CPO’s Marine Ecosystem Risk Team (MERT) announced it will continue its “Science for Sanctuaries” partnership with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) and Integrated Ecosystem Assessment (IEA) program in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021. Dr. Zachary (Zac) Cannizzo, a former Knauss Fellow, will continue his role as the Visiting Climate Scientist, jointly supported by ONMS and CPO. As the Visiting Climate Scientist, Zac works to support the development of cross-line office research priorities to address ONMS climate information needs and enhance climate change assessment, adaptation, and management actions across the National Marine Sanctuary System.
Among other accomplishments, in FY 2020 Zac produced summaries of climate impacts for each national marine sanctuary, developed and led three learning exchanges to aid on-site staff and administration in incorporating climate change considerations into their work, and organized five round tables to identify sanctuary climate information needs. In January, Zac and MERT’s team lead also organized a successful workshop bringing together over 130 participants from across ONMS, NOAA Research, NOAA headquarters programs, and external partners to advance sanctuary climate information and science needs.
In FY 2021, Zac will continue to support the climate needs of ONMS and the development of coastal ocean indicators that support climate assessments in sanctuaries, as well as build on the success of the MERT workshop to advance climate science in sanctuaries through cross-line office partnerships and funding opportunities. MERT will also strengthen relationships between the expertise and experience at NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information and the IEA program as they stand up their coastal ocean indicators web portal.
The Visiting Climate Scientist role and the activities that the position supports are key to achieving the overarching goal of the MERT initiative. MERT aims to increase collaboration between ONMS and other NOAA labs and programs, as well as individual sanctuaries,to advance NOAA’s stewardship mission.
For more information, email cpo.mert@noaa.gov.
MISSION: The Climate and Fisheries Adaptation Program (CAFA) supports targeted research to promote sustainable management, adaptation and resilience of the nation’s valuable fish stocks and fisheries-dependent communities in a changing climate. By bringing together NOAA scientists with the academic community, other federal agency scientists, non-governmental organizations and key fisheries stakeholders, CAFA addresses priority needs for information and tools identified in the 2015 NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy, Fisheries Regional Action Plans, U.S. National Climate Assessment, and other sources.
ISSUE: Healthy and productive fisheries are a significant component of the U.S. economy. Commercial and recreational marine fisheries generate over $200 billion in economic activity and support more than 1.8 million jobs annually. (FEUS 2016) Reliant and sustainable fisheries also support working waterfronts and coastal communities, provide opportunities for commerce, are tied to rich cultures, and help meet the growing demand for seafood across the U.S. and the world.
Climate variability and change are having increasing impacts on fish stocks, fisheries, and marine ecosystems in the U.S., and the impacts are expected to significantly increase with continued climate change. The changing climate and ocean conditions (e.g. warming oceans, extreme events, changing currents and stratification, coastal precipitation, coastal inundation, etc.) directly and indirectly affect marine ecosystems including the abundance, distribution, and productivity of fish stocks that support economically important fisheries. Sustainable fisheries management requires an improved understanding of how climate, fishing, and other stressors interact to affect fish stocks (including their habitats and prey), fisheries and fishing‐dependent communities.
PROGRAM HISTORY: The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Climate Program Office, and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Science and Technology launched a partnership in 2014 to advance understanding of climate‐related impacts on fish or other species that support economically important fisheries and fishing communities. The partnership originated through the former Coastal and Ocean Climate Applications (COCA) Program and in 2021 was renamed the Climate and Fisheries Adaptation (CAFA) Program as part of the OAR/CPO Adaptation Sciences Program.
Jennifer Dopkowski NOAA Research
Climate Program Office P: (301) 734-1261 E: jennifer.dopkowski@noaa.gov
Roger Griffis NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology P: (301) 427-8134 E: roger.b.griffis@noaa.gov
Americans’ health, security and economic wellbeing are tied to climate and weather. Every day, we see communities grappling with environmental challenges due to unusual or extreme events related to climate and weather.