navy and Coast Guard. 

Senator MARKEY. So, you think you have adequate resources in 

order to detect and prosecute—— 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Senator, I do. 

Senator MARKEY. Well, we have to encourage the purchase of domestically caught wild fish over fish from foreign fish farms. And 

that’s why I am keeping a close eye on the Office of Law Enforcement and the progress of NOAA’s new Seafood Import Monitoring 

Program. Senator Wicker and I worked with NOAA to create this 

program, which provides transparency and traceability for certain 

imported seafood products to prevent illegal, unreported, and unregulated seafood from entering the U.S. 

Administrator Gallaudet, can you give us an update on how the 

implementation of NOAA’s traceability rule is going? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Senator, I can. 

And, in fact, the Seafood Import and Monitoring Program has 

been active since the beginning of the year. And we’re currently 

executing those activities on a little over a dozen species. And 

we’ve added to—the FY18 omnibus added abalone and shrimp to 

that, which will double the amount of seafood that we are currently—that we have been monitoring and inspecting. And that 

will be in place by the end of the year. 

Senator MARKEY. OK, thank you. 

Back in April, ten of my Senate colleagues and myself, we sent 

a letter asking NOAA to do a comparability study of Canada and 

the United States marine mammal conservation standards. Our 

concern is obviously about the right whale. Could you commit to 

giving us the results of the comparability study by September 15 

of this year? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Senator Markey, yes. As we discussed yesterday, we will get you the answers there of that study of comparability with Canada by September. 

[Information follows:] 

Senator MARKEY. OK, thank you. And that is very important. 

Now, on the question of drilling off of the coastline of the United 

States, I have been very concerned about the, still, lack of full implementation of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill recommendations. 

The Department of Interior is proposing a rollback of offshore drilling safety rule. Secretary Zinke is actually moving forward on that. 

My view—and this is right at the heart of this issue—is that, for 

New England, it really makes no sense for us to be talking about 

63 

drilling off of our coastline, when the fishing and tourism are the 

life’s blood of our economy, and any oil spill would have devastating consequences already—on an already existing economy. 

What is the plan, from your perspective, that would be best in 

order to ensure that New England does not suffer from an oil drilling program that ultimately could result in a spill? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Well, from NOAA’s perspective, Senator, I 

think the currently new National Ocean Policy that the President 

has put into effect through executive order provides the mechanisms, I think, to mitigate the unwanted consequences through the 

planning and data aspects that the policy provides for. So, ensuring 

that siting takes into account multiple uses or potentially competing uses, and being informed by the best science and data. And 

that’s what the policy provides for. And I think that’s something 

that we can use to mitigate the concerns you have, sir. 

Senator MARKEY. Well, do you think it makes any sense to be 

rolling back the safety protections that were implemented after the 

accident down in the Gulf of Mexico? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Senator, I’m not sure what you mean by 

‘‘safety protections,’’ but we are committed to the things that we’re 

responsible for, such as implementing the Marine Mammal Protection Act and Endangered Species Act. 

Senator MARKEY. OK. So, you don’t want to see them rolled back. 

Is that what you’re saying? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. I’d—I’m not sure what you’re referring to, 

sir. 

Senator MARKEY. Well, again, we’re talking about comments 

made by Secretary Zinke with regard to rolling back—— 

Admiral GALLAUDET. I will state, though, sir, that we are supportive of the administration’s desire to lead—be a leader in global 

energy. 

Senator MARKEY. OK, good. I appreciate that. But, we—in New 

England, we’re in a situation where we would run all the risks and 

get very little of the benefits. That is, we are not an oil or natural 

gas economy. We are a—we are an economy of tourism and fishing. 

So, that’s the concern that we have, and we want to make sure 

that all the offshore drilling safety rules, the well-control rules, are 

all at the strongest possible level in order to protect our economy. 

Thank you. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Thank you, Senator Markey. 

Admiral, I want to, actually, follow up on a line of questioning 

Senator Markey was just discussing with you on the topic of fisheries. And I applaud his focus on the issue of seafood fraud and 

how it impacts our fisheries negatively and adds to the trade deficit, which I know Secretary Ross has been very focused on. And 

we appreciate that. I understand that NOAA is working on an initiative to promote the production and competitiveness of U.S. seafood. I applaud this work. And I know it comes directly from the 

top. As I mentioned, Secretary of Commerce is very interested in 

that. Can you give us a little bit more information or details on this 

initiative that you are working on with the Secretary? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Chairman Sullivan, thank you. 

