Accomplishments
Since its establishment in February 2008, the OPC-SAT has been successful in advancing the use and application of ocean and coastal science to management and has helped improve and ensure the quality of scientific information provided to the OPC. Through its highly multidisciplinary membership, the OPC-SAT enables the OPC to have the foresight to tackle a diversity of issues – such as ocean acidification, disaster scenario planning, and the environmental effects of wave energy and desalination facilities – as they emerge. Additionally, as a well-respected, diverse, and independent team of scientists, the OPC-SAT lends credibility to the scientific information the OPC uses to inform and guide its decisions – a valuable factor given the complexity and controversy that often surrounds issues in ocean and coastal management. Overall, through a variety of avenues (as described below), the OPC-SAT has helped the OPC make great strides toward advancing science-based decision-making.
Detailed OPC-SAT 2009 Accomplishments can be viewed here.
Strengthening the Scientific Quality of OPC Projects and Proposals
The OPC-SAT provides technical advice on OPC reports, evaluates the technical merit of scientific projects proposed to the OPC, and recommends outside experts to serve as peer reviewers. The OPC-SAT has provided the OPC with more than 300 recommendations for peer reviewers and advisory committee members, resulting in the selection of 70 peer reviewers and 15 advisory committee members for over 10 OPC projects.
Examples of projects, proposals, and reports for which the OPC-SAT has provided recommendations include:
Identifying Critical and Emerging Issues and Research Priorities for the OPC
The OPC-SAT, in coordination with the OST, has developed multiple mechanisms for providing current scientific information and highlighting critical and emerging issues for the OPC, decision makers, and other agencies.
OPC-SAT Consensus Statements
To highlight issues of scientific importance for the OPC the OPC-SAT will occasionally develop consensus or position statements. These statements will be created by the team to highlight an issue of particular importance, an issue of emerging concern or an area where additional research is needed and where the OPC-SAT feels the OPC should take action on.
In January 2010 the OPC-SAT developed an ocean observing consensus statement highlighting the scientific importance of ocean observing and the need for continued monitoring of California’s ocean to better inform management decisions. The OPC-SAT presented this consensus statement at the OPC Meeting on March 3, 2010 in Sacramento. The OPC unanimously adopted a resolution based off of this statement regarding ocean observing and recognizing that a sustained ocean observing system will have many benefits including the improvement of safety and efficiency of marine operations, prediction of weather and natural hazards as well as helping to protect and restore healthy ecosystems. The resolution encourages continued development, implementation and maintenance of an integrated observing system in California, as well as increased funding for regional observations and California’s HF Radar Network.
The Ocean Observing Consensus Statement can be viewed here.
The OPC Resolution on Ocean Observing can be viewed here.
Critical and Emerging Issues
In order to guarantee that the OPC remains at the forefront of innovative ocean and coastal research, the OPC-SAT is charged with identifying critical emerging science issues that should be of concern to the OPC and the state, as well as recommending potential actions that the OPC could take in relation to these issues. At its September 2008 meeting, the OPC-SAT identified the first set of critical emerging issues that it felt the OPC should consider addressing, including:
- Desalination
- Aquaculture
- Disaster Scenario Planning
- Technological Innovations
- Sedimentation, Sand, and Beach Nourishment
The groups developed written summaries for desalination, aquaculture and sand, sedimentation and beach nourishment. The desalination write-up was used to inform an OPC panel discussion entitled “Desalination in California – Environmental and Economic Considerations for our Future Water Supply Portfolio” at the November 30, 2009 meeting. The OPC-SAT’s work on these issues will be used by OPC staff to inform future meeting themes, projects, and workshops.
Developing Innovative Research Priorities
Each year the OPC works with the two California Sea Grant Programs to identify and fund research specifically designed to provide state managers with data and information to make knowledgeable policy decisions. In 2009, the OPC-SAT worked with the OST and the state to develop and define research priorities for each topic. The 2009 Call for Proposals resulted in funding for a study entitled, “The Future of the California Chinook Salmon Fishery: The Role of Climate Variation, Habitat Restoration, Hatchery Practices, and Biocomplexity.”
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