Habitat Science in Support of Management Needs: The NOAA Blueprint Approach

The NOAA Habitat Blueprint directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to implement a systematic and strategic approach to habitat science for effective decision-making.  While science infuses everything that NOAA does, the Blueprint is a game-changer in how we go about this, and has called out Habitat Science as one of the fundamental strategies for the agency. In the last few years NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has already been giving additional focus to habitat science through several initiatives.   The “Habitat Assessment Improvement Plan” was written to assist NMFS in coordinating its diverse habitat research, improving habitat assessments, and guiding efforts to increase support for habitat science.  The Plan addresses the current lack of knowledge regarding the association of marine species and their habitats, which impedes effective fisheries and habitat management, protection, restoration, and stock assessment.  The Blueprint puts a strong emphasis on implementing recommendations from the Plan in order to achieve its goals. NMFS is currently undertaking habitat assessment prioritization within each region to better direct where efforts and funds should be directed (see abstract this session). Other components of the Blueprint Science Strategy include the examination of funding streams for places to include habitat science elements into existing activities, the alignment of current habitat science efforts to agency management needs, and the exploration of data delivery mechanisms and products for use by local, state and regional governances.  Significant attention has been given to increased use of science in the habitat restoration process, both to improve restoration planning and decision-making, as well as to assess effectiveness of restoration projects.  Overall, NOAA will prioritize our science and use a more integrative approach for planning and conducting quality habitat science that is directed to priority species and areas.