Advancing Collaborative Federal Sea Level Science & Information

By 2050, expected relative sea level change will lead to a shift in U.S. coastal flood regimes, with major and moderate high tide flood events occurring as frequently as moderate and minor high tide flood events occur today. Without risk-reduction measures coastal communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems will face significant consequences. Through the United States Interagency Task Force on Sea Level, federal agencies are actively working to improve the access, education, communication, and delivery of coastal inundation and sea level science, data, and information, with a specific emphasis on engaging coastal communities to inform adaptation, mitigation, and resilience decisions. We will discuss ongoing all-of-Government efforts to enhance the delivery of the latest sea level change science and information to coastal stakeholders and decision-makers.

The 2022 Interagency Sea Level Rise Technical Report, written by the United States Interagency Task Force on Sea Level, provided up-to-date scenarios of sea level for all U.S. states and territories. Additionally, a first-of-its-kind companion guide was developed to assist decision-makers and coastal professionals to apply the information as part of local sea level rise planning and adaptation decisions. Building upon these achievements, the federal government is committed to continually improving the service delivery of authoritative and actionable scientific and technical information about sea level and coastal inundation, with the aim of supporting communities in their efforts to adapt to sea level rise.

The speakers will address several key topics, including the motivation behind developing actionable next-generation coastal products, common stakeholder questions, and alignment with White House priorities. An assessment of user needs and current gaps in the federal coastal science service delivery landscape will also be shared. This presentation will support the continued overall development of scientific collaborations that will result in supporting socially relevant research and decision-making through science-informed service delivery of sea level knowledge.