Ocean Studies Board: 2019-2020 Annual Report (2023)

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Studies and Workshop Topic Areas COASTAL STUDIES A Report Series on Long Term Environmental Trends in the Gulf of Mexico Restoration projects can provide a number of community benefits, from improving water quality, to supporting fisheries and recreation areas, to protecting against flooding. However, recent events like Hurricanes Sally and Laura have shown that the progress of these projects can be quickly undone. Part of a series from the Gulf Research Program, this study will assess the cumulative effects of multiple restoration projects along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast. The committee will consider the effects of acute events and long-term physical changes on resto- ration projects; discuss synergistic and antagonistic effects of long-term restoration activi- ties; recommend adaptive management strategies; and assess the relevant existing resources and available data for informing decision making. The study will help fulfill one of GRP’s top goals—monitoring progress and documenting how the health of the Gulf is changing over time. 7 

8 STUDIES AND WORKSHOP TOPIC AREAS FISHERIES AND SCIENCE MANAGEMENT Data and Management Strategies for Recreational Fisheries with Annual Catch Limits Marine recreational fishing is conducted across the nation, and is a positive driver of the Ameri- can blue economy. Given the high demand for recreational fishing and pressure of direct harvest on many marine fish stocks, effective marine recreational fisheries management is critical to ensuring the quality and ecological sustainability of this activity. A 2017 National Academies report, Review of the Marine Recreational Information Program, highlighted the difficulty of collecting necessary data on recreational fisheries. In some cases, enforcement of catch limits to prevent overfishing requires short recreational fishing seasons, further complicating data collection, monitoring, and management. This study focuses on how well the NOAA Fisheries Marine Recreational Information Program meets the needs of in-season management of fish- eries with annual catch limits (ACLs), and how survey methods or management strategies could be modified to better meet those needs. Limited Access Privilege Programs in Mixed Use Fisheries Under a limited access privilege program (LAPP), individuals receive a permit to a defined portion of the total allowable catch for a particular fish stock. The Modernizing Recreational Fisheries Management Act of 2018 mandated a National Academies study that considers the use of LAPPs in mixed-use fisheries. Specifically, the study committee is reviewing Red Snap- per, and Grouper and Tilefish, managed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council; Wreckfish, managed by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; Golden Tilefish, managed by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; and Bluefin Tuna, managed by the Secretary of Commerce. For each of these LAPPs, the committee will assess the progress in meeting relevant goals of the program and the Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act; assess the social, economic, and ecological effects; assess any stakeholder impacts; recommend policies to address impacts; identify and recommend the different fac- tors and information that should be considered when designing, establishing, or maintaining a LAPP in a mixed-use fishery. 

STUDIES AND WORKSHOP TOPIC AREAS 9 FISHERIES AND SCIENCE MANAGEMENT CONT. Fisheries Subcommittee As OSB has played a major role in fisheries science, management, and policy through its stud- ies, the OSB Fisheries Subcommittee provides an open forum for those interested in fisheries science and policy to bring technical and policy concerns for discussion and possible action. A primary responsibility of this subcommittee is to initiate fisheries-related studies and ensure that they are carried out successfully. The Fisheries Subcommittee typically meets once each year in conjunction with Board meetings to: • Present the results of recently completed studies related to fisheries • Review the progress of studies underway • Discuss emerging concerns in fisheries science, management, and policy and set priorities for future activities Participation in the fisheries subcommittee is open to any member of the OSB with an interest in fishery related topics. Agency scientists and managers, as well as local fishery experts, are invited to participate in meetings of the group. This project is funded by the National Marine Fisheries Service. 

10 STUDIES AND WORKSHOP TOPIC AREAS GLOBAL CHANGE AND THE OCEAN A Research Strategy for Ocean-based Carbon Dioxide Removal and Sequestration The ocean covers about 70% of the Earth’s surface and already buffers a large fraction of an- thropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Hence, much of the global capacity for natural carbon sequestration is in the ocean. Natural processes on land and ocean have removed rough- ly 55% of emitted CO2, but it may be possible to enhance both the uptake and longer-term sequestration potential of these processes. Several CDR strategies propose to accelerate these biological and chemical processes to remove CO2 from the atmosphere more rapidly, including: rebuilding ocean ecosystems (especially components that export carbon to the deep sea), artificial upwelling and downwelling to en- hance algal growth and transport to deep water, seawater CO2 stripping, seaweed permacul- ture, as well as ocean fertilization and increasing ocean alkalinity through enhanced weather- ing. An ad hoc committee of the National Academies will explore these ocean-based approaches to carbon dioxide removal (CDR) and sequestration and provide a path forward for research and development of promising CDR approaches. Identifying New Community-Driven Science Themes for NSF’s Support of Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change(P2C2): A Workshop Paleoclimate science is a broad and highly integrative field that aims to understand the natural variability of Earth’s climate. Over the last decades, paleoclimate research has advanced under- standing of the magnitudes, rates and drivers of past climate variability on a range of times- cales, providing a baseline and understanding for use in assessing current and future climate variability and change. These advances reflect progress in developing and understanding new proxies, as well as in integrating these proxy records with numerical models. Conducted to inform efforts by the National Science Foundation as they develop future solici- tations for the Paleo Perspectives on Climate Change (P2C2) Program, this workshop seeks to identify potential future paleoclimate research directions. Drawing upon broad community in- put collected via an online questionnaire, workshop discussions will address gaps in our current understanding of past climate variability and processes, and new research strategies and tech- nological capabilities that could practically fill these knowledge gaps. 

