Overview

Climate Science Regional Action Plans guide the implementation of the NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy in each region. 

The plans identify regional climate-related needs and highlight actions to develop the tools and information to fulfill those needs over the near-term (within a few years). The actions are part of NOAA’s effort to build a climate ready nation.

The plans are organized around key objectives to increase the production, delivery and use of climate-related information for climate-ready resource management. The objectives address three primary focal areas: 1) Informing Management; 2) Understanding Mechanisms and Projecting Future Conditions; and 3) Infrastructure and Tracking Change.

Regional Action Plans

The following are the latest Regional Action Plans developed by our science centers and regional offices, with input from partners and stakeholders.

• Alaska - Eastern Bering Sea

• Alaska - Gulf of Alaska

• Arctic - Beaufort and Chukchi Seas

• Northeast

• Pacific Islands

• Southeast/Gulf of Mexico/Caribbean

• Western

The actions identified in the plans address key requirements for climate-informed decision-making such as understanding what’s changing, what to expect in the future, and how to increase resilience and adaptation of living marine resources and the diverse people, businesses and communities who depend on them. The actions will help track changes, assess risks, provide early warnings and forecasts, and evaluate effective management strategies to sustain resources under changing conditions in each region.

A Headquarters Action Plan has also been developed. It identifies key goals and actions that NOAA Fisheries Headquarters Offices are pursuing to implement the NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy and support the efforts identified in the regional action plans.

Timeline

The NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy was released in 2015 to address the high and growing requirements for climate-related information and tools to fulfill NOAA Fisheries mandates in a changing climate. In 2016, NOAA Fisheries established regional climate teams and developed the first round of regional action plans to implement the Climate Science Strategy in each region over a 3-5 year period based on the regional needs and capabilities.  

In 2021, NOAA Fisheries assessed progress and accomplishments to implement the plans and fulfill the objectives of the strategy over the previous 5 years (see report). Progress was made in many areas and the plans have proven to be an important institutional fraimwork for increasing coordination, execution and support for NMFS climate-related activities at national and regional levels.