New Opportunities for Ocean Sciences Shere Abbott, Associate Director - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

New Opportunities for Ocean Sciences

Shere Abbott, Associate Director for Environment

Offi f S i & T h l P li | EOP

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Office of Science & Technology Policy | EOP

March 10, 2010

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Climate change g

 Science, adaptation, and mitigation

S i bl d l Sustainable development

Institutions and resource use

Energy

Renewables, efficiency, and innovation

e ewab es, e c e cy, a d

• va o

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Protecting our nation from the serious economic and strategic g g risks associated with our reliance on foreign oil and the destabilizing effects of a changing climate Advancing energy and climate security via promoting economic recovery efforts, accelerating job creation, and driving clean energy manufacturing

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Three pronged challenge of climate change sustainable Three-pronged challenge of climate change, sustainable development, and clean energy C h i d i l i l i d Comprehensive domestic energy legislation and international action Benefits to Americans (jobs, environmental quality, sustainable agriculture) Policies to promote US leadership in marine stewardship

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“To engage the scientific community directly in the work To engage the scientific community directly in the work

• f public policy ….

I i l i i ill i h i In environmental science, it will require strengthening our weather forecasting, our Earth observation from space, the management of our nation’s land water and forests the management of our nation s land, water and forests, and the stewardship of our coastal zones and ocean fisheries.”

President Obama, National Academies (April, 2009)

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Energy (ocean renewables, energy transmission, oil & gas) Climate (climate science, adaptation, carbon monitoring and

verification, assessments, domestic and international policy)



l Q l ( d d b b d

Environmental Quality (pesticides and toxic substances, urban and

regional air, water, marine pollution, hazardous and solid wastes, natural hazards)

Ecosystems (biodiversity, deforestation, invasives, land use,

agriculture)

Oceans (national policy, marine spatial planning, seabed mapping,

• cean acidification, R&D)

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A New Opportunity

“To succeed in protecting the oceans, coasts, and Great

pp y

p g , , Lakes, the United States needs to act within a unifying framework under a clear national policy, including a comprehensive ecosystem-based framework for the long comprehensive, ecosystem-based framework for the long term conservation and use of our resources”.

President Barack Obama June 12, 2009 Creation of the Ocean Policy Task Force

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Ocean Policy Goals

 Protect maintain, and restore the health of ocean, coastal

d G L k d

y

and Great Lakes ecosystems and resources;

 Enhance the sustainability of ocean and coastal economies  Preserve our maritime heritage,  Provide for adaptive management to enhance our

p g understanding of and capacity to respond to climate change

 Coordinate with our national security and foreign policy

interests

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Updating the Ocean Research Priorities Plan of the NSTC’s Ocean Science & Technology Subcommittee Answer to “WHY” provided in the six societal themes:

Stewardship of natural & cultural ocean resources Increasing resilience to natural hazards Enabling marine operations Enabling marine operations Improved understanding of the ocean’s role in

climate

Improving ecosystem health Enhancing human health

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A National Ocean Policy was called for by: A National Ocean Policy was called for by:

 Pew Ocean Commission - 2003  Pew Ocean Commission 2003  US Commission on Ocean Policy - 2004  Joint Ocean Commission Initiative

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Office of Energy &

National Ocean Council

co-chairs: Nancy Sutley, CEQ John Holdren, OSTP

Governance Coordinating Committee

Energy & Climate Change National

Committee (Regional, State, Tribal) Ocean Research & Resources Advisory l

National Economic Council N ti l S it Steering Committee (CEQ, OSTP, IPC Chairs)

Ocean Resource Ocean Science & Panel

National Security Council Maritime Security Interagency Policy C i (MSIPC)

Reporting

Management Interagency Policy Committee Technology Interagency Policy Committee

Committee (MSIPC), Oceans Sub- Interagency Policy Committee

Communication Coordination

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Biogeographic D t L Example Integrated Bi hi Products to Aid

r ent

Data Layers Biogeographic Analyses* Aid Management

Layers for Manageme eographic Analysis ts to Meet bjectives mbine Bioge A cal Product Ob Com Analytic * Specific analyses targeted to management needs

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“ A comprehensive adaptive .. A comprehensive, adaptive, integrated, ecosystem-based, and transparent process, based on p p sound science, for analyzing current and anticipated ocean, coastal, and Great Lake areas…That allows forward planning to integrate a wide planning to integrate a wide range of ecosystem services.”

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CMSP Example: Balancing Shipping & Marine P t t d S i C ti Protected Species Conservation

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Attribution of climate signals impacting ecosystems: long term

g p g y g change & natural variability

Ocean warming: impacts on distribution & productivity

( h l d ti i i i ) (phenology, production, invasive species)

Impacts of loss of sea ice on living marine resources and humans

(at both poles) (at both poles)

Ocean acidification & implications for marine biota Freshwater supply & natural resource management Freshwater supply & natural resource management Sea level rise, habitats and endangered species

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Sea Level Rise Impacts p

Whaleskate Island French Frigate Maldives: At risk of Whaleskate Island, French Frigate Shoals, 2002 Maldives: At risk of inundation from sea level rise 2002 monk seals

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Vision Vision

“An America whose stewardship ensures that the ocean our coasts and the that the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes are healthy and resilient, safe and productive, and understood safe and productive, and understood and treasured so as to promote the well-being, prosperity, and security of g p p y y present and future generations.”

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