CSCOR fact sheet (PDF)
The Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR) develops and
improves predictive capabilities for managing the Nation's use of its
coastal resources through competitive research programs. CSCOR also
supports efforts to translate the results of its research investments,
and those of others, into accessible and useful information for coastal
managers, planners, lawmakers, and the public to help balance the needs
of economic growth with those of conserving the resources of our Nation's
Great Lakes, estuaries, and coastal ocean.
CSCOR provides a focal point for coastal ocean research within the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National
Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS). Together with partners within
NOAA and other organizations responsible for coastal resources, CSCOR
advances the scientific understanding needed to protect coastal resources
and ensure their viability for future generations. This increased understanding
of the Great Lakes and coastal ocean directly benefits the management
of U.S. coastal resources, and helps NOAA, other federal agencies,
and state, tribal, and local governments achieve their coastal stewardship
responsibilities.
Experts Identify Practices to Improve the Link between Regional Ecosystem Science and Management
Program Areas
CSCOR uses a mix of regional ecosystem and targeted studies to address
pressing national issues affecting coastal communities. Such an approach
allows CSCOR to address complex coastal issues within a coordinated,
interdisciplinary framework. CSCOR and the other NCCOS centers focus
on five key stressors or causes
of ecosystem change: climate
change, extreme
natural events, pollution, invasive
species, and land
and resources use. All CSCOR programs are undertaken with the understanding
that coastal issues are complex, and that these stressors interact
with one another. CSCOR research seeks to understand the impacts of
these stressors on coastal ecosystems, including the human dimension
of social and economic impacts. CSCOR is ideally suited to evaluate
these problems in an ecosystem framework that accounts for the interactions
between the different stressor categories (i.e., multiple stressors)
and ecosystem components (e.g., airshed, watershed, coastal waters).
Within these 5 broad stressor categories, CSCOR conducts research
programs that span a range of spatial and geographic scales in ecosystems
from coastal watersheds to the outer boundary of the U.S. Exclusive
Economic Zone (200 miles from U.S. coastline), including the:
- Coastal Oceans,
which encompass continental shelf and gulf regions outside of local
coastlines and estuaries, as well as the Great Lakes;
- Estuaries,
which include watershed and coastal ocean influences on estuarine
dynamics;
- National Marine Sanctuaries,
areas designated for preservation, and;
- Coral
Reefs.
Different science issues predominate in each of these areas, although
it is recognized that each region has influence on the others and issues
can span multiple regions. Because management regimes differ in these
regions, user groups and stakeholders may be different in the different
regions as well. CSCOR works closely with these user groups and stakeholders,
as well as leading scientists, to prioritize its research agenda.