The National Science Foundation today announced that it is seeking input by Wednesday, Feb. 28 on the development of a National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy that will address the genetic lineages, species, habitats, and ecosystems of U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters, and support federal initiatives including the National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, natural capital accounting, the National Nature Assessment, and the Ocean Climate Action Plan.
Input is specifically sought on areas including actions that federal agencies can take to facilitate the harmonization of ocean biodiversity investments and policy to ensure benefits across all sectors.
NSF noted that the Strategy will facilitate, streamline, and coordinate “the delivery of knowledge on ocean life and ecosystems to develop ocean spaces sustainably, including advancing conservation plans and decision processes jointly by codesign with resource users and rightsholders,” adding that it “aims to provide the critical science, data, and knowledge essential to guide long-term conservation based on best evidence, and to make it more accessible to support a collaborative and inclusive approach.”
The Strategy will be developed by a Subcommittee on Ocean Science & Technology interagency working group co-led by NOAA, NASA, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.
