Dear Colleagues:
The Ocean Studies Board of the National Research Council is soliciting nominations of individuals to serve on its Committee on the Development of an Integrated Science Strategy for Ocean Acidification Monitoring, Research, and Impacts Assessment. The committee’s full statement of task is in the attached document; in summary, the study will examine the anticipated consequences of ocean acidification due to rising atmospheric carbon dioxide levels on fisheries, protected species, coral reefs, and other natural resources in the United States and internationally. The committee will recommend priorities for a national research, monitoring, and assessment plan to advance understanding of the biogeochemistry of carbon dioxide uptake in the ocean and the relationship to atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide, and to reduce uncertainties in projections of increasing ocean acidification and the potential effects on living marine resources and ocean ecosystems.
The committee’s report will:
1. Review current knowledge of ocean acidification, covering past, present, and anticipated future effects on ocean ecosystems.
2. Identify critical uncertainties and key science questions regarding the progression and impacts of ocean acidification and the new information needed to facilitate research and decision making for potential mitigation and adaptation options.
3. Recommend a strategy of research, monitoring, and assessment for federal agencies, the scientific community, and other partners, including a strategy for developing a comprehensive, coordinated interagency program to address the high priority information needs.
The committee will be comprised of 10-12 individuals with expertise in the following areas: chemical oceanography, paleoceanography, biological oceanography, physiology, marine ecology, resource economics, geochemistry, resource management, ocean-climate modeling, and others as identified during the nominations process. Some individuals may be able to fill more than one category.
If you would like to nominate someone to serve on this committee, please use the attached form and provide his/her name, institution, area of expertise, contact information, and any other comments concerning their suitability for participation no later than October 15, 2008. You may either email (jbostrom@nas.edu) or fax (202-334-2885) this form to me. We hope that you will also forward this note to others who may have suggestions for committee membership.
On behalf of Susan Park, director of this study, I want to thank you in advance for your contribution to this important activity. Although not all suggestions will result in membership on the committee, this process helps ensure that the committee is drawn from a broad pool of qualified experts. If you have any questions about the study or the nomination process, please feel free to contact me. For future information regarding this study, please visit the Ocean Studies Board website at http://dels.nas.edu/osb.
Sincerely,
Jodi Bostrom
