nities, low-population rural communities, 
tribal and subsistence communities, and is-
land communities, that may be impacted 
by ocean acidification; 
‘‘(v) identifies impacts of changing 
ocean carbonate chemistry on the commu-
nities described in clause (iv), including 
impacts from changes in ocean and coastal 
marine resources that are not managed by 
the Federal Government; 
‘‘(vi) identifies gaps in understanding 
of the impacts of ocean acidification on 
economically or commercially important 
species, particularly those which support 
United States commercial, recreational, 
and tribal fisheries and aquaculture; 
‘‘(vii) identifies habitats that may be 
particularly vulnerable to corrosive sea 
water, including areas experiencing mul-
tiple stressors such as hypoxia, sedimenta-
tion, and harmful algal blooms; 
‘‘(viii) identifies areas in which exist-
ing Integrated Ocean Observing System 
assets, including buoys and gliders, may be 
leveraged as platforms for the deployment 
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of new sensors or other applicable observ-
ing technologies; and 
‘‘(ix) is written in collaboration with 
the agencies responsible for carrying out 
this Act. 
‘‘(B) FORM OF REPORT.— 
‘‘(i) INITIAL REPORT.—The initial re-
port required by subparagraph (A) shall 
include 
the 
information 
described 
in 
clauses (i) through (ix) on a national level. 
‘‘(ii) SUBSEQUENT
REPORTS.—Each 
report required by subparagraph (A) after 
the initial report— 
‘‘(I) may describe the informa-
tion described in clauses (i) through 
(ix) on a national level; or 
‘‘(II) may consist of separate re-
ports for each region of the National 
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-
tion. 
‘‘(iii) REGIONAL
REPORTS.—If the 
Subcommittee opts to prepare a report re-
quired by subparagraph (A) as separate re-
gional reports under clause (ii)(II), the 
Subcommittee shall submit a report for 
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each region of the National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration not less often 
than once during each 5-year reporting pe-
riod. 
‘‘(C) APPROPRIATE COMMITTEES OF CON-
GRESS
DEFINED.—In this paragraph and in 
paragraph (5), the term ‘appropriate commit-
tees of Congress’ means the Committee on 
Commerce, Science, and Transportation of the 
Senate and the Committee on Science, Space, 
and Technology and the Committee on Natural 
Resources of the House of Representatives. 
‘‘(5) MONITORING PRIORITIZATION PLAN.—Not 
later than 180 days after the date of the submission 
of the initial report required by paragraph (4)(A), 
the Subcommittee shall transmit to the appropriate 
committees of Congress a report that develops a 
plan to deploy new sensors or other applicable ob-
serving technologies— 
‘‘(A) based on such initial report; 
‘‘(B) prioritized by— 
‘‘(i) the threat to coastal economies 
and ecosystems; 
‘‘(ii) gaps in data; and 
‘‘(iii) research needs; and 
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‘‘(C) that leverage existing platforms, 
where possible.’’. 
SEC. 11. STRATEGIC RESEARCH PLAN. 
(a) CONTENTS.—Section 12405(b) of the Federal 
Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 
(33 U.S.C. 3704(b)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (8), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (9), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon and ‘‘and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(10) make recommendations for research to be 
conducted, including in the social sciences and eco-
nomics, to address the key knowledge gaps identified 
in the economic vulnerability report conducted under 
section 12404(c).’’. 
(b) PROGRAM ELEMENTS.—Section 12405(c) of the 
Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act 
of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 3704(c)) is amended by adding at the 
end the following: 
‘‘(6) Research to understand combined effects 
of changes in ocean chemistry, sediment delivery, hy-
poxia, and harmful algal blooms and the impact 
these processes have on each other, and how these 
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multiple stressors impact living marine resources 
and coastal ecosystems. 
‘‘(7) Applied research to identify adaptation 
strategies for species impacted by changes in ocean 
chemistry including vegetation-based systems, shell 
recycling, species and genetic diversity, applied tech-
nologies, aquaculture methodologies, and manage-
ment recommendations.’’. 
SEC. 12. STAKEHOLDER INPUT ON MONITORING. 
Section 12406(a) of the Federal Ocean Acidification 
Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 
3705(a)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by striking ‘‘and’’ at the 
end; 
(2) in paragraph (3), by striking the period at 
the end and inserting a semicolon and ‘‘and’’; and 
(3) by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘(4) includes an ongoing mechanism that allows 
potentially affected industry members, coastal stake-
holders, fishery management councils and commis-
sions, non-Federal resource managers, and scientific 
experts to provide input on monitoring needs that 
are necessary to support on the ground manage-
ment, decision making, and adaptation related to 
ocean acidification.’’. 
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SEC. 13. RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. 
Section 12407(a) of the Federal Ocean Acidification 
Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 (33 U.S.C. 
3706(a)) is amended to read as follows: 
‘‘(a) RESEARCH ACTIVITIES.—The Director of the 
National Science Foundation shall continue to carry out 
research activities on ocean acidification which shall sup-
port competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for 
research, observatories and monitoring of ocean acidifica-
tion and its impacts, including— 
‘‘(1) impacts on marine organisms and marine 
ecosystems; 
‘‘(2) impacts on ocean, coastal, and estuarine 
biogeochemistry; 
‘‘(3) the development of methodologies and 
technologies to evaluate ocean acidification and its 
impacts; and 
‘‘(4) impacts of multiple stressors on eco-
systems exhibiting hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, or 
sediment delivery, combined with changes in ocean 
chemistry.’’. 
Æ 
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