Sustainable Beaches: Weather Impacts VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. US Navy (Ret.) Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere NOAA Administrator November 1, 2005

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 2 NOAA’s Vision An informed society that uses a comprehensive understanding of the role of the oceans, coasts and atmosphere in the global ecosystem to make the best social and economic decisions

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 3 NOAA’s Mission and Goals To understand and predict changes in the Earth’s environment and to conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet the Nation’s economic, social and environmental needs Mission Goals:  Protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management  Understand climate variability and change to enhance society’s ability to plan and respond  Serve society’s needs for weather and water information  Support the Nation’s commerce with information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation  Provide critical support for NOAA’s mission

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 4 Ecosystem Approach to Management Balancing Diverse Societal Objectives Economic needs  Tourism  Commerce  Fishing industry Social needs  Beach tourism  recreational fishing  boating Environmental needs  healthy beaches  healthy fish stocks  healthy waters

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 5 Weather Impacts Wind Damage Storm surge Hazardous Materials Spills Tornadoes Erosion

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 6 One NOAA Hurricanes Observations ResearchReconnaissance Forecasting

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 7 One NOAA Hurricanes Preparation Aerial Surveys Navigation Response Teams Satellite Imagery

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 8 One NOAA Coastal Erosion Dauphin Island, AL - Katrina Cape Hatteras - Isabel

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 9 One NOAA Coastal Erosion Conserving and Restoring Coastal Habitat  Administration’s Wetlands Initiative  Fostering Local Restoration Projects Community Based Restoration

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 10 One NOAA Preserving Habitat National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERR)  26 Reserves  System Wide Monitoring Program National Marine Sanctuaries

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 11 The Way Ahead U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy U.S. Ocean Action Plan December 17, 2004  Executive Order: Committee on Ocean Policy  U.S. Ocean Action Plan 

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 12 The Way Ahead Beaches and An Integrated Ocean Observing System Build an ocean observing system as part of the Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) Better management with improved observation systems

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 13 The Way Ahead Taking the Pulse of the Planet Natural & Human Induced Disasters Human Health & Well-Being Energy Resources Climate Variability & Change Water Resources Weather Information, Forecasting & Warning Terrestrial, Coastal & Marine Ecosystems Sustainable Agriculture & Desertification Biodiversity

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 14 The Way Ahead Coastal Ocean Observation System (COOS) Tide Gauge Coastal Observations  National Water Level Observing Network  Wave Buoys/Current Meters Aerial Survey/LiDAR Mapping Digital Elevation Models from Global Positioning System and LiDAR Weather Buoy

Sustainable Beaches--Weather Impacts 15 The Way Ahead U.S. Tsunami Monitoring System U.S. Plan For An Improved Tsunami Monitoring System Enable enhanced monitoring, detection, warning & communications Deploy 39 advanced technology DART buoys Commit $37.5M over next 2 years Provide:  Nearly 100% coverage for U.S. coasts  Expanded capability throughout Pacific & Caribbean basins Part of future global observation & global tsunami warning systems

Thank You VADM Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr. US Navy (Ret.) Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere NOAA Administrator November 1, 2005