MOTIONS, RESOLUTIONS, AND ACTION ITEMS APPROVED BY THE NOAA SCIENCE ADVISORY BOARD NOAA Science Advisory Board Meeting October 31 - November 2, 2000 Honolulu, Hawaii Motions RECOMMENDATION: Whereas the objective of the coral reef research program is to improve management, the SAB strongly recommends that a social scientist be added to its advisory board. RECOMMENDATIONS: The SAB recommends that (1) NOAA ask that the report, "The Nation's Environmental Data: Treasures at Risk," be reviewed by the National Academy of Sciences before it is sent to Congress and (2) that the Under Secretary take appropriate actions to implement the report. REQUEST: The SAB requests that NOAA provide a briefing on its water cycle activities at a future SAB meeting. REQUEST: The SAB requests that NOAA provide a briefing on its roles and responsibilities in the national global change research program at a future meeting. Resolutions The following statement will be added to the list of recommended priorities for the next NOAA administration. Support and actively be engaged in the implementation of the National Ocean Exploration Strategy as recommended by the SAB and the President's Panel on Ocean Exploration entitled: "Discovering Earth's Final Frontier: A US Strategy for Ocean Exploration." – President Clinton, on June 12, 2000, directed the Secretary of Commerce to convene a national panel of experts to develop a national strategy for ocean exploration. The Panel's report recommended a multidisciplinary national ocean exploration initiative, global in scope but initially focused on US waters covering both space and time. Implementation of the ocean exploration strategy requires interagency cooperation and coordination with NOAA as a necessary principal partner. The ocean exploration program should become an integral component of NOAA's core mission. RESOLUTION: Whereas, Undersea scientific research and exploration of the world's oceans and large seas is essential to understanding of the nature, content and dynamics of the marine environment and will result in new discoveries and increased knowledge; and Whereas, The new discoveries, knowledge and understanding of the subsurface world of the marine environment will be of significant economic, environmental, and social benefit to current and future generations; and Whereas, There currently exists no coordinated, integrated, or statutorily authorized interagency national underwater scientific research program; be it RESOLVED, That, consistent with the new national ocean exploration strategy called for in the NOAA Science Advisory Board and the President's Panel on Ocean Exploration's report "Discovering Earth's Final Frontier: A U.S. Strategy for Ocean Exploration," the NOAA Science Advisory Board recommends that the Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere take steps to secure Executive Branch and congressional authorization and support for a NOAA scientific undersea research program with the National Undersea Research Program (NURP) as an integral component. Action Items Through the Executive Director, Don Scavia will distribute copies of the CENR invasive species science plan to the SAB members. The Executive Director will solicit the SAB members for their interest in participating in the CCEHBR science review. Don Scavia, the Chair of the SAB and the Executive Director will work on the process for the CCEHBR review, especially regarding the role of the SAB and reporting to the SAB. The Executive Director will distribute the DOC Aquaculture Guidelines, the USDA policy on aquaculture, and any other documentation, policies, or guidelines from other federal agencies to the SAB. Each board member will provide the Executive Director with a list of scientific questions that need to be asked and answered with regard to a national aquaculture program. The SAB will advise the Under Secretary on the DOC Aquaculture Guidelines after discussion at a future meeting. The Executive Director will distribute a copy of the National Research Council Aquaculture Report to Susan Hanna, Peter Douglas, and Jake Rice. In collaboration with other members of the Aquaculture Subcommittee, Dr. Hanna will draft a document for the SAB outlining the aquaculture issues relevant to the establishment of DOC Aquaculture Guidelines. Dr. Stephenson-Hawk will provide the final draft of the NESDIS/ORA review to the SAB for consideration at a future meeting. With the assistance of the Executive Director, Dr. Hanna and Mr. Douglas will solicit comments from SAB members on the DOC Aquaculture Guidelines. With the comments and other documentation, including policies and guidelines from other federal agencies, they will report their findings to the SAB at a future meeting. SAB members will make suggestions to the Executive Director and Chair on topical themes for science reviews. The Coastal Science Subcommittee will present a set of questions about ocean and coastal monitoring to the Chair to be forwarded to NOAA. OAR report to the Chair the status of the Ocean Exploration Report, including what substantive changes have been made since it was approved at the September 29, 2000 SAB meeting. The Executive Director will distribute copies of the following documents to the SAB, when available: the interagency water cycle report, "Our Changing Planet: FY 2001 U.S. Global Change Research Program," and "Discovering Earth's Final Frontier: A US Strategy for Ocean Exploration."