1. Priority Interactions and Collaborations with the Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA)
Mike Spranger Nancy Rabalais
Sharon Walker Ann Jochens
GCOOS-RA Annual Meeting of the Parties & Board of Directors
25-26 February 2009
Orlando, FL

2. Coastal Community Resilience: Priorities for Resilient Coastal Communities
Mike Spranger

3. DRAFT Resiliency Priorities in Action Plan II What is GOMA planning to work on over the next five years that is relevant to the GCOOS effort?
Risk and Resilience Assessment
Risk and Resilience Management Toolbox
3. Risk and Resilience Communication

4. Risk and Resilience Assessment Measure the natural, built, and social environments and understand the regional and localized risks and consequences associated with living, working, and doing business along the Gulf of Mexico.
Action Steps:
1. Develop a resiliency index as a method to introduce and promote the concept of resiliency to local governments and communities.
2. Produce a Master Plan for region-wide geospatial infrastructure to enable measurement of millimeter-scale changes in land elevations & water levels over time.
3. Accelerate development of NOAA’s V-Datum (Vertical Datum) transformation tool for the GOM.
4. Catalog unstructured storm surge model grid files.
5. Conduct a resiliency social climate survey that will identify a community’s understanding of coastal hazards.
6. Develop a data platform that includes existing coastal hazards information and global climate change variables to coastal habitats, communities, and weather variables.
7. Assess risks to natural environments and identify models that assess environmental consequences associated with coastal hazards.
8. Assess risks to built environments and identify models to demonstrate the economic risks associated with coastal issues of concern.
9. Assess risks to social environments and develop cultural and heritage projects to demonstrate the connections between healthy ecosystems and healthy social communities.

5. Risk and Resiliency Management Tool Box Inventory and identify important gaps in, and develop state-of-the-art mitigation methods for, regional and localized risks and consequences and the enhancement of regional and local resilience.
Actions:
Compile an inventory of existing resiliency-related data, projects, tools, and policies from across the Gulf of Mexico region.
Based on the resiliency-related inventory, create/package tools for use in management.
Establish a Materials Inventory and Mapping Program, similar to the Homeland Emergency Response Exchange (HERE) Program.
Research existing policies guiding coastal development and make recommendations to enhance resilience.
5. Promote the expansion of environmentally-responsible operations and best management practices at ports, harbors, and marinas.

6. Risk and Resiliency Communications Inform and educate stakeholders about the risks and consequences associated with living, working, and doing business along the GOM as well as any state-of-the-art methods for mitigation and increasing resilience.
Actions:
Participate in The Nature Conservancy’s Sea Level Rise Learning Network to share results of models and information and to increase the ability of practitioners to address climate change effects.
Develop state-specific guidebooks/handbooks pertaining to risks and resiliency issues for citizens to prepare for coastal hazards.
Develop a Gulf of Mexico Resiliency Clearinghouse web site ensuring that resilience-related information and tools are available to the public.
4. Conduct or support workshops to promote pro-active resiliency and mitigation measures and to improve coordination and communication between emergency managers and the general public.

7. Risk and Resilience Assessment
GCOOS Priorities Relevant to Resiliency Action Plan II What are the GCOOS priorities within each PIT?
Risk and Resilience Assessment
Participate in relevant GOMA activities
Perform gap analysis using operating system inventory
Continue planning and implementing pilot projects
Risk and Resilience Management Toolbox
Complete GCOOS Data Portal
Update GCOOS data Inventory
Complete initial inventory of products of interest
Risk and Resilience Communication
Revise GCOOS website
Produce displays & brochures; conduct workshops
Explore visualization of GCOOS data/products for user groups

8. Recommended GCOOS Resources for Resiliency Priorities What is the recommended level of human, travel, and other resources for GCOOS to spend on working with these PITs?
Risk and Resilience Assessment
Risk and Resilience Management Toolbox
Risk and Resilience Communication
GCOOS Resources:
Participate in PIT planning activities through calls & selected meetings (Spranger time & travel support)
Participate in planning workshops (Spranger /Martin? time and travel support)
Assist with needs assessments, BMPs, etc. (Spranger/Martin? time & travel support)
GCOOS Data Portal as platform (Howard time & travel support; computing resources)
Provide data and products for use in Education and Outreach activities with GOMA (Simoniello, Swaykos time & travel)

9. Risk and Resilience Assessment
GCOOS Personnel for Resiliency Priorities Who should be the key GCOOS people to monitor and work with these PITs?
Risk and Resilience Assessment
Spranger, Other (Martin?)
Risk and Resilience Management Toolbox
Spranger, Howard, Swaykos, Other (Martin?)
Risk and Resilience Communication
Simoniello, Swaykos, Spranger