NSTC Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST)

The National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) established a Joint Subcommittee on Oceans in 2003. At the direction of the Ocean Action Plan, this group was expanded in 2005 to include Science and Technology. The JSOST reports to the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources in addition to the Interagency Committee on Ocean Science and Resource Management Integration (ICOSRMI). The JSOST adheres to the rules and regulations of the NSTC. The group consists of Deputy Assistant Secretaries or appropriate representatives from the Executive branch agencies and departments of the Committee on Ocean Policy. Click here for specific functions of the JSOST.

Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy

The JSOST developed the National Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy designed to establish and realize priorities for ocean science and technology for the next decade. This document was developed through a collaborative effort involving all federal agencies with interests and responsibilities linked to the ocean, as well as representatives from state and local governments, academia, industry, and non-governmental organizations. Community input was generated from a public workshop, two public comment periods, and a series of regional public and conference information sessions.

Recent Activities

In the fall of 2008, the JSOST and SIMOR prepared a joint overview report entitled, "Integrating Ocean Science and Resource Management: Interagency Report." This report highlights the purposes served by the collective federal ocean governance structure, and the organizational and operational principles that should be retained and embodied in a coordinated approach to federal ocean activities. The report also presents a high-level list of priorities shared among the ocean agencies, regardless of their specific missions. A corresponding presentation was developed as well.

Integrating Ocean Science and Resource Management: Interagency Report (pdf, 33.5 KB)

Integrating Ocean Science and Resource Management: Interagency Report - Presentation (pdf, 340 KB)

The Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Interagency Ocean Science and Technology Priorities Memorandum has been signed by ICOSRMI. This memorandum describes the FY 2010 interagency ocean science and technology priorities as called for in the Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy.

FY 2010 Interagency Ocean Science and Technology Priorities Memorandum (pdf, 4.34 Mb)

The JSOST hosted a constituent listening session on October 28, 2008, to solicit input from key leaders in the field so that JSOST's vision of its purpose, principles, and priorities is well informed by the greater ocean S&T community.

JSOST Constituent Listening Session Summary (pdf, 24.0 KB)

The JSOST held a Town Hall outreach event at the 2008 Ocean Sciences Meeting in Orlando, Florida, to discuss progress on the implementation of the Ocean Research Priorities Plan. The Town Hall presentations are listed below:

Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for the Next Decade (pdf, 547 KB)
National Research Council Infrastructure Studies (pdf, 46.4 KB)

The JSOST also held a Town Hall at the MTS/IEEE Oceans '08 conference in Quebec.

Interagency Working Group Activities

The JSOST oversees a number of Interagency Working Groups (IWGs). Some of their products are listed below:

Interagency Working Group on Ocean Observations (IWGOO):

The IWGOO drafted The Relationship Between the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) and the Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI) to address: the distinct but complementary nature of IOOS and OOI; steps to communicate with the ocean community to clarify any confusion that may exist about their relationship; and mechanisms to inform and strengthen planning.

The Relationship Between the Integrated Ocean Observing System and the Ocean Observatories Initiative (pdf, 125 KB)

Interagency Working Group on Harmful Algal Blooms, Hypoxia, and Human Health (IWG-4H):

The Scientific Assessment of Marine Harmful Algal Blooms describes the nature of harmful algal blooms in U.S. marine waters and reviews major advances in research over the last decade. The report focuses on marine harmful algae, discussing the general problem as well as highlighting major issues and accomplishments by U.S. region.

Scientific Assessment of Marine Harmful Algal Blooms (pdf, 7.89 Mb)

The report, HAB Management and Response: Assessment and Plan, describes the nature of harmful algal blooms in U.S. waters, Federal actions to predict and respond to HAB events, and presents a plan to enhance these capabilities and reduce the impacts of HABs on humans and the environment.

HAB Management and Response: Assessment and Plan (pdf, 6.57 Mb)

The Scientific Assessment of Freshwater Harmful Algal Blooms assesses the state of knowledge HABs in the U.S. and sets research priorities to work towards reducing impacts of these events.