STUDIES AND WORKSHOP TOPIC AREAS 11 MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCES United States Contributions to Global Ocean Plastic Waste The accumulation of plastic pollution in the ocean has captured the attention of both the sci- entific community and the public over the past decade. Plastics have been found throughout aquatic ecosystems, from the surface to the depths of the ocean, remote areas of the Arctic, and in our largest freshwater reservoir, the Great Lakes. Because plastics undergo little physical or biological degradation in the environment, they tend to accumulate in the downstream waste sites, notably in the ocean and other large water bodies. Requested in the “Save Our Seas Act 2.0” law, enacted in 2020, this study brings together a committee of experts to study the United States contributions to global ocean plastic waste. The bill directs NOAA to engage the National Academies “to undertake a multifaceted study that: (1) evaluates the U.S. contributions to global ocean plastic waste, including types, sources, and geographic variations, (2) assesses the prevalence of marine debris and mismanaged plastic waste in saltwater and freshwater United States navigable waterways and tributaries, (3) exam- ines the import and export of plastic waste to and from the United States; and (4) identifies the potential means to reduce U.S. contributions to global ocean plastic waste.” Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects Anthropogenic release of oil into the environment occurs during oil extraction, transportation, and consumption. The National Academies last produced a study on the inputs, fates, and ef- fects of petroleum-based hydrocarbon mixtures in the sea in 2003. After the Deepwater Hori- zon (DWH) oil spill disaster in 2010, a concerted research effort has generated a wealth of new publications on oil spills supported through the DWH Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) and the Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative (GOMRI). Standards and practices have also been changing for the oil extraction, transportation, and consumption industries. This committee will provide an update of the previous report’s inventory of the sources, com- position, and quantity of hydrocarbon inputs based on changes in industry practices affecting oil spills and chronic inputs, as well as an assessment of the state of the science on the fate and effects of fossil fuel hydrocarbons in the marine environment. This update also will reflect new oil quantification methods and scientific information about oil transport and environmental impacts gained since 2003. 

12 STUDIES AND WORKSHOP TOPIC AREAS MARINE ENVIRONMENT AND RESOURCES CONT. Environmental Impact of Currently Marketed Sunscreens and Potential Human Impacts of Changes in Sunscreen Usage Concerns have been raised about the potential toxicity of sunscreens to a variety of marine and freshwater aquatic organisms, particularly corals. At the same time, there are concerns that people will use less sunscreen rather than substituting sunscreens with UV filters that are considered environmentally safe. This study will review the state of science on use of sunscreen ingredients that are currently marketed in the United States, their fates and effects in aquatic environments (focusing on U.S. aquatic environments but with consideration of international studies), and the potential public health implications associated with reduced use. The commit- tee will organize information about environmental fates and effects in a manner that would be informative for the application of ecological risk assessment. Developing a Booklet on Biodiversity for the Public and Policy Makers The National Academies convened an international committee to produce a brief, clear sum- mary to help the public learn why biodiversity is important, why it is at risk, and actions that decision makers in government and the private sector could take to reverse species declines and loss of biodiversity. The goal is to raise awareness among the public of the importance of biodiversity and actions that can be taken from an individual to the global level to stem or even reverse biodiversity declines. 

STUDIES AND WORKSHOP TOPIC AREAS 13 THE OCEAN RESEARCH ENTERPRISE Assessment and Advancement of Science in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management’s Environmental Studies Program The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) is a mission-driven agency within the De- partment of Interior that is tasked with managing resources on the outer continental shelf. Effective assessment and management by BOEM depends on adequate and defensible science. To succeed in this mission, BOEM strives to have a science program within their Environmental Studies Program that is regarded as “first in class.” This committee will plan workshops and produce a short report outlining how BOEM can achieve “first in class” status for the use-in- spired science program within their Environmental Studies Program. The focus of the work- shops might include consideration of how “class” is defined, including which peer agencies might fall within the “class”; metrics for success; and lessons learned from peer agencies. Advancing a Systems Approach to Studying the Earth: A Strategy for the National Science Foundation The Earth is a complex system, with myriad interactions and feedbacks among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, cryosphere, biosphere, and the individuals, institutions, and technol- ogies that respond to and influence these dynamics. Many pressing societal concerns -- such as ensuring a fresh water supply, responding to natural disasters, and retreating from sea level rise -- involve multiple processes that interact in dynamic and often nonlinear ways. A sys- tems-based approach to scientific research can yield understanding across all aspects of Earth’s interconnected processes.This study will develop a compelling vision for a systems approach to studying the Earth and identifies facilities, infrastructure, coordinating mechanisms, comput- ing, and workforce development needed to support that vision.