The initiative and the efforts we’re undergoing—undertaking today involve, as you said, addressing the $16 billion seafood trade 

64 

deficit that exists. And so, one element is fostering the increase of 

domestic aquaculture industry in Federal waters and also providing support and science to aquaculture in state waters. So, promoting that industry is one element that we are underway with 

right now, and we intend to expand in, to some degree. 

The other thing we’re working with is to look for ways to expand 

market access for our seafood producers. And that’s a pretty exciting element, I think, and has opportunity, especially as we are in 

the Department of Commerce. 

And then—and last, it’s optimizing our fisheries in sustainable 

fashion. And, as I mentioned earlier, we are improving our stock 

assessment models, as well as the data behind them, so that we 

can really maximize the sustainable yields of our commercial fishermen around the country. 

And so, those three efforts, we’re underway with, and we think 

we’ll really be able to make a dent in the seafood trade deficit and 

really foster seafood competitiveness. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Let me probe a little bit more, here. I know 

that NOAA’s not a marketing agency, but making U.S. seafood 

competitive also means making it a priority choice of consumers. I 

think most consumers would agree that wild-caught salmon or 

wild-caught lobster is preferable to farm-raised. How can NOAA 

build and improve on the Fish Watch Program to help educate U.S. 

consumers on the benefits, the health, sustainability of U.S. seafood, particularly wild-caught seafood? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. The Fish Watch Program is a—is an excellent one. And, in fact, what we’re working with is the network of 

aquariums that exist around the country as an outreach vehicle to 

talk about seafood competitiveness within the country and, ultimately, abroad, in terms of exports. 

Senator SULLIVAN. When you talk about exports, I do want to 

just mention, as Senator Nelson did, a growing concern that we 

have with regard to the potential for trade retaliation. As you 

know, Alaska’s a major, major seafood exporter. I know that the 

President’s goal, here, is certainly to open markets in China and 

in other countries, where he sees nonreciprocal trading treatment. 

I actually happen to agree with that, particularly as it relates to 

China. The economic and trade relationship is very nonreciprocal. 

It favors China. And we need to do something about that. I appreciate his efforts, although I have raised with him and with Secretary Ross the concerns I have about the retaliation hitting the 

major exporters in the seafood area. And that’s, of course, a lot of 

Alaska fishermen. 

Is NOAA doing anything to analyze the effects of this retaliation 

on U.S. seafood prices and exports and competitiveness, which, 

again, I know is a priority of the Secretary and yours? Are you 

doing anything in that area? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Well, thank you, Chairman Sullivan. 

We do continually study exports and—of our—of the seafood industry, as well as imports and their effectiveness. And, in fact, encouragingly, we did see an increase of about 4.7 percent over the 

last year of our seafood exports, and actually more than double 

that, 10.7 percent, of the value of U.S. seafood exports. So, we do 

track that. I don’t have any data now on—in terms of the impacts 

65 

of the tariffs, but I will say we support the administration’s agenda 

with respect to trade, because our competitors have outclassed us 

and had an advantage in the past by not being free and fair in 

their trade policies. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Let me end with a topic I touched on. And I 

know it’s part of the Blue Economy Initiative, but it goes to hydrographic surveying. Senator Peters raised it as an issue with regard 

to the Great Lakes. And so, you see it as a concern, not just for 

tourism and commercial activity, but for preventing ships from 

running aground. As I mentioned in my opening comments, in the 

Arctic we are woefully inadequate, in terms of the maps, surveys. 

Senator Peters mentioned being surveyed once every 6 or 7 years 

in the Great Lakes. As I mentioned, there are parts of Alaska that 

have never been surveyed, ever. And some of the other areas 

haven’t been surveyed in over 100 years, where, let’s face it, the 

technology wasn’t very cutting-edge back then. What are you doing 

to prioritize updating nautical charts in the Arctic, particularly 

given the vast expansion of commercial activity in transportation 

and fishing in that part of the world and that part of America? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Thank you, Chairman Sullivan. 

We’re doing great work in our Office of Coast Survey in Alaska 

and across the country, in terms of trying to map our—and chart 

our—perform hydrographic surveys of our EEZ, and with the goal 

to complete that by 2030. And, in Alaska specifically, we’re both 

using our ships, the Fairweather, and also the unmanned technology I talked about before. And we are using these unmanned 

surface drones, for example, for the first time to collect bathymetric 

information. So, we’re—we have a plan, a National Arctic—or, pardon me, Charting Plan. And we’re executing that. 

Senator SULLIVAN. So, your strategies at NOAA to pursue the 

data gaps in Alaska are covering what? Give me a sense, a little 

bit more of the specifics of the strategy. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Well, again, our goal is to get to the whole 

U.S. EEZ, including Alaska, by 2030. 

