CPO’s Marine Ecosystem Risk Team (MERT) has published its National Marine Sanctuary Climate Change Science Priorities Workshop Report for the public.
The report summarizes a cross-NOAA workshop held in late January 2021 that brought together over 130 participants from every site in the sanctuary system as well as from NOAA Research, NOAA Fisheries, NOAA's National Ocean Service, NOAA Satellites, and external organizations. The workshop strived to identify the climate science and information needs of national marine sanctuaries as well as actions and partnerships to meet those needs. Based on workshop outcomes, the report identifies 10 cross-cutting climate science and information needs that, if met, will increase the resilience of sanctuary resources and advance the ability of sanctuaries to understand and manage climate change impacts.
The report also serves as a call to mobilize NOAA and non-NOAA partners by identifying 15 actions and partners that will help NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) address sanctuary climate science, information, and capacity needs.
The published report will help MERT reach federal, non-federal, and academic partners that will be critical to meeting the identified needs. The report is a key milestone toward an overarching goal of the MERT initiative. MERT aims to increase collaboration between ONMS and other NOAA programs, and develop partnerships between labs, programs, and individual sanctuaries to advance NOAA’s stewardship mission.
For more information email cpo.mert@noaa.gov.
Read the report »
View the appendices »
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.