More Effectively Using our Observing, Monitoring, Research and Education Infrastructure

This paper seeks to assist the US Commission on Ocean policy in their deliberations on ways to strengthen and improve the management of the nation's coastal and ocean environment. It provides a series of specific recommendations. The authors invite comments that will further clarify these recommendations. The authors believe that it is essential that public users in coastal states have access to continuous, long-term information about the status of the marine and coastal environment and ecosystems through a national network of regionally operated observing, monitoring and research efforts. The basis for this paper are preliminary recommendations prepared by the Coastal States Organization for the Ocean Commission at their August 2002 meeting in Alaska. (These full recommendations may be found at www.sso.org/cso) The purpose of the Coastal States Organization (CSO) is to shape and advance a national agenda that enhances the protection of coastal and ocean resources of the Nation and which furthers the vision for the coasts shared by member States, Territories and Commonwealths. It is a membership organization representing the Nation's 35 coastal governors. While the CSO August 2002 report to the Ocean Commission addresses four topics (governance; stewardship; monitoring, research, observing and education; and economics) this paper seeks to build only on the themes of monitoring, research, observing and education. For the purposes of this paper the authors see significant and complimentary overlap in these terms. Broadly stated monitoring is the systematic collection of mission-driven environmental data to determine current conditions, trends and natural variations. Observing is the collection of real-time environmental data for a host of uses. Research is scientific investigation and scholarly pursuit of knowledge. Education is the presentation of information in a manner that people can take action. A final component is assessment. This integrates data and produces information. The views stated in this paper are those of the authors and have not been placed before the CSO membership for their consideration.