Consensus
Billions of gallons of water per day are channeled from northern California to drier Central and Southern California through the network of dams, canals, and other features that comprise the federal Central Valley Project (CVP), operated by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation (USBR), and the State Water Project (SWP), operated by the California Department of Water Resources. At least two thirds of California's population and more than 4 million acres of California farmland rely in whole or in part on water delivered by these projects. In addition to delivering water to meet diverse demands, the Projects must also protect six endangered fish species, including Delta smelt, longfin smelt, Sacramento River winter-run Chinook salmon, Central Valley spring-run Chinook salmon, California Central Valley steelhead, and the southern distinct population segment of North American green sturgeon.
At the request of the USBR, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine established a committee to conduct a biennial review of the monitoring, modeling, and other relevant scientific activities of the CVP and the SWP. This first report in the series examines three actions designed to help protect the fish - the Shasta Coldwater Pool Management Action, the Old and Middle River Flow Management Action, and the Summer-Fall Habitat Action for Delta Smelt. The report evaluates the scientific basis for each of the actions, along with monitoring and modeling needs, and makes specific recommendations for strengthening each of them to help them reach their stated goals.
352 pages
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8.5 x 11
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99279-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60115-0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/29130
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Review of the Long-Term Operations of the Central Valley Project and the State Water Project. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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This booklet, translated in Spanish here, provides key insights from Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects, published in 2022, which benefited from significant advancements in scientific methods to detect the input and fates of oil in the sea, and from lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in 2010. Going beyond previous reports, Oil in the Sea IV includes analysis of human health impacts of oil in the sea, oil in the Arctic marine environment, and prevention and response efforts that can help to both reduce the amount of oil reaching the sea and minimize its effects. The booklet is meant to serve as a reference guide to all those involved in oil spill research and response. The English version can be found here.
88 pages
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6 x 9
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99263-X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/29127
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Oil in the Sea IV: Quick Guide for Practitioners and Researchers: Spanish Version. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
Understanding and anticipating change in the ocean, and how it will affect marine ecosystems and humans, has never been more urgent. Over recent years, basic and applied research in ocean science has developed more accurate forecasts of ocean and seafloor processes that have helped communities adapt to changing conditions. However, at the start of this new decade (2025-2035), U.S. investment in ocean science, engineering, and technology is not keeping pace with growing societal needs, even as U.S. competitors are increasing investments in ocean science and advancing their capacities.
At the request of the National Science Foundation (NSF), this report provides advice on how to focus investments in ocean research, infrastructure, and workforce to meet national and global challenges in the coming decade and beyond, and in doing so, enhance national security, scientific leadership, and economic competitiveness through a thriving blue economy. The report also sets out an overarching challenge for NSF and the broader research community: to establish a new paradigm for forecasting the state of the ocean at scales relevant to human well-being in the next decade. Accomplishing this challenge is reliant on continued funding for basic research across ocean studies and reinvestment in ocean science infrastructure. It will require an integrated approach to research that takes full advantage of emerging technologies, expands the workforce, and increases available resources through strategic partnerships among federal and state agencies, industry, academia, and other interest holders.
164 pages
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72222-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72223-3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27846
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Forecasting the Ocean: The 2025–2035 Decade of Ocean Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
Ocean Acoustics - the study of sound in the ocean, how it travels, interacts with, and is affected by its underwater surroundings - is a growing and critical field. Sound from both natural and human-generated sources can be an effective tool for probing the ocean environment. While the first applications of ocean acoustics began in the military, applications today encompass offshore energy production, national security, environmental monitoring, climate science, exploration and mapping, as well as fundamental ocean science.
Even as demand for ocean acoustics grows, workforce development is challenged by both the multidisciplinary nature of the field and its widely varying career paths. Ocean acoustics may be housed in a diversity of departments in higher education institutions, and career paths and trajectory of formal education can range from the vocational/associates' level through the doctorate level. This report examines the state of ocean acoustics education; assesses expected demand for acoustics expertise over the next decade; identifies competencies required across higher education and professional training programs; and presents strategies to raise the profile of careers in ocean acoustics. The report recommends a number of actions that federal agencies, industry, and academia can take to develop the expertise needed to meet current and future workforce demands.
234 pages
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8.5 x 11
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70687-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70685-8
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27337
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Ocean Acoustics Education and Expertise. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop
A 2024 consensus report of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine titled Potential Hydrodynamic Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy on Nantucket Shoals Regional Ecology: An Evaluation from Wind to Whales, examined the potential for offshore wind farms in the Nantucket Shoals region to affect oceanic physical processes and in turn impact ecosystem dynamics, including zooplankton productivity and aggregations relevant to right whale foraging and population health. Among other recommendations, the report outlined the need for observational and modeling efforts to fill knowledge gaps and inform decision-making regarding wind energy development and operations in the region.
