(b) TABLE OF CONTENTS.—The table of contents for 
this Act is as follows: 
Sec. 1. Short title; table of contents. 
Sec. 2. Findings and purposes. 
Sec. 3. Interagency Committee on Ocean Acidification. 
Sec. 4. Strategic research and implementation plan. 
Sec. 5. NOAA ocean acidification program. 
Sec. 6. Definitions. 
Sec. 7. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The oceans help mitigate the effects of glob-
al warming by absorbing atmospheric carbon diox-
ide. About a third of anthropogenic carbon dioxide 
is currently absorbed by the ocean. 
(2) The rapid increase in atmospheric carbon 
dioxide due to human induced carbon dioxide emis-
sions is overwhelming the natural ability of the 
oceans to cope with this increase. 
(3) The emission of carbon dioxide into the at-
mosphere is changing surface ocean carbon chem-
istry and lowering the pH. These changes in ocean 
chemistry are detrimental to organisms including 
corals, which support one of the richest habitats on 
Earth, marine shells, and many other organisms 
that form the base of the food chain for many fish 
and marine mammals. 
(4) The rich biodiversity of marine organisms is 
an important contribution to the national economy 
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and the change in ocean chemistry threatens tour-
ism, our fisheries, and marine environmental quality, 
and could result in significant social and economic 
costs. 
(5) Existing Federal programs support research 
in related ocean chemistry, but gaps in funding, co-
ordination, and outreach have impeded national 
progress in addressing ocean acidification. 
(6) National investment in a coordinated pro-
gram of research and monitoring would improve the 
understanding of ocean acidification effects on whole 
ecosystems, advance our knowledge of the socio-
economic impacts of increased ocean acidification, 
and strengthen the ability of marine resource man-
agers to assess and prepare for the harmful impacts 
of ocean acidification on our marine resources. 
(b) PURPOSES.—The purposes of this Act are to pro-
vide for— 
(1) development and coordination of a com-
prehensive interagency plan to monitor and conduct 
research on the processes and consequences of ocean 
acidification on marine organisms and ecosystems 
and to establish an ocean acidification program 
within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad-
ministration; 
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(2) assessment and consideration of regional 
and national ecosystem and socioeconomic impacts 
of increased ocean acidification, and integration into 
marine resource decisions; and 
(3) research on adaptation strategies and tech-
niques for effectively conserving marine ecosystems 
as they cope with increased ocean acidification. 
SEC. 3. INTERAGENCY COMMITTEE ON OCEAN ACIDIFICA-
TION. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is hereby established 
an Interagency Committee on Ocean Acidification. 
(2) MEMBERSHIP.—The Committee shall be 
comprised of senior representatives from the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the 
National Science Foundation, the National Aero-
nautics and Space Administration, the United States 
Geological Survey, the United States Fish and Wild-
life Service, the Environmental Protection Agency, 
the Department of Energy, and such other Federal 
agencies as the Secretary considers appropriate. 
(3) CHAIRMAN.—The Committee shall be 
chaired by the representative from the National Oce-
anic and Atmospheric Administration. The chairman 
may create subcommittees chaired by any member 
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agency of the committee. Working groups may be 
formed by the full Committee to address issues that 
may require more specialized expertise than is pro-
vided by existing subcommittees, or to receive advice, 
input, or comments from the academic community 
and other relevant stakeholders. 
(b) PURPOSE.—The Committee shall oversee the 
planning, establishment, and coordination of a plan de-
signed to improve the understanding of the role of in-
creased ocean acidification on marine ecosystems and to 
identify and develop through research adaptation strate-
gies and techniques to effectively conserve marine eco-
systems as they cope with increased ocean acidification. 
(c) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) STRATEGIC RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENTA-
TION PLAN.—The Committee shall submit the stra-
tegic research and implementation plan established 
under section 4 to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Science and Technology of the House 
of Representatives not later than 18 months after 
the date of enactment of this Act. 
(2) TRIENNIAL
REPORT.—Not later than 2 
years after the date of the enactment of this Act and 
every 3 years thereafter, the Committee shall trans-
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mit a report to the Committee on Commerce, 
Science, and Transportation of the Senate and the 
Committee on Science and Technology of the House 
of Representatives that includes— 
(A) a summary of federally funded ocean 
acidification research and monitoring activities, 
including the budget for each of these activities; 
and 
(B) an analysis of the progress made to-
ward achieving the goals and priorities for the 
interagency research plan developed by the 
Committee under section 4 and recommenda-
tions for future activities, including policy rec-
ommendations developed as part of this re-
search. 
SEC. 4. STRATEGIC RESEARCH AND IMPLEMENTATION 
PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Within 18 months after the date 
of enactment of this Act, the Committee shall develop a 
strategic research and implementation plan for coordi-
nated Federal activities. In developing the plan, the Com-
mittee shall consider and use reports and studies con-
ducted by Federal agencies and departments, the National 
Research Council, the Ocean Research and Resources Ad-
visory Panel, the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean, Science, 
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and Technology and the Climate Change Science Program 
of the National Science and Technology Council, the Joint 
Ocean Commission Initiative, and other expert scientific 
bodies. 
