HR 4174 PCS 
Sec. 4. Interagency subcommittee. 
Sec. 5. Strategic research plan. 
Sec. 6. NOAA ocean acidification activities. 
Sec. 7. NSF ocean acidification activities. 
Sec. 8. NASA ocean acidification activities. 
Sec. 9. Authorization of appropriations. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS AND PURPOSES. 
(a) FINDINGS.—The Congress finds the following: 
(1) The oceans help regulate atmospheric chem-
istry by acting as the largest sink for carbon dioxide. 
(2) The rapid increase in atmospheric carbon 
dioxide is overwhelming the natural ability of the 
oceans to absorb this gas. 
(3) The influx of carbon dioxide into the atmos-
phere and the subsequent absorption by the oceans 
is changing surface ocean carbon chemistry and low-
ering the pH. These changes in ocean chemistry are 
detrimental to organisms including corals, which 
support one of the richest habitats on Earth, marine 
shellfish, 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 
and the change in ocean chemistry threatens tour-
ism, our fisheries, and marine environmental quality, 
and could result in significant social and economic 
costs. 
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(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— 
(A) monitor and conduct research on the 
processes and consequences of ocean acidifica-
tion on marine organisms and ecosystems; and 
(B) establish an interagency research and 
monitoring program on ocean acidification; 
(2) assessment and consideration of regional 
and national ecosystem and socioeconomic impacts 
of increased ocean acidification; and 
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(3) research on adaptation strategies and tech-
niques for effectively conserving marine ecosystems 
as they cope with increased ocean acidification. 
SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. 
In this Act: 
(1) OCEAN ACIDIFICATION.—The term ‘‘ocean 
acidification’’ means the decrease in pH of the 
Earth’s oceans and changes in ocean chemistry 
caused by chemical inputs from the atmosphere, in-
cluding carbon dioxide. 
(2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 
the Secretary of Commerce, acting through the Ad-
ministrator of the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration. 
(3) 
SUBCOMMITTEE.—The 
term 
‘‘Sub-
committee’’ means the Joint Subcommittee on 
Ocean Science and Technology of the National 
Science and Technology Council. 
SEC. 4. INTERAGENCY SUBCOMMITTEE. 
(a) DESIGNATION.—The Joint Subcommittee on 
Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science 
and Technology Council shall coordinate Federal activities 
on ocean acidification. 
(b) DUTIES.—The Subcommittee shall— 
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(1) develop the strategic research and moni-
toring plan to guide Federal research on ocean acidi-
fication required under section 5 of this Act and 
oversee the implementation of the plan; 
(2) oversee the development of— 
(A) an assessment of the potential impacts 
of ocean acidification on marine organisms and 
marine ecosystems; and 
(B) adaptation and mitigation strategies to 
conserve marine organisms and ecosystems ex-
posed to ocean acidification; 
(3) facilitate communication and outreach op-
portunities with nongovernmental organizations and 
members of the stakeholder community with inter-
ests in marine resources; 
(4) coordinate the United States Federal re-
search and monitoring program with research and 
monitoring programs and scientists from other na-
tions; and 
(5) establish or designate an Ocean Acidifica-
tion Information Exchange to make information on 
ocean acidification developed through or utilized by 
the interagency ocean acidification program acces-
sible through electronic means, including informa-
tion which would be useful to policymakers, re-
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searchers, and other stakeholders in mitigating or 
adapting to the impacts of ocean acidification. 
(c) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.— 
(1) INITIAL REPORT.—Not later than 1 year 
after the date of enactment of this Act, the Sub-
committee shall transmit a report to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Science and Tech-
nology and the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives that— 
(A) includes a summary of federally fund-
ed ocean acidification research and monitoring 
activities, including the budget for each of these 
activities; and 
(B) describes the progress in developing 
the plan required under section 5 of this Act. 
(2) BIENNIAL REPORT.—Not later than 2 years 
after the delivery of the initial report under para-
graph (1) and every 2 years thereafter, the Sub-
committee shall transmit a report to the Committee 
on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Science and Tech-
nology and the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives that includes— 
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(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 Sub-
committee under section 5. 
(3) STRATEGIC
RESEARCH
PLAN.—Not later 
than 2 years after the date of enactment of this Act, 
the Subcommittee shall transmit the strategic re-
search plan developed under section 5 to the Com-
mittee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation of 
the Senate and the Committee on Science and Tech-
nology and the Committee on Natural Resources of 
the House of Representatives. A revised plan shall 
be submitted at least once every 5 years thereafter. 