Senator SULLIVAN. So, specifics. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. In Alaska and in the Gulf Coast and every 

coast. 

Senator SULLIVAN. But, I mean, how are you doing that? Ships? 

You mentioned—— 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Oh, you—yes—— 

Senator SULLIVAN.—doing these—— 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, sir, ships and using unmanned surface 

drones. 

Senator SULLIVAN.—and do you have the funding to do that? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, sir, we are funded for that. 

Senator SULLIVAN. OK. 

Senator Cantwell. 

STATEMENT OF HON. MARIA CANTWELL, 

U.S. SENATOR FROM WASHINGTON 

Senator CANTWELL. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And thank you 

for holding this important hearing. I know our subject, here, is 

pretty broad, but obviously, as a region of the country that is greatVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00069 Fmt 6633 Sfmt 6601 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
66 

ly affected by our oceans economy, I appreciate the fact that we’re 

having this hearing to talk about how critically important it is. 

I know the Chair also mentioned stock assessments. I want to 

definitely go back to that subject. Our fisheries management is so 

dependent upon stock assessments. Do you have adequate budget 

to do the stock assessments that are critical for us to continue to 

grow this part of our economy? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Senator, I believe we do have an adequate budget to perform the stock assessments for—to sustainably 

manage our fisheries. 

Senator CANTWELL. You can manage all our fisheries under the 

current level of funding that you have. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Senator. 

Senator CANTWELL. OK. I find that surprising, because most of 

the things that we’ve been talking about are issues of not being 

able to accurately manage the fisheries, based on the fact that we 

haven’t done the stock assessments. If you haven’t done the stock 

assessments for a lot of these fisheries, how can we do the science 

behind the management strategy? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Well, I’ve seen—I’ve visited our Fishery 

Science Centers in your State, for example, and I’ve talked to our 

scientists who are doing this, and we’ve improved our models, and 

we’ve improved our observational capabilities to do these. 

Senator CANTWELL. OK. Senator Risch and I have introduced 

legislation dealing with the Columbia River. Are you in support of 

that legislation? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Ma’am, I’m not familiar with it. I’ve been 

to the Columbia River. I’ve talked to the pilots. I don’t—not familiar—is the sea lion legislation? 

Senator CANTWELL. Yes. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Oh, I am familiar with it, ma’am, and our 

staff has worked with both the House and is now working with the 

Senate. 

Senator CANTWELL. In support of the legislation or—— 

Admiral GALLAUDET. To assist with it, yes, ma’am. 

Senator CANTWELL. OK. Well, if you’d give us a solid answer, on 

that legislation, that would be so helpful. 

What else do we need to do in the continuation of policies that 

are going to help us with both our orca population and salmon population? What other additional things should NOAA be doing? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. I think it’s what you pointed to with stock 

assessments, ma’am. It’s improving our observation technology and 

the study and science behind it through the Fishery Science Centers in your State. 

Senator CANTWELL. OK. 

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Senator Baldwin. 

Senator BALDWIN. So, I am a member of the Senate Great Lakes 

Task Force. And we work very hard to share—to protect our shared 

resource. It’s a very strong bipartisan task force. I noted earlier 

that these lakes provide drinking water for 35 million people. They 

also contribute billions of dollars in tourism each year and support 

over a million jobs across our region. And they’re home to myriad 

ecosystems. We’ve discussed a number of issues that could really 

67 

harm the Great Lakes Basin, from pollution that can follow the 

drinking water, to invasive species that could threaten our fisheries, an oil spill when the lakes are iced over, or harmful algal 

blooms that plague our beaches in the summer. 

Admiral Gallaudet, your Vision Setting Summit presentation includes a proposal to implement 50 deregulatory actions. I am all 

for cutting red tape and letting our homegrown businesses get to 

work, but many of these are—many of these environmental protections actually support the Blue Economy. The Clean Water Act, the 

Oil Pollution Act, the Endangered Species Act, and others, protect 

the resources that support Wisconsin industry. So, Admiral, how 

will you ensure that you aren’t rolling back important and commonsense environmental protections when you go about this process? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Senator Baldwin, thank you for your concern. I think that’s absolutely valid and important. We are committed to meeting the statutory obligations of the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act and all the others 

that we are required to do. The deregulatory actions referred to in 

that brief are more so along the lines of fisheries management. In 

fact, one example will be—I think is in the FY18 omnibus, Fish— 

Critical Fish Habitat Amendment—pardon me—Amendment is the 

right term—which will—is a deregulatory fisheries management 

action which will save about $70 million for New England fishermen this year. So, there’s—that’s an example of the actions we’re 

talking about. It’s not to meet the mandates of the environmental 

protection statutes. 

