CPO’s Laura Petes is the lead author of “Science integration into U.S. climate and ocean policy,” which appeared in the August issue of Nature Climate Change.
The pace of environmental change lends urgency to the need for integration of climate considerations into ocean policy and management. A recent rapid expansion of ocean and climate policies provides a timely window of opportunity for the scientific community to inform and support these efforts.
Lessons can be learned from successful initiatives, where scientists are working hand-in-hand with decision makers and managers to enhance ocean resilience. Looking ahead, the most pressing decision-needs associated with oceans and climate change should serve to prioritize and drive scientific efforts.
The paper outlines the current national-level policy initiatives relevant to climate-related ocean change as well as examines the challenges and opportunities in aligning scientific understanding of climate impacts on oceans with national-scale policies in the United States.
To view the full article, visit: www.climate.gov/nclimate