OSB Newsletter - Division on Earth and Life Studies

E-NEWSLETTER
THIRD EDITION, APRIL 2015
Dear Colleagues,
On March 4-6, the OSB held its first meeting of 2015 at the NAS building in Washington, DC.
Although we typically think of this as the board’s spring meeting, a late winter snowstorm that
shut down the city on the second day dispelled visions of cherry blossoms and tulips. Despite the
weather, the Board stayed on schedule through an ambitious agenda. Some highlights are
described below. Also, at this meeting the Board handed over the gavel from the outgoing chair,
Bob Duce, to the incoming chair Larry Mayer. The Board took the opportunity to thank Bob for his
many years of service, not only to the OSB, but to an impressive number of NRC activities. In fact,
Bob’s service to the NRC continues – he deftly slid out of his chair at OSB and into the chair for a
study on the Future of Atmospheric Chemistry for the Board on Atmospheric Sciences and Climate.
On the last day of the OSB meeting, NAS President Ralph Cicerone dropped into the meeting to
offer his personal thanks to Bob for his service.
Larry Mayer joined us for the closed session of the meeting on March 6. Although Larry had not
previously served as a member of the OSB, he is no stranger to Board’s activities having served as
the chair of two important OSB studies: A Geospatial Framework for the Coastal Zone: National
Needs for Coastal Mapping and Charting (2004) and An Ecosystem Services Approach to Assessing
the Impacts of the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in the Gulf of Mexico (2013). A short bio for Larry is
provided below.
The other big news from OSB is the release of the report Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of
Ocean Sciences on January 23. This ambitious study identifies priority research directions in ocean
sciences for the next decade and recommends a balanced portfolio of investments in science and
infrastructure. The study was commissioned by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE) in 2013
and delivered on schedule thanks to the tireless efforts of OSB study director Deb Glickson. Check
out the opinion piece by past OCE directors David Conover and Debbie Bronk in a recent issue of
EOS: https://eos.org/opinions/a-transformational-path-forward-for-the-ocean-sciencescommunity. And read the report, available for free in pdf at:
http://www.nap.edu/catalog/21655/sea-change-2015-2025-decadal-survey-of-ocean-sciences.
Sue
Susan Roberts, Director, Ocean Studies Board
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Contents
Ocean Studies Board Welcomes New Chair
Highlights of the March 2015 Ocean Studies Board Meeting
Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture
New! 2013-2014 OSB Biennial Report
Latest Reports from OSB
Recent Reports from OSB
Ongoing Studies at OSB
Recent Reports of Interest from other NRC Boards
Ongoing Studies of Interest from other NRC Boards
Gulf Research Program News
Ocean Studies Board Welcomes New Chair
Larry A. Mayer starts on April 1, 2015 as the next chair of the Ocean Studies Board. His day job
is Director of the School of Marine Science and Ocean Engineering, the Center for Coastal and
Ocean Mapping, Co-Director of the Joint Hydrographic Center, and Professor of Earth Science
and Ocean Engineering at the University of New Hampshire. His research interests include
sonar imaging, remote characterization of the seafloor, and advanced applications of 3-D
visualization to ocean mapping challenges. Dr. Mayer received his Ph.D. from the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography in marine geophysics in 1979, and graduated magna cum laude
with an Honors degree in geology from the University of Rhode Island in 1973. At Scripps his
future path was determined when he worked with the Marine Physical Laboratory’s Deep-Tow
Geophysical package, but applied this sophisticated acoustic sensor to study the history of
climate. Dr. Mayer has participated in more than 90 cruises and has been chief or co-chief
scientist of numerous expeditions, including two legs of the Ocean Drilling Program. He has
served on, and chaired many international panels and committees and has the requisite large
number of publications on a variety of topics in marine geology and geophysics. He is the
recipient of the Keen Medal for Marine Geology, an Honorary Doctorate from the University of
Stockholm, the University of New Hampshire's Excellence in Research Award and the
University of Rhode Island's Graduate School of Oceanography's Distinguished Alumni Award.
In addition to his service on NRC committees, Dr. Mayer served on the President’s Panel for
Ocean Exploration.
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Highlights of the March 2015 Ocean Studies Board Meeting
The Ocean Studies Board met on March 4-6, 2015 at the National Academy of Sciences
building in Washington, D.C. At this meeting, three new reports from the NRC were featured:
Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences, Climate Intervention: Carbon
Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration, and Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to
Cool Earth. After a briefing on the Sea Change report by co-chairs Shirley Pomponi and Dave
Titley, the board hosted a panel with Rick Murray, current director for NSF’s Division on Ocean
Sciences, and the two previous directors David Conover and Debbie Bronk. Along with
committee member Mel Briscoe, the discussion explored how the report could influence
future NSF decisions on investments in ships, IODP, and OOI in the context of supporting a
vibrant research community. Dave Titley did double duty - serving on the committee for the
BASC-led geoengineering study that produced the two Climate Intervention reports. He
briefed the board on the findings in these reports, joined by BASC study director Ed Dunlea
and committee member Scott Doney, with the bottom line that there are no “magic bullets”
to manage increased warming as atmospheric carbon dioxide levels continue to rise.
