Sea Grant Regional Research Planning
Gulf of Maine Regional Ocean Science Plan to Support Ecosystem-Based Management
Jonathan Pennock, Director New Hampshire Sea Grant College Program
Background
• Gulf of Maine Project led by MIT Sea Grant (Chrys Chryssostomidis & Judy Peterson) with MESG, NHSG, WHSG, RISG, CTSG & NYSG (Directors) • Planning being carried out in a region in which numerous research plans have previously been developed through NOPP, Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment, Northeast Regional Ocean Council (Governor’s & Canadian Premiers), etc… • Committed to working with Canada and also Northeast Shallow Seas (south of Cape Cod)
Background
Actions/Activities: • • • • • • • • Create Regional Ocean Science Council (ROSC) Gather Information on Previous/Ongoing Efforts Develop Web Site Facilitate Stakeholder Meetings Integrate with Ongoing Efforts in Issue Prioritization Support Workshops Addressing Specific Priority Areas Develop ‘Living Research Plan’ Establish Niche for Sea Grant • Develop Funding Mechanisms
• Facilitate Outreach/Education • Link to Researchers
Status
Create Regional Ocean Sciences Council
• Advisory Board for Gulf of Maine Effort • Members Include
• • • • • • • • • • John Annala (GMRI) Bruce Carlisle (Massachusetts CZM Program) Ames Colt (RI Governor’s Office) Ron O’Dor (Dalhousie University & Census of Marine Life) Robert Pomeroy (UCONN) Bill Schwab (USGS – Woods Hole) Mike Sinclair (DFO – Canada) Nancy Thompson (NOAA-NMFS – NFSC) Ed Tiffany (CambridgeSoft Corporation) 7 Regional Sea Grant Directors
Status
Gather Information on Previous/Ongoing Efforts
• • • • •
13 Major Regional Organizations & State Agencies >20 Universities & Research Centers >70 State, Federal & Provincial Organizations 12 Online Databases 10 Regional Meetings/Plans
Status
Develop Web Site
Status
Facilitate Stakeholder Meetings & Integrate with Ongoing Efforts in Issue Prioritization • Initial stakeholder meetings carried out through Sea Grant PACs with additional invited attendees from federal, state and university partners • Included NOAA Representatives (e.g. Beth Turner, David Kaiser, Betsy Nicholson; NERRS; CZM; etc…)
• COMPASS [Communication Partnership for Science and the Sea] • Massachusetts Ocean Partnership Fund • Northeast Regional Ocean Council
Status
Priorities Developed from Stakeholder & ROSC Meetings
Research should… • Be important to stakeholders • Address significant threats to region • Be fundable • Address regional problems for Gulf of Maine ecosystem • Reflect Ecosystem-Based (Approach To) Management • Encourage coordination & collaboration • Have an adaptive management component • Have measurable outcomes • Achieve measurable outcomes with a few years
Status
Priorities Developed from Stakeholder & ROSC Meetings
[Efforts made to link to JSOST, ORPP & NOAA Strategic Plan]
Thematic Priority Areas… • Effects of Climate Change • Conservation & Sustainability • Oceans & Human Health • Management & Governance Focused Opportunities • Use of New Technologies • Modeling Ecosystem Impacts • Address Issues of Scale
Next Steps
• Support Workshops Addressing Specific Priority Areas • Develop ‘Living Research Plan’ • Establish Niche for Sea Grant • Develop Funding Mechanisms
• Facilitate Outreach/Education • Link to Researchers
Challenges
• Integrating with other efforts; Some see this effort as a plan for Sea Grant while others see it as a regional plan (including NOAA) • As much as we work to describe our effort clearly, most players in the region are involved in many quasi-parallel efforts (e.g. NOAA line office efforts, Regional IOOS) • Meshing State Program Strategic Plans with regional issues
• Funding Mechanisms – We tried very hard this omnibus cycle to support regional, but different outcomes in each Program’s panels resulted in very few moving forward