Overview

The National Sea Grant Program recently launched a program to create research plans for U.S. coastal and Great Lakes areas. Sea Grant Programs from the South Atlantic region of the coastal USA (NC, SC, GA, FL) are working together to identify priority regional-level research needs and then develop an action plan to address these needs. The project involves coordination with NOAA laboratories, state and federal agencies, and academic partners, as well as participation from politicians, representatives from industry, and other stakeholders from throughout the region. (For more information, continue reading about the SARRP Approach, below.)

News

Governors Establish the South Atlantic Alliance

The Governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida signed a Partnership Agreement in May 2009 establishing the Governors’ South Atlantic Alliance (PDF). The mission of the Alliance is to significantly increase regional collaboration among the four states, with support from federal agencies, universities, regional organizations, NGOs, private businesses and the public as partners, to sustain and enhance the region’s coastal and ocean resources for the betterment of its citizenry.

Strategy Teams Workshop

The next phase of the SARRP project took place on April 21st and 22nd. The Organizing Committee has identified a slate of Strategy Team members, including our Regional Advisory Group and other experts representing coastal interests from throughout the region. We met in Savannah as a group and in teams for two days of strategic planning. An overview of the workshop and our results will be posted upon completion.

Stakeholder Survey

The Stakeholder Survey closed October 1st, and the responses have been compiled. Please visit the Survey page.

Previous Announcements

A meeting of the Regional Advisory Group was held December 6th, 2007 at the Coastal Georgia Center in Savannah, Georgia.

Agenda | Logistics | Background Memo | DPSIR Model (examples)

The draft list of research priorities and the compilation of documents examined are available on the Documents page.

Approach

The project is being managed by the Georgia Coastal Research Council (GCRC, www.gcrc.uga.edu) in association with the Georgia Sea Grant program. Our approach is to construct a needs assessment that will be used as the basis for identification of priority research needs, and then establish technical strategy teams with appropriate expertise to develop draft action plans that address each priority. We have established a Regional Advisory Group with high-level representation from each part of the region to help guide the project and ensure that it is well-coordinated with other efforts. Public input is being solicited (through a survey and other means) and there will be a focused outreach effort to educate stakeholders about the plan. We will also coordinate this effort with NOAA's Southeast and Caribbean Regional Team (SECART) program. In addition to the Final Regional Plan, we will establish a South Atlantic Coastal Research Council that will ensure the transfer of technology and information to the appropriate end users, and serving as a platform for coordination, collaboration, and resources sharing among participants.

Organizing Committee