Environment and Biology

Consensus

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Minerals form the foundation of our infrastructure, manufacturing, energy systems, and everyday technologies. Demand for these minerals, especially critical minerals, is rapidly increasing, highlighting the need for reliable sourcing and for resilient supply networks to ensure energy security and national competitiveness, and support technological innovation.

The Mineral Resources Program (MRP), within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), plays a central role in addressing the nation's mineral resource challenges by providing the unbiased science and data needed to inform decision making across government, private industry, and academia. At the request of the USGS, the National Academies reviewed MRP and considered how it might best position itself to address current and future mineral resource challenges facing the nation.

This report finds that MRP has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation during rapid budget fluctuations and renewed national attention on mineral resources, especially critical minerals, and has significantly advanced mineral deposit science, exploration, and analysis. The report recommends that MRP remain proactive in its priorities, set production targets for critical minerals, create a national atlas of resource potential, improve data delivery, establish external advisory input, regularly update its strategic plan, and strengthen collaboration across USGS and with external partners. These recommendations are intended to help MRP achieve its mission while supporting national objectives and remaining the national authority on minerals information, analysis, research, and assessment.

Publication information

144 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73529-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73530-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29068

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Meeting Future U.S. Mineral Resource Needs: The Role of the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

352 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99279-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60115-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29130

Suggested citation

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.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Gulf Coast have been the sites of the two worst oil spills in U.S. history, Exxon Valdez (1989) and Deepwater Horizon (2010), respectively. These spills had devastating impacts on the environment, human health, the local economy, the seafood industry, and local communities’ way of life. While the incidents differed in many ways, the response and recovery efforts both worked to restore the environment and help communities move on from their losses.

To explore best practices and lessons learned from these oil spills, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program launched a three-part workshop series to bring together people with connections to the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills to discuss the challenges, successes, and areas where improvements could be made. The first workshop was held in Anchorage, Alaska in October 2024; the second workshop was held in Thibodaux, Louisiana in December 2024; and the final workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in March of 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Publication information

244 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99440-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60122-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29176

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange: Learning from the Legacy of Past Oil Spills: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The National Academies' Roundtable on Plastics convened a workshop in May 2025 to explore circularity and other approaches for sustainable life cycle management of plastic materials to mitigate plastic pollution, including reduction of plastic waste through redesign, reuse, remaking, and recycling. This workshop specifically addressed areas of both high plastic production and waste, namely packaging, textiles, and building material sectors. Throughout, participants considered solutions including rethinking, redesign, and reuse; the use of these synergies and strategies to minimize impacts on plastic waste; and the associated effects on human and environmental health.

Publication information

76 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99455-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99456-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29199

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Circularity and Plastics: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The diversion of water into the Los Angeles Aqueduct led to the desiccation of Owens Lake, located in California's Owens Valley. The dry lakebed became one of the nation's largest sources of fine airborne particulate matter (PM10), which can cause or worsen a variety of health problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that off-lake sources now cause a majority of air quality exceedances. This report examines the origin of these off-lake dust sources and how they might change over time. The report discusses possible dust control measures that could be applied to off-lake sources, as well as the applicability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Exceptional Events Rule.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that if dust control measures are determined to be necessary for off-lake sources, implementation will require a systems-level landscape approach that considers cultural resources. Establishing and maintaining native vegetation is the most stable and sustainable dust control measure across all emitting off-lake surfaces. However, many areas around Owens Lake are extremely dynamic settings and require different approaches over space, and possible re-treatment over time, unless self-sustaining controls are implemented.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72637-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72638-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27958

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

The scientific community has been studying the question of how human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases are affecting the climate for well over a century. Much is known today, drawing on decades of direct observations of the Earth system and detailed research. This report summarizes the latest evidence on whether greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare in the United States.

The impetus for this report was a notice of proposed rulemaking issued in August 2025 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicating its intention to rescind the 2009 Finding of Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. Recognizing that significantly more evidence is available today, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine launched this study to review newly available scientific evidence on the topics included in a Technical Support Document that EPA prepared to inform its decision-making on the finding.

The report’s authoring committee found that EPA’s 2009 finding that human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases adversely affect human health and welfare was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence. Today, many of EPA’s conclusions are further supported by longer observational records and multiple new lines of evidence. Moreover, research has uncovered additional risks that were not apparent in 2009.

Publication information

126 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99603-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60029-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29239

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Effects of Human-Caused Greenhouse Gas Emissions on U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Governments, businesses, and funders all have a strong interest in biodiversity measurement to inform decision making, assess impacts, and track progress toward conservation and restoration goals. The US-UK Scientific Forum on Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis held in Washington, DC, on May 21–22, 2025, aimed to build momentum toward standardizing methods for using environmental monitoring technologies to assess biodiversity, ensure interoperability between different outputs, increase confidence that observed changes in biodiversity result from real changes in what is being measured, and advance integrating biodiversity monitoring with evaluation to help ensure that conservation at a variety of scales can be more effective.

Publication information

42 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99499-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29211

Suggested citation

National Academy of Sciences. 2025. Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis: Summary of the 2025 US-UK Scientific Forum. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

On October 9, 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop, Leveraging the National Climate Assessment to Empower Communities, in Washington, DC. Through presentations and discussion, workshop participants explored possibilities and challenges for broadening the reach of the National Climate Assessment to increase community engagement and application of report findings. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop.

Publication information

12 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99185-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29122

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Leveraging the National Climate Assessment to Empower Communities: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Contrails are visible lines in the sky behind aircraft that occur when warm jet engine exhaust meets the colder surrounding atmosphere, forming small ice crystals. Most contrails dissipate within about 10 minutes, but they can last for hours under certain conditions. Persistent contrails can contribute to atmospheric warming and are estimated to have a climate impact on par with carbon dioxide emissions from aviation.

In early 2024, NASA requested that the National Academies develop a national research agenda to better understand, quantify, and develop technical and operational solutions to reduce the global climate impact of aviation-induced cloudiness and persistent contrails. This report presents priorities for a national contrails research strategy and provides a vision for how this research could eventually support operational contrails mitigation. This research would support the global economic competitiveness of the U.S. civil aviation industry in the context of emerging international aviation regulations.

Publication information

98 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73551-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73552-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29073

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Developing a Research Agenda on Contrails and Their Climate Impacts. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $27.90
Ebook - $22.49

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In response to the buildup of U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals during the Cold War, a series of major scientific studies conducted in the 1980s issued warnings about the potential for a "nuclear winter" scenario - the possibility that a large-scale nuclear exchange could inject massive amounts of soot and particulates into the upper atmosphere that would block incoming solar radiation and cause major ecosystem and societal disruptions. In the decades since that concept emerged, profound military, political, and technological changes have reshaped the nuclear landscape, while scientific advances have deepened the understanding of, and ability to model, Earth system processes. It is in this context that the U.S. Congress asked for this report to re-examine the potential environmental, social, and economic effects that could unfold over the weeks to decades after a nuclear war.

The effects of any given nuclear exchange would depend on key processes and interactions along a causal pathway with six stages: weapon employment scenarios and effects; fire dynamics and emissions; plume rise, fate, and transport; physical Earth system impacts; ecosystem impacts; and socioeconomic impacts. Impacts of radioactive fallout were not included in the assessment. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War identifies major uncertainties and data gaps at each stage of the causal pathway that currently limit researchers' ability to understand and model the effects of a nuclear war. This report recommends that relevant U.S. agencies coordinate the development of and support for a suite of model intercomparison projects to organize and assess models to reduce uncertainties in projections of the climatic and environment effects of nuclear war.

Publication information

234 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71617-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99416-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27515

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

On May 1-3, 2024, a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to address the environmental damage resulting from Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of and subsequent war against Ukraine. The damage includes the shelling of agricultural fields and oil deposits; the destruction of infrastructure, which has resulted in the pollution of land and water resources; and the environmental consequences of military actions. Presentations and discussion focused on describing the full scope of the damage, highlighting efforts to monitor it, and discussing ways to address or mitigate the effects.

Publication information

15 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73564-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29077

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Addressing Environmental Damage in Ukraine: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Symposium_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Many of the challenges engineers seek to address through their work - from increased access to clean water and transportation to climate change adaptation - are inextricably tied to human rights, and addressing them holistically requires embedding human rights frameworks into engineering practice. In turn, efforts to advance human rights can be strengthened by incorporating engineering expertise, problem-solving approaches, and novel technologies.

To explore these concepts, the National Academy of Engineering Cultural, Ethical, Social, and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering program and the Committee on Human Rights of the National Academy of Sciences conducted a symposium on November 18-19, 2024. Participants discussed ways to increase awareness of the role that engineers play in protecting and promoting human rights and explored ways that human rights-based approaches in engineering might help engineers and human rights experts solve pressing challenges. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the symposium.

Publication information

104 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99323-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99324-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29141

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Issues at the Intersection of Engineering and Human Rights: Proceedings of a Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Advances in genome sequencing technologies, like next-generation sequencing, provide powerful tools that have vastly improved the detection and classification of pathogens and disease outbreaks and support data-driven public health responses. In July 2024, the National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop to explore opportunities to advance the use of pathogen genomics and metagenomics data in the U.S. public health system. Speakers considered the application of these technologies to monitoring disease, characterization of emerging pathogens, rapid public health response to outbreaks, and biomedical research.

Publication information

128 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-09984-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-09986-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29103

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Accelerating the Use of Pathogen Genomics and Metagenomics in Public Health: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72222-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72223-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27846

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Forecasting the Ocean: The 2025–2035 Decade of Ocean Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

This issue paper focuses on the use of multiomics as a tool to understand and identify molecular determinants of human cognitive and behavioral traits, particularly in relation to modifying human performance for military and other applications. The paper was conducted under the auspices of the Standing Committee on Advances and National Security Implications of Transdisciplinary Biotechnology, an activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sponsored by the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center. The standing committee works to identify and characterize advanced biotechnologies that may affect U.S. national security. The authors are solely responsible for the content of this paper, which does not necessarily represent the views of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Publication information

25 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-10425-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29080

Suggested citation

Tucholski, T, D. DiEuliis, E. Chaikof, C. D. Gilbert, and K. Berger. 2025. Elucidating Molecular and Pathway-Level Determinants of Cognitive Performance in Humans Through Multiomics: Issue Paper. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $30.60
Ebook - $25.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Global demand for animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and milk is increasing, even as arable land and water to support animal production are declining worldwide. Among the approaches to meet global demand in a resource-constrained future is the genetic improvement of livestock to increase the efficiency and sustainability of animal agriculture. Food-animal breeders are beginning to leverage advances in the fields of genomics and biotechnology to make targeted changes in DNA, called heritable genetic modifications (HGMs), that can be passed onto subsequent generations, thereby significantly accelerating the process of genetic improvement in populations of food animals.

At the request of Congress, Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals examines the biological basis of potential health risks relevant to the regulation of HGMs in food animals. This report considers whether hazards could arise during the development of HGM food animals, the methods available to detect hazards, and the likelihood that they could result in harm. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals recommends conducting additional research to fill gaps in understanding of how both HGM techniques and conventional breeding methods influence animal welfare and the quality of animal foods, establishing a study group to gauge public attitudes toward animal biotechnology in agriculture, and developing best practices for public engagement regarding such technologies.

Additional materials

Highlights

Publication information

184 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71843-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71844-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27750

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $29.70
Ebook - $24.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, infectious prion disease affecting the central nervous system of some species of Cervidae-animals such as deer, elk, and moose. Recognized as a disease in the 1980s but suspected to have been present in the United States for decades longer, CWD affects both captive and free-ranging cervids and has been reported in 35 states and five Canadian provinces of North America as of August 1, 2024. The potential ramifications of the increasing spread of CWD are serious, and include negative impacts on ecosystems, and large economic costs for agencies with management responsibilities related to cervids and for industries that depend on cervids or cervid products. Cultural and food security impacts for communities with traditions tied to cervid hunting are also impacted.

In 2020, Congress passed America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (P.L. 116-188), directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lead a task force for addressing CWD in the United States drawing on a study commissioned from the National Academies. This report will assist the task force in prioritizing research and developing future CWD management strategies. It describes the state of knowledge regarding how CWD is transmitted among cervids, the current distribution of disease outbreaks, and the effectiveness of current diagnostic, prevention, and control methods available to limit the spread of the disease.

Publication information

202 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71478-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73382-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27449

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State of Knowledge Regarding Transmission, Spread, and Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Captive and Free-Ranging Cervid Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Nam_special_pub

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $19.80
Ebook - $16.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Climate change is a defining health challenge of the 21st century. Its impacts, from heat-related illness and extreme weather to food insecurity and mental health distress, are already affecting populations across the United States and globally. However, gaps in research, data, infrastructure, and public engagement hinder the nation's ability to respond effectively and equitably.

A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate outlines a bold vision to advance climate-health research. This agenda identifies key research domains including health impacts, adaptation and mitigation strategies, infrastructure and capacity building, and policy and public engagement. The publication provides actionable guidance to accelerate transdisciplinary science, inform evidence-based policy, and support community resilience, especially for those most vulnerable to climate threats.

Publication information

90 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73216-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73217-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28669

Suggested citation

National Academy of Medicine. 2025. A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Clinical practice guidelines are condition- or disease-specific recommendations for the appropriate health care management of patients. Because guidelines can differ between different organizations, the National Academies Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health and National Cancer Policy Forum hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore how clinical guidelines can impact the adoption and coverage of genomic testing in routine medical care.

Publication information

14 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73082-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28572

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Exploring Clinical Guidelines for the Adoption of Genomic Testing: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Governments, businesses, and funders all have a strong interest in biodiversity measurement to inform decision making, assess impacts, and track progress toward conservation and restoration goals. The US-UK Scientific Forum on Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis held in Washington, DC, on May 21–22, 2025, aimed to build momentum toward standardizing methods for using environmental monitoring technologies to assess biodiversity, ensure interoperability between different outputs, increase confidence that observed changes in biodiversity result from real changes in what is being measured, and advance integrating biodiversity monitoring with evaluation to help ensure that conservation at a variety of scales can be more effective.

Publication information

42 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99499-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29211

Suggested citation

National Academy of Sciences. 2025. Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis: Summary of the 2025 US-UK Scientific Forum. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $29.70
Ebook - $24.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, infectious prion disease affecting the central nervous system of some species of Cervidae-animals such as deer, elk, and moose. Recognized as a disease in the 1980s but suspected to have been present in the United States for decades longer, CWD affects both captive and free-ranging cervids and has been reported in 35 states and five Canadian provinces of North America as of August 1, 2024. The potential ramifications of the increasing spread of CWD are serious, and include negative impacts on ecosystems, and large economic costs for agencies with management responsibilities related to cervids and for industries that depend on cervids or cervid products. Cultural and food security impacts for communities with traditions tied to cervid hunting are also impacted.

In 2020, Congress passed America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (P.L. 116-188), directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lead a task force for addressing CWD in the United States drawing on a study commissioned from the National Academies. This report will assist the task force in prioritizing research and developing future CWD management strategies. It describes the state of knowledge regarding how CWD is transmitted among cervids, the current distribution of disease outbreaks, and the effectiveness of current diagnostic, prevention, and control methods available to limit the spread of the disease.

Publication information

202 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71478-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73382-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27449

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State of Knowledge Regarding Transmission, Spread, and Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Captive and Free-Ranging Cervid Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Our planet is facing many complex environmental challenges, including the loss of biodiversity and rapidly changing climate conditions, driven by intensifying human-nature interactions worldwide. Dramatic advances in the biological sciences over recent years are made possible by new tools to study life at many scales, from identifying mutations in a single gene to monitoring changes in plants, animals, and microbes over an entire continent. These tools have the potential to usher in a new era of continental-scale biology (CSB) in which researchers can combine data from various realms across organizational, spatial, and temporal scales, addressing questions on biological processes and patterns that cannot be answered by observations at either small or large scales alone.

