`[Senate Hearing 115-883]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]






                                 


                                                        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
                             
                             
          GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
                         
                             
                             


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

             U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE 
 57-805               WASHINGTON : 2025       
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
                
       SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION

                     ONE HUNDRED FIFTEENTH CONGRESS

                             SECOND SESSION

                   JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi         BILL NELSON, Florida, Ranking
ROY BLUNT, Missouri                  MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
TED CRUZ, Texas                      AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
JERRY MORAN, Kansas                  BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska                 EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
DEAN HELLER, Nevada                  TOM UDALL, New Mexico
JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma               GARY PETERS, Michigan
MIKE LEE, Utah                       TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin               TAMMY DUCKWORTH, Illinois
SHELLEY MOORE CAPITO, West Virginia  MAGGIE HASSAN, New Hampshire
CORY GARDNER, Colorado               CATHERINE CORTEZ MASTO, Nevada
TODD YOUNG, Indiana                  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       TAMMY BALDWIN, Wisconsin, Ranking
ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi         MARIA CANTWELL, Washington
DEB FISCHER, Nebraska                RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut
JAMES INHOFE, Oklahoma               BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii
MIKE LEE, Utah                       EDWARD MARKEY, Massachusetts
RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin               GARY PETERS, Michigan
CORY GARDNER, Colorado
TODD YOUNG, Indiana
                            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


                    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-
largest 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.
    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 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 slide-deck 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 manufacturing. 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 
nutrient-laden 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 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 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:]

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 wild-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 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, 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.
    [The information referred to follows:]

    
    
                                 ______
                                 
                      GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT           
                                 
                                 ______
                                 
                                  GRAPHIC(S) NOT AVAILABLE IN TIFF FORMAT
                                 
                                 ______
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 ______
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 ______
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 ______
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 
                                 

    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:]

    
    
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. Sec. 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         Chloe Kontos, Executive Director, National Science and
 Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy        Technology Council
 

                        COMMITTEE ON ENVIRONMENT

 
                         Chair                                                    Staff
 
Jennifer Orme-Zavaleta, Science Advisor, Environmental   Lisa Matthews, Executive Secretary, Environmental
 Protection Agency                                        Protection Agency
 
RDML Timothy Gallaudet, Assistant Secretary of Commerce
 for Oceans and Atmosphere, National Oceanic and
 Atmospheric Administration
 
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
                                 ______
                                 
                            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 priorities 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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ For the purposes of this document, ``ocean'' includes the open 
ocean, coasts, estuaries, coastal watersheds, and Great Lakes.
    \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/fm-wwf/Publikationen-PDF/
WWF-Report-Reviving-the-Ocean-Economy-Summary.pdf (accessed April 17, 
2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \3\ Ocean 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 land-based 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 ocean-
literate society and a well-trained workforce of the future. A strong 
``blue'' workforce 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \7\ Prospectus: Ocean Research in the Coming Decade. (October 2016) 
https://www.nsf.gov/geo/oce/orp/orp-prospectus.pdf (accessed April 17, 
2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \9\ National Ocean Service. How much of the ocean have we explored? 
https://ocean
service.noaa.gov/facts/exploration.html (accessed April 17, 2018).
    \10\ Lenton, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \12\ The 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 increase in autonomous data collection will 
result in increased storage and processing of Big Data \14\ and improve 
analytical methods.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 long-term, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \15\ Gomberg, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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/nasa-helps-launch-student-built-
satellites-as-part-of-cubesat-launch-initiative (accessed April 20, 
2018).


    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)
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \17\ Tollefson, 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).

   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 deep-sea, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \18\ McAfee, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 at which microbes degrade materials. Such omics 
technologies can augment traditional observation programs and are being 
integrated into buoy-deployed and mobile AUVs.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \19\ The 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 cost-
effectively 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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \20\ Masutani, 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. Menard 
(eds.) Data Assimilation. Making sense of observations. Springer, 
Berlin, Heidelberg.
    \21\ Lord, 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).
    \22\ For 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.

   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-ice-land-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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
                  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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 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:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).

   42 percent of the U.S. labor force is employed in coastal 
        watersheds.\29\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).

   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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).

   Ocean measurements, observations, and forecasting generate 
        about $7 billion in revenues annually.\31\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).



    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \32\ NOAA. Fisheries of the United States, 2016. https://
www.fisheries.noaa.gov/resource/document/fisheries-united-states-2016-
report (accessed April 17, 2018).
    \33\ World 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \36\ Mariculture 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \37\ Seabed 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.



    Figure 2.2. Perspective bathymetric image looking southeast of 
Cascadia margin (Image from Pratson and Haxby 1996) \38\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \38\ Pratson, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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, concentration, 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \39\ Department 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).
    \40\ See 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-
critical-minerals/ (accessed June 18, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 up-to-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 will be enhanced through state-of-the-art passive 
acoustic observing capabilities by the national Ocean Sound and Noise 
Monitoring Network.\41\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \41\ Gedamke, 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)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \42\ Such efforts can be enhanced through interagency initiatives, 
such as through the CMTS-led Maritime Energy and Air Emissions Working 
Group https://www.cmts.gov/topics/energy_and_air_emissions (accessed 
June 14, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \43\ See 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 are key to a strong workforce, professional development, and 
growing economic prosperity.\46\ These opportunities and investments 
will foster the workforce's ability to adapt to dynamic technological 
advancements made within the S&T enterprise.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
    \46\ The 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 four-year degree, 
are important to U.S. economic competitiveness. In addition, 
unemployment rates of skilled technical workers in science and 
engineering (S&E) or S&E-related 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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \49\ This 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).

