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At the Agencies
Commercial and recreational fisheries remain a strong contributor to the United States economy, according to the annual Fisheries of the United States report released on November 1st by NOAA.
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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) has signed an agreement with Brevard County, Fla., and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Jacksonville District (Corps) authorizing the use of sand from federal waters for the Brevard County Shore Protection Project (North Reach and South Reach). Benefits from the beach nourishment are expected to reduce erosion resulting from Hurricane Matthew in October 2016.
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The average global temperature set in October 2017 was 1.31 degrees F above the 20th-century average of 57.1 degrees, according to scientists from NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information. This average temperature tied 2003 as the fourth highest for October in the 138-year-old climate record. October 2017 was the 41st consecutive October and the 394th consecutive month where temperatures rose above the 20th-century average.
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NOAA 2018 tide tables are now available. NOAA tide tables have been in production for over 150 years and are used by both commercial and recreational mariners for safe navigation. Printed tide tables provide users with tide and tidal current predictions in an easy-to-read format for particular locations. NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services produce these tide tables on an annual basis.
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In the News
Polluted groundwater threatens coral reefs -
Coral reefs already stressed by ocean acidification are particularly vulnerable to polluted groundwater, according to a recent study by USGS geologist Nancy Prouty and colleagues. Rising atmospheric CO2 is causing a gradual decrease in ocean pH, making it more difficult for corals to grow calcium carbonate skeletons and enhancing rates of dissolution and bioerosion-the breakdown of coral by other organisms. The authors show that polluted groundwater discharging onto coral reefs off west Maui, Hawai'i, further lowers seawater pH and exposes corals to nitrate concentrations 50 times higher than normal.
Scientists have developed a computer simulation tool to predict short-term flood hazards on coral-reef-lined coasts and to assess longer-term impacts from climate change. The assessments will give input to estimate societal or economic risk and damage from such flooding. The tool can be used to play "what-if" games and ask questions such as, "how will flood risk change if the coral on this reef dies, or if sea level rises by more than 1 meter?"
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In the States and Regions
East Coast
Governor Rick Scott's Securing Florida's Future budget recommends more than $1.7 billion to protect and enhance Florida's environment - a more than $220 million increase over the current year. The Securing Florida's budget builds on the key investments made by Governor Scott in Florida's environment over the past seven years, including Everglades restoration, springs protection, beach and shoreline restoration and renourishment, and the management and enhancement of some of Florida's most prized natural treasures, including Florida State Parks.
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Delaware's Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control will hold two public workshops this month seeking input as DNREC begins the regulatory process for developing regulations for the Coastal Zone Conversion Permit Act, which Governor John Carney signed into law in August.
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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has provided more than $90 million toward the recent completion of seven water quality improvement projects in Central and South Florida. The funding was awarded through DEP's Division of Water Restoration Assistance's various funding resources and programs.
"We are pleased to partner with water management districts, cities and local municipalities to fund infrastructure needs," said Drew Bartlett, DEP deputy secretary for ecosystems restoration. "Projects ranging from septic to sewer conversions and aging pipe replacement to shoreline stabilization and nutrient reduction are vital to helping Florida's springs, rivers and waterways meet water quality goals."
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Gulf Coast
A team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service have synthesized existing information on ecological thresholds related to environmental changes for 45 species of coastal fish, wildlife, and plants. The selected species are ecologically, economically, and culturally important. Published in Ocean & Coastal Management, the new paper "A synthesis of thresholds for focal species along the U.S. Atlantic and Gulf Coasts" offers insights on strategies for managing coastal resources to help managers make effective decisions today to protect natural systems that sustain wildlife and the health and well-being of people and communities.
West Coast and Pacific Islands
Under a settlement agreement with the Washington state Department of Ecology, a family trust from Canada has agreed to restore a shoreline and wetland on Lake Osoyoos in Okanogan County. In winter 2013, the Teade DeVries Family Trust from Langley, British Columbia, installed without authorization a 500-foot-long bulkhead and filled in a wetland on a 1.3-acre parcel of lakeshore property. As part of the settlement, the trust will remove the bulkhead and fill material, and restore the shoreline and wetlands. The trust entered into the agreement after having appealed an administrative order from Ecology in August 2015 to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board.
Great Lakes
On Tuesday (Nov 16), the
Great Lakes Commission (GLC), in partnership with
Lawrence Technological University (LTU), kicked off the Great Lakes Stormwater Technology Transfer Collaborative.