(b) SCOPE.—The plan shall— 
(1) provide for interdisciplinary research among 
the ocean sciences, and coordinated research and ac-
tivities to improve understanding of ocean acidifica-
tion that will affect marine ecosystems and to assess 
the potential and realized socioeconomic impact of 
ocean acidification, including— 
(A) effects of atmospheric carbon dioxide 
on ocean chemistry; 
(B) biological impacts of ocean acidifica-
tion, including research on— 
(i) commercially and recreationally 
important species; 
(ii) protected or endangered or threat-
ened species; 
(iii) ecologically important calcifiers 
that lie at the base of the food chain; and 
(iv) 
physiological 
consequences 
of 
ocean acidification for ocean-dwelling orga-
nisms; 
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(C) identification and assessment of eco-
systems most at risk from projected changes in 
ocean chemistry including— 
(i) coastal ecosystems, including coral 
reef ecosystems; 
(ii) deep sea coral ecosystems; and 
(iii) polar and subpolar ecosystems; 
(D) modeling the effects of changing car-
bon system chemistry, including ecosystem fore-
casting; 
(E) identifying feedback mechanisms re-
sulting from ocean chemistry changes and de-
creases in calcification rates of organisms; 
(F) socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidifi-
cation; and 
(G) identifying interactions between ocean 
acidification and other oceanic changes associ-
ated with climate change, including changes in 
sea temperature, ocean circulation, terrestrial 
runoff, and other changes; 
(2) establish, for the 10-year period beginning 
in the year it is submitted, goals, priorities, and 
guidelines for coordinated research activities that 
will— 
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(A) most effectively advance scientific un-
derstanding of the characteristics and impacts 
of ocean acidification; 
(B) provide forecasts of ocean acidification 
and the consequent impacts on marine eco-
systems; and 
(C) provide research that could serve as a 
basis for policy decisions to reduce and manage 
ocean acidification and its environmental im-
pacts; 
(3) provide an estimate of Federal funding re-
quirements for research and monitoring activities; 
and 
(4) identify and strengthen relevant programs 
and activities of the Federal agencies and depart-
ments that would contribute to accomplishing the 
goals of the plan and prevent unnecessary duplica-
tion of efforts, including making recommendations 
for the use of observing systems and technological 
research and development. 
SEC. 5. NOAA OCEAN ACIDIFICATION PROGRAM. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall establish and 
maintain an ocean acidification program within the Na-
tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to imple-
ment activities consistent with the strategic research and 
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implementation plan developed by the Committee under 
section 4 that— 
(1) includes— 
(A) interdisciplinary research among the 
ocean and atmospheric sciences, and coordi-
nated research and activities to improve under-
standing of ocean acidification; 
(B) the establishment of a long-term moni-
toring program of ocean acidification utilizing 
existing global and national ocean observing as-
sets, and adding instrumentation and sampling 
stations as appropriate to the aims of the re-
search program; 
(C) research to identify and develop adap-
tation strategies and techniques for effectively 
conserving marine ecosystems as they cope with 
increased ocean acidification; 
(D) as an integral part of the research 
programs described in this Act, educational op-
portunities that encourage an interdisciplinary 
and international approach to exploring the im-
pacts of ocean acidification; 
(E) as an integral part of the research pro-
grams described in this Act, national public 
outreach activities to improve the under-
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standing of current scientific knowledge of 
ocean acidification and its impacts on marine 
resources; and 
(F) coordination of ocean acidification 
monitoring and impacts research with other ap-
propriate international ocean science bodies 
such as the International Oceanographic Com-
mission, the International Council for the Ex-
ploration of the Sea, the North Pacific Marine 
Science Organization, and others; 
(2) provides grants for critical research projects 
that explore the effects of ocean acidification on eco-
systems and the socioeconomic impacts of increased 
ocean acidification that are relevant to the goals and 
priorities of the strategic research plan; and 
(3) incorporates a competitive merit-based 
grant process that may be conducted jointly with 
other participating agencies or under the National 
Oceanographic Partnership Program under section 
7901 of title 10, United States Code. 
(b) ADDITIONAL AUTHORITY.—In conducting the 
Program, the Secretary may enter into and perform such 
contracts, leases, grants, or cooperative agreements as 
may be necessary to carry out the purposes of this Act 
on such terms as the Secretary deems appropriate. 
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SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) 
COMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Committee’’ 
means the Interagency Committee on Ocean Acidifi-
cation established by section 3(a). 
(2) OCEAN ACIDIFICATION.—The term ‘‘ocean 
acidification’’ means the decrease in pH of the 
Earth’s oceans caused by chemical inputs from the 
atmosphere, including anthropogenic carbon dioxide. 
(3) PROGRAM.—The term ‘‘Program’’ means 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion Ocean Acidification Program established under 
section 5. 
(4) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Ad-
ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration. 
SEC. 7. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be appro-
priated to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-
tration to carry out the purposes of this Act— 
(1) $6,000,000 for fiscal year 2009; 
(2) $8,000,000 for fiscal year 2010; 
(3) $11,000,000 for fiscal year 2011; and 
(4) $30,000,000 for fiscal year 2012 and each 
fiscal year thereafter. 
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(b) ALLOCATION.— 
(1) Of the amounts made available to carry out 
this Act for a fiscal year, the Secretary shall allocate 
at least 60 percent to other departments and agen-
cies to carry out the priorities of the plan developed 
by the Committee. 
(2) Of the amounts made available to carry out 
this Act for any fiscal year, the Secretary, and other 
departments and agencies to which amounts are al-
located under paragraph (1), shall allocate at least 
50 percent for competitive grants. 
Æ 
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