United States
Environmental Protection
Agency
Office of Research and
Development
Washington DC 20460
EPA/620/R-OO/OOSu
February, 2001
&EPA Coastal Communications
National Coastal Research and Monitoring Strategy
EPA(OW & ORD)/NOAA/DOI(US6S)/USDA
Introduction
The nation's coastal resources provide enormous natural, economic, and public health benefits. These resources
include the watersheds and communities adjoining the oceans and the (Sreat Lakes, the shorelines, and the waters
and ecosystems of our bays, estuaries, and the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). The health and welfare of the
United States is intrinsically dependent on our ability to wisely use and conserve the resources of our coastal
region. Unfortunately, our preference for the coast has created environmental pressures that threaten the very
resources which make the coastal areas desirable. To address these concerns, EPA, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of the Interior (DOI), and U.S. Department of Agriculture
(USDA) in cooperation with other Federal agencies, states, and tribes have developed a National Coastal
Research and Monitoring Strategy.
Objective
For the past decade, Federal, state, academic, and private sector scientists have been working toward new
approaches to monitor and better understand what controls the
physical, chemical, biological, and ecological conditions of coastal
waters, bays, estuaries, beaches, wetlands, and the Sreat Lakes.
The efforts generally have similar common goals:
Provide national, regional, and local capabilities to
measure, understand, analyze, and forecast ecological
changes (natural and anthropogenic) that affect coastal
economies, public safety, and the integrity and
sustainability of the Nation's coastal ecosystems.
The Strategy
The strategy for a National Coastal Monitoring Program is based on
a three-tiered approach (Figure 1), incorporating the following
features:
4 Tier I to monitor broad spatial scale basic ecological
response conditions
4 Tier II to monitor issue-specific conditions to identify
cause-effect interactions
4 Tier III to monitor and conduct research at finer spatial
and temporal resolution to build cause-effect models
Research plays a vital role in both interpreting data from, and
methods used in monitoring programs. Research is also key to the
assessment process and is needed to help characterize issues,
diagnose causes, evaluate appropriate management actions, and
assess environmental and economic impacts of actions (Figure 2).
Further Information
For further information, please contact Barry Burgan at (202) 260-7060 or
burgan.barry@epa.gov or Kevin Summers at (850) 934-9244 or
summers.kevin@epa.gov. A full copy of the strategy is available at
http://www.cleanwater.gov.
Conceptual Framework of a National Coastal Monitoring Strategy
Intensive sites to understand
process and Interpret
broader-scale efforts
Region-scale,
issue driven
Figure 1
Characterization
Assess
Effectiveness of
Actions
Research Needs K- Diargnosisof
Causes
Management Actions
Figure 2
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