Bill Brown, Rodney Cluck, and Jennifer Ewald gave an overview of the Environmental Studies
program at BOEM and discussed a potential new NRC standing committee to help advise
BOEM on environmental issues.
Roselle Henn, from the US Army Corps of Engineers briefed the board on the recently
completed North Atlantic Coast Comprehensive Study. This briefing set the scene for the next
talk by Nicolle Elko on the Future of Nearshore Processes Research, joined by OSB member
Tuba Özkan-Haller. This stimulated discussion of the need for a more dedicated program of
research and how OSB might be able to help foster this initiative.
On day two, the board hosted Susan Sloan director of the NRC’s Government-UniversityIndustry Research Roundtable (GUIRR) and Rick Spinrad from NOAA and a member of GUIRR
to discuss a potential joint workshop on the blue economy. With the enthusiastic support of
OSB and GUIRR members, NRC staff members are now working on developing this workshop
activity.
In other updates from the meeting, the OSB decided to move forward on a joint workshop
with the Board on Atmospheric Science (BASC) on Frontiers in Decadal Climate Variability
(exploring causes of the so-called warming hiatus) and expressed interest in working with the
Space Studies Board (SSB) on the next Earth Science and Applications from Space Decadal
Survey.
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Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture
On March 4, the Board hosted the sixteenth annual Roger Revelle Commemorative Lecture at
the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History. The lecture’s featured speaker was Dr.
Susan Lozier from Duke University and the lecture was titled, Overturning Assumptions: Past,
present, and future concerns about the ocean’s circulation. Dr. Lozier spoke about the crucial
role that ocean circulation plays in the Earth’s climate system by sequestering anthropogenic
carbon dioxide and heat in the deep ocean. New research is uncovering the mechanisms that
control the overturning strength and how it may change in the decades ahead. Dr. Lozier
demonstrated that as the pieces are coming together, some long-held assumptions have been
overturned and some new paradigms are surfacing. She was introduced by Dr. Amy Bower of
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
New! 2013-2014 OSB Biennial Report
Check out the biennial and learn more about the Board’s activities over the past two years. The
biennial provides an overview of OSB reports published and studies underway during 2013-2014. It
also provides a summary of other OSB activities such as SCOR, the Revelle Lecture, and OSB fellows and
interns. The biennial is available in pdf at the OSB web site (http://dels.nas.edu/resources/staticassets/osb/miscellaneous/biennial2013-14.pdf).
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Latest Reports from OSB
Sea Change: 2015-2025 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences (2015)
Ocean science connects a global community of scientists in many
disciplines - physics, chemistry, biology, geology and geophysics. New
observational and computational technologies are transforming the ability
of scientists to study the global ocean with a more integrated and
dynamic approach. This enhanced understanding of the ocean is
becoming ever more important in an economically and geopolitically
connected world, and contributes vital information to policy and decision
makers charged with addressing societal interests in the ocean.
Science provides the knowledge necessary to realize the benefits and manage the risks of the
ocean. Comprehensive understanding of the global ocean is fundamental to forecasting and
managing risks from severe storms, adapting to the impacts of climate change, and managing
ocean resources. In the United States, the National Science Foundation (NSF) is the primary
funder of the basic research which underlies advances in our understanding of the ocean. Sea
Change addresses the strategic investments necessary at NSF to ensure a robust ocean
scientific enterprise over the next decade. This survey provides guidance from the ocean
sciences community on research and facilities priorities for the coming decade and makes
recommendations for funding priorities.
Link to Study Website: http://nas-sites.org/dsos2015/
Link to Summary: http://dels.nas.edu/Materials/Special-Products/DSOS2015-Summary?bname=osb
Link to full report: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=21655
Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration
(2015)
The signals are everywhere that our planet is experiencing significant
climate change. It is clear that we need to reduce the emissions of carbon
dioxide and other greenhouse gases from our atmosphere if we want to
avoid greatly increased risk of damage from climate change. Aggressively
pursuing a program of emissions abatement or mitigation will show results
over a timescale of many decades. How do we actively remove carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere to make a bigger difference more quickly?
