NROC News – February 2017

NROC News – monthly news and updates from NROC, its member agencies and partners.

NROC would like you to know –

• NROC’s 2017-18 committee work plans are now available on the committee pages of the NROC website – Coastal Hazards Resilience, and Ocean and Coastal Ecosystem Health.

NROC Partners would like you to know –

• Reminder – Public Meeting for the Next 10-year Federal Ocean Research Plan on 2/19/17 at the New England Aquarium:  The Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (SOST), under the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), is requesting input on the structure and content of its upcoming 10-year ocean research plan (tentatively titled “Ocean Research in the Coming Decade”). 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 (S&T) 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. Although the formal public input period closed January 1^st, the SOST is is hosting a public meeting at the New England Aquarium Harborside Learning Lab this Sunday, February 19^th from 1-2 p.m. to provide the public with opportunities to learn more about the Plan and to put forth comments. The public meeting will consist of a panel of SOST representatives from Federal agencies who will provide a brief overview presentation of the Plan, followed by a Q/A session with the audience. Panelists include Dr. Richard W. Murray, NSF; Dr. Libby Jewett, NOAA; and Dr. Stacey Degrasse, FDA. Input provided by the audience will be recorded and incorporated into the comments database that is used to assist in the development of the Plan. For more information on this, and other scheduled events, visit the plan’s webpage.

• 2017 Resilient Communities Program RFP:  The Resilient Communities Program, a new effort launched by Wells Fargo and NFWF, is designed to prepare for future environmental challenges by enhancing community capacity to plan and implement resiliency projects and improve the protections afforded by natural ecosystems by investing in green infrastructure and other measures. This new program will be making two types of grants: Regional Adaptation through Regional Conservation Projects, and Community Capacity Building and Demonstration Projects. Pre-proposals are due March 30, 2017. You can find more information at the program website.
• 2017 Ocean Technology Transition Project FFO: The U.S. IOOS Program is seeking to fund projects which advance new or existing technology-based solutions that address long standing and emerging coastal observing, product development, and data management challenges. The projects will be focused on those technologies for which there are demonstrated operators who commit to integrated, long term use of those technologies and open data sharing. Funding will be targeted to technologies that are sufficiently mature for long-term operations. This announcement specifically funds activities needed to progress these technologies through the transitional stages between research and full operations such as system integration, testing, validation, and verification. Full proposals are due by Monday, March 20, 2017. See the full opportunity announcement for more information.
• Gulf of Maine Council Annual Awards: The GOMC is currently accepting nominations for its 2017 awards to recognize individuals and/or groups for outstanding efforts to protect and improve the environment in the Gulf of Maine region. The deadline for nominations is March 31, 2017. Click here for more information on the various awards and how to submit nominations.
• Screening of Ocean Frontiers III: Leaders in Ocean Stewardship & the New Blue Economy: The Seacoast Science Center and Conservation Law Foundation are hosting a film screening, followed by an expert panel discussion, on the evening of March 9^th at the Seacoast Science Center. The film spotlights the United State’s first-ever regional ocean plans in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic and chronicles efforts to plan for a healthy, safe, and sustainable future. Click here for more information on the event.