MACOORA Board Meeting

Josie Quintrell, NFRA Executive Director

October, 2010

MACOORA Board Meeting

What does NFRA do?

• Advocacy - Funding; ICOOS Act; Oil Spill legislation (ORCA, IOOS language)

• Building a presence in DC: monthly trips, Board trips• Interface with national program – work on issues such as

performance metrics, build awareness of regional activities,

• Respond to Regional Needs - Product Development workshop, Regional Document, shared information

• Build partnerships at national level - Ocean Leadership, AEO, NGO, Friends of NOAA, Industry, etc

• Published “Providing Coastal Information in a Changing Climate” The Regional Contribution to the National IOOS” February 2010

– Highlights what products and services will be developed for the $33 m request

– Focuses on 5 themes: • Marine Operations

• Climate Variability and Change

• Ecosystems, Fisheries and Water Quality

• Coastal Hazards

• Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning

• First time all 11 RAs have come together to create a vision for what regional IOOS has to offer

• Revise and update once RA proposals are completed

National Ocean Policy First National Ocean PolicyGoal 9: Ocean, Coastal, and Great Lakes Observations, Mapping, and Infrastructure:“Strengthen and integrate Federal and non-Federal ocean observing systems, sensors,data collection platforms, data management, and mapping capabilities into a nationalsystem and integrate that system into international observation efforts.”

Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning: Key Focus….would be adaptive and flexible to accommodate changing environmental conditions and impacts, including those associated with global climate change, sea level rise, and ocean acidification; and new and emerging uses, advances in science andtechnology, and policy changes

“…..a national information management system with either a central portal or regional portals that connect to CMSP information would be developed. The NOC would identify a Federal lead agency or collaborative entity to manage,implement, and update the CMSP portal(s) and components of the information management system.

Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill Response:IOOS and its partners respond

“We’ve all been uplifted by the IOOS response to the oil spill” S Murkowski, NOAA

Regional Circulation Models

Rutgers hosted website for glider response

USM redeployed 3 HFR; data management work allowed access to data

Subsurface monitoring plan:IOOS staff at Unified Command lead for subsurface monitoring

Funding History

•Pres = President’s Budget Request; Fin = Final Adopted Budget; HFR= High Frequency Radar; Req= IOOS Request

• FY 10: $27 includes $20m for Regional IOOS; $4m for Model Interoperability Testbed and $3m for ACT• FY 11: Senate numbers includes $24m for regional comp grants, including multiple region academic NGO and $3m for ACT• Continuing Resolution (CR) in effect until Dec. Lame duck sessioncould take up approp bills or pass CR . •FY 12 - At OMB now, passed back to agencies in Nov.

Oil Spill Activities

• Oil Spill Legislation

• NFRA focusing on IOOS issues– House Bill - HR 3534 “CLEAR” would establish the Ocean Resources

Conservation and Assistance (ORCA) Fund. – 10% of OCS revenues dedicated to ORCA – ORCA Funds to support:

• 70% to coastal states (35% to producing states; 35% to other coastal states)• 20% of ORCA would support long-term monitoring through IOOS; • 10% to grants regional ocean governance alliances

Provisions are in House consolidated bill that past in June– Senate Bills – No action

• NFRA submitted regarding data management and consideration of RA assets in oil spill assessment work.

– National Endowment for the Oceans (NEO) – Senate’s version of ORCA. Not included

• Funded from interest on Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, OCS Revenues (oil and renewables), fines• Does not mention observing but does set up regional grant program that RAs would be eligible

BP $500 m for research, being administered by Gulf of Mexico Alliance

Looking Ahead• Nov 2nd Elections • RA Meetings:

– NFRA Annual Meeting – Mon. Nov 15

– IOOS Coordination Workshop• IOOC/RA Briefing Nov 16

• Ocean Leader Meeting Nov 17

• Federal/Regional Planning Nov 17

• RA Reviews Nov 18

– Ocean Hill Reception Feb

– IOOS Hill Meetings March

• Revise regional document – based on new proposals• Nurture national partnership - maritime industry, renewable energy• Gaps analysis – required by ICOOS Act• RA Certification - IOOC and NOAA working on now• Product development - national product? Continue sharing

products

J. Wallinga 2005

Questions?

Thank you