To delve further into specifically what observational and monitoring activities could best meet these needs, the National Academies hosted a follow-on workshop, entitled Field Monitoring Program to Evaluate Hydrodynamic Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy on Nantucket Shoals Regional Ecology: A Workshop, July 9-10, 2024 in Washington, DC. The workshop brought together participants from academia, government, and the offshore wind industry to explore examples of observational needs and discuss components of a field monitoring program that could help to advance models for elucidating the potential effects of wind energy development on Nantucket Shoals ecology. This Proceedings of a Workshop was prepared by rapporteurs as a high-level summary of what occurred at the workshop.
64 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72865-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72866-5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/28021
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Nantucket Shoals Wind Farm Field Monitoring Program: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
Research supported by scientific ocean drilling has fundamentally transformed our understanding of the planet with key contributions to the discovery and theory of plate tectonics; the formation and destruction of ocean crust; the reconstruction of extreme greenhouse and icehouse climates; the identification of major extinctions; and the discovery of a diverse community of microbes living deep ocean seafloor. With the retirement in 2024 of the JOIDES Resolution-- the U.S. dedicated drilling vessel for deep sea research and the workhorse for the international scientific ocean drilling community-- the scientific ocean drilling landscape will change. At this critical juncture, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is looking to identify the most urgent research questions that can only be answered with scientific ocean drilling and what infrastructure is needed to progress those priorities.
This interim report that is the first part of a broader study of decadal survey of ocean science provides a broad perspective of future research and associated infrastructure needs. The report concludes that the rapid pace of climate change, related extreme events, sea level rise, changes in ocean currents, chemistry threatening ocean ecosystems, and devastating natural hazards are among the greatest challenges facing society. By coring the past to inform the future, U.S. based scientific ocean drilling research continues to have unique and essential roles in addressing these vital and urgent challenges.
142 pages
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ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71338-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72561-5
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27414
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Progress and Priorities in Ocean Drilling: In Search of Earth's Past and Future. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
Fisheries are essential to the global economy and feed billions around the world; they, support individuals and communities, and sustain cultural heritages and livelihoods. Although U.S. fisheries have been managed for commercial fishing historically, there has been an interest more recently in better accounting for and meeting the needs of the diverse individuals, groups, and communities that rely on and participate in fisheries, or aspire to do so.
At the request of the National Marine Fisheries Service, this report considers information needs and data collection for assessing the distribution of fisheries management benefits. Assessing Equity in the Distribution of Fisheries Management Benefits identifies information needs, obstacles to collecting information, and potential methodologies for assessing where and to whom the primary benefits of commercial and for-hire fishery management accrue.
128 pages
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71189-4
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71190-8
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27313
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Assessing Equity in the Distribution of Fisheries Management Benefits: Data and Information Availability. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop_in_brief
To consider how an Earth system science approach can inform research on climate intervention, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a virtual workshop on June 20-22, 2023 titled Climate Intervention in an Earth Systems Science Framework. Individuals with a wide range of physical, ecological, and social sciences expertise explored climate interventions within the context of convergent research and the capacities of the National Science Foundation (NSF). The workshop drew on the National Academies report Next Generation Earth Systems Science at the National Science Foundation, which called upon NSF to pursue an Earth systems science initiative that emphasizes research on interconnections and feedback between natural and social processes; focuses on real-world problems; enhances the participation of social, engineering, and data scientists; and strengthens efforts to include diverse perspectives in research.
12 pages
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71694-2
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27476
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Climate Intervention in an Earth Systems Science Framework: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Consensus
Antarctica hosts some of the harshest and most remote environments on Earth - and it is a region of vital importance for scientific research. The environment and position of Antarctica on the globe mean that research conducted there can offer unique insights on important Earth processes, including rising sea level, the carbon cycle, ecosystem structure. As the climate warms, data gathered from Antarctic research will be essential to understanding how Earth processes are changing and the potential social, economic, and health impacts on both U.S. and global populations.
This report identifies the highest priorities for research in the Southern Ocean and nearshore and coastal Antarctica, as well as gaps in current capabilities to support this research. Global sea level rise, heat and carbon budgets, and changing ecosystems are the three highest-priority science drivers for research in the region. To address those drivers and maintain a robust U.S. research presence in this vitally important region, investments are needed in the U.S. Antarctic program and its research platforms, including the development of new technologies and the replacement of aging icebreaking research vessels. Additionally, the U.S. should strengthen relationships with other nations' Antarctic programs that can help support these essential science drivers.
