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GLERL 2003 Milestone Reports
GLERL 2003 Milestone Home
GOAL 1: Protect, Restore, and Manage use of Ocean and Coastal Resources through Ecosystem Management Approaches
OBJECTIVE: Increase number and accuracy of forecasts of significant ecological events and trends (e.g., harmful algal blooms, coral bleaching, and population shifts)
Specific Strategy: Manage aquatic invasions by developing a dedicated NOAA Center for research on the subject.
Milestone: Plan and/or convene a workshop of NOAA researchers involved with or interested in aquatic invasive species to identify and discuss present research and future priorities and needs and develop cross-LO communication and coordination agreements.
Scientist: David Reid
Purpose: The NOAA Center for Research on Aquatic Invasive Species (NCRAIS) was established within OAR (administratively housed at GLERL) to assure cross-NOAA leadership, communication, and coordination for NOAA's research investments in support of understanding, preventing, and managing aquatic invasive species (AIS) in U.S. coastal ecosystems. The Center will function within the new NOAA AIS Matrix Program.
In order to establish a strategic plan for research and foster cross-LO research interactions, it is necessary to first identify what NOAA's programmatic drivers and requirements are, establish what research is needed in support of those requirements, what activities are presently being carried out, and what and who our core capabilities are.
Efforts: In April 2003 GLERL proposed to start the above process by convening a NOAA Workshop for (In-house) Invasive Species Research and Researchers and requested funds to support such a workshop.
Customers: NOAA Line Offices, AIS Matrix Manager, AIS Matrix Program
Significance: AIS are a national problem with national visibility. In order to establish a comprehensive coordinated and collaborative research program, the new Center must first identify and bring the various NOAA components together, including internal resources and expertise, and external collaborators and stakeholders, to develop a research strategic plan. The workshop was proposed to start this process by first identifying and organizing NOAA's internal core resources and capabilities. Future activities would then add external partners and stakeholders.
Success: : No funding was available in FY2003 to conduct the workshop. However, the AIS Matrix program was officially established in July 2003 and the Program Baseline Assessment (PBA) process was initiated in August 2003. These two actions supplanted the immediate need for a workshop during FY2003. NCRAIS Director, David Reid, is part of the Matrix Management Team as both OAR representative and NCRAIS representative. The NOAA AIS Matrix Program has been outlined in the PBA documentation. Completion of the PBA process will establish NOAA's programmatic drivers and requirements for the AIS Matrix Program, thus providing a firm basis and starting point for developing a NOAA strategic AIS research plan.
Next steps: a new workshop proposal and plans will be developed by NCRAIS in conjunction with the AIS Matrix Program during FY2004. The workshop will bring together NOAA's "core capabilities" - NOAA scientists and program managers interested in the AIS issue - to start developing a research strategic plan.
References:
Last updated: 2003-10-20 mbl