As the Florida Water and Climate Alliance (FloridaWCA) celebrates its 10th anniversary, some of its members present a case study of its history, achievements, and lessons learned as an example of a successful stakeholder-scientist partnership to incorporate actionable climate information in decision making. Established in 2010 with the support of the Southeastern Climate Consortium (SECC), a CPO Regional Integrated Sciences and Assessments team from 1999-2014, and funded by CPO’s Sectoral Applications Research Program (SARP) in 2011 and 2012, the FloridaWCA consists of university researchers, public utility water resource managers and operators, water management district personnel, and local planners engaged in a sustained collaboration to develop, share, and apply cutting-edge research to Florida water management and distribution. Prior to its inception, survey results in Alabama, Georgia, and Florida showed a significant lack of use and awareness of seasonal climate and drought forecast information by water resource managers. Now self-funded, the group has since helped increase the relevance of climate science data and tools at time and space scales needed to support decision-making in water resource management, planning, and supply operations in Florida. The value of how stakeholder-scientist partnerships, like the FloridaWCA, may inform infrastructure in a changing world was highlighted in the fourth National Climate Assessment.
The FloridaWCA has led to some significant changes in some utilities’ operational practices. For example, the operations of the Aquifer Storage and Recovery wells are now informed by CPC seasonal forecasts in the case of Peace River Authority. Today, the group continues to evolve as a successful two-way model of cross-sector scientist and practitioner interaction, with the hope to expand the network’s shared learning, access to resources, and potential for defining further research of specific interest to the stakeholders throughout the Southeast United States and beyond.
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MISSION: The Climate and Fisheries Adaptation Program (CAFA) supports targeted research to promote sustainable management, adaptation and resilience of the nation’s valuable fish stocks and fisheries-dependent communities in a changing climate. By bringing together NOAA scientists with the academic community, other federal agency scientists, non-governmental organizations and key fisheries stakeholders, CAFA addresses priority needs for information and tools identified in the 2015 NOAA Fisheries Climate Science Strategy, Fisheries Regional Action Plans, U.S. National Climate Assessment, and other sources.
ISSUE: Healthy and productive fisheries are a significant component of the U.S. economy. Commercial and recreational marine fisheries generate over $200 billion in economic activity and support more than 1.8 million jobs annually. (FEUS 2016) Reliant and sustainable fisheries also support working waterfronts and coastal communities, provide opportunities for commerce, are tied to rich cultures, and help meet the growing demand for seafood across the U.S. and the world.
Climate variability and change are having increasing impacts on fish stocks, fisheries, and marine ecosystems in the U.S., and the impacts are expected to significantly increase with continued climate change. The changing climate and ocean conditions (e.g. warming oceans, extreme events, changing currents and stratification, coastal precipitation, coastal inundation, etc.) directly and indirectly affect marine ecosystems including the abundance, distribution, and productivity of fish stocks that support economically important fisheries. Sustainable fisheries management requires an improved understanding of how climate, fishing, and other stressors interact to affect fish stocks (including their habitats and prey), fisheries and fishing‐dependent communities.
PROGRAM HISTORY: The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Climate Program Office, and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) Office of Science and Technology launched a partnership in 2014 to advance understanding of climate‐related impacts on fish or other species that support economically important fisheries and fishing communities. The partnership originated through the former Coastal and Ocean Climate Applications (COCA) Program and in 2021 was renamed the Climate and Fisheries Adaptation (CAFA) Program as part of the OAR/CPO Adaptation Sciences Program.
Jennifer Dopkowski NOAA Research
Climate Program Office P: (301) 734-1261 E: jennifer.dopkowski@noaa.gov
Roger Griffis NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology P: (301) 427-8134 E: roger.b.griffis@noaa.gov
Americans’ health, security and economic wellbeing are tied to climate and weather. Every day, we see communities grappling with environmental challenges due to unusual or extreme events related to climate and weather.