As one of a two-book report, this volume of Climate Intervention discusses CDR, the carbon
dioxide removal of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere and sequestration of it in
perpetuity. Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration
introduces possible CDR approaches and then discusses them in depth. Land management
practices, such as low-till agriculture, reforestation and afforestation, ocean iron fertilization,
and land-and-ocean-based accelerated weathering, could amplify the rates of processes that
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are already occurring as part of the natural carbon cycle. Other CDR approaches, such as
bioenergy with carbon capture and sequestration, direct air capture and sequestration, and
traditional carbon capture and sequestration, seek to capture CO2 from the atmosphere and
dispose of it by pumping it underground at high pressure. This book looks at the pros and cons
of these options and estimates possible rates of removal and total amounts that might be
removed via these methods.
With whatever portfolio of technologies the transition is achieved, eliminating the carbon
dioxide emissions from the global energy and transportation systems will pose an enormous
technical, economic, and social challenge that will likely take decades of concerted effort to
achieve. Climate Intervention: Carbon Dioxide Removal and Reliable Sequestration will help to
better understand the potential cost and performance of CDR strategies to inform debate and
decision making as we work to stabilize and reduce atmospheric concentrations of carbon
dioxide.
Link to Study Website: http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/other-reports-on-climatechange/2015-2/climate-intervention-reports/
Link to Report in Brief: http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/materials-based-onreports/reports-in-brief/climate-intervention-brief-final.pdf
Link to full report: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=18805
Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth (2015)
The growing problem of changing environmental conditions caused by
climate destabilization is well recognized as one of the defining issues of
our time. The root problem is greenhouse gas emissions, and the
fundamental solution is curbing those emissions. Climate geoengineering
has often been considered to be a "last-ditch" response to climate change,
to be used only if climate change damage should produce extreme
hardship. Although the likelihood of eventually needing to resort to these
efforts grows with every year of inaction on emissions control, there is a
lack of information on these ways of potentially intervening in the climate system.
As one of a two-book report, this volume of Climate Intervention discusses albedo
modification - changing the fraction of incoming solar radiation that reaches the surface. This
approach would deliberately modify the energy budget of Earth to produce a cooling designed
to compensate for some of the effects of warming associated with greenhouse gas increases.
The prospect of large-scale albedo modification raises political and governance issues at
national and global levels, as well as ethical concerns. Climate Intervention: Reflecting Sunlight
to Cool Earth discusses some of the social, political, and legal issues surrounding these
proposed techniques.
It is far easier to modify Earth's albedo than to determine whether it should be done or what
the consequences might be of such an action. One serious concern is that such an action could
be unilaterally undertaken by a small nation or smaller entity for its own benefit without
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international sanction and regardless of international consequences. Transparency in
discussing this subject is critical. In the spirit of that transparency, Climate Intervention:
Reflecting Sunlight to Cool Earth was based on peer-reviewed literature and the judgments of
the authoring committee; no new research was done as part of this study and all data and
information used are from entirely open sources. By helping to bring light to this topic area,
this book will help leaders to be far more knowledgeable about the consequences of albedo
modification approaches before they face a decision whether or not to use them.
Link to Study Website: http://nas-sites.org/americasclimatechoices/other-reports-on-climatechange/2015-2/climate-intervention-reports/
Link to Report in Brief: http://dels.nas.edu/resources/static-assets/materials-based-onreports/reports-in-brief/climate-intervention-brief-final.pdf
Link to full report: http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=18988
Recent Reports from OSB
Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Field Stations and Marine
Laboratories in the 21st Century (2014)
Enhancing the Value and Sustainability of Field Stations and Marine
Laboratories in the 21st Century summarizes field stations' value to science,
education, and outreach and evaluates their contributions to research,
innovation, and education. This report suggests strategies to meet future
research, education, outreach, infrastructure, funding, and logistical needs
of field stations. Today's technologies - such as streaming data, remote
sensing, robot-driven monitoring, automated DNA sequencing, and nanoparticle
environmental sensors - provide means for field stations to retain their special connection to
nature and still interact with the rest of the world in ways that can fuel breakthroughs in the
environmental, physical, natural, and social sciences. The intellectual and natural capital of
today's field stations present a solid platform, but many need enhancements of infrastructure
and dynamic leadership if they are to meet the challenges of the complex problems facing the
world. This report focuses on the capability of field stations to address societal needs today
and in the future.
Briefings: The sponsor, NSF, was briefed on July 22nd by the Chair and a member of the
committee. The report was officially released to the public the following day on July 23rd.
Link to short video: http://dels.nas.edu/Materials/Videos/Field-Stations?bname=osb
Link to Report-In-Brief: http://dels.nas.edu/Materials/Report-In-Brief/4252-FieldStations?bname=osb
Link to full report: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18806
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Reducing Coastal Risk on the East and Gulf Coasts (2014)
This report, produced at the request of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
examines coastal risk reduction strategies for the East and Gulf Coasts and
principles to guide future investments. The report finds the nation has been
largely reactive to date, with the majority of coastal-storm-related federal
investments provided only after disasters occur -- and very little of that
funding used for strategies that reduce the consequences of coastal storms,
such as land purchase or hazard zoning. Given the enormous and rising costs
of coastal disasters, a strategic national vision is needed for reducing risks,
guided by a national coastal risk assessment that identifies areas most at risk. Benefit-cost
analyses, constrained by acceptable risk (life safety, social, and environmental), is a reasonable
framework for evaluating coastal risk management investments. Stronger incentives should be
used to improve pre-disaster planning and mitigation efforts at the local level.
