Setting a New Course for U.S. Coastal Ocean Science
Phase 1: Inventory of Federal Programs
Introduction
The Significance of the U.S. Coastal Ocean
The coastal ocean is of immense economic and environmental importance to
the Nation. This diverse environment includes resources that represent the
world's most biologically productive ecosystems, unmeasured reserves of strategic
minerals and other nonliving resources, and unparalleled opportunities for
recreation and tourism. Over the next 50 years, almost half of the U.S. population
growth and development will take place here in coastal counties.
This report highlights critical national concerns for the U.S. coastal ocean,
reviews Federal support of science to help resolve those concerns, and identifies
areas of emphasis for future Federal scientific efforts. This inventory of
science activities is the first step towards developing a government-wide
U.S. Coastal Ocean Science Strategy which is needed to ensure that the Nation
has an adequate scientific basis for coastal policy and management. This strategy
would build on current Federal programs identified and categorized in this
report. The development of a strategic framework is the second step and is
presented in Phase II: The Strategic Framework.
Defining the U.S. Coastal Ocean
The coastal ocean extends from shore to the 200 nautical mile seaward limit
of the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and includes estuaries, and embayments
(Figure 1). The Great Lakes
also are included because they share most of the problems and opportunities
associated with marine coasts. Of the Nation's environmental components, the
coastal ocean is the largest--it exceeds the land area of the U.S. and its
territories.
The U.S. coastal ocean is of immense economic and environmental importance
to the Nation. This diverse environment includes resources that represent
the world's most biologically productive ecosystems: estuaries, mangroves,
coastal wetlands, coral reefs, and upwelling areas. In 1991, U.S. commercial
fisheries produced $3.9 billion in revenue to fishermen at U.S. ports. Annually,
17 million U.S. anglers enjoy saltwater fishing and catch more than 230 million
fish. Reserves of strategic minerals and other nonliving resources also have
been discovered in the U.S. EEZ, but with the exception of oil and gas, these
resources are generally undeveloped. As terrestrial supplies are depleted,
the coastal ocean will become the next frontier for exploration and development.
The coastal ocean is also a water highway for commerce. For 1990, estimated
waterborne commerce of the U.S. totalled 850 million metric tons valued at
$465 billion. In addition to valuable resources and commerce, coastal environments
offer some of the Nation's most scenic landscapes and appealing climates which
have helped to attract by 1990 over 133 million residents to coastal counties,
making the coastal zone the most urbanized area of the Nation.
U.S. Coastal Facts
- Over half of the U.S. population lives in coastal counties.
- About one third of the U.S. GNP originates from coastal activities.
- The Exclusive Economic Zone is larger than the land area of the U.S. and
its territories.
- Most international commerce for the U.S. is shipped through coastal waters:
99.8 percent by weight and 81.1 percent by value
Significance of Coastal Population Growth
About 53 percent of Americans now live in coastal counties which, excluding
Alaska, make up only 14 percent of the Nation's land area (1). Since 1960,
the population growth in the 672 counties now defined as coastal by the U.S.
Census Bureau, which are distributed over 33 states and the District of Columbia,
has been more rapid than in the interior (Figure 2). Between 1960 and 1990
population in coastal counties grew by 41 percent while the interior population
grew by 36 percent. This trend in population growth is expected to continue,
increasing the pressure on the coastal ocean.
Critical U.S. Coastal Problems
- Deteriorating coastal water quality: One-third of our shellfish
beds are closed; medical wastes and sewage close beaches and waters for
use; toxic algal blooms close fisheries and shutdown tourism.
-
- Habitat losses: Loss of wetlands, erosion of shorelines, and pollution
of habitats reduce ecologically productive areas.
-
- Depletion of fisheries: 43 percent of our fisheries are overexploited;
a $5 billion trade imbalance in fisheries products results in lost jobs.