This report, prepared at the request of the National Science Foundation, sets out a vision for the development of CSB and identifies the research areas that could most benefit from multi-scale approaches. Advancing the use of CSB to address a wide range of biological and societal challenges will require the development of integrated conceptual frameworks and theories to guide research, deployment of emerging technologies, and development of a skilled workforce to synthesize the vast amounts of data from various sources.

Publication information

176 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71135-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71136-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27285

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology: Research Across Multiple Scales. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $45.00
Ebook - $36.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

The Florida Everglades is a treasured ecosystem, but the water quality, quantity, flow, and distribution have been dramatically degraded by drainage and infrastructure development during the past century. A joint effort launched by the State and federal government in 2000, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) seeks to reverse the decline of the ecosystem. The National Academies have provided a biennial review of CERP since 2004. This tenth biennial report in the series highlights significant recent restoration progress and offers guidance in three areas: applying Indigenous Knowledge in project planning, using modeling tools for understanding the effects of climate change on the CERP, and strengthening adaptive management for CERP decision making.

Thanks to record state and federal investments in recent years, the pace of restoration implementation has reached historic levels and sizeable restoration benefits have been achieved. However, information on natural system restoration progress relative to CERP expectations continues to be difficult to find and interpret. The report recommends modeling tools be applied to anticipate the effects of climate change, including temperature and precipitation, on CERP outcomes and to inform planning and management. Moving forward, consistent and meaningful engagement between CERP agencies and tribal nations is necessary to create a partnership where Indigenous Knowledge can be considered and applied in restoration decision-making. Building expertise and a culture of adaptive management can help ensure continued restoration progress amid uncertainties and improve restoration outcomes through the incorporation of new information.

Additional materials

Report Highlights

Publication information

302 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72305-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72306-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27875

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Tenth Biennial Review - 2024. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

352 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99279-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60115-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29130

Suggested citation

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.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Gulf Coast have been the sites of the two worst oil spills in U.S. history, Exxon Valdez (1989) and Deepwater Horizon (2010), respectively. These spills had devastating impacts on the environment, human health, the local economy, the seafood industry, and local communities’ way of life. While the incidents differed in many ways, the response and recovery efforts both worked to restore the environment and help communities move on from their losses.

To explore best practices and lessons learned from these oil spills, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program launched a three-part workshop series to bring together people with connections to the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills to discuss the challenges, successes, and areas where improvements could be made. The first workshop was held in Anchorage, Alaska in October 2024; the second workshop was held in Thibodaux, Louisiana in December 2024; and the final workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in March of 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Publication information

244 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99440-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60122-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29176

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange: Learning from the Legacy of Past Oil Spills: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Governments, businesses, and funders all have a strong interest in biodiversity measurement to inform decision making, assess impacts, and track progress toward conservation and restoration goals. The US-UK Scientific Forum on Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis held in Washington, DC, on May 21–22, 2025, aimed to build momentum toward standardizing methods for using environmental monitoring technologies to assess biodiversity, ensure interoperability between different outputs, increase confidence that observed changes in biodiversity result from real changes in what is being measured, and advance integrating biodiversity monitoring with evaluation to help ensure that conservation at a variety of scales can be more effective.

Publication information

42 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99499-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29211

Suggested citation

National Academy of Sciences. 2025. Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis: Summary of the 2025 US-UK Scientific Forum. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72222-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72223-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27846

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Forecasting the Ocean: The 2025–2035 Decade of Ocean Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Contrails are visible lines in the sky behind aircraft that occur when warm jet engine exhaust meets the colder surrounding atmosphere, forming small ice crystals. Most contrails dissipate within about 10 minutes, but they can last for hours under certain conditions. Persistent contrails can contribute to atmospheric warming and are estimated to have a climate impact on par with carbon dioxide emissions from aviation.

In early 2024, NASA requested that the National Academies develop a national research agenda to better understand, quantify, and develop technical and operational solutions to reduce the global climate impact of aviation-induced cloudiness and persistent contrails. This report presents priorities for a national contrails research strategy and provides a vision for how this research could eventually support operational contrails mitigation. This research would support the global economic competitiveness of the U.S. civil aviation industry in the context of emerging international aviation regulations.

Publication information

98 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73551-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73552-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29073

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Developing a Research Agenda on Contrails and Their Climate Impacts. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Nam_special_pub

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $19.80
Ebook - $16.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Climate change is a defining health challenge of the 21st century. Its impacts, from heat-related illness and extreme weather to food insecurity and mental health distress, are already affecting populations across the United States and globally. However, gaps in research, data, infrastructure, and public engagement hinder the nation's ability to respond effectively and equitably.

A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate outlines a bold vision to advance climate-health research. This agenda identifies key research domains including health impacts, adaptation and mitigation strategies, infrastructure and capacity building, and policy and public engagement. The publication provides actionable guidance to accelerate transdisciplinary science, inform evidence-based policy, and support community resilience, especially for those most vulnerable to climate threats.

Publication information

90 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73216-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73217-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28669

Suggested citation

National Academy of Medicine. 2025. A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Atypical weather events, such as extreme tropical cyclones, pose substantial threats to life, property and livelihoods in the U.S. and worldwide. Despite major advances in forecasting capabilities, communicating about extreme weather events with decision-makers and the public carries considerable challenges but also provides opportunities for innovation. Decisions surrounding extreme weather events often involve making tradeoffs between different degrees and varieties of risks. For example, deciding whether or when to issue an evacuation order ahead of a tropical cyclone entails tradeoffs between the risks to lives posed by the event and the risks to livelihoods posed by the financial costs of evacuations or relocations.

In early 2024, the National Academies held a workshop on risk communication around extreme tropical cyclones and other atypical climate events. Participants aimed to identify opportunities and challenges for risk communication as well as lessons about community engagement and communication concerning other climate events. Over the course of the workshop, participants addressed various facets of risk communication, including the importance and difficulty of clearly communicating uncertainty to the general public; the importance of understanding the needs of various audiences in the context of effective communication; preparedness as a critical component of an effective response; and the often-profound ways that strong partnerships and relationships across sectors and offices can impact and improve risk communication.

Publication information

104 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72537-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72538-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27933

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Advancing Risk Communication with Decision-Makers for Extreme Tropical Cyclones and Other Atypical Climate Events: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $30.60
Ebook - $25.19

Buy the book

Experiencing a single disaster - a hurricane, tornado, flood, severe winter storm, or a global pandemic - can wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of individuals, families, communities and entire regions. For many people who live in communities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico region, the reality of disaster is starker. Endemic socioeconomic and health disparities have made many living in Gulf of Mexico communities particularly vulnerable to the effects of weather-climate hazards. Prolonged disaster recovery and increasing disaster risk is an enduring reality for many living in Gulf of Mexico communities. Between 2020 and 2021, seven major hurricanes and a severe winter storm affected communities across the region. As a backdrop to these acute weather events, the global COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding, producing a complex and unprecedented public health and socioeconomic crisis.

Traditionally, the impacts of disasters are quantified individually and often in economic terms of property damage and loss. In this case, each of these major events occurring in the Gulf of Mexico during this time period subsequently earned the moniker of "billion-dollar" disaster. However, this characterization does not reflect the non-financial human toll and disparate effects caused by multiple disruptive events that increase underlying physical and social vulnerabilities, reduce adaptive capacities and ultimately make communities more sensitive to the effects of future disruptive events. This report explores the interconnections, impacts, and lessons learned of compounding disasters that impair resilience, response, and recovery efforts. While Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities, 2020-2021 focuses on the Gulf of Mexico region, its findings apply to any region that has similar vulnerabilities and that is frequently at risk for disasters.

Additional materials

Digital Resource: Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities 2020-2021

Publication information

296 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70716-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70717-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27170

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities 2020-2021: Impacts, Findings, and Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

To better understand key considerations around law enforcement use of advanced forensic DNA technologies, the Committee on Law and Justice and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop titled "Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies." The workshop was organized in response to Executive Order 14074, issued in May 2022, and was held on March 13 and 14, 2024. The order focused on advancing effective, accountable policing, as well as criminal justice practices around algorithmic approaches to policing; it directed the National Academies to hold a workshop to explore the different approaches. The workshop focused on three specific advanced forensic DNA practices: probabilistic genotyping, forensic DNA phenotyping, and forensic investigative genetic genealogy. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

134 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72364-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72365-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27887

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Request an exam or desk copy

Publication information

13 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27812

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $68.40
Ebook - $53.99

Buy the book

Pollinators—insects, birds, bats, and other animals that carry pollen from the male to the female parts of flowers for plant reproduction—are an essential part of natural and agricultural ecosystems throughout North America. For example, most fruit, vegetable, and seed crops and some crops that provide fiber, drugs, and fuel depend on animals for pollination.

This report provides evidence for the decline of some pollinator species in North America, including America's most important managed pollinator, the honey bee, as well as some butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds. For most managed and wild pollinator species, however, population trends have not been assessed because populations have not been monitored over time. In addition, for wild species with demonstrated declines, it is often difficult to determine the causes or consequences of their decline. This report outlines priorities for research and monitoring that are needed to improve information on the status of pollinators and establishes a framework for conservation and restoration of pollinator species and communities.

Additional materials

Publication information

326 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-10289-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-66381-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/11761

Suggested citation

National Research Council. 2007. Status of Pollinators in North America. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

352 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99279-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60115-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29130

Suggested citation

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.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $29.70
Ebook - $24.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, infectious prion disease affecting the central nervous system of some species of Cervidae-animals such as deer, elk, and moose. Recognized as a disease in the 1980s but suspected to have been present in the United States for decades longer, CWD affects both captive and free-ranging cervids and has been reported in 35 states and five Canadian provinces of North America as of August 1, 2024. The potential ramifications of the increasing spread of CWD are serious, and include negative impacts on ecosystems, and large economic costs for agencies with management responsibilities related to cervids and for industries that depend on cervids or cervid products. Cultural and food security impacts for communities with traditions tied to cervid hunting are also impacted.

In 2020, Congress passed America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (P.L. 116-188), directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lead a task force for addressing CWD in the United States drawing on a study commissioned from the National Academies. This report will assist the task force in prioritizing research and developing future CWD management strategies. It describes the state of knowledge regarding how CWD is transmitted among cervids, the current distribution of disease outbreaks, and the effectiveness of current diagnostic, prevention, and control methods available to limit the spread of the disease.

Publication information

202 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71478-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73382-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27449

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State of Knowledge Regarding Transmission, Spread, and Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Captive and Free-Ranging Cervid Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Avian Influenza A (H5) viruses have circulated globally for decades among migratory bird populations. The recent emergence of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in U.S. dairy cattle has led to challenges in managing and controlling the spread of H5 viruses between livestock, wildlife, and companion animals, as well as to humans from infected animals. The National Academies hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore potential research priorities that could inform readiness and response to the outbreak. Discussions followed an interdisciplinary One Health approach, bringing together experts from across human, veterinary, plant, and environmental health disciplines, and builds on published federal research priorities for H5N1 to include perspectives beyond basic translational clinical sciences, to social sciences, veterinary health, agricultural economics, and occupational health, among others.

Publication information

14 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73112-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28581

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Potential Research Priorities to Inform U.S. Readiness and Response to Avian Influenza A (H5N1): Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2023, the National Academies held a series of facilitated workshops to gather information on progress to date on projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program. A fundamental goal of the URoL program is to identify the causal, predictive relationships that drive how life functions—a concept articulated as the "rules of life." Principal investigators of the URoL program shared findings from their research and how those findings might contribute to identifying rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales. Participants also discussed how they have incorporated multidisciplinary, systems-level approaches into their work. This booklet highlights the program's focus areas and reach, major scientific breakthroughs, and lessons for research and education across scientific disciplines. This booklet is intended for policy and lay audiences interested in learning more about the goals and opportunities of NSF's URoL program.

Publication information

28 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70267-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27021

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) established a five-year program on Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) to identify generalizable rules that govern biological systems at micro and macro levels. At the request of NSF, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a series of workshops to explore the achievements of the URoL program. Presenters and participants discussed integration of multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches, broader implications for studying highly complex systems, future scientific questions and future societal needs, and the production of generalizable rules that apply to different fields and scales. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

92 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70262-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70263-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27020

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Reflections on the National Science Foundation's Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

The scientific community has been studying the question of how human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases are affecting the climate for well over a century. Much is known today, drawing on decades of direct observations of the Earth system and detailed research. This report summarizes the latest evidence on whether greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare in the United States.

The impetus for this report was a notice of proposed rulemaking issued in August 2025 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicating its intention to rescind the 2009 Finding of Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. Recognizing that significantly more evidence is available today, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine launched this study to review newly available scientific evidence on the topics included in a Technical Support Document that EPA prepared to inform its decision-making on the finding.

The report’s authoring committee found that EPA’s 2009 finding that human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases adversely affect human health and welfare was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence. Today, many of EPA’s conclusions are further supported by longer observational records and multiple new lines of evidence. Moreover, research has uncovered additional risks that were not apparent in 2009.

Publication information

126 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99603-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60029-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29239

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Effects of Human-Caused Greenhouse Gas Emissions on U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

On October 9, 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop, Leveraging the National Climate Assessment to Empower Communities, in Washington, DC. Through presentations and discussion, workshop participants explored possibilities and challenges for broadening the reach of the National Climate Assessment to increase community engagement and application of report findings. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop.

Publication information

12 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99185-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29122

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Leveraging the National Climate Assessment to Empower Communities: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Contrails are visible lines in the sky behind aircraft that occur when warm jet engine exhaust meets the colder surrounding atmosphere, forming small ice crystals. Most contrails dissipate within about 10 minutes, but they can last for hours under certain conditions. Persistent contrails can contribute to atmospheric warming and are estimated to have a climate impact on par with carbon dioxide emissions from aviation.

In early 2024, NASA requested that the National Academies develop a national research agenda to better understand, quantify, and develop technical and operational solutions to reduce the global climate impact of aviation-induced cloudiness and persistent contrails. This report presents priorities for a national contrails research strategy and provides a vision for how this research could eventually support operational contrails mitigation. This research would support the global economic competitiveness of the U.S. civil aviation industry in the context of emerging international aviation regulations.

Publication information

98 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73551-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73552-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29073

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Developing a Research Agenda on Contrails and Their Climate Impacts. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Symposium_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Many of the challenges engineers seek to address through their work - from increased access to clean water and transportation to climate change adaptation - are inextricably tied to human rights, and addressing them holistically requires embedding human rights frameworks into engineering practice. In turn, efforts to advance human rights can be strengthened by incorporating engineering expertise, problem-solving approaches, and novel technologies.

To explore these concepts, the National Academy of Engineering Cultural, Ethical, Social, and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering program and the Committee on Human Rights of the National Academy of Sciences conducted a symposium on November 18-19, 2024. Participants discussed ways to increase awareness of the role that engineers play in protecting and promoting human rights and explored ways that human rights-based approaches in engineering might help engineers and human rights experts solve pressing challenges. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the symposium.

Publication information

104 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99323-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99324-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29141

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Issues at the Intersection of Engineering and Human Rights: Proceedings of a Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Gulf Coast have been the sites of the two worst oil spills in U.S. history, Exxon Valdez (1989) and Deepwater Horizon (2010), respectively. These spills had devastating impacts on the environment, human health, the local economy, the seafood industry, and local communities’ way of life. While the incidents differed in many ways, the response and recovery efforts both worked to restore the environment and help communities move on from their losses.

To explore best practices and lessons learned from these oil spills, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program launched a three-part workshop series to bring together people with connections to the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills to discuss the challenges, successes, and areas where improvements could be made. The first workshop was held in Anchorage, Alaska in October 2024; the second workshop was held in Thibodaux, Louisiana in December 2024; and the final workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in March of 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Publication information

244 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99440-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60122-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29176

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange: Learning from the Legacy of Past Oil Spills: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The National Academies' Roundtable on Plastics convened a workshop in May 2025 to explore circularity and other approaches for sustainable life cycle management of plastic materials to mitigate plastic pollution, including reduction of plastic waste through redesign, reuse, remaking, and recycling. This workshop specifically addressed areas of both high plastic production and waste, namely packaging, textiles, and building material sectors. Throughout, participants considered solutions including rethinking, redesign, and reuse; the use of these synergies and strategies to minimize impacts on plastic waste; and the associated effects on human and environmental health.