Briefing: This report was released on July 23, 2014. It was briefed the Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE), and the Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ). Representatives from other
agencies, including USGS, FEMA, HUD, NOAA, EPA, and CRS, were also invited to attend a
briefing. The committee also plans to host a public webinar.
Link to Report-In-Brief: http://dels.nas.edu/Materials/Report-In-Brief/4252-FieldStations?bname=osb
Link to full report: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18811
Responding to Oil Spills in the U.S. Arctic Marine Environment (2014)
The risk of a serious oil spill in the Arctic is escalating due to potential
increases in shipping traffic and oil and gas activities. To provide an effective
response effort in challenging Arctic conditions--and to minimize impacts on
people and sensitive ecosystems--a full range of oil spill response
technologies is needed. This report assesses the current state of science and
engineering regarding oil spill response in Arctic waters and identifies key oil spill research
priorities, critical data and monitoring needs, mitigation strategies, and important operational
and logistical issues.
Briefings: Report sponsors received a briefing on the report, as did Congressional Staff from
Senator Begich’s office, Senator Murkowski’s office, the Senate Commerce Committee, the
Senate Energy Committee, and the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
Additional outreach included briefings for additional Congressional Staff, interested staff at
the State Department, and the International Oil Spill Conference, as well as a public webinar,
and a public presentation in Anchorage.
Link to short video about the report:
http://dels.nas.edu/Materials/Videos/RespondingtoOilSpills?bname=
Link to Report-In-Brief: http://dels.nas.edu/Materials/Report-In-Brief/4264-0-Arctic-Oil-Spill?bname=
Link to full report: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=18625
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Ongoing Studies at OSB
Developing a U.S. Research Agenda to Advance Sub-seasonal to Seasonal Forecasting (with
BASC)
http://dels-old.nas.edu/Study-In-Progress/Developing-Research-Agenda/DELS-BASCPR-13-05
Effective Approaches for Monitoring and Assessing Gulf of Mexico Restoration Activities
http://bit.ly/restoration-monitoring
Assessment of the Cumulative Effects of Anthropogenic Stressors on Marine Mammals
(Study is just getting under way – check our OSB website soon for updates!)
Recent Reports of Interest from other NRC Boards
Review of the National Science Foundation's Division on Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences Draft
Goals and Objectives Documents (2014)
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=18887
Affordability of National Flood Insurance Program Premiums: Report 1 (2015)
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=21709
Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades: The Fifth Biennial Review, 2014 (2014)
http://www.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=18809
Ongoing Studies of Interest from other NRC Boards
Standing Committee on Earth Science and Applications from Space (CESAS)
http://sites.nationalacademies.org/SSB/SSB_066587
Development of a Strategic Vision and Implementation Plan for the U.S. Antarctic Program
at the National Science Foundation
http://dels.nas.edu/Study-In-Progress/Development-Strategic-Vision/DELS-BASCPR-1303?bname=prb
Advice to the US Global Change Research Program
http://dels.nas.edu/Study-In-Progress/Advice-Global-Change/DELS-BASC-11-01?bname=basc
Automating Image and Video Analysis for Fisheries Stock Assessment
http://sites.nationalacademies.org/DEPS/BMSA/DEPS_087303
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The Future of Atmospheric Chemistry
http://nas-sites.org/atmchem/
Improving the Understanding of Clouds and Aerosols in Climate Models
http://dels.nas.edu/Study-In-Progress/Improving-Understanding-Clouds/DELS-BASC-1105?bname=basc
Arctic Matters: Understanding How the Arctic is Changing and What it Means for People and Places
Around the Globe: A Symposium
http://dels.nas.edu/Study-In-Progress/Arctic-Matters-Understanding-Arctic/AUTO-2-08-57-G
Gulf Research Program News
In December 2014, the Program announced the appointment of new Advisory Board members
(http://www.nationalacademies.org/gulf/bios/index.html).
The Gulf Research Program released two workshop reports: Opportunities for the Gulf
Research Program: Monitoring Ecosystem Restoration and Deep Water Environments and
Opportunities for the Gulf Research Program: Community Resilience and Health. Both reports
are available here for free download in PDF format.
Visit the OSB Website at http://dels.nas.edu/osb
OCEAN STUDIES BOARD
Division on Earth and Life Studies
500 Fifth Street Northwest
Washington, DC 20001.
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