The new group aims to spread the use of advanced stormwater technology throughout the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River region in the United States and Canada - overcoming barriers to getting the right stormwater technology to the right people and places.
A special commission representing Canada and the United States released a
report Tuesday morning about efforts to restore and protect the Great Lakes.
The group, called the
International Joint Commission or IJC, has been around for over a century and is tasked with preventing conflicts between the two countries over shared waters.
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Announcements & More
Funding Opportunity
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and the Wildlife Habitat Council, in cooperation with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, USDA Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, FedEx, and Southern Company are pleased to solicit applications for the
2018 Five Star and Urban Waters Restoration program. The Five Star and Urban Waters program will award approximately $2 million in grants nationwide.
NOAA Section 309 Projects of Special Merit FFO now Available
2018 Projects of Special Merit Federal Funding Announcement was published on
grants.gov last week. The announcement number is: NOAA-NOS-OCM-2018-2005389. Proposals are due to NOAA on
Friday, January 5th.
The funding is open to eligible coastal management programs - 2 applications allowed per CZM program; $250k max per project; focus on
hazards or advancing comprehensive ocean and Great Lakes planning efforts.
FEMA Job Aid Available to Help Local Communities with Mitigation Planning Grant Sub-application
Developing a local hazard mitigation plan can help your community reduce the loss of life and property by lessening the impact of hazards. FEMA's Hazard Mitigation Assistance (HMA) Program provides planning grants to communities looking to develop or update their hazard mitigation plans. A
new job aid is available for communities which provides HMA guidance to prepare a planning grant scope of work for a local mitigation plan. In this job aid, guidance is provided for assistance in developing a strong, comprehensive planning grant sub-application. Information about the Hazard Mitigation program is available at
www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-assistance. Information about the mitigation planning program can be found at
www.fema.gov/hazard-mitigation-planning.
Public Comment Period for the Fourth National Climate Assessment (NCA4)
Public comment on the draft report is an critical component of the NCA process, and NOAA wants to encourage the public to review and comment on of the NCA4 no later than
January 31, 2018. To find and review the NCA4 visit:
review.globalchange.gov . To read the full notice, please
click here
.
To familiarize the public with the NCA and the Review & Comment website, the US Global Change Research Program is hosting a series of webinars on the following dates:
- Saturday, Nov 18, 3pm EST
- Wednesday, Dec 6, 5pm EST
- Tuesday, Jan 16, 8pm EST
Passcode: 9663019548#
Coastal Zone Management in Action!
NOAA posts coastal zone management in action stories on their website (
coast.noaa.gov/states/stories/index). The information in this searchable database is used in a variety of ways, including filling information requests from congress and the media, and fodder for speeches, handouts, and various outreach efforts. The information comes mostly from the NOAA liaisons and program staff and the reports state programs submit to NOAA each year. If you have questions about this effort or want to submit story ideas, please contact
Kitty.Fahey@noaa.gov or
Donna.McCaskill@noaa.gov. See few examples below.
Worth Exploring! Using Nature to Address Flooding
Nature offers a powerful set of tools for addressing hazards like flooding and erosion. Nature-based solutions use natural systems, mimic natural processes, or work in tandem with traditional approaches to address these specific hazards. Communities across the country- along rivers or coasts, large or small, rural or urban - can incorporate nature-based solutions in local planning, zoning, regulations, and built projects to help reduce their exposure to flood and erosion impacts.
OneNOAA Science Seminars, 2017
Date & time: December 6, 2017 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm ET
Date & Time: January 25, 2018 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET
Seminars are open to the public. For remote access, location, abstracts and more, visit the OneNOAA Science Seminar Calendar at:
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/
Seminars are posted in Eastern Time and subject to changes without notice; please check the web page for the latest seminar updates.
Events & Webinars
December 13, 2017
January 17 -19, 2018
January 31 - February 1, 2018
February 21 - 22, 2018
June 11- 14, 2018
July 2 - 5, 2018
December 8 - 13, 2018
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Call for Proposals Now Available
Investing In Our Coasts: Environment, Economy, Culture
America's coasts continue to be a focal point for gauging our nation's well-being on many fronts. The Summit theme, "Investing In Our Coasts: Environment, Economy, Culture," explores the wide variety of roles our coasts play, ranging from economic to environmental to cultural.
RAE welcomes you to submit a proposal for the Program and participate via an oral presentation, dedicated or alternative session, or poster. Please see the Call for Proposals for details and plan to join us!
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