Senator BALDWIN. Quick question about shipping. According to a 

2011 study, maritime commerce in the Great Lakes Saint Lawrence Seaway supported 227,000 jobs and $33.5 billion in annual 

business revenue. Specifically, Wisconsin ports support 8,777 direct 

jobs—direct and indirect jobs—and $1.4 billion in business revenue, 

handling over 30 million tons of cargo valued at $2.4 billion. Admiral Gallaudet, do your plans to promote efficient seaports capitalize 

on the ports and maritime commerce resources of Wisconsin? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. That’s a great question, Senator. I will have 

to find out for you if any Wisconsin ports is—are included. I know 

that we have 90 ports around the country, including Great Lake 

ports like Toledo, which we’ll be installing sensor systems next 

month. So, we’ll find out for you about Wisconsin. And I hope to 

give that answer to you by the time I visit, September 12. 

[Information follows:] 

Senator BALDWIN. Great. Thank you. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Part of the listening tour. 

Senator BALDWIN. Wonderful. Thank you. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Admiral, I’m going to ask a few more questions. You’ve been an outstanding witness here. 

Senator Cantwell mentioned the issue in her community, in the 

Columbia River, on sea lions. One of the issues that I wanted to 

raise with you is a continuing concern—it’s really a concern that’s 

gone on for years with my—many of my coastal communities and 

constituents, about the negative consequences related to restrictive 

measures in place with regard to the western Stellar sea lion population that, as you know, was listed under the ESA, but has had 

68 

an enormously big recovery. And so, there are a number of Alaskans who have been working with your agency, conducting a fiveyear review of that stock’s status, which I think everybody recognizes has dramatically increased. I know you don’t have the status 

of that review off the top of your head today, but, at least, can you 

commit to me that you will complete the review in an expeditious 

matter incorporating the data from many of Alaskans involved in 

this, including a lot of our biologists and scientists, so we have a 

way to look at the possibility of resolving this issue in the future? 

And this is an issue that I think—it’s not just Alaska, but I know 

senior officials in Washington and Oregon have also raised similar 

concerns about this stock assessment and what to do, going forward. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, Chairman Sullivan, we will commit to 

an expeditious review of the Stellar sea lions. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Western Stellar sea lions. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Western Stellar sea lions, sir. 

Senator SULLIVAN. It’s different from the eastern. It’s important, 

that’s important distinction, actually. 

Let me end with two final questions with regard to the Blue 

Economy Initiative. Obviously, if we’re talking about the economy, 

we, obviously, are talking about the private sector. What does 

NOAA plan to do, either through existing partnership programs or 

new ones, to help build those relationships between NOAA and the 

private sector to help have a much more robust and successful Blue 

Economy Initiative? And do you need any type of funding for that? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Thank you very much, Chairman Sullivan. 

We think the most opportunity lies in what the National Ocean 

Policy highlights, and that’s the current National Oceanographic 

Partnership Program, which is a terrific vehicle to bring together 

the private sector, academia, and the government, in terms—and 

to conduct ocean-related research, which will directly benefit the 

Blue Economy. And so, we think that’s the one vehicle that we 

would like to see leveraged more in the future. 

Senator SULLIVAN. So, that’s collaboration with other research 

institutes, essentially? 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Yes, and yes, including industry and academia, as well as our Federal partners. 

Senator SULLIVAN. Great. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. The Navy runs the program. 

Senator SULLIVAN. And then, finally, how can this Committee 

work with NOAA on the potential Blue Economy Initiative and legislation to advance our mutual priorities and goals? I believe there 

is a strong potential for bipartisan legislation that supports many 

of the goals that NOAA is setting out in your initiative. And I 

think you saw that demonstrated by the number of Senators who 

participated today, and their questions. 

Admiral GALLAUDET. Thank you, Chairman. 

I believe that this Committee could do great things for us in advancing the work I described with respect to fisheries, aquaculture, 

and seafood competitiveness, as well as tourism and recreation, 

ocean—and ocean exploration and maritime commerce, all of which 

were discussed, I think, well and solidly in this hearing. 

69 

Senator SULLIVAN. Great. Well, we look forward to working with 

you on potential legislation as it relates to the Blue Economy, an 

area where, again, I think there’s bipartisan support and enormous 

potential to benefit my State, Wisconsin, and our citizens and constituents throughout the country. 

So, thank you again, Admiral. You did a fine job today, I 

thought. And your team, thank you. 

And this hearing record will be open for the next two weeks. So, 

if there are additional questions from any other Senators, we would 

ask that you and your team expeditiously respond to those. 

