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MERT and AdSci hold successful focus group on coastal manager blue carbon adaptation and mitigation planning needs

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On February 14, the Marine Ecosystem Risk Team (MERT) and the Adaptation Sciences Program (AdSci) held a focus group of coastal managers to discuss how decision makers (e.g. resource managers, coastal planners, etc.) are considering blue carbon in their adaptation and mitigation planning and gain understanding of what additional information is most needed to inform management decisions. The focus group was attended by 27 NOAA staff and resource managers representing the National Marine Sanctuaries, National Estuarine Research Reserves, Sea Grant, NMFS, and CPO. Participants discussed the critical science and information needed to enhance NOAA’s management of blue carbon ecosystems.

In particular, discussion centered around needs that would enhance the ability to manage these ecosystems for the ecosystem services they provide to coastal communities and the ways that these services may be altered or impacted by environmental change. The information gained from this focus group will help guide MERT and AdSci in the development of projects and initiatives to support the management of blue carbon ecosystems to protect, restore, and enhance the adaptation, mitigation, and other socio-ecological services they provide. This focus group is a part of an overarching goal of the Marine Ecosystems Risk Team (MERT) initiative to identify science and information needs of national marine sanctuaries and other NOAA stewardship assets while increasing collaboration between NOAA programs to advance NOAA’s stewardship mission.

For more information, contact Zac Cannizzo.

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