192 pages
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70682-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70683-1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27160
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Future Directions for Southern Ocean and Antarctic Nearshore and Coastal Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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The transition to renewable energy has spurred many efforts to scale up the U.S. portfolio of efficient clean energy resources, including the development of offshore wind farms. The Nantucket Shoals region off the coast of Massachusetts is the first large scale wind farm installation under development in U.S. waters. To ensure Nantucket Shoals region offshore wind energy installations are being planned, constructed, and developed in an environmentally responsible way, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) asked the National Academies to evaluate the potential for offshore wind farms in the Nantucket Shoals region to affect oceanic physical processes, and, in turn, how those hydrodynamic alterations might affect local to regional ecosystems. Of particular interest to BOEM are the potential effects of hydrodynamic changes on zooplankton productivity and aggregations, which may affect foraging for the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.
This report found the impacts of offshore wind projects on the North Atlantic right whale and the availability of their prey in the Nantucket Shoals region will likely be difficult to distinguish from the significant impacts of climate change and other influences on the ecosystem. Further study and monitoring of the oceanography and ecology of the Nantucket Shoals region is needed to fully understand the impact of future wind farms. This report recommends the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, and others should promote observational studies and modeling that will advance understanding of potential hydrodynamic effects and their consequent impacts on ecology in the Nantucket Shoals region during all phases of wind energy development.
120 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70668-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70669-6
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27154
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Potential Hydrodynamic Impacts of Offshore Wind Energy on Nantucket Shoals Regional Ecology: An Evaluation from Wind to Whales. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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This booklet provides key insights from Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects, published in 2022, which benefited from significant advancements in scientific methods to detect the input and fates of oil in the sea, and from lessons learned from the Deepwater Horizon explosion and oil spill in 2010. Going beyond previous reports, Oil in the Sea IV includes analysis of human health impacts of oil in the sea, oil in the Arctic marine environment, and prevention and response efforts that can help to both reduce the amount of oil reaching the sea and minimize its effects. The booklet is meant to serve as a reference guide to all those involved in oil spill research and response.
84 pages
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6 x 9
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70659-9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/27155
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Oil in the Sea IV: Quick Guide for Practitioners and Researchers. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Workshop
Sunscreens and a variety of other products contain chemical ultraviolet (UV) filters that absorb or block the sun's radiation and thereby help mitigate harms to human skin from the sun. The 2022 NASEM report Review of Fate, Exposure, and Effects of Sunscreens in Aquatic Environments and Implications for Sunscreen Usage and Human Health called on the EPA to conduct an ecological risk assessment of UV filters to characterize the possible risks to aquatic ecosystems and the species that live in them. However, the 2022 report also identified a number of knowledge gaps and research barriers that may limit understanding of those ecological risks.
To share progress and identify opportunities to further address gaps and barriers, NASEM hosted a workshop in Washington, D.C., on January 23-24, 2023, entitled Workshop to Advance Research on Understanding Environmental Effects of UV Filters in Sunscreens. Through a series of prepared talks, panel discussions, and structured breakout discussions, participants examined the 2022 report and its management context; explored data needs and analytical challenges relevant to the development of accurate toxicity metrics for UV filters; and suggested opportunities to improve and standardize toxicity testing for these chemicals. These proceedings has been prepared by the workshop rapporteur as a factual summary of what occurred at the workshop.
52 pages
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69585-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69586-4
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26775
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Advancing Research on Understanding Environmental Effects of UV Filters from Sunscreens: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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After the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, advancing oil pollution research and technology to limit the environmental impacts of oil spills became a national and international priority. Congress responded by enacting the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 and forming the Interagency Coordinating Committee on Oil Pollution Research (ICCOPR) to coordinate research for preventing, planning for, responding to, and mitigating the effects of oil pollution on the environment. To achieve this end, ICCOPR published the oil pollution research and technology plan to guide research and funding priorities in 1992, with updates released over the years, most recently, the 2022-2027 Research and Technology Plan.
This new report provides advice and guidance on the approach, structure, adequacy, and implementation of ICCOPR 2022-2027 Research and Technology Plan. Coordinated research efforts are necessary so knowledge and capacity related to oil spill prevention, preparedness, response, mitigation, and restoration can be advanced. Future updates of the plan should utilize a more streamlined, transparent, and community-driven development process including development of an oil pollution research dashboard and inclusion of metrics to assess and communicate progress on oil pollution research priorities. ICCOPR should also initiate processes to allow for open-water field trials when appropriate. The report recommendations were developed to assist ICCOPR with developing a Research and Technology Plan that can be widely used to promote progress, coordination, and collaboration on priority oil pollution research needs within the United States and globally - research needs that are important for improving knowledge, capacity, and regulations to safeguard the environment.
66 pages
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7 x 10
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69600-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69601-1
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26780
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Review of ICCOPR's 2022-2027 Oil Pollution Research and Technology Plan. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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The Ocean Studies Board (OSB) is a unit of the Division on Earth and Life Studies of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. OSB explores the science, policies, and infrastructure needed to understand, manage, and conserve coastal and marine environments and resources. This annual report highlights the published and ongoing activities of OSB from 2019 to 2020.