And again, we appreciate the hard work you’re doing. 

This hearing is now adjourned. 

[Whereupon, at 11:20 a.m., the hearing was adjourned.] 

(71) 

A P P E N D I X 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY HON. ROGER WICKER TO

RDML TIMOTHY GALLAUDET, PH.D. 

Question 1. What do you see as the biggest barrier to growth of the marine aquaculture industry in the United States? 

Answer. NOAA supports U.S. aquaculture to promote domestic seafood production 

and create jobs. Consistent with the Department of Commerce’s 2018–2022 Strategic 

Plan, NOAA is working to reduce regulatory burdens and drive aquaculture research to ensure the continued growth of this industry. 

One of the biggest impediments to expanding aquaculture in Federal waters is an 

uncertain regulatory environment. Senators Wicker and Rubio introduced S. 3138— 

the ‘‘Advancing the Quality and Understanding of American Aquaculture Act.’’ This 

bill would authorize a NOAA-issued aquaculture permit and better coordinate other 

Federal regulatory requirements. 

To further reduce regulatory burdens, NOAA is working with other Federal agencies and coastal states to streamline Federal marine aquaculture permitting. In addition, NOAA invests in regulatory efficiency measures and public-private partnerships to jump-start production. Last year, NOAA led a six-agency Memorandum of 

Understanding to streamline regulatory processes for aquaculture operations in the 

Gulf of Mexico. 

Question 2. How would NOAA ensure that marine aquaculture is conducted in an 

environmentally sustainable way, using existing authorities? 

Answer. U.S. marine aquaculture operators must abide by a comprehensive suite 

of environmental regulations, which differ depending on the type of operation. Major 

environmental statutes include, but are not limited to, the Endangered Species Act, 

Marine Mammal Protection Act, Clean Water Act, and National Environmental Policy Act. 

To help ensure the statutory requirements listed above are effectively implemented, NOAA and our partners conduct research to inform our coastal managers 

about how to predict and avoid potential negative impacts. One key way to do this 

is through proper siting. Others include developing science-based tools to predict 

and avoid impact on, among other things, water quality, benthic habitats, and fish 

and other wild populations. For example, NOAA collaborates with researchers at 

USDA and elsewhere to develop new feed ingredients (e.g., soy, algae) that reduce 

the need for fish meal and fish oil in commercial fish diets. NOAA also conducts 

research to assess the potential interactions between farmed fish and wild populations and their habitats and has developed the Offshore Mariculture Escapes Genetics Assessment (OMEGA) model to identify and evaluate genetic risks and inform development of management strategies. 

Question 3. How would NOAA ensure that marine aquaculture is compatible with 

other sectors of the blue economy? 

Answer. NOAA is committed to ensuring that marine aquaculture development is 

compatible with other sectors of the blue economy. For instance, the U.S. Army 

Corps of Engineers (USACE) may require an alternatives analysis pursuant to the 

National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), and the permit evaluation would include a Public Interest Review process. The Corps decision to issue a permit is 

based on an evaluation of the probable impacts, including cumulative impacts, of the 

proposed activity and its intended use on the public interest, which includes the 

evaluation of 21 different factors. Accordingly, NOAA analyzes spatial use patterns 

and solicits stakeholder input prior to and during the permitting process, to ensure 

that marine aquaculture development is compatible with other ocean uses, including 

but not limited to oil and gas development, and commercial and recreational fishing. 

The NEPA process similarly mandates alternatives analyses. 

Question 4. What are other regions and industries that would benefit from increased marine aquaculture production in the United States? 

72 

1Knapp, G. Economic potential for U.S. offshore aquaculture: An analytical approach, 15–50. 

In: Offshore Aquaculture in the United States: Economic Considerations, Implications and Opportunities (Rubino, M. C., Ed.). NOAA Technical Memorandum NMFS F/SPO–103. Silver 

Spring, MD: Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 

(2008). 

Answer. Aquaculture could play an expanded role in food security and economic 

development in every region of the country. U.S. aquaculture production (freshwater 

and marine) is valued at $1.4 billion per year and supports other industries including seafood processing, feed, equipment manufacturing, and food services. Expansion of the industry to Federal waters, generally from 3–200 nautical miles offshore, 

would unlock enormous economic growth potential. There are additional opportunities to expand production in state waters, as well as on land, in tank-based production systems. 

By one estimate 1, doubling U.S. aquaculture production to about 1 million tons 

would create an additional 50,000 jobs. These jobs could provide stable, year-round 

employment opportunities in coastal and fishing communities where commercial 

fishing opportunities are often seasonally dependent. These economic benefits would 

not be limited to coastal areas. Agricultural regions where aquaculture feed ingredients, such as soy, are produced or where land-based fish hatcheries are located, 

could also benefit. 