Publication information

76 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99455-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99456-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29199

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Circularity and Plastics: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The diversion of water into the Los Angeles Aqueduct led to the desiccation of Owens Lake, located in California's Owens Valley. The dry lakebed became one of the nation's largest sources of fine airborne particulate matter (PM10), which can cause or worsen a variety of health problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that off-lake sources now cause a majority of air quality exceedances. This report examines the origin of these off-lake dust sources and how they might change over time. The report discusses possible dust control measures that could be applied to off-lake sources, as well as the applicability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Exceptional Events Rule.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that if dust control measures are determined to be necessary for off-lake sources, implementation will require a systems-level landscape approach that considers cultural resources. Establishing and maintaining native vegetation is the most stable and sustainable dust control measure across all emitting off-lake surfaces. However, many areas around Owens Lake are extremely dynamic settings and require different approaches over space, and possible re-treatment over time, unless self-sustaining controls are implemented.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72637-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72638-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27958

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $27.90
Ebook - $22.49

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In response to the buildup of U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals during the Cold War, a series of major scientific studies conducted in the 1980s issued warnings about the potential for a "nuclear winter" scenario - the possibility that a large-scale nuclear exchange could inject massive amounts of soot and particulates into the upper atmosphere that would block incoming solar radiation and cause major ecosystem and societal disruptions. In the decades since that concept emerged, profound military, political, and technological changes have reshaped the nuclear landscape, while scientific advances have deepened the understanding of, and ability to model, Earth system processes. It is in this context that the U.S. Congress asked for this report to re-examine the potential environmental, social, and economic effects that could unfold over the weeks to decades after a nuclear war.

The effects of any given nuclear exchange would depend on key processes and interactions along a causal pathway with six stages: weapon employment scenarios and effects; fire dynamics and emissions; plume rise, fate, and transport; physical Earth system impacts; ecosystem impacts; and socioeconomic impacts. Impacts of radioactive fallout were not included in the assessment. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War identifies major uncertainties and data gaps at each stage of the causal pathway that currently limit researchers' ability to understand and model the effects of a nuclear war. This report recommends that relevant U.S. agencies coordinate the development of and support for a suite of model intercomparison projects to organize and assess models to reduce uncertainties in projections of the climatic and environment effects of nuclear war.

Publication information

234 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71617-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99416-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27515

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

On May 1-3, 2024, a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to address the environmental damage resulting from Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of and subsequent war against Ukraine. The damage includes the shelling of agricultural fields and oil deposits; the destruction of infrastructure, which has resulted in the pollution of land and water resources; and the environmental consequences of military actions. Presentations and discussion focused on describing the full scope of the damage, highlighting efforts to monitor it, and discussing ways to address or mitigate the effects.

Publication information

15 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73564-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29077

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Addressing Environmental Damage in Ukraine: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Minerals form the foundation of our infrastructure, manufacturing, energy systems, and everyday technologies. Demand for these minerals, especially critical minerals, is rapidly increasing, highlighting the need for reliable sourcing and for resilient supply networks to ensure energy security and national competitiveness, and support technological innovation.

The Mineral Resources Program (MRP), within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), plays a central role in addressing the nation's mineral resource challenges by providing the unbiased science and data needed to inform decision making across government, private industry, and academia. At the request of the USGS, the National Academies reviewed MRP and considered how it might best position itself to address current and future mineral resource challenges facing the nation.

This report finds that MRP has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation during rapid budget fluctuations and renewed national attention on mineral resources, especially critical minerals, and has significantly advanced mineral deposit science, exploration, and analysis. The report recommends that MRP remain proactive in its priorities, set production targets for critical minerals, create a national atlas of resource potential, improve data delivery, establish external advisory input, regularly update its strategic plan, and strengthen collaboration across USGS and with external partners. These recommendations are intended to help MRP achieve its mission while supporting national objectives and remaining the national authority on minerals information, analysis, research, and assessment.

Publication information

144 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73529-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73530-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29068

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Meeting Future U.S. Mineral Resource Needs: The Role of the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $67.50
Ebook - $53.99

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Earthquake-induced soil liquefaction (liquefaction) is a leading cause of earthquake damage worldwide. Liquefaction is often described in the literature as the phenomena of seismic generation of excess porewater pressures and consequent softening of granular soils. Many regions in the United States have been witness to liquefaction and its consequences, not just those in the west that people associate with earthquake hazards.

Past damage and destruction caused by liquefaction underline the importance of accurate assessments of where liquefaction is likely and of what the consequences of liquefaction may be. Such assessments are needed to protect life and safety and to mitigate economic, environmental, and societal impacts of liquefaction in a cost-effective manner. Assessment methods exist, but methods to assess the potential for liquefaction triggering are more mature than are those to predict liquefaction consequences, and the earthquake engineering community wrestles with the differences among the various assessment methods for both liquefaction triggering and consequences.

State of the Art and Practice in the Assessment of Earthquake-Induced Soil Liquefaction and Its Consequences evaluates these various methods, focusing on those developed within the past 20 years, and recommends strategies to minimize uncertainties in the short term and to develop improved methods to assess liquefaction and its consequences in the long term. This report represents a first attempt within the geotechnical earthquake engineering community to consider, in such a manner, the various methods to assess liquefaction consequences.

Publication information

280 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-44027-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-44028-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/23474

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. State of the Art and Practice in the Assessment of Earthquake-Induced Soil Liquefaction and Its Consequences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $63.00
Ebook - $49.49

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Fractured rock is the host or foundation for innumerable engineered structures related to energy, water, waste, and transportation. Characterizing, modeling, and monitoring fractured rock sites is critical to the functioning of those infrastructure, as well as to optimizing resource recovery and contaminant management. Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock examines the state of practice and state of art in the characterization of fractured rock and the chemical and biological processes related to subsurface contaminant fate and transport. This report examines new developments, knowledge, and approaches to engineering at fractured rock sites since the publication of the 1996 National Research Council report Rock Fractures and Fluid Flow: Contemporary Understanding and Fluid Flow. Fundamental understanding of the physical nature of fractured rock has changed little since 1996, but many new characterization tools have been developed, and there is now greater appreciation for the importance of chemical and biological processes that can occur in the fractured rock environment.

The findings of Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock can be applied to all types of engineered infrastructure, but especially to engineered repositories for buried or stored waste and to fractured rock sites that have been contaminated as a result of past disposal or other practices. The recommendations of this report are intended to help the practitioner, researcher, and decision maker take a more interdisciplinary approach to engineering in the fractured rock environment. This report describes how existing tools—some only recently developed—can be used to increase the accuracy and reliability of engineering design and management given the interacting forces of nature. With an interdisciplinary approach, it is possible to conceptualize and model the fractured rock environment with acceptable levels of uncertainty and reliability, and to design systems that maximize remediation and long-term performance. Better scientific understanding could inform regulations, policies, and implementation guidelines related to infrastructure development and operations. The recommendations for research and applications to enhance practice of this book make it a valuable resource for students and practitioners in this field.

Publication information

176 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-37372-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-37373-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/21742

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $58.50
Ebook - $49.49

Buy the book

Biological collections are a critical part of the nation's science and innovation infrastructure and a fundamental resource for understanding the natural world. Biological collections underpin basic science discoveries as well as deepen our understanding of many challenges such as global change, biodiversity loss, sustainable food production, ecosystem conservation, and improving human health and security. They are important resources for education, both in formal training for the science and technology workforce, and in informal learning through schools, citizen science programs, and adult learning. However, the sustainability of biological collections is under threat. Without enhanced strategic leadership and investments in their infrastructure and growth many biological collections could be lost.

Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and Education for the 21st Century recommends approaches for biological collections to develop long-term financial sustainability, advance digitization, recruit and support a diverse workforce, and upgrade and maintain a robust physical infrastructure in order to continue serving science and society. The aim of the report is to stimulate a national discussion regarding the goals and strategies needed to ensure that U.S. biological collections not only thrive but continue to grow throughout the 21st century and beyond.

Additional materials

Public Briefing Presentation - Slide deck

Publication information

244 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-49853-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-49854-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25592

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $40.50
Ebook - $33.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Modern geoscience research informs many important decisions and projects, such as geological disaster preparation, natural resource extraction, and global development. This critical research relies on technology and collaboration at state-of-the-art seismological and geodetic facilities. Currently, these facilities provide a wide variety of observation systems that support scientists' understanding of Earth and its changing environmental systems. As emerging technologies develop rapidly, seismological and geodetic facilities have new capabilities and more complex management and research communication systems. This requires a reevaluation of management structures and best practices within these facilities.

The National Academies convened a 1.5-day workshop to discuss management models of theoretical seismological and geodetic facilities of the future. Initial discussions built upon a 2015 Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology community workshop report, which identified current and future capabilities of these research facilities. Management models from other types of scientific facilities were used as a springboard for further discussions about management and decision-making models that could be applied to seismological and geodetic facilities. Workshop participants also emphasized the importance of distributing capabilities among multiple facilities. Lastly, this workshop explored complex management topics in these facilities including instrumentation, user support services, data management, education and outreach, and workforce development capabilities. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Publication information

96 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-49619-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-49620-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25536

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Management Models for Future Seismological and Geodetic Facilities and Capabilities: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Advances in genome sequencing technologies, like next-generation sequencing, provide powerful tools that have vastly improved the detection and classification of pathogens and disease outbreaks and support data-driven public health responses. In July 2024, the National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop to explore opportunities to advance the use of pathogen genomics and metagenomics data in the U.S. public health system. Speakers considered the application of these technologies to monitoring disease, characterization of emerging pathogens, rapid public health response to outbreaks, and biomedical research.

Publication information

128 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-09984-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-09986-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29103

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Accelerating the Use of Pathogen Genomics and Metagenomics in Public Health: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

This issue paper focuses on the use of multiomics as a tool to understand and identify molecular determinants of human cognitive and behavioral traits, particularly in relation to modifying human performance for military and other applications. The paper was conducted under the auspices of the Standing Committee on Advances and National Security Implications of Transdisciplinary Biotechnology, an activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sponsored by the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center. The standing committee works to identify and characterize advanced biotechnologies that may affect U.S. national security. The authors are solely responsible for the content of this paper, which does not necessarily represent the views of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Publication information

25 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-10425-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29080

Suggested citation

Tucholski, T, D. DiEuliis, E. Chaikof, C. D. Gilbert, and K. Berger. 2025. Elucidating Molecular and Pathway-Level Determinants of Cognitive Performance in Humans Through Multiomics: Issue Paper. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $30.60
Ebook - $25.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Global demand for animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and milk is increasing, even as arable land and water to support animal production are declining worldwide. Among the approaches to meet global demand in a resource-constrained future is the genetic improvement of livestock to increase the efficiency and sustainability of animal agriculture. Food-animal breeders are beginning to leverage advances in the fields of genomics and biotechnology to make targeted changes in DNA, called heritable genetic modifications (HGMs), that can be passed onto subsequent generations, thereby significantly accelerating the process of genetic improvement in populations of food animals.

At the request of Congress, Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals examines the biological basis of potential health risks relevant to the regulation of HGMs in food animals. This report considers whether hazards could arise during the development of HGM food animals, the methods available to detect hazards, and the likelihood that they could result in harm. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals recommends conducting additional research to fill gaps in understanding of how both HGM techniques and conventional breeding methods influence animal welfare and the quality of animal foods, establishing a study group to gauge public attitudes toward animal biotechnology in agriculture, and developing best practices for public engagement regarding such technologies.

Additional materials

Highlights

Publication information

184 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71843-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71844-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27750

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Clinical practice guidelines are condition- or disease-specific recommendations for the appropriate health care management of patients. Because guidelines can differ between different organizations, the National Academies Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health and National Cancer Policy Forum hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore how clinical guidelines can impact the adoption and coverage of genomic testing in routine medical care.

Publication information

14 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73082-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28572

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Exploring Clinical Guidelines for the Adoption of Genomic Testing: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

To better understand key considerations around law enforcement use of advanced forensic DNA technologies, the Committee on Law and Justice and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop titled "Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies." The workshop was organized in response to Executive Order 14074, issued in May 2022, and was held on March 13 and 14, 2024. The order focused on advancing effective, accountable policing, as well as criminal justice practices around algorithmic approaches to policing; it directed the National Academies to hold a workshop to explore the different approaches. The workshop focused on three specific advanced forensic DNA practices: probabilistic genotyping, forensic DNA phenotyping, and forensic investigative genetic genealogy. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

134 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72364-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72365-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27887

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $19.80
Ebook - $16.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are important research locations for many scientific disciplines, including oceanography, biology, and astronomy. Because of its remoteness and the extreme and dangerous weather conditions in which researchers must operate, research in this region presents many unique challenges. New and improved technologies can make Antarctic research safer, more efficient, and capable of covering a greater spatial and temporal range, all while minimizing the costs and environmental impacts of this research. At the request of the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, the Polar Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on May 3-5, 2022, to solicit broad community ideas regarding how technological developments can advance and expand Antarctic research and polar research more generally. Workshop participants discussed recent and potential technological breakthroughs, cross-cutting research themes, and how new technologies can facilitate broader, more diverse participation in Antarctic research. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop.

Publication information

92 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69310-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69311-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26699

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $18.00
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

142 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-27311-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-27312-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26363

Suggested citation

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.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $43.20
Ebook - $35.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

The Antarctic's unique environment and position on the globe make it a prime location to gain insights into how Earth and the universe operate. This report assesses National Science Foundation (NSF) progress in addressing three priority research areas identified in a 2015 National Academies report: (1) understanding the linkages between ice sheets and sea-level rise, including both a focus on current rates of ice sheet change and studies of past major ice sheet retreat episodes; (2) understanding biological adaptations to the extreme and changing Antarctic environment; and (3) establishing a next-generation cosmic microwave background (CMB) program, partly located in Antarctica, to study the origins of the universe.

NSF has made important progress understanding the impacts of current ice sheet change, particularly through studies focused on the ice sheet and ocean interactions driving ongoing ice mass loss at the Thwaites Glacier and Amundsen Sea region in West Antarctica. Less progress has been made on studies of past major ice sheet retreat episodes. Progress is also strong on CMB research to understand the origins of the universe. Progress has lagged on understanding biological adaptations, in part because of limited community organization and collaboration toward the priority. To accelerate progress during the second half of the initiative, NSF could issue specific calls for proposals, develop strategies to foster collaborations and partnerships, and commission a transparent review of logistical capacity to help illuminate strategies and priorities for addressing resource constraints. Such efforts would also help optimize science and proposal development in an environment of inherently constrained logistics.

Publication information

152 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-26807-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-26814-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26338

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Mid-Term Assessment of Progress on the 2015 Strategic Vision for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $58.50
Ebook - $49.49

Buy the book

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in collaboration with the InterAcademy Partnership and the European Academies Science Advisory Committee held a workshop in November 2019 to bring together researchers and public health officials from different countries and across several relevant disciplines to explore what is known, and what critical knowledge gaps remain, regarding existing and possible future risks of harmful infectious agents emerging from thawing permafrost and melting ice in the Arctic region. The workshop examined case studies such as the specific case of Arctic region anthrax outbreaks, as a known, observed risk as well as other types of human and animal microbial health risks that have been discovered in snow, ice, or permafrost environments, or that could conceivably exist. The workshop primarily addressed two sources of emerging infectious diseases in the arctic: (1) new diseases likely to emerge in the Arctic as a result of climate change (such as vector-borne diseases) and (2) ancient and endemic diseases likely to emerge in the Arctic specifically as a result of permafrost thaw. Participants also considered key research that could advance knowledge including critical tools for improving observations, and surveillance to advance understanding of these risks, and to facilitate and implement effective early warning systems. Lessons learned from efforts to address emerging or re-emerging microbial threats elsewhere in the world were also discussed. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

96 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-68125-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-68126-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25887

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Understanding and Responding to Global Health Security Risks from Microbial Threats in the Arctic: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $58.50
Ebook - $49.49

Buy the book

Once ice-bound, difficult to access, and largely ignored by the rest of the world, the Arctic is now front and center in the midst of many important questions facing the world today. Our daily weather, what we eat, and coastal flooding are all interconnected with the future of the Arctic. The year 2012 was an astounding year for Arctic change. The summer sea ice volume smashed previous records, losing approximately 75 percent of its value since 1980 and half of its areal coverage. Multiple records were also broken when 97 percent of Greenland's surface experienced melt conditions in 2012, the largest melt extent in the satellite era. Receding ice caps in Arctic Canada are now exposing land surfaces that have been continuously ice covered for more than 40,000 years.

