SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFIT STUDY ON ECOSYSTEM DATASETS THE NOAA EXOSYSTEM DATA ASSEMBLY CENTER(EDAC) WILL PROVI…

Public award description

SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFIT STUDY ON ECOSYSTEM DATASETS THE NOAA EXOSYSTEM DATA ASSEMBLY CENTER(EDAC) WILL PROVIDE DATA MANAGEMENT SERVICES TO FACILITATE ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND INTERGRATED ECOSYSTEM ASSESSMENTS 1 TH NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO. THESE SERVICES INCLUDE DISCOVERING HIGH-VALUE NOAA AND NON-NOAA DATASETS,DEVELOPING METADATA, AND PROVIDING DATA ACCESS. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE BOUNDS ON THIS EXTENSIVE DATA MANAGEMENT PROBLEM,THE INITIAL FOCUS OF THE EDAC WILL BE BASED ON THE FIVE THEMES IDENTIFIED AS IMPORTANT PROBLEM AREAS BY GULF OF MEXICO STATE GOVENORS THROUGH THE GULF ALLIANCE. THESE ARE:WATER QUALITY,COASTAL WETLAND/ESTUARINE RESTORATION & CONSERVATION,POLLUTION & NUTRIENT LOAD REDUCTION,GULF HABITATS IDENTIFICATION & CHARATERIZATION AND EXPANSION OF ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION. A COMMOM THREAD CONNECTING THESE THEMES IS THAT ALL HAVE A DIRECT BEARING ON THE TIMELY SOCIAL,CULTURAL AND EXONOMIC QUESTIONS CONFRONTING THE GULF STATES. RESEARCH THAT APPLIES TO THESE THEMES MAY THEREFORE BE EXPECTED TO TRANSLATE TO APPLICATIONS THAT HELP ENABLE MORE EFFECTIVE GOVERANCE AND POLICY DEVELOPMENT. THE EDAC IN ORDER TO MAXIMIZE THE UTILITY OF THE DATA IT MANAGES AND PROVIDE THE MOST COST-EFFECTIVE SERVICE TO ITS CONSTITUENCY,WOULD BENEFIT GREATLY FROM THOUGHTFUL GUIDANCE FROM THE STATES IN DEVELOPING AND MAINING ITS DATA OFFERINGS. AS A MEANS OF OBTAINING THIS GUIDANCE, THIS EFFORT WILL FUND A STATE GOVERNMENT AGENCY AND/OR STATE UNIVERSITY AND/OR CONTRACTOR TO CONDUCT A SURVEY THAT RANKS CRITICAL STATE NEEDS FOR ENVRIRONMENTAL DATA AND MATCHES THOUSE NEEDS AGAINST THE DIRECT SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BENEFITS THAT CAN BE ACCRUED THROUGH THE NORTH GULF INSTITUE, A NOAA OAR COOPERATIVE INSTITUTE AND THE EDAC. THE RESULTS WILL BE AN ANALYSIS OF CRITICAL DATA GAPS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED BOTH BY THE EDAC THROUGH ITS CHOICES OF WHICH DATASETS TO TARGET FOR DEVELOPMENT AND THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY IN PLANNING FOR AND CONDUCTING FUTURE FIELD RESEARCH AN DMONITORING IN THE NORTHERN GULF OF MEXICO REGION. THE TASK AND DELIVERABLES ARE AS FOLLOWS: 1. IDENTIFY TARGET DATA SETS-ANALYZE DATA GAPS THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED USING PRIORTIZED CRITICAL STATE NEEDS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DATA MATCHED AGAINST THE DIRECT SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL BENEFITS THAT CAN BE ACCRUED. PROVIDE A LIST OF TARGET DATA SETS FOR REVIEW.2. DEVELOP AN ECONOMIC DATA DATABASE-USING THE IDENTIFIED TARGET DATA SETS, GATHER ALL ECONOMIC DATA RELEVANT TO NOAA'S MISSIONS AND THE NEEDS OF REGIONAL STAKEHOLDERS(FELERAL,STATE,AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT,ACADEMIA,NGO'S EX) CONSULT WITH NCDDC ON THE SELECTION OF DATABASE FORMAT. CONSTRUCT A DATABASE THAT CAN EASILY BE ACCESSED. DATASETS SHALL INCLUDE DATA FROM THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS COUNTY BUSINESS PATTERNS ANNUAL SERIES. 3. PREPARE A FINAL REPORT-BASED ON THE ANALYSIS OF DATA GATS AND FROM THE DEVELOPMENT OF ECONOMIC DATA BASE PREPARE A FINAL REPORT SUMMARIZING ANALYSIS ACTIONS,FINDING,RECOMMENDED GUIDANCE AS WELL AS OVERALL PROGRAM RECOMMENDATION. THE PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE SHALL BE FROM THE DATE OF THIS ORDER AND CONTINUE THROUGH EIGHT MONTHS.