We are excited to announce almost $3 million for six awards dedicated to Regional Resiliency and Vulnerability Assessments (RVA). The projects support collaborative projects across the United States to advance our understanding of how ocean and coastal acidification affect human communities and coastal economies.
The RVA program’s central goal is to move beyond studying changing ocean chemistry toward delivering actionable information. This will help local, state, and Tribal communities develop strategies, protect vital resources, and build community resilience. The newly funded projects will deliver tailored tools and strategies to address regional challenges.
The newly funded projects are:
The team will collaborate with rural communities, Tribes, and commercial fishing organizations to create decision-support tools that combine oceanographic data with local knowledge. These tools like maps and models will help rural Alaskans, whose subsistence, food security, and culture rely on the marine environment, assess and respond to the cultural and economic impacts of changing ocean conditions.
Integrating exposure and community vulnerability to develop adaptation strategies to mitigate acidification impacts in the Chesapeake Bay region
Researchers will assess how ocean and coastal acidification risks affect the rapidly growing shellfish aquaculture industry across Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic seaside. The resulting public-facing dashboard will feature real-time and forecast water condition and shellfish growth data, providing shellfish growers and harvesters with essential information to plan for future environmental changes.
Collaborating with fishing communities to adapt: co-developing actionable strategies for Atlantic sea scallop fishing communities
Focused on the Atlantic Sea Scallop fishery, one of the most economically valuable in the US, this project will integrate oceanographic modeling, industry engagement, and socio-economic research to develop actionable adaptation strategies. Expected outcomes include seasonal forecasts for decision-making and policy recommendations to mitigate impacts on the industry.
OCEAN: Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystem Assessment for Networks of Resilience
This foundational work in coastal Louisiana will engage Indigenous communities, seafood industry leaders, and policymakers through community workshops to identify key research and data needs for a future regional vulnerability assessment in the Gulf of America. The project’s outcomes will directly inform local, state, and national adaptation planning, which is essential to protecting coastal Louisiana’s multi-billion-dollar seafood industry and traditional livelihoods.
This project will focus on Maine’s shellfisheries in Casco Bay by working directly with wild harvesters, aquaculture producers, and decision-makers to define the impacts of acidification and the information needed for adaptation. The effort will create a new resilience assessment framework, which will strengthen informed risk assessment and decision-making for the communities that rely on Maine’s shellfisheries.
This project directly supports Coastal Treaty Tribes in Washington by co-designing and synthesizing new data and forecast products focused on key species like Dungeness crab and Pacific halibut. Building on previous work, it ensures that marine resource users and managers on the Olympic Coast have practical, up-to-date tools to plan for a changing ocean.