Question 5. How would NOAA law enforcement oversee marine aquaculture development in Federal waters? 

Answer. NOAA’s Office of Law Enforcement (OLE) would be responsible for promoting compliance with, and the enforcement of, any applicable laws and regulations within NOAA’s jurisdiction governing aquaculture in Federal waters. However, 

current Federal laws and regulations do not specifically define OLE’s authorities 

and responsibilities with respect to aquaculture. 

Question 6. What are NOAA’s research priorities for marine aquaculture? 

Answer. To drive aquaculture research, NOAA works in collaboration with industry to support research that advances commercial-scale marine aquaculture production. Aquaculture research funding addresses issues identified by industry and the 

public such as feeds development, hatchery technologies, and siting tools to reduce 

conflicts with other coastal users. 

Other research priorities that have been identified in the NOAA Marine Aquaculture Strategic Plan and the Sea Grant 10-Year Aquaculture Vision include ensuring seafood safety, minimizing environmental impacts, and conducting socioeconomic 

and job impact analysis to support the domestic aquaculture industry. 

Question 7. How would marine aquaculture in Federal waters interact with a 

state’s Coastal Zone Management plan? 

Answer. The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) ‘‘federal consistency’’ provision authorizes state review of projects located in Federal waters, including aquaculture projects, proposed by non-federal applicants that require Federal licenses or 

permits. The state coastal management program must meet the requirements of 

NOAA CZMA regulations. If NOAA regulations authorize a state to review an aquaculture project in Federal waters, then the applicant provides the state coastal management program with a CZMA consistency certification. 

The state has six months to review an applicant’s consistency certification. During 

the state CZMA review there is opportunity for public input into the state’s CZMA 

decision and for the state and applicant to work out any issues. The state bases its 

CZMA Federal consistency decision on whether the project will be consistent with 

the ‘‘enforceable policies’’ of the state’s coastal management program. State enforceable policies are state laws, regulations, and other standards that are legally binding under state law and that NOAA has approved as enforceable policies of a state’s 

coastal management program. For an offshore aquaculture project, these enforceable 

policies would likely include policies related to: effects to commercial and recreational fishing access; fish and fish habitat; native fisheries impacts from escape 

of non-native species; water quality impacts; navigation related impacts. State concurrence with an applicant’s consistency certification is presumed if the state does 

not respond within the CZMA six-month review period. Any required Department 

of the Army authorization would also require the activity to be consistent with state 

CZMA standards. 

Question 8. What aspects of a marine aquaculture permit, as proposed in S. 3138, 

would give businesses and investors the confidence to invest in marine aquaculture 

in Federal waters? 

Answer. S. 3138 includes several provisions that might serve as first steps towards providing investors with increased certainty in the offshore aquaculture inVerDate Nov 24 2008 08:33 Jan 02, 2025 Jkt 000000 PO 00000 Frm 00076 Fmt 6601 Sfmt 6621 S:\GPO\DOCS\57805.TXT JACKIE
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dustry. These include removing aquaculture from the definition of ‘‘fishing’’ under 

the Magnuson-Stevens Act and authorizing the Secretary of Commerce to issue 25- 

year offshore aquaculture permits that are both renewable and transferable, providing security of tenure for private sector investment in the offshore aquaculture 

industry. In addition, S. 3138 designates a lead Federal agency (NOAA) to coordinate Federal review and permitting processes, establishes specific timelines for decisions on offshore aquaculture permit applications, and consolidates National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and public comment processes for all Federal agencies 

to the extent practicable. 

Finally, S. 3138 requires the Secretary of Commerce to identify and complete programmatic environmental impact statements (a form of NEPA analysis) for areas 

determined to be highly favorable for aquaculture and compatible with other uses. 

Programmatic evaluations would consider the potential impacts that would result 

from issuing permits for specific gear types and/or culture methods within a broad 

geographic area. Projects located within these areas could receive more timely reviews because the programmatic environmental impact statement would cover many 

or potentially all of the potential concerns that would need to be addressed for the 

specific project proposal. Programmatic NEPA reviews may result in higher investor 

confidence by supporting clearer and more transparent decision-making, as well as 

provide a better-defined and more expeditious path toward decisions on proposed actions. 

Question 9. As an emerging sector of the blue economy, how would unmanned systems be used by NOAA to fulfill and support core mission requirements? 

