2018 Ocean Sciences Meeting

February 11-16

Decision-makers and regional stakeholders need current, reliable, and actionable information in order to plan and respond to an ocean that is changing due to acidification, eutrophication, deoxygenation, warming, circulation changes, and alterations in ecosystem structure or function. Here we present progress on designing observing networks to support ecological assessment and forecasting efforts, as well as progress on seasonal to decadal forecasting, and other decision-support tools for policy makers, managers, and stakeholders. We focus on observing networks, such as the internationally distributed Global Ocean Acidification Observing Network (GOA-ON), different spatial and temporal scales of forecasting models, and multi-partnered communication strategies, like regional acidification networks. Requirements for success necessitate addressing the full suite of challenges from establishing observations of ocean conditions, understanding organism responses to climate forcing, forecasts of future conditions, projections of ocean response to climate forcing, and representations of increasingly complex biological processes. Translating this into relevant decision support products, tools, and information also remains a challenge. One example is the current mismatch between the seasonal-decadal prediction requirements for resource management and the focus on nowcasting or multi-decadal-centennial timescales of existing systems. We invite submissions describing networks, products, and tools that are serving the needs of policy makers, industry, and resource managers.