What happens in the Arctic has far-reaching implications around the world. Loss of snow and ice exacerbates climate change and is the largest contributor to expected global sea level rise during the next century. Ten percent of the world's fish catches comes from Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that up to 13 percent of the world's remaining oil reserves are in the Arctic. The geologic history of the Arctic may hold vital clues about massive volcanic eruptions and the consequent release of massive amount of coal fly ash that is thought to have caused mass extinctions in the distant past. How will these changes affect the rest of Earth? What research should we invest in to best understand this previously hidden land, manage impacts of change on Arctic communities, and cooperate with researchers from other nations?

The Arctic in the Anthropocene reviews research questions previously identified by Arctic researchers, and then highlights the new questions that have emerged in the wake of and expectation of further rapid Arctic change, as well as new capabilities to address them. This report is meant to guide future directions in U.S. Arctic research so that research is targeted on critical scientific and societal questions and conducted as effectively as possible. The Arctic in the Anthropocene identifies both a disciplinary and a cross-cutting research strategy for the next 10 to 20 years, and evaluates infrastructure needs and collaboration opportunities. The climate, biology, and society in the Arctic are changing in rapid, complex, and interactive ways. Understanding the Arctic system has never been more critical; thus, Arctic research has never been more important. This report will be a resource for institutions, funders, policy makers, and students. Written in an engaging style, The Arctic in the Anthropocene paints a picture of one of the last unknown places on this planet, and communicates the excitement and importance of the discoveries and challenges that lie ahead.

Additional materials

Publication information

224 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-30183-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-30184-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/18726

Suggested citation

National Research Council. 2014. The Arctic in the Anthropocene: Emerging Research Questions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Our planet is facing many complex environmental challenges, including the loss of biodiversity and rapidly changing climate conditions, driven by intensifying human-nature interactions worldwide. Dramatic advances in the biological sciences over recent years are made possible by new tools to study life at many scales, from identifying mutations in a single gene to monitoring changes in plants, animals, and microbes over an entire continent. These tools have the potential to usher in a new era of continental-scale biology (CSB) in which researchers can combine data from various realms across organizational, spatial, and temporal scales, addressing questions on biological processes and patterns that cannot be answered by observations at either small or large scales alone.

This report, prepared at the request of the National Science Foundation, sets out a vision for the development of CSB and identifies the research areas that could most benefit from multi-scale approaches. Advancing the use of CSB to address a wide range of biological and societal challenges will require the development of integrated conceptual frameworks and theories to guide research, deployment of emerging technologies, and development of a skilled workforce to synthesize the vast amounts of data from various sources.

Publication information

176 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71135-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71136-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27285

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology: Research Across Multiple Scales. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $46.80
Ebook - $37.79

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

The United States is an important food producer globally, in part because of its abundance of agriculturally productive soils. However, management practices that maximize yields have caused losses in soil organic matter, poor soil structure and water-holding capacity, and increased salinity on millions of acres of land - and have adversely affected the microbial communities that are the drivers of many soil processes. At the same time, recent scientific advances have spurred interest in how microbial communities can support soil health, food quality, and human health.

It is in this context that the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture asked the National Academies to explore the linkages between soil health and human health. The report finds that to improve soil health, federal agencies need to promote the importance of soil health, support translational research, and develop a coordinated national approach to monitor soil health over time and space. Given the potential that microbiomes have in modulating soil, plant, and human health, there is also a pressing need to determine which microbial features, if any, contribute to quantifying or fortifying health in both human and soil systems and to understand the direct and indirect roles of soil, alongside other environmental factors, in influencing human microbial colonization and subsequent health outcomes. Such investigation involves delving into the relatively sparse or disconnected research regarding the microbiome continuum that links soil and human systems.

Publication information

354 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71508-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72265-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27459

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) established a five-year program on Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) to identify generalizable rules that govern biological systems at micro and macro levels. At the request of NSF, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a series of workshops to explore the achievements of the URoL program. Presenters and participants discussed integration of multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches, broader implications for studying highly complex systems, future scientific questions and future societal needs, and the production of generalizable rules that apply to different fields and scales. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

92 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70262-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70263-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27020

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Reflections on the National Science Foundation's Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2023, the National Academies held a series of facilitated workshops to gather information on progress to date on projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program. A fundamental goal of the URoL program is to identify the causal, predictive relationships that drive how life functions—a concept articulated as the "rules of life." Principal investigators of the URoL program shared findings from their research and how those findings might contribute to identifying rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales. Participants also discussed how they have incorporated multidisciplinary, systems-level approaches into their work. This booklet highlights the program's focus areas and reach, major scientific breakthroughs, and lessons for research and education across scientific disciplines. This booklet is intended for policy and lay audiences interested in learning more about the goals and opportunities of NSF's URoL program.

Publication information

28 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70267-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27021

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $40.50
Ebook - $33.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

The surface of the human body and its mucous membranes are heavily colonized by microorganisms. Our understanding of the contributions that complex microbial communities make to health and disease is advancing rapidly. Most microbiome research to date has focused on the mouse as a model organism for delineating the mechanisms that shape the assembly and dynamic operations of microbial communities. However, the mouse is not a perfect surrogate for studying different aspects of the microbiome and how it responds to various environmental and host stimuli, and as a result, researchers have been conducting microbiome studies in other animals.

To examine the different animal models researchers employ in microbiome studies and to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each of these model organisms as they relate to human and nonhuman health and disease, the Roundtable on Science and Welfare in Laboratory Animal Use of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop in December 2016. The workshop participants explored how to improve the depth and breadth of analysis of microbial communities using various model organisms, the challenges of standardization and biological variability that are inherent in gnotobiotic animal-based research, the predictability and translatability of preclinical studies to humans, and strategies for expanding the infrastructure and tools for conducting studies in these types of models. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Publication information

114 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-46388-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-46389-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/24858

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Animal Models for Microbiome Research: Advancing Basic and Translational Science: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Gulf Coast have been the sites of the two worst oil spills in U.S. history, Exxon Valdez (1989) and Deepwater Horizon (2010), respectively. These spills had devastating impacts on the environment, human health, the local economy, the seafood industry, and local communities’ way of life. While the incidents differed in many ways, the response and recovery efforts both worked to restore the environment and help communities move on from their losses.

To explore best practices and lessons learned from these oil spills, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program launched a three-part workshop series to bring together people with connections to the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills to discuss the challenges, successes, and areas where improvements could be made. The first workshop was held in Anchorage, Alaska in October 2024; the second workshop was held in Thibodaux, Louisiana in December 2024; and the final workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in March of 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Publication information

244 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99440-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60122-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29176

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange: Learning from the Legacy of Past Oil Spills: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The diversion of water into the Los Angeles Aqueduct led to the desiccation of Owens Lake, located in California's Owens Valley. The dry lakebed became one of the nation's largest sources of fine airborne particulate matter (PM10), which can cause or worsen a variety of health problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that off-lake sources now cause a majority of air quality exceedances. This report examines the origin of these off-lake dust sources and how they might change over time. The report discusses possible dust control measures that could be applied to off-lake sources, as well as the applicability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Exceptional Events Rule.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that if dust control measures are determined to be necessary for off-lake sources, implementation will require a systems-level landscape approach that considers cultural resources. Establishing and maintaining native vegetation is the most stable and sustainable dust control measure across all emitting off-lake surfaces. However, many areas around Owens Lake are extremely dynamic settings and require different approaches over space, and possible re-treatment over time, unless self-sustaining controls are implemented.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72637-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72638-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27958

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $27.90
Ebook - $22.49

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In response to the buildup of U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals during the Cold War, a series of major scientific studies conducted in the 1980s issued warnings about the potential for a "nuclear winter" scenario - the possibility that a large-scale nuclear exchange could inject massive amounts of soot and particulates into the upper atmosphere that would block incoming solar radiation and cause major ecosystem and societal disruptions. In the decades since that concept emerged, profound military, political, and technological changes have reshaped the nuclear landscape, while scientific advances have deepened the understanding of, and ability to model, Earth system processes. It is in this context that the U.S. Congress asked for this report to re-examine the potential environmental, social, and economic effects that could unfold over the weeks to decades after a nuclear war.

The effects of any given nuclear exchange would depend on key processes and interactions along a causal pathway with six stages: weapon employment scenarios and effects; fire dynamics and emissions; plume rise, fate, and transport; physical Earth system impacts; ecosystem impacts; and socioeconomic impacts. Impacts of radioactive fallout were not included in the assessment. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War identifies major uncertainties and data gaps at each stage of the causal pathway that currently limit researchers' ability to understand and model the effects of a nuclear war. This report recommends that relevant U.S. agencies coordinate the development of and support for a suite of model intercomparison projects to organize and assess models to reduce uncertainties in projections of the climatic and environment effects of nuclear war.

Publication information

234 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71617-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99416-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27515

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

The Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies convenes public- and private-sector leaders to improve the nation's preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters, public health emergencies, and emerging threats. The forum fosters in-depth policy discussion and collaboration to identify barriers and explore solutions to ensure and sustain national security, promote recovery, and enhance resilience. This publication describes the activities of the forum during 2024.

Publication information

20 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-09906-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29090

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies: 2024 Annual Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Atypical weather events, such as extreme tropical cyclones, pose substantial threats to life, property and livelihoods in the U.S. and worldwide. Despite major advances in forecasting capabilities, communicating about extreme weather events with decision-makers and the public carries considerable challenges but also provides opportunities for innovation. Decisions surrounding extreme weather events often involve making tradeoffs between different degrees and varieties of risks. For example, deciding whether or when to issue an evacuation order ahead of a tropical cyclone entails tradeoffs between the risks to lives posed by the event and the risks to livelihoods posed by the financial costs of evacuations or relocations.

In early 2024, the National Academies held a workshop on risk communication around extreme tropical cyclones and other atypical climate events. Participants aimed to identify opportunities and challenges for risk communication as well as lessons about community engagement and communication concerning other climate events. Over the course of the workshop, participants addressed various facets of risk communication, including the importance and difficulty of clearly communicating uncertainty to the general public; the importance of understanding the needs of various audiences in the context of effective communication; preparedness as a critical component of an effective response; and the often-profound ways that strong partnerships and relationships across sectors and offices can impact and improve risk communication.

Publication information

104 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72537-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72538-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27933

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Advancing Risk Communication with Decision-Makers for Extreme Tropical Cyclones and Other Atypical Climate Events: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Minerals form the foundation of our infrastructure, manufacturing, energy systems, and everyday technologies. Demand for these minerals, especially critical minerals, is rapidly increasing, highlighting the need for reliable sourcing and for resilient supply networks to ensure energy security and national competitiveness, and support technological innovation.

The Mineral Resources Program (MRP), within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), plays a central role in addressing the nation's mineral resource challenges by providing the unbiased science and data needed to inform decision making across government, private industry, and academia. At the request of the USGS, the National Academies reviewed MRP and considered how it might best position itself to address current and future mineral resource challenges facing the nation.

This report finds that MRP has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation during rapid budget fluctuations and renewed national attention on mineral resources, especially critical minerals, and has significantly advanced mineral deposit science, exploration, and analysis. The report recommends that MRP remain proactive in its priorities, set production targets for critical minerals, create a national atlas of resource potential, improve data delivery, establish external advisory input, regularly update its strategic plan, and strengthen collaboration across USGS and with external partners. These recommendations are intended to help MRP achieve its mission while supporting national objectives and remaining the national authority on minerals information, analysis, research, and assessment.

Publication information

144 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73529-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73530-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29068

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Meeting Future U.S. Mineral Resource Needs: The Role of the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

352 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99279-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60115-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29130

Suggested citation

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.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Gulf Coast have been the sites of the two worst oil spills in U.S. history, Exxon Valdez (1989) and Deepwater Horizon (2010), respectively. These spills had devastating impacts on the environment, human health, the local economy, the seafood industry, and local communities’ way of life. While the incidents differed in many ways, the response and recovery efforts both worked to restore the environment and help communities move on from their losses.

To explore best practices and lessons learned from these oil spills, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program launched a three-part workshop series to bring together people with connections to the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills to discuss the challenges, successes, and areas where improvements could be made. The first workshop was held in Anchorage, Alaska in October 2024; the second workshop was held in Thibodaux, Louisiana in December 2024; and the final workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in March of 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Publication information

244 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99440-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60122-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29176

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange: Learning from the Legacy of Past Oil Spills: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The National Academies' Roundtable on Plastics convened a workshop in May 2025 to explore circularity and other approaches for sustainable life cycle management of plastic materials to mitigate plastic pollution, including reduction of plastic waste through redesign, reuse, remaking, and recycling. This workshop specifically addressed areas of both high plastic production and waste, namely packaging, textiles, and building material sectors. Throughout, participants considered solutions including rethinking, redesign, and reuse; the use of these synergies and strategies to minimize impacts on plastic waste; and the associated effects on human and environmental health.

Publication information

76 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99455-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99456-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29199

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Circularity and Plastics: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The diversion of water into the Los Angeles Aqueduct led to the desiccation of Owens Lake, located in California's Owens Valley. The dry lakebed became one of the nation's largest sources of fine airborne particulate matter (PM10), which can cause or worsen a variety of health problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that off-lake sources now cause a majority of air quality exceedances. This report examines the origin of these off-lake dust sources and how they might change over time. The report discusses possible dust control measures that could be applied to off-lake sources, as well as the applicability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Exceptional Events Rule.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that if dust control measures are determined to be necessary for off-lake sources, implementation will require a systems-level landscape approach that considers cultural resources. Establishing and maintaining native vegetation is the most stable and sustainable dust control measure across all emitting off-lake surfaces. However, many areas around Owens Lake are extremely dynamic settings and require different approaches over space, and possible re-treatment over time, unless self-sustaining controls are implemented.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72637-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72638-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27958

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

The scientific community has been studying the question of how human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases are affecting the climate for well over a century. Much is known today, drawing on decades of direct observations of the Earth system and detailed research. This report summarizes the latest evidence on whether greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare in the United States.

The impetus for this report was a notice of proposed rulemaking issued in August 2025 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicating its intention to rescind the 2009 Finding of Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. Recognizing that significantly more evidence is available today, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine launched this study to review newly available scientific evidence on the topics included in a Technical Support Document that EPA prepared to inform its decision-making on the finding.

The report’s authoring committee found that EPA’s 2009 finding that human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases adversely affect human health and welfare was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence. Today, many of EPA’s conclusions are further supported by longer observational records and multiple new lines of evidence. Moreover, research has uncovered additional risks that were not apparent in 2009.

Publication information

126 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99603-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60029-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29239

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Effects of Human-Caused Greenhouse Gas Emissions on U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Governments, businesses, and funders all have a strong interest in biodiversity measurement to inform decision making, assess impacts, and track progress toward conservation and restoration goals. The US-UK Scientific Forum on Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis held in Washington, DC, on May 21–22, 2025, aimed to build momentum toward standardizing methods for using environmental monitoring technologies to assess biodiversity, ensure interoperability between different outputs, increase confidence that observed changes in biodiversity result from real changes in what is being measured, and advance integrating biodiversity monitoring with evaluation to help ensure that conservation at a variety of scales can be more effective.

Publication information

42 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99499-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29211

Suggested citation

National Academy of Sciences. 2025. Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis: Summary of the 2025 US-UK Scientific Forum. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

On October 9, 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop, Leveraging the National Climate Assessment to Empower Communities, in Washington, DC. Through presentations and discussion, workshop participants explored possibilities and challenges for broadening the reach of the National Climate Assessment to increase community engagement and application of report findings. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop.

