‘‘(C) water management and watershed of-
ficials from both coastal States and noncoastal 
States with water sources that drain into water 
bodies affected by harmful algal blooms and hy-
poxia; and 
‘‘(2) consult with— 
‘‘(A) public health officials; 
‘‘(B) emergency management officials; 
‘‘(C) science and technology development 
institutions; 
‘‘(D) economists; 
‘‘(E) industries and businesses affected by 
marine and freshwater harmful algal blooms 
and hypoxia; 
‘‘(F) scientists with expertise concerning 
harmful algal blooms or hypoxia from academic 
or research institutions; and 
‘‘(G) other stakeholders. 
‘‘(e) FEDERAL REGISTER.—The Under Secretary 
shall publish the Plan in the Federal Register. 
‘‘(f) PERIODIC REVISION.—The Under Secretary, in 
coordination and consultation with the individuals and en-
tities identified in subsection (d), shall periodically review 
and revise the Plan prepared under this section, as nec-
essary.’’. 
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SEC. 7. NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO HYPOXIA. 
Section 606, as redesignated by section 5(2) of this 
Act, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(c) REQUIRED UPDATE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Prior to the implementa-
tion of any plan developed under this section, includ-
ing the Gulf Hypoxia Action Plan 2008, the Admin-
istrator, through the Mississippi River/Gulf of Mex-
ico Watershed Nutrient Task Force, shall complete 
and submit to the Congress and the President an 
updated assessment and a revised action plan based 
on the updated assessment. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENTS.—The updated assess-
ment shall take into account the following: 
‘‘(A) The role of nutrient influx in the con-
text of water column stratification, seasonal 
flows and conditions, and wind and current dy-
namics in the Gulf of Mexico. 
‘‘(B) The contribution of the topography of 
the Gulf of Mexico in the effects of the charac-
teristics described in subparagraph (A) on the 
hypoxic zone. 
‘‘(C) The frequency and availability of 
monitoring to measure the size of the hypoxic 
zone. 
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‘‘(D) The potential of hypoxia hot-spot for-
mation within the Gulf of Mexico and possible 
causes of such hot-spots. 
‘‘(E) The contribution of wetland loss to 
hypoxia events in the Gulf of Mexico. 
‘‘(F) The actual effect of hypoxia on the 
ecosystem of the Gulf of Mexico and the bene-
fits resulting from a reduced hypoxic zone size. 
‘‘(G) A scientifically generated, peer-re-
viewed goal for the size of the hypoxic zone in 
the Gulf of Mexico. 
‘‘(3) RESEARCH STRATEGY.—The updated plan 
shall include a research strategy— 
‘‘(A) to enhance understanding of the con-
tribution of topography, water column strati-
fication, seasonal flows and conditions, and 
wind and current dynamics on the size of the 
hypoxic zone; 
‘‘(B) to develop models able to— 
‘‘(i) simulate different shelf regions 
and the fundamental processes that act in 
each shelf region; 
‘‘(ii) differentiate between the sepa-
rate effects of stratification and nutrient 
loading in the formation of hypoxia; and 
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‘‘(iii) be informed by realistic three-di-
mensional 
hydrodynamic 
and 
biogeo-
chemical models; 
‘‘(C) that determines the appropriate 
amount of monitoring and measuring necessary 
to get a scientifically robust accounting on the 
size of the Gulf of Mexico hypoxic zone; and 
‘‘(D) that examines several potential solu-
tions based on information provided by the up-
dated assessment in paragraph (1).’’. 
SEC. 8. CHESAPEAKE BAY DEAD ZONE. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Act is amended by inserting 
after section 606, as redesignated by section 5(2) of this 
Act, the following: 
‘‘SEC. 607. CHESAPEAKE BAY DEAD ZONE. 
‘‘(a) ASSESSMENT PLAN.—Not later than 12 months 
after the date of enactment of the Harmful Algal Blooms 
and Hypoxia Research and Control Amendments Act of 
2011, the Task Force, in accordance with the authority 
under section 603, shall complete and submit to the Con-
gress and the President an integrated assessment of hy-
poxia in the Chesapeake Bay that examines the status of 
and gaps within current research, monitoring, prevention, 
response, and control activities by— 
‘‘(1) Federal agencies; 
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‘‘(2) state agencies; 
‘‘(3) regional research consortia; 
‘‘(4) academia; 
‘‘(5) private industry; and 
‘‘(6) nongovernmental organizations. 
‘‘(b) RESEARCH PLAN.— 
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Not later than 2 years 
after the date of enactment of the Harmful Algal 
Blooms and Hypoxia Research and Control Amend-
ments Act of 2011, the Task Force shall develop 
and submit to the Congress a plan, based on the in-
tegrated assessment submitted under subsection (a), 
for reducing, mitigating, and controlling hypoxia in 
the Chesapeake Bay. 
‘‘(2) 
REQUIREMENTS.—In 
developing 
such 
plan, the Task Force shall— 
‘‘(A) consult with State and local govern-
ments and representatives from academic, agri-
cultural, 
industry, 
and 
other 
stakeholder 
groups; 
‘‘(B) include incentive-based partnership 
approaches; 
‘‘(C) include an economic cost-benefit anal-
ysis of the measures for reducing, mitigating, 
and controlling hypoxia events; 
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