gulf coast ecosystem restoration science, observation...
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Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology Program
NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program Gulf Coastal Prarie
Landscape Conservation Cooperative
Roger C. Helm, Senior Scientist U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
December 3, 2014
Mission: To initiate and sustain an integrative, holistic understanding of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and support, to the maximum extent practicable, restoration efforts and the long-term sustainability of the ecosystem, including its fish stocks, fishing industries, habitat, and wildlife through ecosystem research, observation, monitoring, and technology development. • Staff & managers from all NOAA line offices plus USFWS developing the Program • Actively engaging with stakeholders to raise awareness of Program and solicit input • The science needs of stakeholders (which includes the Feds, States, and LCC partners)
have been the driving force in the development of the Plan and will be the primary beneficiaries of the Program’s output
• The Science Plan builds on prior science and research needs identified for the region • We continue to coordinate with ongoing Gulf science programs and with Deepwater
Horizon-related science and restoration programs (e.g., NASs’ Gulf Research Program, The RESTORE Council, and the various affiliated University and NGO Gulf Research activities)
http://restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov/
NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program In a Nutshell
So that’s it… Thanks for dialing in
Outline for Today’s Webinar • Program Overview
– Legislation and Requirements – Funding- small piece of a huge undetermined amount
• Coordination and Engagement – Lots to build upon and to build with
• Science Plan – What’s inside – Priority identification process – Long-term research priorities – Comment process
• Initial Federal Funding Opportunity • Current and Future Activities • Challenges and Opportunities • Science Advisory Board
• RESTORE Act of 2012 – Section 1604 authorizes the NOAA Administrator, in
consultation with USFWS Director, to establish a Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science, Observation, Monitoring, and Technology Program (NOAA RESTORE Act Science Program)
• Administrator and Director shall consult with Gulf States Marine Fisheries Comm. & Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
• Priority shall be given to integrated, long-term projects that address management needs
• Funds may not be used for – any existing or planned research led by NOAA, – implementation or initiation of new NOAA regulations, and – development of or approval of a fisheries catch share program.
Legislation and Requirements
*Supplemented by interest generated by the Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund
(50% to Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council, 25% to Science Program,
25% to Centers of Excellence)
RESTORE Act Distribution of Clean Water Act Civil Penalties
$1B Transocean settlement
Civil Penalties 20% Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund
80% Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund
35% Equally distributed
to 5 Gulf States (AL, FL, LA, MS,
TX)
30%* Gulf Coast
Ecosystem Restoration
Council
30% Impact based
distribution to 5 Gulf
States (AL, FL, LA, MS,
TX)
2.5%* Gulf Coast Ecosystem
Restoration Science, Observation,
Monitoring, and Technology Program
2.5%* Centers of Excellence
$800M
$200M
$280M $240M $240M $20M $20M
NFWF
RESTORE Act Partnerships in the Gulf of Mexico (Funded by 80% of Civil Penalties)
Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund
20% of Civil Penalties
ACADEMIC
1603 RESTORE
Council Members
1603(1) State
Allocation & Expenditures
35%
1603(2) Council
Establishment & Allocation
30% 1603(3)
Oil Spill Restoration
Impact Allocation
30%
1604 Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science,
Observation, Monitoring & Technology Program
2.5%
1605 CENTERS OF EXCELLENCE
2.5%
NGO Funded by
Criminal Penalties
FEDERAL & INTERNATIONAL
Natural Resources
Damage Assessment
Trustee Council
Coordination
• Deepwater Horizon-related science and restoration initiatives including…
– Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative – National Academy of Sciences Gulf Program – National Fish and Wildlife Foundation – Natural Resources Damage Assessment – Other RESTORE Act programs
• Centers of Excellence (2.5% of Gulf Coast Restoration Trust Fund) • Science and monitoring funded by states and Gulf Coast Ecosystem
Restoration Council • NOTE: Each program is independent, but determined to coordinate
• Existing federal and state research programs LCC funded efforts
Coordination, Engagement, and Science Planning NOAA has conducted over 100 meetings seeking input from stakeholders including representatives from
the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, universities, federal agencies, and non-governmental organizations.
The Ocean Conservancy
The Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force
Louisiana Comprehensive Master Plan
The Program research priorities have and will continue to be informed by existing plans and activities addressing the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem.
Sea Grant Research
Plan
Gulf Governors
Action Plan
Florida Ocean Council –
Annual Science Research Plan
Science Plan: What’s Inside
• Science Plan lays out the path forward for the Program.
• Discusses the long-term priorities, the process by which those priorities were determined, and the sequencing of activities.
• Describes how the Program will be implemented and the partners with which we will leverage future opportunities.
Program structure and administration – Program management – Approach to coordination – Program parameters – Eligibility for funding opportunities – Scientific integrity – Data and information sharing
Program overview and priorities – Legislative requirements – Vision and mission – Geographic scope – Approach to engagement – Rationale and process for
establishing priorities – Ten long-term priorities
Priority Identification Process
• Reviewed previously identified research priorities of various stakeholders
• Consolidated priorities • Identified management needs associated with
each priority • Identified key activities and anticipated outputs
and outcomes
Long-term Research Priorities
• Increase comprehensive understanding of Gulf ecosystem services, resilience and vulnerabilities of coupled social and ecological systems.