Publication information

12 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99185-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29122

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Leveraging the National Climate Assessment to Empower Communities: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Contrails are visible lines in the sky behind aircraft that occur when warm jet engine exhaust meets the colder surrounding atmosphere, forming small ice crystals. Most contrails dissipate within about 10 minutes, but they can last for hours under certain conditions. Persistent contrails can contribute to atmospheric warming and are estimated to have a climate impact on par with carbon dioxide emissions from aviation.

In early 2024, NASA requested that the National Academies develop a national research agenda to better understand, quantify, and develop technical and operational solutions to reduce the global climate impact of aviation-induced cloudiness and persistent contrails. This report presents priorities for a national contrails research strategy and provides a vision for how this research could eventually support operational contrails mitigation. This research would support the global economic competitiveness of the U.S. civil aviation industry in the context of emerging international aviation regulations.

Publication information

98 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73551-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73552-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29073

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Developing a Research Agenda on Contrails and Their Climate Impacts. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $27.90
Ebook - $22.49

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In response to the buildup of U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals during the Cold War, a series of major scientific studies conducted in the 1980s issued warnings about the potential for a "nuclear winter" scenario - the possibility that a large-scale nuclear exchange could inject massive amounts of soot and particulates into the upper atmosphere that would block incoming solar radiation and cause major ecosystem and societal disruptions. In the decades since that concept emerged, profound military, political, and technological changes have reshaped the nuclear landscape, while scientific advances have deepened the understanding of, and ability to model, Earth system processes. It is in this context that the U.S. Congress asked for this report to re-examine the potential environmental, social, and economic effects that could unfold over the weeks to decades after a nuclear war.

The effects of any given nuclear exchange would depend on key processes and interactions along a causal pathway with six stages: weapon employment scenarios and effects; fire dynamics and emissions; plume rise, fate, and transport; physical Earth system impacts; ecosystem impacts; and socioeconomic impacts. Impacts of radioactive fallout were not included in the assessment. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War identifies major uncertainties and data gaps at each stage of the causal pathway that currently limit researchers' ability to understand and model the effects of a nuclear war. This report recommends that relevant U.S. agencies coordinate the development of and support for a suite of model intercomparison projects to organize and assess models to reduce uncertainties in projections of the climatic and environment effects of nuclear war.

Publication information

234 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71617-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99416-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27515

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

On May 1-3, 2024, a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to address the environmental damage resulting from Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of and subsequent war against Ukraine. The damage includes the shelling of agricultural fields and oil deposits; the destruction of infrastructure, which has resulted in the pollution of land and water resources; and the environmental consequences of military actions. Presentations and discussion focused on describing the full scope of the damage, highlighting efforts to monitor it, and discussing ways to address or mitigate the effects.

Publication information

15 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73564-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29077

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Addressing Environmental Damage in Ukraine: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Symposium_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Many of the challenges engineers seek to address through their work - from increased access to clean water and transportation to climate change adaptation - are inextricably tied to human rights, and addressing them holistically requires embedding human rights frameworks into engineering practice. In turn, efforts to advance human rights can be strengthened by incorporating engineering expertise, problem-solving approaches, and novel technologies.

To explore these concepts, the National Academy of Engineering Cultural, Ethical, Social, and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering program and the Committee on Human Rights of the National Academy of Sciences conducted a symposium on November 18-19, 2024. Participants discussed ways to increase awareness of the role that engineers play in protecting and promoting human rights and explored ways that human rights-based approaches in engineering might help engineers and human rights experts solve pressing challenges. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the symposium.

Publication information

104 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99323-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99324-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29141

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Issues at the Intersection of Engineering and Human Rights: Proceedings of a Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Advances in genome sequencing technologies, like next-generation sequencing, provide powerful tools that have vastly improved the detection and classification of pathogens and disease outbreaks and support data-driven public health responses. In July 2024, the National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop to explore opportunities to advance the use of pathogen genomics and metagenomics data in the U.S. public health system. Speakers considered the application of these technologies to monitoring disease, characterization of emerging pathogens, rapid public health response to outbreaks, and biomedical research.

Publication information

128 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-09984-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-09986-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29103

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Accelerating the Use of Pathogen Genomics and Metagenomics in Public Health: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72222-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72223-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27846

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Forecasting the Ocean: The 2025–2035 Decade of Ocean Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

This issue paper focuses on the use of multiomics as a tool to understand and identify molecular determinants of human cognitive and behavioral traits, particularly in relation to modifying human performance for military and other applications. The paper was conducted under the auspices of the Standing Committee on Advances and National Security Implications of Transdisciplinary Biotechnology, an activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sponsored by the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center. The standing committee works to identify and characterize advanced biotechnologies that may affect U.S. national security. The authors are solely responsible for the content of this paper, which does not necessarily represent the views of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Publication information

25 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-10425-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29080

Suggested citation

Tucholski, T, D. DiEuliis, E. Chaikof, C. D. Gilbert, and K. Berger. 2025. Elucidating Molecular and Pathway-Level Determinants of Cognitive Performance in Humans Through Multiomics: Issue Paper. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $30.60
Ebook - $25.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Global demand for animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and milk is increasing, even as arable land and water to support animal production are declining worldwide. Among the approaches to meet global demand in a resource-constrained future is the genetic improvement of livestock to increase the efficiency and sustainability of animal agriculture. Food-animal breeders are beginning to leverage advances in the fields of genomics and biotechnology to make targeted changes in DNA, called heritable genetic modifications (HGMs), that can be passed onto subsequent generations, thereby significantly accelerating the process of genetic improvement in populations of food animals.

At the request of Congress, Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals examines the biological basis of potential health risks relevant to the regulation of HGMs in food animals. This report considers whether hazards could arise during the development of HGM food animals, the methods available to detect hazards, and the likelihood that they could result in harm. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals recommends conducting additional research to fill gaps in understanding of how both HGM techniques and conventional breeding methods influence animal welfare and the quality of animal foods, establishing a study group to gauge public attitudes toward animal biotechnology in agriculture, and developing best practices for public engagement regarding such technologies.

Additional materials

Highlights

Publication information

184 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71843-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71844-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27750

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $29.70
Ebook - $24.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, infectious prion disease affecting the central nervous system of some species of Cervidae-animals such as deer, elk, and moose. Recognized as a disease in the 1980s but suspected to have been present in the United States for decades longer, CWD affects both captive and free-ranging cervids and has been reported in 35 states and five Canadian provinces of North America as of August 1, 2024. The potential ramifications of the increasing spread of CWD are serious, and include negative impacts on ecosystems, and large economic costs for agencies with management responsibilities related to cervids and for industries that depend on cervids or cervid products. Cultural and food security impacts for communities with traditions tied to cervid hunting are also impacted.

In 2020, Congress passed America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (P.L. 116-188), directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lead a task force for addressing CWD in the United States drawing on a study commissioned from the National Academies. This report will assist the task force in prioritizing research and developing future CWD management strategies. It describes the state of knowledge regarding how CWD is transmitted among cervids, the current distribution of disease outbreaks, and the effectiveness of current diagnostic, prevention, and control methods available to limit the spread of the disease.

Publication information

202 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71478-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73382-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27449

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State of Knowledge Regarding Transmission, Spread, and Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Captive and Free-Ranging Cervid Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Nam_special_pub

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $19.80
Ebook - $16.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Climate change is a defining health challenge of the 21st century. Its impacts, from heat-related illness and extreme weather to food insecurity and mental health distress, are already affecting populations across the United States and globally. However, gaps in research, data, infrastructure, and public engagement hinder the nation's ability to respond effectively and equitably.

A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate outlines a bold vision to advance climate-health research. This agenda identifies key research domains including health impacts, adaptation and mitigation strategies, infrastructure and capacity building, and policy and public engagement. The publication provides actionable guidance to accelerate transdisciplinary science, inform evidence-based policy, and support community resilience, especially for those most vulnerable to climate threats.

Publication information

90 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73216-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73217-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28669

Suggested citation

National Academy of Medicine. 2025. A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Clinical practice guidelines are condition- or disease-specific recommendations for the appropriate health care management of patients. Because guidelines can differ between different organizations, the National Academies Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health and National Cancer Policy Forum hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore how clinical guidelines can impact the adoption and coverage of genomic testing in routine medical care.

Publication information

14 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73082-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28572

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Exploring Clinical Guidelines for the Adoption of Genomic Testing: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Governments, businesses, and funders all have a strong interest in biodiversity measurement to inform decision making, assess impacts, and track progress toward conservation and restoration goals. The US-UK Scientific Forum on Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis held in Washington, DC, on May 21–22, 2025, aimed to build momentum toward standardizing methods for using environmental monitoring technologies to assess biodiversity, ensure interoperability between different outputs, increase confidence that observed changes in biodiversity result from real changes in what is being measured, and advance integrating biodiversity monitoring with evaluation to help ensure that conservation at a variety of scales can be more effective.

Publication information

42 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99499-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29211

Suggested citation

National Academy of Sciences. 2025. Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis: Summary of the 2025 US-UK Scientific Forum. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $29.70
Ebook - $24.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, infectious prion disease affecting the central nervous system of some species of Cervidae-animals such as deer, elk, and moose. Recognized as a disease in the 1980s but suspected to have been present in the United States for decades longer, CWD affects both captive and free-ranging cervids and has been reported in 35 states and five Canadian provinces of North America as of August 1, 2024. The potential ramifications of the increasing spread of CWD are serious, and include negative impacts on ecosystems, and large economic costs for agencies with management responsibilities related to cervids and for industries that depend on cervids or cervid products. Cultural and food security impacts for communities with traditions tied to cervid hunting are also impacted.

In 2020, Congress passed America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (P.L. 116-188), directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lead a task force for addressing CWD in the United States drawing on a study commissioned from the National Academies. This report will assist the task force in prioritizing research and developing future CWD management strategies. It describes the state of knowledge regarding how CWD is transmitted among cervids, the current distribution of disease outbreaks, and the effectiveness of current diagnostic, prevention, and control methods available to limit the spread of the disease.

Publication information

202 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71478-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73382-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27449

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State of Knowledge Regarding Transmission, Spread, and Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Captive and Free-Ranging Cervid Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Our planet is facing many complex environmental challenges, including the loss of biodiversity and rapidly changing climate conditions, driven by intensifying human-nature interactions worldwide. Dramatic advances in the biological sciences over recent years are made possible by new tools to study life at many scales, from identifying mutations in a single gene to monitoring changes in plants, animals, and microbes over an entire continent. These tools have the potential to usher in a new era of continental-scale biology (CSB) in which researchers can combine data from various realms across organizational, spatial, and temporal scales, addressing questions on biological processes and patterns that cannot be answered by observations at either small or large scales alone.

This report, prepared at the request of the National Science Foundation, sets out a vision for the development of CSB and identifies the research areas that could most benefit from multi-scale approaches. Advancing the use of CSB to address a wide range of biological and societal challenges will require the development of integrated conceptual frameworks and theories to guide research, deployment of emerging technologies, and development of a skilled workforce to synthesize the vast amounts of data from various sources.

Publication information

176 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71135-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71136-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27285

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology: Research Across Multiple Scales. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $45.00
Ebook - $36.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

The Florida Everglades is a treasured ecosystem, but the water quality, quantity, flow, and distribution have been dramatically degraded by drainage and infrastructure development during the past century. A joint effort launched by the State and federal government in 2000, the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) seeks to reverse the decline of the ecosystem. The National Academies have provided a biennial review of CERP since 2004. This tenth biennial report in the series highlights significant recent restoration progress and offers guidance in three areas: applying Indigenous Knowledge in project planning, using modeling tools for understanding the effects of climate change on the CERP, and strengthening adaptive management for CERP decision making.

Thanks to record state and federal investments in recent years, the pace of restoration implementation has reached historic levels and sizeable restoration benefits have been achieved. However, information on natural system restoration progress relative to CERP expectations continues to be difficult to find and interpret. The report recommends modeling tools be applied to anticipate the effects of climate change, including temperature and precipitation, on CERP outcomes and to inform planning and management. Moving forward, consistent and meaningful engagement between CERP agencies and tribal nations is necessary to create a partnership where Indigenous Knowledge can be considered and applied in restoration decision-making. Building expertise and a culture of adaptive management can help ensure continued restoration progress amid uncertainties and improve restoration outcomes through the incorporation of new information.

Additional materials

Report Highlights

Publication information

302 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72305-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72306-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27875

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Tenth Biennial Review - 2024. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

352 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99279-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60115-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29130

Suggested citation

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.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Gulf Coast have been the sites of the two worst oil spills in U.S. history, Exxon Valdez (1989) and Deepwater Horizon (2010), respectively. These spills had devastating impacts on the environment, human health, the local economy, the seafood industry, and local communities’ way of life. While the incidents differed in many ways, the response and recovery efforts both worked to restore the environment and help communities move on from their losses.

To explore best practices and lessons learned from these oil spills, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program launched a three-part workshop series to bring together people with connections to the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills to discuss the challenges, successes, and areas where improvements could be made. The first workshop was held in Anchorage, Alaska in October 2024; the second workshop was held in Thibodaux, Louisiana in December 2024; and the final workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in March of 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Publication information

244 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99440-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60122-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29176

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange: Learning from the Legacy of Past Oil Spills: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Governments, businesses, and funders all have a strong interest in biodiversity measurement to inform decision making, assess impacts, and track progress toward conservation and restoration goals. The US-UK Scientific Forum on Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis held in Washington, DC, on May 21–22, 2025, aimed to build momentum toward standardizing methods for using environmental monitoring technologies to assess biodiversity, ensure interoperability between different outputs, increase confidence that observed changes in biodiversity result from real changes in what is being measured, and advance integrating biodiversity monitoring with evaluation to help ensure that conservation at a variety of scales can be more effective.

Publication information

42 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99499-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29211

Suggested citation

National Academy of Sciences. 2025. Measuring Biodiversity for Addressing the Global Biodiversity Crisis: Summary of the 2025 US-UK Scientific Forum. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72222-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72223-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27846

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Forecasting the Ocean: The 2025–2035 Decade of Ocean Science. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Contrails are visible lines in the sky behind aircraft that occur when warm jet engine exhaust meets the colder surrounding atmosphere, forming small ice crystals. Most contrails dissipate within about 10 minutes, but they can last for hours under certain conditions. Persistent contrails can contribute to atmospheric warming and are estimated to have a climate impact on par with carbon dioxide emissions from aviation.

In early 2024, NASA requested that the National Academies develop a national research agenda to better understand, quantify, and develop technical and operational solutions to reduce the global climate impact of aviation-induced cloudiness and persistent contrails. This report presents priorities for a national contrails research strategy and provides a vision for how this research could eventually support operational contrails mitigation. This research would support the global economic competitiveness of the U.S. civil aviation industry in the context of emerging international aviation regulations.

Publication information

98 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73551-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73552-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29073

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Developing a Research Agenda on Contrails and Their Climate Impacts. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Nam_special_pub

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $19.80
Ebook - $16.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Climate change is a defining health challenge of the 21st century. Its impacts, from heat-related illness and extreme weather to food insecurity and mental health distress, are already affecting populations across the United States and globally. However, gaps in research, data, infrastructure, and public engagement hinder the nation's ability to respond effectively and equitably.

A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate outlines a bold vision to advance climate-health research. This agenda identifies key research domains including health impacts, adaptation and mitigation strategies, infrastructure and capacity building, and policy and public engagement. The publication provides actionable guidance to accelerate transdisciplinary science, inform evidence-based policy, and support community resilience, especially for those most vulnerable to climate threats.

Publication information

90 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73216-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73217-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28669

Suggested citation

National Academy of Medicine. 2025. A Research Agenda to Protect Human Health and Build Resilience in the Face of a Changing Climate. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Atypical weather events, such as extreme tropical cyclones, pose substantial threats to life, property and livelihoods in the U.S. and worldwide. Despite major advances in forecasting capabilities, communicating about extreme weather events with decision-makers and the public carries considerable challenges but also provides opportunities for innovation. Decisions surrounding extreme weather events often involve making tradeoffs between different degrees and varieties of risks. For example, deciding whether or when to issue an evacuation order ahead of a tropical cyclone entails tradeoffs between the risks to lives posed by the event and the risks to livelihoods posed by the financial costs of evacuations or relocations.

