Help Shape The Future Of Ocean Science Research

Release Date
02/06/2017
 Decadal Ocean Research Plan_iStock
Ocean Science Research for the 
Next Decade. Photo: Courtesy 
of the Subcommittee on 
Ocean Science and Technology.

Help shape the future of ocean science research by submitting your thoughts on the structure and content on the next 10-year ocean research plan.

Join Dr. Rodney Cluck, Chief of the Division of Environmental Sciences at the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and other federal leaders at a February 8 public meeting in New Orleans hosted by the National Science and Technology Council’s (NSTC) Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST), which is accepting input on the upcoming plan.

This new plan will supersede the NSTC’s “Charting the Course for Ocean Science in the United States for the Next Decade: An Ocean Research Priorities Plan and Implementation Strategy,” that was published in 2007 and updated in 2013. The plan will describe the most pressing research questions and most promising areas of opportunity within the ocean science and technology enterprise for the coming decade. It will set the stage for actions across Federal agencies and with non-Federal entities to address societal needs and issues of national importance.

As a leading member of the nation’s ocean science community, BOEM's Environmental Studies Program  develops, funds, and manages rigorous scientific research to inform policy decisions regarding resource development on the outer continental shelf (OCS) – oil and gas, renewable energy, and non-energy marine minerals. BOEM incorporates findings from the studies program into its consultation process, environmental reviews and National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents, which are used to determine steps to mitigate and/or monitor the impact of resource development on the OCS. BOEM oversees scientific research conducted through contracts, cooperative agreements with state institutions or public colleges and universities in affected coastal states, and inter- and intra-agency agreements. The ESP regularly conducts research with partners under the umbrella of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program. So bring your ideas and help shape the future.

Dr. Cluck will participate in the following session, which is free and open to the public:2017 Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill and Ecosystem Science Conference:
Special Town Hall: Ocean Research in the Coming Decade
Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Time: 5:45-7:15 p.m. CST 
Location: Hyatt Regency Hotel, Empire A
601 Loyola Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70113

For more information, visit the event website.

Although the formal public input period closed January 1st, the SOST has been hosting a number of public meetings and conference panels to provide the public with opportunities to learn more about the plan and to put forth comments.  See the Ocean Research Plan website for additional details on the upcoming community engagement events. Written comments and inquiries regarding these events or the plan in general may be submitted to oceanresearchplan@nsf.gov.  

Marjorie.Weisskohl@boem.gov
Public Affairs Specialist
Environmental Studies Program &
Marine Minerals Program
Bureau of Ocean Energy Management
(703) 787-1304
(202) 615-7509