• Construct management-ready and accessible ecosystem models for the Gulf of Mexico.
• Improve forecasting, analysis and modeling of climate change and weather effects on the sustainability and resiliency of Gulf ecosystems.
• Increase comprehensive understanding of watershed, sediment, and nutrient flows and impacts on coastal ecology and habitats.
• Increase comprehensive understanding of coastal and living marine resources, food web dynamics, habitat utilization, protected areas, and carbon flow.
5 of 10
• Analyze new and existing social and environmental data to develop long-term trend and variability information on the status and health of ecosystems, including humans.
• Develop, identify, and validate system-wide indicators of Gulf Coast environmental and socioeconomic conditions.
• Obtain information and develop decision support tools needed to monitor and adaptively manage habitat, living marine resources, and wildlife.
• Network and integrate existing and planned data/information from Gulf monitoring programs.
• Develop and implement advanced engineering, physical, chemical, biological, and socioeconomic technologies to improve monitoring.
Long-term Research Priorities (con’t) 5 more of 10
Comment on the Science Plan find the plan at
http://restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov/science-plan
E-mail: [email protected]
By mail: Dr. Becky Allee NOAA OCM, Gulf of Mexico Division Bldg. 1100, Rm 232 Stennis Space Center, MS, 39529
Comments due December 15, 2014
Initial Federal Funding Opportunity
• Focuses on three short-term priorities: – Comprehensive inventory and assessment of existing Gulf ecosystem models – Identification of health/condition indicators of the Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and
analysis of strengths and weaknesses and design/testing of additional indicators – Assessment of monitoring and observation needs and development of
recommendations for a Gulf-wide network.
• Further refined by three topical areas: – Ecosystem and living marine resources management – Climate change and extreme weather impacts on sustainability of restoration – Integration of social/behavioral/economic science into restoration and management
• Total available funding is $2-2.5 million; projects completed in one to two years
Current Activities
Science Plan (comment period ends
15 Dec 2014)
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment (released Jan. 2015 for
comments)
Announce initial Federal Funding
Opportunity (mid-Dec 2014)
Future Activities
Science Plan (finalize Jan 2015)
Programmatic Environmental
Assessment (finalize Spring 2015)
Award initial federal funding opportunity
(Spring 2015)
Develop second federal funding
opportunity (2015)
Challenges and Opportunities
• Funding uncertainties necessitate a tiered and iterative approach with a long-tem vision. • Our Program is a science initiative within the RESTORE Act, not the
science initiative for the RESTORE Act. • Everyone recognizes the extraordinary opportunity we all have:
– Huge dollars and an amazing number of Gulf-focused science and restoration efforts
– Our country, the Gulf, and science all win if we share our wisdom and operate as an open book
– Replication is FINE, Duplication is NOT
Coordination is critical and must be continuous
NOAA Science Advisory Board Working Group
Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Science Program Advisory Working Group Role • Provide independent guidance and review of the Science Program along with general programmatic
advice and recommendations • Provide a mechanism for formal coordination between the multiple organizations conducting Gulf of
Mexico science connected to the Deepwater Horizon event Members Representatives of Gulf of Mexico Science Programs: • Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission • Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council • RESTORE Act Centers of Excellence (Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas)
Subject Matter Experts: physical, chemical, and biological oceanography; economics and social sciences; wetlands ecology; fisher, wildlife, and marine mammal ecology; ecosystem modeling; toxicology; developers of observing and monitoring systems; ecosystem management
Ex-officio members: • Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative • National Academy of Sciences Gulf Research Program • Bureau of Ocean Energy Management • National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Working Group Members Subject Matter Experts
Dr. Dwayne E. Porter, co-Chair University of South Carolina
Dr. Robert Dickey, co-Chair The University of Texas at Austin
Dr. Joseph N. Boyer Plymouth State University
Dr. Christopher D’Elia Louisiana State University
Dr. Richard E. Dodge Nova Southeastern University
Dr. Yoko Furukawa Naval Research Laboratory
Dr. Scott M. Glenn Rutgers University
Dr. Thomas E. Miller Florida State University
Dr. Thomas J. Miller University of Maryland Center for Enviro. Science
Dr. Nancy N. Rabalais Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium
Dr. Christopher M. Reddy Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Dr. Kurt E. Schnier University of California, Merced
Dr. Christine C. Shepard The Nature Conservancy
Dr. Pamela K. Yochem
Hubbs-Sea World Research Institute Dr. Paul Zimba
Texas A&M University Corpus Christi
Representative Members Mr. Jeffrey Rester
Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission Dr. Carrie Simmons
Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council *Representatives from the RESTORE Centers of Excellence are to be determined.
Ex-officio Members Dr. Anthony Chatwin
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Dr. Pasquale F. Roscigno
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Dr. Maggie L. Walser
National Academy of Sciences Dr. Charles A. Wilson
Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative
Thank you for your time. Any questions?
Website: restoreactscienceprogram.noaa.gov
E-mail: [email protected]