In early 2024, the National Academies held a workshop on risk communication around extreme tropical cyclones and other atypical climate events. Participants aimed to identify opportunities and challenges for risk communication as well as lessons about community engagement and communication concerning other climate events. Over the course of the workshop, participants addressed various facets of risk communication, including the importance and difficulty of clearly communicating uncertainty to the general public; the importance of understanding the needs of various audiences in the context of effective communication; preparedness as a critical component of an effective response; and the often-profound ways that strong partnerships and relationships across sectors and offices can impact and improve risk communication.

Publication information

104 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72537-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72538-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27933

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Advancing Risk Communication with Decision-Makers for Extreme Tropical Cyclones and Other Atypical Climate Events: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $30.60
Ebook - $25.19

Buy the book

Experiencing a single disaster - a hurricane, tornado, flood, severe winter storm, or a global pandemic - can wreak havoc on the lives and livelihoods of individuals, families, communities and entire regions. For many people who live in communities in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico region, the reality of disaster is starker. Endemic socioeconomic and health disparities have made many living in Gulf of Mexico communities particularly vulnerable to the effects of weather-climate hazards. Prolonged disaster recovery and increasing disaster risk is an enduring reality for many living in Gulf of Mexico communities. Between 2020 and 2021, seven major hurricanes and a severe winter storm affected communities across the region. As a backdrop to these acute weather events, the global COVID-19 pandemic was unfolding, producing a complex and unprecedented public health and socioeconomic crisis.

Traditionally, the impacts of disasters are quantified individually and often in economic terms of property damage and loss. In this case, each of these major events occurring in the Gulf of Mexico during this time period subsequently earned the moniker of "billion-dollar" disaster. However, this characterization does not reflect the non-financial human toll and disparate effects caused by multiple disruptive events that increase underlying physical and social vulnerabilities, reduce adaptive capacities and ultimately make communities more sensitive to the effects of future disruptive events. This report explores the interconnections, impacts, and lessons learned of compounding disasters that impair resilience, response, and recovery efforts. While Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities, 2020-2021 focuses on the Gulf of Mexico region, its findings apply to any region that has similar vulnerabilities and that is frequently at risk for disasters.

Additional materials

Digital Resource: Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities 2020-2021

Publication information

296 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70716-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70717-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27170

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities 2020-2021: Impacts, Findings, and Lessons Learned. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

To better understand key considerations around law enforcement use of advanced forensic DNA technologies, the Committee on Law and Justice and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop titled "Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies." The workshop was organized in response to Executive Order 14074, issued in May 2022, and was held on March 13 and 14, 2024. The order focused on advancing effective, accountable policing, as well as criminal justice practices around algorithmic approaches to policing; it directed the National Academies to hold a workshop to explore the different approaches. The workshop focused on three specific advanced forensic DNA practices: probabilistic genotyping, forensic DNA phenotyping, and forensic investigative genetic genealogy. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

134 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72364-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72365-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27887

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Request an exam or desk copy

Publication information

13 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27812

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $68.40
Ebook - $53.99

Buy the book

Pollinators—insects, birds, bats, and other animals that carry pollen from the male to the female parts of flowers for plant reproduction—are an essential part of natural and agricultural ecosystems throughout North America. For example, most fruit, vegetable, and seed crops and some crops that provide fiber, drugs, and fuel depend on animals for pollination.

This report provides evidence for the decline of some pollinator species in North America, including America's most important managed pollinator, the honey bee, as well as some butterflies, bats, and hummingbirds. For most managed and wild pollinator species, however, population trends have not been assessed because populations have not been monitored over time. In addition, for wild species with demonstrated declines, it is often difficult to determine the causes or consequences of their decline. This report outlines priorities for research and monitoring that are needed to improve information on the status of pollinators and establishes a framework for conservation and restoration of pollinator species and communities.

Additional materials

Publication information

326 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-10289-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-66381-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/11761

Suggested citation

National Research Council. 2007. Status of Pollinators in North America. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

352 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99279-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60115-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29130

Suggested citation

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.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $29.70
Ebook - $24.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Chronic wasting disease (CWD) is a fatal, infectious prion disease affecting the central nervous system of some species of Cervidae-animals such as deer, elk, and moose. Recognized as a disease in the 1980s but suspected to have been present in the United States for decades longer, CWD affects both captive and free-ranging cervids and has been reported in 35 states and five Canadian provinces of North America as of August 1, 2024. The potential ramifications of the increasing spread of CWD are serious, and include negative impacts on ecosystems, and large economic costs for agencies with management responsibilities related to cervids and for industries that depend on cervids or cervid products. Cultural and food security impacts for communities with traditions tied to cervid hunting are also impacted.

In 2020, Congress passed America's Conservation Enhancement (ACE) Act (P.L. 116-188), directing the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to lead a task force for addressing CWD in the United States drawing on a study commissioned from the National Academies. This report will assist the task force in prioritizing research and developing future CWD management strategies. It describes the state of knowledge regarding how CWD is transmitted among cervids, the current distribution of disease outbreaks, and the effectiveness of current diagnostic, prevention, and control methods available to limit the spread of the disease.

Publication information

202 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71478-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73382-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27449

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. State of Knowledge Regarding Transmission, Spread, and Management of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Captive and Free-Ranging Cervid Populations. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Avian Influenza A (H5) viruses have circulated globally for decades among migratory bird populations. The recent emergence of Avian Influenza A (H5N1) in U.S. dairy cattle has led to challenges in managing and controlling the spread of H5 viruses between livestock, wildlife, and companion animals, as well as to humans from infected animals. The National Academies hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore potential research priorities that could inform readiness and response to the outbreak. Discussions followed an interdisciplinary One Health approach, bringing together experts from across human, veterinary, plant, and environmental health disciplines, and builds on published federal research priorities for H5N1 to include perspectives beyond basic translational clinical sciences, to social sciences, veterinary health, agricultural economics, and occupational health, among others.

Publication information

14 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73112-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28581

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Potential Research Priorities to Inform U.S. Readiness and Response to Avian Influenza A (H5N1): Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2023, the National Academies held a series of facilitated workshops to gather information on progress to date on projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program. A fundamental goal of the URoL program is to identify the causal, predictive relationships that drive how life functions—a concept articulated as the "rules of life." Principal investigators of the URoL program shared findings from their research and how those findings might contribute to identifying rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales. Participants also discussed how they have incorporated multidisciplinary, systems-level approaches into their work. This booklet highlights the program's focus areas and reach, major scientific breakthroughs, and lessons for research and education across scientific disciplines. This booklet is intended for policy and lay audiences interested in learning more about the goals and opportunities of NSF's URoL program.

Publication information

28 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70267-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27021

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) established a five-year program on Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) to identify generalizable rules that govern biological systems at micro and macro levels. At the request of NSF, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a series of workshops to explore the achievements of the URoL program. Presenters and participants discussed integration of multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches, broader implications for studying highly complex systems, future scientific questions and future societal needs, and the production of generalizable rules that apply to different fields and scales. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

92 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70262-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70263-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27020

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Reflections on the National Science Foundation's Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

The scientific community has been studying the question of how human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases are affecting the climate for well over a century. Much is known today, drawing on decades of direct observations of the Earth system and detailed research. This report summarizes the latest evidence on whether greenhouse gas emissions threaten public health and welfare in the United States.

The impetus for this report was a notice of proposed rulemaking issued in August 2025 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) indicating its intention to rescind the 2009 Finding of Endangerment and Cause or Contribute Findings for Greenhouse Gases Under Section 202(a) of the Clean Air Act. Recognizing that significantly more evidence is available today, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine launched this study to review newly available scientific evidence on the topics included in a Technical Support Document that EPA prepared to inform its decision-making on the finding.

The report’s authoring committee found that EPA’s 2009 finding that human-caused emissions of greenhouse gases adversely affect human health and welfare was accurate, has stood the test of time, and is now reinforced by even stronger evidence. Today, many of EPA’s conclusions are further supported by longer observational records and multiple new lines of evidence. Moreover, research has uncovered additional risks that were not apparent in 2009.

Publication information

126 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99603-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60029-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29239

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Effects of Human-Caused Greenhouse Gas Emissions on U.S. Climate, Health, and Welfare. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

On October 9, 2024, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a workshop, Leveraging the National Climate Assessment to Empower Communities, in Washington, DC. Through presentations and discussion, workshop participants explored possibilities and challenges for broadening the reach of the National Climate Assessment to increase community engagement and application of report findings. This Proceedings of a Workshop-in Brief summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop.

Publication information

12 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99185-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29122

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Leveraging the National Climate Assessment to Empower Communities: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Contrails are visible lines in the sky behind aircraft that occur when warm jet engine exhaust meets the colder surrounding atmosphere, forming small ice crystals. Most contrails dissipate within about 10 minutes, but they can last for hours under certain conditions. Persistent contrails can contribute to atmospheric warming and are estimated to have a climate impact on par with carbon dioxide emissions from aviation.

In early 2024, NASA requested that the National Academies develop a national research agenda to better understand, quantify, and develop technical and operational solutions to reduce the global climate impact of aviation-induced cloudiness and persistent contrails. This report presents priorities for a national contrails research strategy and provides a vision for how this research could eventually support operational contrails mitigation. This research would support the global economic competitiveness of the U.S. civil aviation industry in the context of emerging international aviation regulations.

Publication information

98 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73551-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73552-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29073

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Developing a Research Agenda on Contrails and Their Climate Impacts. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Symposium_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Many of the challenges engineers seek to address through their work - from increased access to clean water and transportation to climate change adaptation - are inextricably tied to human rights, and addressing them holistically requires embedding human rights frameworks into engineering practice. In turn, efforts to advance human rights can be strengthened by incorporating engineering expertise, problem-solving approaches, and novel technologies.

To explore these concepts, the National Academy of Engineering Cultural, Ethical, Social, and Environmental Responsibility in Engineering program and the Committee on Human Rights of the National Academy of Sciences conducted a symposium on November 18-19, 2024. Participants discussed ways to increase awareness of the role that engineers play in protecting and promoting human rights and explored ways that human rights-based approaches in engineering might help engineers and human rights experts solve pressing challenges. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the symposium.

Publication information

104 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99323-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99324-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29141

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Issues at the Intersection of Engineering and Human Rights: Proceedings of a Symposium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $16.20
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2022, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) was directed by the U.S. Congress to conduct an assessment of the current state of knowledge concerning linkages between biodiversity and climate change in the United States, called the Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment (BCCA). Recognizing that biodiversity and climate change span national and other jurisdictional borders, the USGS expanded the assessment to include all of North America, working in collaboration with Canada and Mexico.

At the request of USGS, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine conducted an independent peer review of the first order draft of the BCCA chapters, beginning concurrent with the public comment period that took place in fall 2024. The review evaluates whether the draft chapters adequately and transparently assess the relevant scientific literature and evidence, address the most pressing issues of biodiversity and climate change, and communicate findings in policy-relevant language accessible to a broad audience.

Publication information

74 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72355-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72356-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27796

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Biodiversity and Climate Change Assessment: Review of Draft Chapters. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Gulf Coast have been the sites of the two worst oil spills in U.S. history, Exxon Valdez (1989) and Deepwater Horizon (2010), respectively. These spills had devastating impacts on the environment, human health, the local economy, the seafood industry, and local communities’ way of life. While the incidents differed in many ways, the response and recovery efforts both worked to restore the environment and help communities move on from their losses.

To explore best practices and lessons learned from these oil spills, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program launched a three-part workshop series to bring together people with connections to the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills to discuss the challenges, successes, and areas where improvements could be made. The first workshop was held in Anchorage, Alaska in October 2024; the second workshop was held in Thibodaux, Louisiana in December 2024; and the final workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in March of 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Publication information

244 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99440-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60122-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29176

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange: Learning from the Legacy of Past Oil Spills: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The National Academies' Roundtable on Plastics convened a workshop in May 2025 to explore circularity and other approaches for sustainable life cycle management of plastic materials to mitigate plastic pollution, including reduction of plastic waste through redesign, reuse, remaking, and recycling. This workshop specifically addressed areas of both high plastic production and waste, namely packaging, textiles, and building material sectors. Throughout, participants considered solutions including rethinking, redesign, and reuse; the use of these synergies and strategies to minimize impacts on plastic waste; and the associated effects on human and environmental health.

Publication information

76 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99455-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99456-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29199

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Circularity and Plastics: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The diversion of water into the Los Angeles Aqueduct led to the desiccation of Owens Lake, located in California's Owens Valley. The dry lakebed became one of the nation's largest sources of fine airborne particulate matter (PM10), which can cause or worsen a variety of health problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that off-lake sources now cause a majority of air quality exceedances. This report examines the origin of these off-lake dust sources and how they might change over time. The report discusses possible dust control measures that could be applied to off-lake sources, as well as the applicability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Exceptional Events Rule.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that if dust control measures are determined to be necessary for off-lake sources, implementation will require a systems-level landscape approach that considers cultural resources. Establishing and maintaining native vegetation is the most stable and sustainable dust control measure across all emitting off-lake surfaces. However, many areas around Owens Lake are extremely dynamic settings and require different approaches over space, and possible re-treatment over time, unless self-sustaining controls are implemented.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72637-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72638-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27958

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $27.90
Ebook - $22.49

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In response to the buildup of U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals during the Cold War, a series of major scientific studies conducted in the 1980s issued warnings about the potential for a "nuclear winter" scenario - the possibility that a large-scale nuclear exchange could inject massive amounts of soot and particulates into the upper atmosphere that would block incoming solar radiation and cause major ecosystem and societal disruptions. In the decades since that concept emerged, profound military, political, and technological changes have reshaped the nuclear landscape, while scientific advances have deepened the understanding of, and ability to model, Earth system processes. It is in this context that the U.S. Congress asked for this report to re-examine the potential environmental, social, and economic effects that could unfold over the weeks to decades after a nuclear war.

The effects of any given nuclear exchange would depend on key processes and interactions along a causal pathway with six stages: weapon employment scenarios and effects; fire dynamics and emissions; plume rise, fate, and transport; physical Earth system impacts; ecosystem impacts; and socioeconomic impacts. Impacts of radioactive fallout were not included in the assessment. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War identifies major uncertainties and data gaps at each stage of the causal pathway that currently limit researchers' ability to understand and model the effects of a nuclear war. This report recommends that relevant U.S. agencies coordinate the development of and support for a suite of model intercomparison projects to organize and assess models to reduce uncertainties in projections of the climatic and environment effects of nuclear war.

Publication information

234 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71617-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99416-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27515

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

On May 1-3, 2024, a committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop to address the environmental damage resulting from Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of and subsequent war against Ukraine. The damage includes the shelling of agricultural fields and oil deposits; the destruction of infrastructure, which has resulted in the pollution of land and water resources; and the environmental consequences of military actions. Presentations and discussion focused on describing the full scope of the damage, highlighting efforts to monitor it, and discussing ways to address or mitigate the effects.

Publication information

15 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73564-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29077

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Addressing Environmental Damage in Ukraine: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Minerals form the foundation of our infrastructure, manufacturing, energy systems, and everyday technologies. Demand for these minerals, especially critical minerals, is rapidly increasing, highlighting the need for reliable sourcing and for resilient supply networks to ensure energy security and national competitiveness, and support technological innovation.

The Mineral Resources Program (MRP), within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), plays a central role in addressing the nation's mineral resource challenges by providing the unbiased science and data needed to inform decision making across government, private industry, and academia. At the request of the USGS, the National Academies reviewed MRP and considered how it might best position itself to address current and future mineral resource challenges facing the nation.

