arrow icon NOS International Goals : Coastal and Marine Ecosystems

Improve and Maintain the Viability of Marine and Coastal Ecosystems

Problem

Human activities continue to degrade the viability and integrity of marine and coastal ecosystems around the world, resulting in serious ecological, social, and economic consequences at local to global levels. This degradation reduces the ability of coastal and ocean ecosystems to provide the valuable products and services on which U.S. and global communities depend. It also reduces the resilience of these ecosystems, i.e., their ability to resist and recover from human and natural stressors, further increasing the costs and challenges to communities and resource managers. Much of this degradation is driven by human population growth, which is especially concentrated in coastal areas, and thus increases demand for and dependency on ocean and coastal resources. The condition of goods and services provided by U.S. marine and coastal ecosystems are closely linked and influenced by what happens in areas outside U.S. jurisdiction, making international engagement a necessary and key part of improving and maintaining the viability of U.S. and other coastal ecosystems.

Among the most serious impacts on the world’s ocean and coastal resources are destruction of valuable coastal and ocean habitats, over-use and depletion of living marine resources, decreases in water quality from discharges and non-point source pollution, and increasing conflicts among uses of coastal and ocean areas. Most impacts result from a combination of factors such as the lack of information, technical capacity, institutional frameworks, social and economic incentives, and other resources that could be used for effective management of negative human impacts. These activities often crisscross jurisdictional lines and national boundaries, so addressing them requires developing and implementing solutions among international partners at a variety of scales (local, regional, national, and international).  This is particularly important where resources are shared between U.S. and other countries. Such resources might be migratory species (e.g., humpback whales migrating between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic, birds migrating between Canada and Mexico along the U.S. West Coast) or important habitats or processes (e.g., Gulf of Maine, the Big Eddy in the Pacific Northwest).  Key scientific information and models are lacking at the international level to assess impacts of human activities and find solutions to better manage coastal and ocean resources.  In addition, in the developing world, which is heavily reliant on these resources for sustenance, there is limited internal capacity to cope with these problems.

As a leader in understanding and managing ocean and coastal ecosystems, NOS is uniquely positioned to assist international partners in building the technical, policy, and organizational tools for effective stewardship of ocean and coastal ecosystems.

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Objectives

  • Build and advance U.S. and international capacity to monitor and assess health trends and conditions of ocean and coastal ecosystems to improve management efforts.
  • Advance understanding of ocean and coastal ecosystems through collaborative science and modeling to improve resource management.
  • Build capacity and promote exchange of technology, tools, training, information, and other resources to protect, manage, and restore ocean and coastal ecosystems.

NOS Strengths

  • NOS is a national leader in conservation and restoration of marine and coastal resources and has extensive experience, tools and expertise to help address these issues in international fora. Expertise includes:
    • Characterization, monitoring, and assessment of ocean and coastal ecosystems.
    • Research, monitoring, modeling, and forecasts of the impacts of human stressors on ocean and coastal ecosystems.
    • Design and implementation of coastal management programs.
    • Design and implementation of tools for habitat management.
    • Design and implementation of integrated water resource management plans.
    • Design and management of marine protected areas.
    • Design and implementation of tools for coastal habitat restoration.
  • NOS leadership and participation in international organizations and partnerships, such as the UNEP Caribbean Environment Programme and International Coral Reef Initiative, helps to leverage resources and international capabilities for ecosystem-based management.

 

ACTIONS

  • Develop and exchange U.S. best practices to improve ecosystem-based approaches to management through coordination and integration of coastal area management, marine protected areas, and coral ecosystem management globally.
  • Develop and exchange modeling and predictive capabilities to enhance ecosystem-based approaches to management by understanding and managing the impacts of contaminants, diseases, and nutrient enrichment, with special emphasis on harmful algal blooms.
  • Develop specific regional initiatives to reduce key threats and build resilient marine and coastal ecosystems including a “Resilient Caribbean Ecosystems and Communities” initiative that integrates NOS/NOAA delivery of products and best management practices in this and other priority target regions.

 

NOS will strengthen U.S. and international capacity for stewardship of ocean and coastal ecosystems through international partnerships to develop, exchange, and implement:

  • Scientific results.
  • Data and information.
  • Products and services.
  • Best management practices with international partners.

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