NOAA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment

NOAA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment
Name	NOAA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment
Formation	2007
Jurisdiction	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Headquarters	Silver Spring, Maryland
Parent agency	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment

The NOAA Integrated Ecosystem Assessment program coordinates science-to-management synthesis to support Magnuson–Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, United States marine resource decisions. It links observational platforms such as NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer with assessments used by stakeholders including Pacific Fishery Management Council, Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, and Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission. The program integrates data streams from agencies and institutions like National Centers for Environmental Information, National Marine Fisheries Service, and United States Geological Survey to inform resource policy and ecosystem-based management.

Overview

IEAs synthesize information on drivers such as El Niño–Southern Oscillation, Pacific Decadal Oscillation, and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation to assess implications for living marine resources. They produce integrated products that feed into advisory bodies including North Pacific Fishery Management Council, New England Fishery Management Council, and Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council. IEAs combine inputs from observatories like LTER (Long Term Ecological Research) Network, Ocean Observatories Initiative, and satellite missions such as Landsat, Sentinel-3, and Jason-3 to produce ecosystem indicators. Outputs inform international frameworks including United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, Convention on Biological Diversity, and Regional Fisheries Management Organizations.

History and Development

Emerging from ecosystem science advances in the late 20th century, IEAs drew on precedents like the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment assessments, North Sea ecosystem assessments, and the approaches of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea. Foundational influences include work by Daniel Pauly, Ray Hilborn, and Jane Lubchenco on ecosystem-based fisheries management. Formalization occurred during policy dialogues involving U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy, Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology, and leadership within National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Early regional pilots engaged partners such as Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Northeast Fisheries Science Center, and Southwest Fisheries Science Center.

Organizational Structure and Partners

NOAA IEA operates through cross-office collaboration among Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, National Marine Fisheries Service, and National Ocean Service. It partners with academic institutions including Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Washington, University of Miami, and Rutgers University. International collaborations extend to organizations such as ICES, PICES, and FAO. Stakeholder engagement includes regional bodies like Pacific Islands Forum, state agencies such as California Department of Fish and Wildlife, tribal organizations including the Yakama Nation, and non-governmental organizations like The Nature Conservancy and World Wildlife Fund.

Methodologies and Tools

IEAs use statistical and modeling frameworks including Ecopath with Ecosim, Atlantis (model), Stock Synthesis, and GAM (generalized additive model) techniques. They integrate data assimilation methods used by NOAA Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, employ remote sensing from MODIS, and apply ecosystem indicators developed in collaboration with PICES Working Groups and ICES Working Groups. Decision-support tools leverage multi-criteria decision analysis, Bayesian hierarchical models, and risk assessment approaches used by Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. Visualization and data platforms include ERDDAP, GitHub, and databases like OBIS and SeaDataNet.

Regional IEA Programs

Regional IEAs cover areas such as the Gulf of Mexico, California Current, Northeast Shelf, Southeast U.S. Continental Shelf, and Alaska. Each regional program coordinates with regional councils like the New England Fishery Management Council and federal labs including Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory and Auke Bay Laboratories. Regional outputs have influenced management in contexts such as Gulf of Mexico hypoxia, California Current salmon management, and Bering Sea crab fisheries by synthesizing information from fleets, observers, and tagging programs like PSAT (Pop-up Satellite Archival Tag) and GLATOS.

Applications and Policy Impact

IEA products inform stock assessments used by Magnuson–Stevens Act processes, support ecosystem-based management adopted by Regional Fishery Management Councils, and contribute to marine spatial planning initiatives such as those led by Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. They have been cited in environmental reviews under National Environmental Policy Act and integrated into climate adaptation strategies referenced by Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force and Council on Environmental Quality. IEAs support international negotiations at fora including Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources and technical advice to United Nations agencies.

Challenges and Future Directions

Challenges include integrating disparate datasets from platforms like Argo (oceanography), reconciling scales between local traditional knowledge from groups such as Aleut Community of St. Paul Island and basin-scale climate indices, and ensuring computational capacity comparable to NASA Ames Research Center or European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts. Future directions emphasize machine learning frameworks used at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, enhanced stakeholder co-production modeled after Global Change Research Program practices, and expanded international collaboration with institutions such as CSIRO and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation. Continued development aims to strengthen links between IEAs and policy instruments including implementation of Endangered Species Act consultations and transboundary fishery agreements.

Category:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration