Scientific Advances and Accomplishments of the US GLOBEC Program - A Meeting of Experts

National Academy Of Sciences, Washington DC

Investigators

Abstract

The National Research Council will host a one-time meeting of experts of the U.S. Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics (U.S. GLOBEC) program, and others to highlight the scientific contributions of GLOBEC and identify future research directions. U.S. GLOBEC is a component of the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The U.S. GLOBEC program was designed to explore the effects of global change on marine ecosystems. The research involved scientists from multiple disciplines including oceanography, marine ecology, and fishery science. The program interfaces with researchers in other nations through the International GLOBEC program. Support from NSF (lead), NOAA, and NASA were instrumental to the success of this 20-year research program. The stated objective of the U.S. GLOBEC program is "to understand how climate change and variability will translate into changes in the structure and dynamics of marine ecosystems and in fishery production." Recognizing both the ecological and economic importance of fisheries, the U.S. has been moving towards incorporating ecosystem-based approaches into fisheries management. A key component of ensuring sustainable levels of fish harvest is to understand and anticipate the effects of climate and global change on fish populations, as well as on their predators and prey. In response to atmospheric warming, rising ocean water temperatures, and melting sea ice, these new climate conditions are anticipated to affect oceanographic features such as currents, depth of the mixed layer, and upwelling zones - all features that can affect the productivity and localized abundance of fish populations. The U.S. GLOBEC research strategy combined process and observational studies with retrospective analysis of previously collected data sets to develop and refine models using both physical and biological parameters. The U.S. GLOBEC program selected study sites to represent ecosystems under different physical regimes: retentive circulation at an offshore shoal (Georges Bank), coastal upwelling (Oregon and Northern California); coastal downwelling, affected by winds and freshwater inputs (Coastal Gulf of Alaska); and shelf circulation and sea ice (the West Antarctic Peninsula region). In addition to scientific knowledge, U.S. GLOBEC has established a legacy of datasets, coupled models, and practical information for ecosystem-based management of living marine resources. Three grand synthesis themes have been identified: Climate impacts on ecosystems, population dynamics in an ecosystem context, and ecosystem dynamics and food webs. The broader impacts involve bringing invited experts together to discuss the scientific contributions of the U.S. GLOBEC program, and identify promising avenues for future research programs. The audience will include staff from the sponsoring agency (NSF), other agencies involved in the U.S. GLOBEC program (predominantly NASA and NOAA), the scientific research community, congressional staff, nongovernmental organizations, and science journalists. The meeting will be an opportunity to synthesize and summarize research findings and advances in understanding that for the legacy of the U.S. GLOBEC program.