Coastal and Ocean Acidification Stressors and Threats Research Act of 2019

Floor Speech

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Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 1237, the COAST Research Act of 2019. This bipartisan legislation would reauthorize and modernize ocean acidification research and monitoring programs.

Ocean acidification is the result of a gradual decrease in pH in ocean chemistry. A small shift in pH can have a serious effect on marine ecosystems, including shellfish habitat, coral reefs, and fisheries habitat.

Congress recognized the need for a better understanding of the cause and the effects of ocean acidification by passing the Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring Act of 2009. This legislation created a framework for science organizations such as NOAA and the National Science Foundation to dedicate resources to studying the phenomenon. This program provided valuable information to the scientific community to better understand what caused ocean acidification and how to begin addressing this issue.

H.R. 1237 reauthorizes and modernizes those efforts by updating the strategic plan governing the Federal Government's research efforts, strengthening cooperation among scientific agencies. It designates NOAA as the lead agency for coordinating Federal efforts for addressing the Federal response to ocean acidification. Additionally, the bill clarifies that all federally funded research conducted in connection with the program is to be made publicly available.

This bill is the result of years of work in building a consensus among stakeholders, ranging from ocean conservation groups and sportsmen to coastal communities, about how best to address this problem moving forward.

Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this bill, and I reserve the balance of my time.

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