This report finds that MRP has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation during rapid budget fluctuations and renewed national attention on mineral resources, especially critical minerals, and has significantly advanced mineral deposit science, exploration, and analysis. The report recommends that MRP remain proactive in its priorities, set production targets for critical minerals, create a national atlas of resource potential, improve data delivery, establish external advisory input, regularly update its strategic plan, and strengthen collaboration across USGS and with external partners. These recommendations are intended to help MRP achieve its mission while supporting national objectives and remaining the national authority on minerals information, analysis, research, and assessment.

Publication information

144 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-73529-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73530-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29068

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Meeting Future U.S. Mineral Resource Needs: The Role of the U.S. Geological Survey Mineral Resources Program. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $67.50
Ebook - $53.99

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Earthquake-induced soil liquefaction (liquefaction) is a leading cause of earthquake damage worldwide. Liquefaction is often described in the literature as the phenomena of seismic generation of excess porewater pressures and consequent softening of granular soils. Many regions in the United States have been witness to liquefaction and its consequences, not just those in the west that people associate with earthquake hazards.

Past damage and destruction caused by liquefaction underline the importance of accurate assessments of where liquefaction is likely and of what the consequences of liquefaction may be. Such assessments are needed to protect life and safety and to mitigate economic, environmental, and societal impacts of liquefaction in a cost-effective manner. Assessment methods exist, but methods to assess the potential for liquefaction triggering are more mature than are those to predict liquefaction consequences, and the earthquake engineering community wrestles with the differences among the various assessment methods for both liquefaction triggering and consequences.

State of the Art and Practice in the Assessment of Earthquake-Induced Soil Liquefaction and Its Consequences evaluates these various methods, focusing on those developed within the past 20 years, and recommends strategies to minimize uncertainties in the short term and to develop improved methods to assess liquefaction and its consequences in the long term. This report represents a first attempt within the geotechnical earthquake engineering community to consider, in such a manner, the various methods to assess liquefaction consequences.

Publication information

280 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-44027-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-44028-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/23474

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. State of the Art and Practice in the Assessment of Earthquake-Induced Soil Liquefaction and Its Consequences. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $63.00
Ebook - $49.49

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Fractured rock is the host or foundation for innumerable engineered structures related to energy, water, waste, and transportation. Characterizing, modeling, and monitoring fractured rock sites is critical to the functioning of those infrastructure, as well as to optimizing resource recovery and contaminant management. Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock examines the state of practice and state of art in the characterization of fractured rock and the chemical and biological processes related to subsurface contaminant fate and transport. This report examines new developments, knowledge, and approaches to engineering at fractured rock sites since the publication of the 1996 National Research Council report Rock Fractures and Fluid Flow: Contemporary Understanding and Fluid Flow. Fundamental understanding of the physical nature of fractured rock has changed little since 1996, but many new characterization tools have been developed, and there is now greater appreciation for the importance of chemical and biological processes that can occur in the fractured rock environment.

The findings of Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock can be applied to all types of engineered infrastructure, but especially to engineered repositories for buried or stored waste and to fractured rock sites that have been contaminated as a result of past disposal or other practices. The recommendations of this report are intended to help the practitioner, researcher, and decision maker take a more interdisciplinary approach to engineering in the fractured rock environment. This report describes how existing tools—some only recently developed—can be used to increase the accuracy and reliability of engineering design and management given the interacting forces of nature. With an interdisciplinary approach, it is possible to conceptualize and model the fractured rock environment with acceptable levels of uncertainty and reliability, and to design systems that maximize remediation and long-term performance. Better scientific understanding could inform regulations, policies, and implementation guidelines related to infrastructure development and operations. The recommendations for research and applications to enhance practice of this book make it a valuable resource for students and practitioners in this field.

Publication information

176 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-37372-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-37373-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/21742

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Characterization, Modeling, Monitoring, and Remediation of Fractured Rock. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $58.50
Ebook - $49.49

Buy the book

Biological collections are a critical part of the nation's science and innovation infrastructure and a fundamental resource for understanding the natural world. Biological collections underpin basic science discoveries as well as deepen our understanding of many challenges such as global change, biodiversity loss, sustainable food production, ecosystem conservation, and improving human health and security. They are important resources for education, both in formal training for the science and technology workforce, and in informal learning through schools, citizen science programs, and adult learning. However, the sustainability of biological collections is under threat. Without enhanced strategic leadership and investments in their infrastructure and growth many biological collections could be lost.

Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and Education for the 21st Century recommends approaches for biological collections to develop long-term financial sustainability, advance digitization, recruit and support a diverse workforce, and upgrade and maintain a robust physical infrastructure in order to continue serving science and society. The aim of the report is to stimulate a national discussion regarding the goals and strategies needed to ensure that U.S. biological collections not only thrive but continue to grow throughout the 21st century and beyond.

Additional materials

Public Briefing Presentation - Slide deck

Publication information

244 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-49853-8
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-49854-6
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25592

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and Education for the 21st Century. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $40.50
Ebook - $33.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Modern geoscience research informs many important decisions and projects, such as geological disaster preparation, natural resource extraction, and global development. This critical research relies on technology and collaboration at state-of-the-art seismological and geodetic facilities. Currently, these facilities provide a wide variety of observation systems that support scientists' understanding of Earth and its changing environmental systems. As emerging technologies develop rapidly, seismological and geodetic facilities have new capabilities and more complex management and research communication systems. This requires a reevaluation of management structures and best practices within these facilities.

The National Academies convened a 1.5-day workshop to discuss management models of theoretical seismological and geodetic facilities of the future. Initial discussions built upon a 2015 Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology community workshop report, which identified current and future capabilities of these research facilities. Management models from other types of scientific facilities were used as a springboard for further discussions about management and decision-making models that could be applied to seismological and geodetic facilities. Workshop participants also emphasized the importance of distributing capabilities among multiple facilities. Lastly, this workshop explored complex management topics in these facilities including instrumentation, user support services, data management, education and outreach, and workforce development capabilities. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Publication information

96 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-49619-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-49620-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25536

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2019. Management Models for Future Seismological and Geodetic Facilities and Capabilities: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Advances in genome sequencing technologies, like next-generation sequencing, provide powerful tools that have vastly improved the detection and classification of pathogens and disease outbreaks and support data-driven public health responses. In July 2024, the National Academies Forum on Microbial Threats hosted a public workshop to explore opportunities to advance the use of pathogen genomics and metagenomics data in the U.S. public health system. Speakers considered the application of these technologies to monitoring disease, characterization of emerging pathogens, rapid public health response to outbreaks, and biomedical research.

Publication information

128 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-09984-6
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-09986-2
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29103

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Accelerating the Use of Pathogen Genomics and Metagenomics in Public Health: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

This issue paper focuses on the use of multiomics as a tool to understand and identify molecular determinants of human cognitive and behavioral traits, particularly in relation to modifying human performance for military and other applications. The paper was conducted under the auspices of the Standing Committee on Advances and National Security Implications of Transdisciplinary Biotechnology, an activity of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sponsored by the National Counterproliferation and Biosecurity Center. The standing committee works to identify and characterize advanced biotechnologies that may affect U.S. national security. The authors are solely responsible for the content of this paper, which does not necessarily represent the views of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Publication information

25 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-10425-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29080

Suggested citation

Tucholski, T, D. DiEuliis, E. Chaikof, C. D. Gilbert, and K. Berger. 2025. Elucidating Molecular and Pathway-Level Determinants of Cognitive Performance in Humans Through Multiomics: Issue Paper. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $30.60
Ebook - $25.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Global demand for animal-derived foods such as meat, eggs, and milk is increasing, even as arable land and water to support animal production are declining worldwide. Among the approaches to meet global demand in a resource-constrained future is the genetic improvement of livestock to increase the efficiency and sustainability of animal agriculture. Food-animal breeders are beginning to leverage advances in the fields of genomics and biotechnology to make targeted changes in DNA, called heritable genetic modifications (HGMs), that can be passed onto subsequent generations, thereby significantly accelerating the process of genetic improvement in populations of food animals.

At the request of Congress, Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals examines the biological basis of potential health risks relevant to the regulation of HGMs in food animals. This report considers whether hazards could arise during the development of HGM food animals, the methods available to detect hazards, and the likelihood that they could result in harm. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals recommends conducting additional research to fill gaps in understanding of how both HGM techniques and conventional breeding methods influence animal welfare and the quality of animal foods, establishing a study group to gauge public attitudes toward animal biotechnology in agriculture, and developing best practices for public engagement regarding such technologies.

Additional materials

Highlights

Publication information

184 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71843-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71844-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27750

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Heritable Genetic Modification in Food Animals. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_in_brief

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

Clinical practice guidelines are condition- or disease-specific recommendations for the appropriate health care management of patients. Because guidelines can differ between different organizations, the National Academies Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health and National Cancer Policy Forum hosted a public workshop in October 2024 to explore how clinical guidelines can impact the adoption and coverage of genomic testing in routine medical care.

Publication information

14 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-73082-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/28572

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Exploring Clinical Guidelines for the Adoption of Genomic Testing: Proceedings of a Workshop—in Brief. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

To better understand key considerations around law enforcement use of advanced forensic DNA technologies, the Committee on Law and Justice and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine held a workshop titled "Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies." The workshop was organized in response to Executive Order 14074, issued in May 2022, and was held on March 13 and 14, 2024. The order focused on advancing effective, accountable policing, as well as criminal justice practices around algorithmic approaches to policing; it directed the National Academies to hold a workshop to explore the different approaches. The workshop focused on three specific advanced forensic DNA practices: probabilistic genotyping, forensic DNA phenotyping, and forensic investigative genetic genealogy. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

134 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72364-7
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72365-5
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27887

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Law Enforcement Use of Probabilistic Genotyping, Forensic DNA Phenotyping, and Forensic Investigative Genetic Genealogy Technologies: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $19.80
Ebook - $16.19

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Antarctica and the Southern Ocean are important research locations for many scientific disciplines, including oceanography, biology, and astronomy. Because of its remoteness and the extreme and dangerous weather conditions in which researchers must operate, research in this region presents many unique challenges. New and improved technologies can make Antarctic research safer, more efficient, and capable of covering a greater spatial and temporal range, all while minimizing the costs and environmental impacts of this research. At the request of the National Science Foundation Office of Polar Programs, the Polar Research Board of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop on May 3-5, 2022, to solicit broad community ideas regarding how technological developments can advance and expand Antarctic research and polar research more generally. Workshop participants discussed recent and potential technological breakthroughs, cross-cutting research themes, and how new technologies can facilitate broader, more diverse participation in Antarctic research. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshop.

Publication information

92 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-69310-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-69311-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26699

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2022. Technology Developments to Advance Antarctic Research: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $18.00
Ebook - $15.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

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.

Publication information

142 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-27311-0
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-27312-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26363

Suggested citation

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.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $43.20
Ebook - $35.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

The Antarctic's unique environment and position on the globe make it a prime location to gain insights into how Earth and the universe operate. This report assesses National Science Foundation (NSF) progress in addressing three priority research areas identified in a 2015 National Academies report: (1) understanding the linkages between ice sheets and sea-level rise, including both a focus on current rates of ice sheet change and studies of past major ice sheet retreat episodes; (2) understanding biological adaptations to the extreme and changing Antarctic environment; and (3) establishing a next-generation cosmic microwave background (CMB) program, partly located in Antarctica, to study the origins of the universe.

NSF has made important progress understanding the impacts of current ice sheet change, particularly through studies focused on the ice sheet and ocean interactions driving ongoing ice mass loss at the Thwaites Glacier and Amundsen Sea region in West Antarctica. Less progress has been made on studies of past major ice sheet retreat episodes. Progress is also strong on CMB research to understand the origins of the universe. Progress has lagged on understanding biological adaptations, in part because of limited community organization and collaboration toward the priority. To accelerate progress during the second half of the initiative, NSF could issue specific calls for proposals, develop strategies to foster collaborations and partnerships, and commission a transparent review of logistical capacity to help illuminate strategies and priorities for addressing resource constraints. Such efforts would also help optimize science and proposal development in an environment of inherently constrained logistics.

Publication information

152 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-26807-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-26814-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/26338

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2021. Mid-Term Assessment of Progress on the 2015 Strategic Vision for Antarctic and Southern Ocean Research. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $58.50
Ebook - $49.49

Buy the book

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in collaboration with the InterAcademy Partnership and the European Academies Science Advisory Committee held a workshop in November 2019 to bring together researchers and public health officials from different countries and across several relevant disciplines to explore what is known, and what critical knowledge gaps remain, regarding existing and possible future risks of harmful infectious agents emerging from thawing permafrost and melting ice in the Arctic region. The workshop examined case studies such as the specific case of Arctic region anthrax outbreaks, as a known, observed risk as well as other types of human and animal microbial health risks that have been discovered in snow, ice, or permafrost environments, or that could conceivably exist. The workshop primarily addressed two sources of emerging infectious diseases in the arctic: (1) new diseases likely to emerge in the Arctic as a result of climate change (such as vector-borne diseases) and (2) ancient and endemic diseases likely to emerge in the Arctic specifically as a result of permafrost thaw. Participants also considered key research that could advance knowledge including critical tools for improving observations, and surveillance to advance understanding of these risks, and to facilitate and implement effective early warning systems. Lessons learned from efforts to address emerging or re-emerging microbial threats elsewhere in the world were also discussed. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

96 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-68125-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-68126-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/25887

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2020. Understanding and Responding to Global Health Security Risks from Microbial Threats in the Arctic: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $58.50
Ebook - $49.49

Buy the book

Once ice-bound, difficult to access, and largely ignored by the rest of the world, the Arctic is now front and center in the midst of many important questions facing the world today. Our daily weather, what we eat, and coastal flooding are all interconnected with the future of the Arctic. The year 2012 was an astounding year for Arctic change. The summer sea ice volume smashed previous records, losing approximately 75 percent of its value since 1980 and half of its areal coverage. Multiple records were also broken when 97 percent of Greenland's surface experienced melt conditions in 2012, the largest melt extent in the satellite era. Receding ice caps in Arctic Canada are now exposing land surfaces that have been continuously ice covered for more than 40,000 years.

What happens in the Arctic has far-reaching implications around the world. Loss of snow and ice exacerbates climate change and is the largest contributor to expected global sea level rise during the next century. Ten percent of the world's fish catches comes from Arctic and sub-Arctic waters. The U.S. Geological Survey estimated that up to 13 percent of the world's remaining oil reserves are in the Arctic. The geologic history of the Arctic may hold vital clues about massive volcanic eruptions and the consequent release of massive amount of coal fly ash that is thought to have caused mass extinctions in the distant past. How will these changes affect the rest of Earth? What research should we invest in to best understand this previously hidden land, manage impacts of change on Arctic communities, and cooperate with researchers from other nations?

The Arctic in the Anthropocene reviews research questions previously identified by Arctic researchers, and then highlights the new questions that have emerged in the wake of and expectation of further rapid Arctic change, as well as new capabilities to address them. This report is meant to guide future directions in U.S. Arctic research so that research is targeted on critical scientific and societal questions and conducted as effectively as possible. The Arctic in the Anthropocene identifies both a disciplinary and a cross-cutting research strategy for the next 10 to 20 years, and evaluates infrastructure needs and collaboration opportunities. The climate, biology, and society in the Arctic are changing in rapid, complex, and interactive ways. Understanding the Arctic system has never been more critical; thus, Arctic research has never been more important. This report will be a resource for institutions, funders, policy makers, and students. Written in an engaging style, The Arctic in the Anthropocene paints a picture of one of the last unknown places on this planet, and communicates the excitement and importance of the discoveries and challenges that lie ahead.

Additional materials

Publication information

224 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-30183-1
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-30184-X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/18726

Suggested citation

National Research Council. 2014. The Arctic in the Anthropocene: Emerging Research Questions. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $22.50
Ebook - $18.89

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Our planet is facing many complex environmental challenges, including the loss of biodiversity and rapidly changing climate conditions, driven by intensifying human-nature interactions worldwide. Dramatic advances in the biological sciences over recent years are made possible by new tools to study life at many scales, from identifying mutations in a single gene to monitoring changes in plants, animals, and microbes over an entire continent. These tools have the potential to usher in a new era of continental-scale biology (CSB) in which researchers can combine data from various realms across organizational, spatial, and temporal scales, addressing questions on biological processes and patterns that cannot be answered by observations at either small or large scales alone.

