You are here: Home › About Us › Center History
Center History
The Coastal Ocean Program (COP) was formed in 1992 (Section 201(c) of P.L. 102-567) under the jurisdiction of NOAA’s Office of the Chief Scientist to coordinate the coastal research activities across NOAA’s offices. In 1999, the NOAA Ocean Service undertook a reorganization, which included the creation of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). Within NCCOS, the Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR) was formed, and became the new home of COP, continuing the coordination of NOAA’s coastal ocean research. NCCOS was tasked with establishing effective partnerships between NOAA and external scientific and technical experts to improve the scientific basis for environmental decisions in U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters.
Since its inception, CSCOR has focused on the challenge of developing the information and tools necessary for longer-range management and policy decisions at larger and more complex scales than are traditional. To meet this challenge, CSCOR has developed and refined operating principles that foster collaboration and integration among NOAA offices, academia, and coastal and fisheries resource managers. As such, CSCOR has a long history of interaction and collaboration across programs within NOAA and with other federal agencies. These operating principles have been supported by the National Research Council which has conducted two external reviews of CSCOR and by Congress through appropriations which have grown from $6.5 Million to $35 Million over the history of CSCOR.