   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 effectively navigate, map, chart, and predict 
ocean variability is critical for maritime security.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \50\ Department 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).
    \51\ George, 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://ftp.dot.state.tx.us/pub/
txdot-info/library/projects/la_entrada/portstudy.pdf (accessed June 18, 
2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Improve Maritime Situational Awareness
    Maritime domain awareness and security operations require 
continuous, near-real-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.



    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 
deep-ocean 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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \54\ Shipboard or in situ sensors that are incorporated into a 
larger body, and are used to collect and present integrated situational 
awareness data.

   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 longer-range 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \56\ This 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
    \60\ The 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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.

   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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \62\ The NAIS is an automatic tracking system used by ships, Vessel 
Traffic Services (VTS), and other maritime community users.
    \63\ PORTS 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.
    \64\ MSI is currently provided by the U.S. Coast Guard through 
``Local Notice of Mariners'' and via VHF-FM marine band broadcasts.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 safer alternatives to cosmetics, anti-fouling agents, 
pharmaceuticals, and other products.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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.
    \73\ Woodall, 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).
    \74\ Gregory, 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).
    \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).
    \76\ Seltenrich, 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).



    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \77\ McMichael, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 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 remotely-sensed 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \79\ Environmental Protection Agency. (2017) Nutrient Pollution: 
Harmful Algal Blooms. https://www.epa.gov/nutrientpollution/harmful-
algal-blooms (accessed June 12, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.

   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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \80\ Stratton, C., D.J. Newman, and D.S. Tana. (2015) 
Cheminformatic comparison of approved drugs from natural product versus 
synthetic origins. Bioorganic and Medicinal Chemistry Letters 
25(21):4802-4807. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4607632/ 
(accessed June 15, 2018).
    \81\ Food 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \83\ Mayer, A.M.S. (2018) Marine Pharmaceuticals: The Clinical 
Pipeline http://marine
pharmacology.midwestern.edu/clinPipeline.htm (accessed April 17, 2018).

     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\

   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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \84\ Malve, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 infrastructure\87\ 
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
    \87\ Padgett, 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. Muhr, T. Kunz-Plapp, J.E. 
Daniell, B. Khazai, F. Wenzel, M. Vannieuwenhuyse, T. Comes, F. Elmer, 
K. Schroter, 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).
    \88\ Morris, 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).
    \89\ Shen, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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. Science-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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).

   Estimated damages from Hurricane Harvey, including property 
        damage, lost wages, and disrupted business, were as much as 
        $125 billion.\91\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \91\ Office for Coastal Management. (2018) Hurricane Costs. https:/
/coast.noaa.gov/states/fast-facts/hurricane-costs.html (accessed April 
17, 2018).

   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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).



    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 
trillion\93\ 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, along with physical, 
natural, and social science data and information, can help coastal 
communities mitigate the impacts from these threats.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \94\ More information can be found at: https://www.epa.gov/
aboutepa/about-office-water (accessed June 12, 2018).

   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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 specific data and data 
tools is key to effective decision-making when planning for the future 
of coastal communities.\96\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \96\ Such 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \97\ FEMA. (2018) National Preparedness Goal. https://www.fema.gov/
national-preparedness-goal (accessed April 17, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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.
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \98\ Interagency Ocean Observation Committee. (2017) Integrated 
Ocean Observing System. http://www.iooc.us/ocean-observations/
integrated-ocean-observing-system/ (accessed April 17, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    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 remote 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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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-
sharpening-nforcement-tools-with-big-data-help-from-ccicada/ (accessed 
April 23, 2018).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 well-being 
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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \100\ Levin, 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); Plaganyi, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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 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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \102\ Stoeckle, 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).
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
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\
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \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).

    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''?
    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 support and research and advancement through the 
subseasonal-to-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.
    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.
    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 mid-August. 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 glass-bottom 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 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 
prevention-and-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. 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 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 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 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 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 greatly 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 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 an enormously big recovery. 
And so, there are a number of Alaskans who have been working 
with your agency, conducting a five-year 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.
    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.]

                            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?
    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.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
    \1\ Knapp, 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).

    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 industry. 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 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 high-altitude 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-
        initiative-means-seafood-future

        https://www.commerce.senate.gov/public/_cache/files/9efa9eeb-
        5b5f-439c-889d-0691cced64da/
        470C83787C26A3B381E35594BFF0DEFF.7.24.18-gallaudet-
        testimony.pdf

        https://coast.noaa.gov/states/stories/blue-economy-
        initiative.html
                                 ______
                                 
     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.`