24 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69932-0
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26856
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Ocean Studies Board: 2019-2020 Annual Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Oil and natural gas represent more than 50 percent of the worldwide energy supply, with high energy demand driven by population growth and improving standards of living. Despite significant progress in reducing the amount of oil in the sea from consumption, exploration, transportation, and production, risks remain. This report, the fourth in a series, documents the current state-of-knowledge on inputs, fates and effects of oil in the sea, reflecting almost 20 additional years of research, including long-term effects from spills such as the Exxon Valdez and a decade-long boom in oil spill science research following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
The report finds that land-based sources of oil are the biggest input of oil to the sea, far outweighing other sources, and it also notes that the effects of chronic inputs on the marine environment, such as land-based runoff, are very different than that from an acute input, such as a spill. Steps to prevent chronic land-based oil inputs include reducing gasoline vehicle usage, improving fuel efficiency, increasing usage of electric vehicles, replacing older vehicles. The report identifies research gaps and provides specific recommendations aimed at preventing future accidental spills and ensuring oil spill responders are equipped with the best response tools and information to limit oil's impact on the marine environment.
516 pages
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-27429-X
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-27430-3
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26410
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Oil in the Sea IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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Regular use of sunscreens has been shown to reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer, and slow photoaging of skin. Sunscreens can rinse off into water where people are swimming or wading, and can also enter bodies of water through wastewater such as from bathing or showering. As a result, the ultraviolet (UV) filters - the active ingredients in sunscreens that reduce the amount of UV radiation on skin - have been detected in the water, sediment, and animal tissues in aquatic environments. Because the impact of these filters on aquatic ecosystems is not fully understood, assessment is needed to better understand their environmental impacts.
This report calls on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to conduct an ecological risk assessment of UV filters to characterize the possible risks to aquatic ecosystems and the species that live in them. EPA should focus on environments more likely to be exposed such as those with heavy recreational use, or where wastewater and urban runoff enter the water. The risk assessment should cover a broad range of species and biological effects and could consider potential interacting effects among UV filters and with other environmental stresses such as climate change. In addition, the report describes the role of sunscreens in preventing skin cancer and what is known about how human health could be affected by potential changes in usage. While the need for a risk assessment is urgent, research is needed to advance understanding of both risks to the environment from UV filters and impacts to human health from changing sunscreen availability and usage.
408 pages
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8.5 x 11
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-27283-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-27284-X
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26381
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Review of Fate, Exposure, and Effects of Sunscreens in Aquatic Environments and Implications for Sunscreen Usage and Human Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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In the wake of major oil spills, including the Exxon Valdez spill in 1989 and Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010, the United States developed tools for calculating the clean-up capability of oil spill response equipment. These tools, while useful for open-water spills, had limited applicability in nearshore and inland environments, leading the U.S. Coast Guard and partners to develop a new, inland Estimated Recovery System Potential (ERSP) calculator for oil recovery. The present review evaluates the inland ERSP calculator and accompanying documentation.
While acknowledging the complexities associated with developing such a calculator for inland environments, the report recommends changes to the methodologies used and the software developed to better meet user needs. The calculator should be modified to more clearly establish the scope of its capabilities, so users understand the limitations on data they can input as well as what the calculator outputs tell them about the recovery potential of selected clean-up equipment. The calculator should also undergo thorough third-party validation and verification as well as quality assurance testing, to ensure it operates as intended.
65 pages
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8.5 x 11
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ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69141-9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26649
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Review of the Inland Estimated Recovery System Potential (ERSP) Prototype Calculator. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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The ocean is central to the health of the planet and the well-being of human societies, but ongoing depletion, disruption, and pollution threaten its future. The United Nations proclaimed 2021-2030 the Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (UN Ocean Decade) in recognition of the need to sustainably manage the Ocean. U.S. participation in the Decade, guided by the U.S. National Committee, included a call for "Ocean-Shots" - ambitious, transformational research concepts that draw from multiple disciplines. More than 100 Ocean-Shots were submitted.
Conducted at the request of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and sponsored by NASA, this report identifies exciting themes from the Ocean-Shots that will galvanize action and inspire transformative, cross-disciplinary, and multi-generational participation in the Decade. Two foundational themes undergird how to go about science: An Inclusive and Equitable Ocean calls for the involvement of a diverse and representative ocean community, and An Ocean of Data recognizes the shift toward open access for data that is collected. Four topical themes - The Ocean Revealed, The Restored and Sustainable Ocean, Ocean Solutions for Climate Resilience, and Healthy Urban Sea - represent promising areas for research investments that are consistent both with the UN Ocean Decade Outcomes and U.S. ocean priorities.
142 pages
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6 x 9
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paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-27311-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-27312-9
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.17226/26363
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Cross-Cutting Themes for U.S. Contributions to the UN Ocean Decade. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
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