-
- Moratoria on oil and gas development: Moratoria were imposed on
offshore oil and gas development in some areas because the existing scientific
information could not effectively address environmental concerns for all
the phases of oil and gas activities.
-
- Coastal storms and widespread coastal erosion: Storm losses have
escalated to tens of billions of dollars due to increased development of
coastal areas.
The addition of large numbers of people to the coastal region will have serious
consequences unless we acquire the scientific knowledge necessary to better
understand and predict environmental trends in the coastal ocean. As the coastal
population grows, environmental events and trends will have a more frequent
and costly impact on society. In the next chapter, "The Coastal Ocean Challenge,"
the report discusses categories of national concern which, although serious,
are symptoms of a larger underlying problem--population growth. With a projected
continued growth in the coastal population over the next 50 years, there will
be a comparable increase in the demand for land development, water supplies,
energy use, waste treatment, pollution abatement, and habitat protection.
Environmental management will become increasingly complex, decisions required
more rapidly, and forecasts projected further into the future.
Public Concerns
People Care
A greater number of Americans consider the environment to be more important
than ever before. Over ten years of surveys (1983-1992), a leading polling
organization found a tripling of Americans who consider the environment
to be one of the top three concerns of the country.
There is both rising national concern over the degradation of the U.S. coastal
environment and a deepening of the problems. Indeed, the concern over the
environment is worldwide. In a twenty-two country poll by a leading survey
group, a majority of those polled chose "the environment" over "the economy"
as a concern. U.S. national concerns have been highlighted in the section,
"The Coastal Ocean Challenge." Indication that the Nation will continue to
be burdened with problems associated with coastal development comes from a
recent study entitled "Building Along America's Coasts: 20 Years of Building
Permits, 1970-1989." The study points out that 40 percent of the commercial
and industrial buildings authorized by permit in that timeframe were in coastal
counties and another 40 percent were in noncoastal counties of coastal states.
These counties are also leading centers of residential construction.(11) This
trend is anticipated to continue. As populations expand and new homes are
built in coastal areas, the demand for services increases accordingly; and
so do the environmental problems associated with growth.
Providing the Scientific Basis for Decisions
In order to address the complex coastal issues that arise when economic development
and environmental health must be balanced, new management approaches are required.
The 1983 proclamation which created the U.S. EEZ and claimed sovereign rights
over its resources has dramatically increased the area of Federal responsibilities.
However, the laws and regulations which govern this new acreage, as well as
those addressing the coastal bays and estuaries, typically address a single
issue or a narrowly focused group of related issues. Furthermore, the responsibilities
for these laws and regulations are spread piecemeal over a large number of
unrelated agencies and departments. To resolve current national concerns for
this region, existing policies need to be reexamined. (2)
A predictive capability for the coastal ocean must be developed which coordinates
and builds on the existing Federal and academic capabilities. Advances in
ocean-related biology, physics, geology, chemistry, meteorology, and hydrology
will continue to be needed. However, as our understanding of these natural
processes has grown and research capabilities improved, it has become apparent
that highly dynamic interactions and interconnections among these processes
must be considered. The accumulating evidence argues for a coastal ocean science
program with an increased focus on interdisciplinary programs. A coordinated
Federal science program will also foster the development of new technologies.
Stewardship Responsibility
Wise stewardship of the U.S. coastal ocean will require a policy of integrated
management which will mandate that the Nation develop a new approach to
scientific research on the coastal ocean.
Coming to Grips with Coastal Ocean Problems
Environmental events such as the the ecological degradation of Florida Bay,
the ongoing need to resolve persistent problems in the Gulf of Mexico, the
impact of the midcontinent floodwaters ending in the Gulf of Mexico, the forecasting
of violent coastal storms, increasing international attention to biodiversity,
and outbreaks of harmful algal blooms have highlighted the critical need to
coordinate Federal efforts in coastal ocean environments. In each and every
instance, both agency coordination of Federal science and improved observations
and information are critical to understanding problems and effecting solutions.
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