SEC. 5. STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years after the 
date of enactment of this Act, the Subcommittee shall de-
velop a strategic plan for Federal research and monitoring 
on ocean acidification that will provide for an assessment 
of the impacts of ocean acidification on marine organisms 
and marine ecosystems and the development of adaptation 
and mitigation strategies to conserve marine organisms 
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and marine ecosystems. In developing the plan, the Sub-
committee shall consider and use information, reports, and 
studies of ocean acidification that have identified research 
and monitoring needed to better understand ocean acidifi-
cation and its potential impacts, and recommendations 
made by the National Academy of Sciences in the review 
of the plan required under subsection (d). 
(b) CONTENTS OF THE PLAN.—The plan shall— 
(1) establish, for the 10-year period beginning 
in the year the plan is submitted, the goals and pri-
orities for Federal research and monitoring which 
will— 
(A) advance understanding of ocean acidi-
fication and its physical, chemical, and biologi-
cal impacts on marine organisms and marine 
ecosystems; 
(B) improve the ability to assess the socio-
economic impacts of ocean acidification; and 
(C) provide information for the develop-
ment of adaptation and mitigation strategies to 
conserve marine organisms and marine eco-
systems; 
(2) describe specific activities, including— 
(A) efforts to determine user needs; 
(B) research activities; 
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(C) monitoring activities; 
(D) technology and methods development; 
(E) data collection; 
(F) database development; 
(G) modeling activities; 
(H) assessment of ocean acidification im-
pacts; and 
(I) participation in international research 
efforts; 
(3) identify relevant programs and activities of 
the Federal agencies that contribute to the inter-
agency program directly and indirectly and set forth 
the role of each Federal agency in implementing the 
plan; 
(4) consider and utilize, as appropriate, reports 
and studies conducted by Federal agencies, the Na-
tional Research Council, or other entities; 
(5) make recommendations for the coordination 
of the ocean acidification research and monitoring 
activities of the United States with such activities of 
other nations and international organizations; 
(6) outline budget requirements for Federal 
ocean acidification research and monitoring and as-
sessment activities to be conducted by each agency 
under the plan; 
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(7) identify the monitoring systems and sam-
pling programs currently employed in collecting data 
relevant to ocean acidification and prioritize addi-
tional monitoring systems that may be needed to en-
sure adequate data collection and monitoring of 
ocean acidification and its impacts; and 
(8) describe specific activities designed to facili-
tate outreach and data and information exchange 
with stakeholder communities. 
(c) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—The plan shall include at 
a minimum the following program elements: 
(1) Monitoring of ocean chemistry and biologi-
cal impacts associated with ocean acidification at se-
lected coastal and open-ocean monitoring stations, 
including satellite-based monitoring to charac-
terize— 
(A) marine ecosystems; 
(B) changes in marine productivity; and 
(C) changes in surface ocean chemistry. 
(2) Research to understand the species specific 
physiological response of marine organisms to ocean 
acidification, impacts on marine food webs of ocean 
acidification, and to develop environmental and eco-
logical indices that track marine ecosystem re-
sponses to ocean acidification. 
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(3) Modeling to predict changes in the ocean 
carbon cycle as a function of carbon dioxide and at-
mosphere-induced changes in temperature, ocean cir-
culation, biogeochemistry, ecosystem and terrestrial 
input, and modeling to determine impacts on marine 
ecosystems and individual marine organisms. 
(4) Technology development and standardiza-
tion of carbonate chemistry measurements on moor-
ings and autonomous floats. 
(5) Assessment of socioeconomic impacts of 
ocean acidification and development of adaptation 
and mitigation strategies to conserve marine orga-
nisms and marine ecosystems. 
(d) NATIONAL ACADEMY
OF SCIENCES EVALUA-
TION.—The Secretary shall enter into an agreement with 
the National Academy of Sciences to review the plan. 
(e) PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.—In developing the plan, 
the Subcommittee shall consult with representatives of 
academic, State, industry and environmental groups. Not 
later than 90 days before the plan, or any revision thereof, 
is submitted to the Congress, the plan shall be published 
in the Federal Register for a public comment period of 
not less than 60 days. 
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SEC. 6. NOAA OCEAN ACIDIFICATION ACTIVITIES. 
The Secretary shall conduct research and monitoring 
activities and may establish a program on ocean acidifica-
tion within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Admin-
istration consistent with the strategic research plan devel-
oped by the Subcommittee under section 5 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; 
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(E) as an integral part of the research pro-
grams described in this Act, national public 
outreach activities to improve the under-
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 proc-
ess for awarding grants 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. 
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Calendar No. 873 
110TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4174 
AN ACT 
To establish an interagency committee to develop 
an ocean acidification research and monitoring 
plan and to establish an ocean acidification pro-
gram within the National Oceanic and Atmos-
pheric Administration. 
JULY 10 (legislative day, JULY 9), 2008 
Received; read twice and placed on the calendar 
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