Answer. Nearly all of the sectors that constitute the blue economy can be advanced through research and monitoring activities ongoing at NOAA, and many of 

these activities have the potential to benefit from the strategic application of unmanned systems. Maritime shipping and transport, commercial fishing, aquaculture, 

and offshore resource extraction and tourism all stand to benefit from additional 

data gathered via unmanned systems. 

Unmanned systems have already contributed to NOAA’s mission in several ways. 

For example, they have been used for seafloor mapping, identification of rare earth 

metals and critical minerals, characterization of the U.S. exclusive economic zone, 

ocean condition assessments to facilitate improved weather forecasting, information 

for improving fishery stock assessments, and study of protected fish and mammal 

species. 

NOAA is assessing core mission requirements and how and where unmanned systems might allow NOAA to collect needed data more cost-effectively, freeing resources for other high priority activities. 

Question 10. How would NOAA collaborate with the Navy, the private sector, and 

academic institutions to further the evaluation and implementation of unmanned 

systems and improve the blue economy? 

Answer. NOAA values our partnerships with other Federal agencies, industry and 

non-federal partners in the use of unmanned systems. These partnerships help advance NOAA’s mission requirements and drive down life-cycle costs for unmanned 

systems, ultimately reducing the cost per observation, and providing critical information supporting expansion of the blue economy. 

NOAA partners with universities around the country to use existing unmanned 

systems to develop tools and adapt existing technologies to meet NOAA’s mission. 

With regards to the blue economy, NOAA has partnered with the University of 

Michigan in helping to predict harmful algal blooms in the Great Lakes and with 

Mississippi State University in coral reef monitoring. 

NOAA works closely with the U.S. Navy on unmanned maritime system applications relevant to both agencies’ missions. For example, NOAA has teamed up with 

the Naval Oceanographic Office to deploy gliders to get temperature and salinity 

data from as many as 40 Navy assets deployed throughout the Gulf of Mexico and 

Caribbean. Data from the gliders are being used by NOAA to evaluate model performance and are considered for use in the experimental data assimilation process 

being developed for our hurricane models. There is a NOAA-Navy unmanned systems working group specifically focused on buoyancy glider collaboration. 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY HON. BILL NELSON TO

RADM TIMOTHY GALLAUDET, PH.D. 

The day after President Trump issued his new Ocean Policy, you presented a proposal in a closed-door ‘‘vision-setting summit’’ to senior executives at the Department of Commerce. In that presentation, the slide deck shows dates by which NOAA 

intends to carry out certain priorities, including implementing the Weather Act. I 

74 

authored a provision that we included in the Weather Act to ensure reliable backup 

for our Hurricane Hunter aircraft. And last year, in the midst of one of the most 

devastating hurricane seasons on record, NOAA’s Gulfstream jet was grounded for 

emergency maintenance several times. Yet your slide deck does not show a timeline 

for acquiring the required backup. 

Question 1. Can you please provide us a status update on your progress in complying with the requirement to have backup? 

Answer. NOAA is following the Federal acquisition process to acquire a new highaltitude aircraft pursuant to the FY 2018 appropriation that NOAA received to acquire this capability. NOAA estimates the new high-altitude jet aircraft would be 

in-service for the 2022 hurricane season. Until such time that NOAA procures its 

own backup aircraft, NOAA plans to use its existing interagency agreement for aircraft services with the National Science Foundation (NSF), if needed and if the NSF 

high-altitude jet is available. 

You may have seen recent news reports about the harmful algae blooms (HABs) 

wrecking our state—and the economic impact that these events have. Right now, 

we’ve got both a blue-green algae outbreak in the freshwater of Lake Okeechobee 

that’s spreading through the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers to the coasts, and 

we’ve also got a record-breaking red tide event that’s killed tarpon, goliath grouper, 

manatees, and maybe even a whale shark. That’s why in 2014, I teamed up with 

Senator Portman of Ohio to reauthorize the joint program at EPA and NOAA to research and control Harmful Algal Blooms and Hypoxia. And that’s why he and I 

have worked together yet again on a bipartisan reauthorization bill that passed the 

Senate unanimously last September. The House has failed to act. Representatives 

Hastings and Buchanan sent a letter last week urging House leadership to pass the 

reauthorization. 

Question 2. If the House doesn’t act, and the program is not reauthorized by the 

end of Fiscal Year 2018, what will happen to NOAA’s activities to research and help 

mitigate these kinds of blooms? 

Answer. The Harmful Algal Bloom and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 2017 was included in Public Law No: 115–423, which reauthorizes 

NOAA’s harmful algal bloom and hypoxia activities and research. NOAA will implement the law as directed. 

