Federal Resilience Programs: NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science | Article

More than 40 percent of the U.S. population—about 127 million people—live in coastal communities. These communities provide $6.6 trillion in economic activity and are home to 51 million jobs. Coastal ecosystems and communities are already having to contend with climate change impacts such as rising sea levels, more severe storms and weather, ocean acidification, coastal erosion, and more. Other stressors, such as increased nutrient pollution and development, are driving other coastal problems, including harmful algal blooms.

Federal programs, such as the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, aim to make coastal communities more resilient to climate change impacts and other environmental threats.

What are the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) created the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) in 1999 to deliver “ecosystem science solutions for stewardship of the Nation’s ocean and coastal resources to sustain thriving coastal communities and economies.” The program has four research focuses: coastal change, marine spatial ecology, social science, and stressor impacts and mitigation. By conducting scientific research, NCCOS aims to help address many of the challenges facing coastlines.

How does NCCOS relate to climate adaptation and resilience?

From sea level rise to ocean acidification, climate change is negatively impacting coastal ecosystems and communities, and those impacts will increase in the future. By conducting scientific research related to these issues, NCCOS helps coastal managers and planners and officials in federal, state, local, and Tribal governments make informed climate resilience decisions based on current and future coastal conditions.

How do the NCCOS work?

There are five NCCOS facilities conducting research on a variety of coastal issues. Two are in Maryland and the other three are in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Alaska. NCCOS also supports the Competitive Research Program (CRP) and the RESTORE Science Program, which fund research projects related to NCCOS’s mission. From 2015 to 2020, NCCOS CRP provided $68.5 million to fund 113 projects.

NCCOS in Action: Nature-based Solutions in California

Since the late 1800s, the global mean sea level has risen by about 8-9 inches, primarily due to melting ice sheets and glaciers and seawater expansion caused by increased temperatures. As the climate and oceans continue to warm, sea levels are expected to rise 12 inches above 2000 levels by the end of the century. As a result, coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems will be put at increased risk from flooding, erosion, and storms.

In 2019, NCCOS began to research how nature-based solutions could help protect California coastal communities and infrastructure from sea level rise and provide ecosystem services, such as water quality improvements. The project—set to be completed in August 2022—aims primarily to advance understanding of how nature-based solutions can reduce flooding. NCCOS is pursuing several other projects in California focusing on topics such as climate impacts, restoration, and resilience.

What did NCCOS accomplish in 2021?

In 2021, NCCOS researchers published a vulnerability assessment of Los Angeles County to help decision makers better understand and plan for climate change impacts and coastal hazards. And, NCCOS’s Effects of Sea Level Rise Program provided $4.6 million in 2021 to fund 13 research projects that will help other communities manage rising sea levels. Other NCCOS accomplishments in 2021 include providing data to the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to inform offshore wind energy development, expanding harmful algal bloom forecasting in Florida, and rehabilitating coral affected by stony coral tissue loss disease. Additionally, the NCCOS National Phytoplankton Monitoring Network—a community-based network that monitors harmful algal blooms—has trained more than 150 citizen scientists in the past five years, allowing state officials to better respond and manage algal blooms.

What is the current state of NCCOS?

In 2021, Congress encouraged “NCCOS to consider expanding efforts related to coastal sustainability and resilience, including assessing the effects of land-use on coastal and marine resources, measuring societal benefits of coastal restoration and green infrastructure, encouraging citizen science monitoring of coastal and marine resources, and assessing the adaptive capacity of human communities to coastal hazards.”

Author: Savannah Bertrand