This report, prepared at the request of the National Science Foundation, sets out a vision for the development of CSB and identifies the research areas that could most benefit from multi-scale approaches. Advancing the use of CSB to address a wide range of biological and societal challenges will require the development of integrated conceptual frameworks and theories to guide research, deployment of emerging technologies, and development of a skilled workforce to synthesize the vast amounts of data from various sources.

Publication information

176 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71135-5
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-71136-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27285

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. A Vision for Continental-Scale Biology: Research Across Multiple Scales. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $46.80
Ebook - $37.79

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

The United States is an important food producer globally, in part because of its abundance of agriculturally productive soils. However, management practices that maximize yields have caused losses in soil organic matter, poor soil structure and water-holding capacity, and increased salinity on millions of acres of land - and have adversely affected the microbial communities that are the drivers of many soil processes. At the same time, recent scientific advances have spurred interest in how microbial communities can support soil health, food quality, and human health.

It is in this context that the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture asked the National Academies to explore the linkages between soil health and human health. The report finds that to improve soil health, federal agencies need to promote the importance of soil health, support translational research, and develop a coordinated national approach to monitor soil health over time and space. Given the potential that microbiomes have in modulating soil, plant, and human health, there is also a pressing need to determine which microbial features, if any, contribute to quantifying or fortifying health in both human and soil systems and to understand the direct and indirect roles of soil, alongside other environmental factors, in influencing human microbial colonization and subsequent health outcomes. Such investigation involves delving into the relatively sparse or disconnected research regarding the microbiome continuum that links soil and human systems.

Publication information

354 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71508-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72265-9
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27459

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2016, the National Science Foundation (NSF) established a five-year program on Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) to identify generalizable rules that govern biological systems at micro and macro levels. At the request of NSF, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a series of workshops to explore the achievements of the URoL program. Presenters and participants discussed integration of multi-disciplinary, systems-level approaches, broader implications for studying highly complex systems, future scientific questions and future societal needs, and the production of generalizable rules that apply to different fields and scales. This publication summarizes the presentation and discussion of the workshop.

Publication information

92 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-70262-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70263-1
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27020

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Reflections on the National Science Foundation's Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

In 2023, the National Academies held a series of facilitated workshops to gather information on progress to date on projects funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) Understanding the Rules of Life (URoL) program. A fundamental goal of the URoL program is to identify the causal, predictive relationships that drive how life functions—a concept articulated as the "rules of life." Principal investigators of the URoL program shared findings from their research and how those findings might contribute to identifying rules of life that are generalizable across fields and scales. Participants also discussed how they have incorporated multidisciplinary, systems-level approaches into their work. This booklet highlights the program's focus areas and reach, major scientific breakthroughs, and lessons for research and education across scientific disciplines. This booklet is intended for policy and lay audiences interested in learning more about the goals and opportunities of NSF's URoL program.

Publication information

28 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-70267-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27021

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2023. Understanding the Rules of Life Program: Scientific Advancements and Future Opportunities. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $40.50
Ebook - $33.29

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

The surface of the human body and its mucous membranes are heavily colonized by microorganisms. Our understanding of the contributions that complex microbial communities make to health and disease is advancing rapidly. Most microbiome research to date has focused on the mouse as a model organism for delineating the mechanisms that shape the assembly and dynamic operations of microbial communities. However, the mouse is not a perfect surrogate for studying different aspects of the microbiome and how it responds to various environmental and host stimuli, and as a result, researchers have been conducting microbiome studies in other animals.

To examine the different animal models researchers employ in microbiome studies and to better understand the strengths and weaknesses of each of these model organisms as they relate to human and nonhuman health and disease, the Roundtable on Science and Welfare in Laboratory Animal Use of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine convened a workshop in December 2016. The workshop participants explored how to improve the depth and breadth of analysis of microbial communities using various model organisms, the challenges of standardization and biological variability that are inherent in gnotobiotic animal-based research, the predictability and translatability of preclinical studies to humans, and strategies for expanding the infrastructure and tools for conducting studies in these types of models. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions from the workshop.

Publication information

114 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-46388-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-46389-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/24858

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2018. Animal Models for Microbiome Research: Advancing Basic and Translational Science: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop_series

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The Gulf of Alaska and the Southern Gulf Coast have been the sites of the two worst oil spills in U.S. history, Exxon Valdez (1989) and Deepwater Horizon (2010), respectively. These spills had devastating impacts on the environment, human health, the local economy, the seafood industry, and local communities’ way of life. While the incidents differed in many ways, the response and recovery efforts both worked to restore the environment and help communities move on from their losses.

To explore best practices and lessons learned from these oil spills, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's Gulf Research Program launched a three-part workshop series to bring together people with connections to the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon oil spills to discuss the challenges, successes, and areas where improvements could be made. The first workshop was held in Anchorage, Alaska in October 2024; the second workshop was held in Thibodaux, Louisiana in December 2024; and the final workshop was held in Washington, D.C. in March of 2025. This publication summarizes the presentations and discussions of the workshops.

Publication information

244 pages · 6 x 9 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-99440-3
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-60122-3
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29176

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Gulf-Alaska Knowledge Exchange: Learning from the Legacy of Past Oil Spills: Proceedings of a Workshop Series. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Request an exam or desk copy

The diversion of water into the Los Angeles Aqueduct led to the desiccation of Owens Lake, located in California's Owens Valley. The dry lakebed became one of the nation's largest sources of fine airborne particulate matter (PM10), which can cause or worsen a variety of health problems such as asthma, bronchitis, and respiratory infections.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that off-lake sources now cause a majority of air quality exceedances. This report examines the origin of these off-lake dust sources and how they might change over time. The report discusses possible dust control measures that could be applied to off-lake sources, as well as the applicability of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Exceptional Events Rule.

Owens Lake Scientific Advisory Panel: Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California states that if dust control measures are determined to be necessary for off-lake sources, implementation will require a systems-level landscape approach that considers cultural resources. Establishing and maintaining native vegetation is the most stable and sustainable dust control measure across all emitting off-lake surfaces. However, many areas around Owens Lake are extremely dynamic settings and require different approaches over space, and possible re-treatment over time, unless self-sustaining controls are implemented.

Publication information

164 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72637-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72638-7
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27958

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Off-Lake Sources of Airborne Dust in Owens Valley, California. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Consensus

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $27.90
Ebook - $22.49

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

In response to the buildup of U.S. and Russian nuclear arsenals during the Cold War, a series of major scientific studies conducted in the 1980s issued warnings about the potential for a "nuclear winter" scenario - the possibility that a large-scale nuclear exchange could inject massive amounts of soot and particulates into the upper atmosphere that would block incoming solar radiation and cause major ecosystem and societal disruptions. In the decades since that concept emerged, profound military, political, and technological changes have reshaped the nuclear landscape, while scientific advances have deepened the understanding of, and ability to model, Earth system processes. It is in this context that the U.S. Congress asked for this report to re-examine the potential environmental, social, and economic effects that could unfold over the weeks to decades after a nuclear war.

The effects of any given nuclear exchange would depend on key processes and interactions along a causal pathway with six stages: weapon employment scenarios and effects; fire dynamics and emissions; plume rise, fate, and transport; physical Earth system impacts; ecosystem impacts; and socioeconomic impacts. Impacts of radioactive fallout were not included in the assessment. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War identifies major uncertainties and data gaps at each stage of the causal pathway that currently limit researchers' ability to understand and model the effects of a nuclear war. This report recommends that relevant U.S. agencies coordinate the development of and support for a suite of model intercomparison projects to organize and assess models to reduce uncertainties in projections of the climatic and environment effects of nuclear war.

Publication information

234 pages · 8.5 x 11 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-71617-9
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-99416-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27515

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Potential Environmental Effects of Nuclear War. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Read Online

Download PDF

The Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies convenes public- and private-sector leaders to improve the nation's preparedness for, response to, and recovery from disasters, public health emergencies, and emerging threats. The forum fosters in-depth policy discussion and collaboration to identify barriers and explore solutions to ensure and sustain national security, promote recovery, and enhance resilience. This publication describes the activities of the forum during 2024.

Publication information

20 pages · 8.5 x 11 ·
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-09906-4
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/29090

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2025. Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness for Disasters and Emergencies: 2024 Annual Report. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Workshop

Read Online

Download PDF

Paperback - $20.70
Ebook - $17.09

Buy the book

Request an exam or desk copy

Atypical weather events, such as extreme tropical cyclones, pose substantial threats to life, property and livelihoods in the U.S. and worldwide. Despite major advances in forecasting capabilities, communicating about extreme weather events with decision-makers and the public carries considerable challenges but also provides opportunities for innovation. Decisions surrounding extreme weather events often involve making tradeoffs between different degrees and varieties of risks. For example, deciding whether or when to issue an evacuation order ahead of a tropical cyclone entails tradeoffs between the risks to lives posed by the event and the risks to livelihoods posed by the financial costs of evacuations or relocations.

In early 2024, the National Academies held a workshop on risk communication around extreme tropical cyclones and other atypical climate events. Participants aimed to identify opportunities and challenges for risk communication as well as lessons about community engagement and communication concerning other climate events. Over the course of the workshop, participants addressed various facets of risk communication, including the importance and difficulty of clearly communicating uncertainty to the general public; the importance of understanding the needs of various audiences in the context of effective communication; preparedness as a critical component of an effective response; and the often-profound ways that strong partnerships and relationships across sectors and offices can impact and improve risk communication.

Publication information

104 pages · 7 x 10 · paperback
ISBN Paperback: 0-309-72537-2
ISBN Ebook: 0-309-72538-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.17226/27933

Suggested citation

National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. 2024. Advancing Risk Communication with Decision-Makers for Extreme Tropical Cyclones and Other Atypical Climate Events: Proceedings of a Workshop. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.

Import this citation to:

Log In

Sign in to access your saved publications, downloads, and email preferences.

Former MyNAP users: You'll need to reset your password on your first login to MyAcademies. Click "Forgot password" below to receive a reset link via email. Having trouble? Visit our FAQ page to contact support.

Members of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, or National Academy of Medicine should log in through their respective Academy portals.

Email (required)
Password (required)

Don't have an account?

Register

Email (required)
New password (required)
Retype password (required) Password must be at least 8 characters
I accept the terms of use
terms of use

Thank You

Thank you for creating a MyAcademies account!

Enjoy free access to thousands of National Academies' publications, a 10% discount off every purchase, and build your personal library.

Forgot Password

Enter the email address for your MyAcademies (formerly MyNAP) account to receive password reset instructions.

Reset Requested

We sent password reset instructions to your email . Follow the link in that email to create a new password. Didn't receive it? Check your spam folder or contact us for assistance.

Reset Password

New password (required)
Retype password (required) Password must be at least 8 characters

Reset Password

Your password has been reset.

Log In

Verify email

Verify Your Email Address

We sent a verification link to your email. Please check your inbox (and spam folder) and follow the link to verify your email address. If you did not receive the email, you can request a new verification link below

Subscribe

First Name
Last Name
Email (required)
I agree to receive emails from the National Academies (required)

We respect your privacy and will never share your information.

My Academies

Environment and Biology

Dropdown items

What's happening

Featured Publications

Featured work

Assessing and Navigating Biosecurity Concerns and Benefits of Artificial Intelligence Use in the Life Sciences

Review of Transmission and Geographic Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Cervid Populations

Review of Progress Toward Implementing the Decadal Survey-Thriving on Our Changing Planet: A Decadal Strategy for Earth Observation from Space

Formalizing Best Practices for Data Governance of Life Science Data in Central Asia

Research at Multiple Scales: A Vision for Continental Scale Biology

Committee on Planetary Protection

Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space

Status of Insects in North America

Climate Conversations: Pathways to Action

Review of the draft United by Nature assessment

Review of Methods in the Report on Carcinogens Handbook

Overall Aircraft Cabin Air Quality

AI for Weather & Climate Forecasting Webinar Series

A Research Strategy for Seabed Critical Mineral Resources

Adaptive Capacities for Transformation (ACT) Initiative

Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics, Fourteenth Round

Evaluation of Hydrodynamic Modeling and Implications for Offshore Wind Development: Nantucket Shoals

Exploring Linkages Between Soil Health and Human Health

Review of the Draft 5th National Climate Assessment

Future Directions for Southern Ocean and Antarctic Nearshore and Coastal Research

Review of the draft United by Nature assessment

Future Directions for Southern Ocean and Antarctic Nearshore and Coastal Research

Review of Inland Estimated Recovery System Potential (ERSP) Prototype Calculator

Assessment and Advancement of Science in the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management's Environmental Studies Program

Oil in the Sea, IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects

2023-2024 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture Series

Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences Research in Space 2023-2032: Physical Sciences Panel

Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences Research in Space 2023-2032: Engineering and Science Interface Panel

Decadal Survey on Biological and Physical Sciences Research in Space 2023-2032: Biological Sciences Panel

GRP Emerging ScienTalks: Webinar Series

Review of the draft United by Nature assessment

A Research Strategy for Seabed Critical Mineral Resources

Evaluation of Hydrodynamic Modeling and Implications for Offshore Wind Development: Nantucket Shoals

Future Directions for Southern Ocean and Antarctic Nearshore and Coastal Research

Infrastructure Investment Prioritization Initiative

Review of Inland Estimated Recovery System Potential (ERSP) Prototype Calculator

Peer Review of Interim Report on Computational Fluid Dynamics Model for Predicting Wellhead Oil-Burning Efficiency at Bench and Intermediate Scales

The Future of Water Quality in Coeur d’Alene Lake

Oil in the Sea, IV: Inputs, Fates, and Effects

The Use of Limited Access Privilege Programs in Mixed-Use Fisheries

AI for Weather & Climate Forecasting Webinar Series

Adaptive Capacities for Transformation (ACT) Initiative

Foundational Research Gaps and Future Directions for Digital Twins

Compounding Disasters in Gulf Coast Communities, 2020-2021: Impacts, Findings, and Lessons Learned

Review of the BOEM "Air Quality Modeling in the Gulf of Mexico Study"

Developing a Research Agenda and Research Governance Approaches for Climate Intervention Strategies that Reflect Sunlight to Cool Earth

Evolving the Geodetic Infrastructure to Meet New Scientific Needs

Advancing Social and Behavioral Science Research and Application within the Weather Enterprise

Assessment of the National Science Foundation's 2015 Geospace Portfolio Review

Extreme Weather Events and Climate Change Attribution

Formalizing Best Practices for Data Governance of Life Science Data in Central Asia

Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics, Fourteenth Round

Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics, Thirteenth Round

Proposal Evaluation for Allocation of Supercomputing Time for the Study of Molecular Dynamics, Twelfth Round

DNA Forensic Science: An Update

Status of Insects in North America

Climate Conversations: Pathways to Action

Review of the draft United by Nature assessment

National Forum on Biodiversity

Status of Pollinators: Monitoring and Prevention of their Decline in North America

Strengthening the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Research & Technology Program

Review of Transmission and Geographic Spread of Chronic Wasting Disease in U.S. Cervid Populations

Climate Conversations: Pathways to Action

A Research Strategy to Examine the Taxonomy of the Red Wolf

Healthy, Resilient, and Sustainable Communities After Disasters: A Community Discussion Toolkit

Assessing the Taxonomic Status of the Red Wolf and the Mexican Gray Wolf

Revisiting Brucellosis in the Greater Yellowstone Area

Review of Proposals to the Bureau of Land Management on Wild Horse or Burro Sterilization or Contraception

Evaluation of the Landscape Conservation Cooperatives

A Review of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Wild Horse and Burro (WH&B) Management Program

2016-2017 Jefferson Science Fellowships Distinguished Lecture Series

Review of the draft United by Nature assessment

Evaluation of Hydrodynamic Modeling and Implications for Offshore Wind Development: Nantucket Shoals

Review of the Draft 5th National Climate Assessment