In this administration’s trade war, Florida’s fishing and boating industries could 

be among the hardest hit. Both industries are critical to jobs and economic growth 

in my state. As I mentioned earlier, I recently visited one of Central Florida’s biggest boating companies, Correct Craft. They told me that the Trump administration’s tariffs—which are increasing the cost of raw materials and shrinking markets 

for exports of boats and marine products—could cost them hundreds of jobs. 

Question 3. How will NOAA be able to support and grow a sustainable domestic 

blue economy even as the Administration has other policies outside of NOAA that 

may undercut your initiatives? 

Answer. First, the actions taken by the President under Section 232 to address 

a threatened impairment of national security are fully justified as a matter of U.S. 

law and international trade rules. Where other countries respond to these actions 

with unjustified and illegitimate retaliatory measures, the Administration will take 

all necessary actions to protect U.S. interests. 

Second NOAA remains firmly committed to supporting a sustainable blue economy. NOAA’s Blue Economy Initiative focuses on: (1) continuing to maximize commercial and recreational fishing opportunities; (2) pursuing expanded involvement 

in international seafood marketing and trade; and (3) promoting and expanding marine aquaculture. Specific initiatives include expanding commercial port use, undertaking better mapping of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), streamlining regulations and administrative practices (including in the area of aquaculture) to promote economic growth, and working through regional fisheries management organizations and using domestic legal tools to combat IUU fishing around the world. 

Further information on the Blue Economy initiative is available at: 

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/leadership-message/blue-economy-initiativemeans-seafood-future 

https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/9efa9eeb-5b5f-439c-889d0691cced64da/470C83787C26A3B381E35594BFF0DEFF.7.24.18-gallaudet-testimony.pdf 

https://coast.noaa.gov/states/stories/blue-economy-initiative.html 

75 

RESPONSE TO WRITTEN QUESTIONS SUBMITTED BY HON. TOM UDALL TO

RADM TIM GALLAUDET

NOAA’s core missions are to understand and predict changes in the Earth’s climate, weather, oceans and coasts; to share that knowledge and information with the 

public; and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Thus, the 

mission and portfolio of NOAA is incredibly broad and complex. In June, you gave 

a presentation at an internal meeting within the Department of Commerce where 

you altered the mission and vision statements for NOAA by removing climate, stewardship, and management from NOAA’s overall mandate. 

Question 1a. Will you commit to ensure that NOAA’s overall mandate and established marine and coastal priorities will not be disrupted? 

Answer. Yes. After the Department’s meeting, Secretary of Commerce Wilbur 

Ross reiterated NOAA’s mandate has not changed and NOAA is continuing to implement that mandate. 

Question 1b. Will you commit to support NOAA’s current mission ‘‘to understand 

and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans and coasts; to share that knowledge 

and information with others; and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources’’? 

Answer. Yes, see answer to 1a. 

Question 1c. Will you commit to continue to adhere to congressional mandates as 

it relates to NOAA’s mission and vision? 

Answer. Yes, see answer to 1a. 

Question 2. Do you think that NOAA should continue to understand and address 

climate? Why or why not? 

Answer. Yes. Understanding climate is important not only to inform decisions related to long-term planning and management of our natural resources and national 

security, but it also helps improve seasonal to sub-seasonal forecasts. 

Question 3. What role do you think NOAA plays in the future to (a) understand 

and predict changes in the Earth’s climate, weather, oceans and coasts, and (b) conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources? 

Answer. NOAA will continue to be the world leader in our mission areas: to understand and predict changes in climate, weather, oceans and coasts; to share that 

knowledge and information with others; and to conserve and manage coastal and 

marine ecosystems and resources. 

Question 4. What is your view on protected areas, such as the National Marine 

Sanctuaries and Marine National Monuments, as a tool for ocean conservation? Do 

you agree that our Nation’s federally-designated ocean protected areas should remain protected? 

Answer. Where locally supported, National Marine Sanctuaries are an effective 

tool for conservation and the sustainable management of natural resources and maritime heritage resources. There are currently 13 sanctuaries around the country 

that are managed by NOAA, each one governed by a management plan tailored to 

the needs of the site’s unique resources and priorities of their respective communities. The majority of the National Marine Sanctuary System is composed of ‘‘working waters’’ that potentially support billions of dollars of commercial and recreational activity. Across all National Marine Sanctuaries, diverse activities—commercial fishing, research, recreational fishing and other recreation activities—enhance local coastal-and ocean-dependent economies. The result is that sanctuaries 

engender strong local support and significantly leverage Federal investments, averaging 123,000 volunteer hours each year, which is equivalent to $3 million in salaries. As local priorities evolve, the management plans may be modified to reflect 

new priorities for conservation and resource management. 

Æ