The Coastal Ocean Program (COP) was formed in 1989 (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.