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NOAA Workshop on Climate Science and Services
Coastal Applications for Decision Making through Sea Grant Extension and Outreach
NOAA recently convened a highly successful Workshop on Climate Science
and Services: Coastal Applications for Decision Making through Sea Grant
Extension and Outreach in Charleston, South Carolina (April 10-12, 2007). The
workshop was organized by the Climate Assessments and Services Division
of the NOAA/OAR Climate Program Office, the NOAA/OAR National Sea Grant
Office, the NOAA/NOS Coastal Services Center, and the Sea Grant Assembly
of Extension Program Leaders. It marks an important step in the
development of an expanded partnership among NOAA’s climate and
coastal programs in an effort to provide enhanced support and services
for national, state and local constituencies concerned with coastal resource
management and planning in the face of a dynamic climate system.
Source: http://www.csc.noaa.gov/
The overall purpose of the April workshop was to explore and foster the role of Sea Grant extension, communications, and education networks as a facilitator of climate science and services in coastal decision-making at the local level. Specifically, the workshop was intended to:
- Increase the understanding of climate variability and change, including impacts, and potential applications for research and information products in the Sea Grant community;
- Identify and articulate critical needs for climate-related decision support (e.g., climate information, products and training related to climate impacts and adaptation methodologies); and
- Identify potential opportunities for collaboration (e.g., climate extension programming, training, partnerships with regional/state climate offices) that use climate science and services to support decision making and sound coastal management.
Participants included Sea Grant extension agents and communicators from almost every state; researchers from the university community, including representatives from the Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessment (RISA) teams from the Pacific Islands, the Southeast, the Pacific Northwest, Alaska, the Carolinas, the Southwest, and California; scientists supported by the NOAA Sectoral Applications Research Program (SARP); representatives from the National Weather Service Headquarters and Field Offices; experts from the US Geological Survey; and experts in climate and coastal resource management from Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) such as the World Wildlife Fund and the Heinz Center.
Source: NOAA News
For two and a half days, scientists presented the latest findings from the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (AR-4/IPCC) and the range of decision support resources/products related to the impact of climate on coastal regions and the natural and human communities that inhabit them. Sea Grant agents presented current approaches and lessons learned from evolving program efforts to integrate climate in their extension and communication portfolios. Participants were provided with a Draft Resource Guide to provide them with a starting point to explore current and evolving climate decision support resources. Together, participants engaged in structured dialogues to identify climate-related information needs and opportunities for collaboration from both the headquarters and field perspectives.
The Workshop generated numerous connections among the climate and Sea Grant participants who agreed to work together to develop and distribute climate information to coastal resource managers. In addition, the National Sea Grant Assembly of Extension Program Leaders will establish a team to develop a strategy for integrating climate information and decision support resources in the coastal extension community. A workshop summary, including specific next steps, will be available by the end of the summer.
For additional information, including workshop agenda, presentations and background material, please see http://www.csc.noaa.gov/sgcw/index.html.
The Climate Program Office focuses on developing a broader user community for climate products and services, provides NOAA a focal point for climate activities within NOAA, leads NOAA climate education and outreach activities, and coordinates international climate activities. |
6/4/07
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