The pace of environmental change lends urgency to the need for integration of climate considerations into ocean policy and management. A recent rapid expansion of ocean and climate policies provides a timely window of opportunity for the scientific community to inform and support these efforts.
Lessons can be learned from successful initiatives, where scientists are working hand-in-hand with decision makers and managers to enhance ocean resilience. Looking ahead, the most pressing decision-needs associated with oceans and climate change should serve to prioritize and drive scientific efforts.
The paper outlines the current national-level policy initiatives relevant to climate-related ocean change as well as examines the challenges and opportunities in aligning scientific understanding of climate impacts on oceans with national-scale policies in the United States.
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