Posted on September 23, 2024
VICKSBURG, Miss. – As the effects of climate change threaten coastal communities through extreme natural events such as hurricanes, coastal storms, tsunamis and landslides, and contribute to longer-term risks of coastal erosion and sea level rise, coastal research professionals continue to work together to identify priorities and leverage resources.
Recently, researchers from the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) joined other coastal experts from federal agencies, stakeholder groups and academic institutions at the 2024 Decadal Visioning Workshop in St. Petersburg, Florida. Hosted by the U.S. Coastal Research Program (USCRP), the goal of the workshop was to identify and prioritize key management challenges and high priority science gaps to guide the next decade of coastal research.
The USCRP is a collaboration of federal agencies, academia and stakeholders leading a national effort to coordinate federal activities, strengthen academic programs and address the growing needs of coastal communities. The program represents a community of researchers and practitioners with shared passions for coastal science, engineering and applications.
The grassroots effort exists with strong support from U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Geological Survey, the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association and many university partners. The program has a national reach with funding going to university programs across the U.S. to tackle research questions in a variety of environments along all of the nation’s coastlines. By facilitating existing partnerships and multi-agency collaborations and leveraging limited resources, the USCRP increases the value and impact of coastal research and applications.
“The USCRP plays a critical role in connecting state-of-the-art research and development with the practical needs of the field and its stakeholders,” said Dr. Amanda Tritinger, a research hydraulics engineer with the ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory and deputy program manager for the USACE Engineering With Nature Program. “It not only aligns ERDC with national R&D priorities but also enhances workforce development by supporting the growth of emerging talent and future academic leaders. The program provides a unique opportunity to shape the focus of cutting-edge research while benefiting from the cultivation of a highly skilled workforce that will drive future innovations.”
The USCRP was conceptualized 10 years ago during the Past and Future of Nearshore Processes Research community visioning session in 2014. That workshop developed a vision for nearshore processes research where societal needs and science challenges intersect. The vision was comprised of three broad research themes: long-term coastal evolution due to natural and anthropogenic processes; extreme events: flooding, erosion, and subsequent recovery; and the physical, biological and chemical processes impacting human and ecosystem health.
Researchers continued that concept during the 2024 Decadal Visioning Workshop. This unique and impactful workshop guided participants through identifying coastal community challenges, co-developing solutions to address those challenges, discussing tools and approaches to achieve solutions and identifying basic research questions and data gaps to fill needs.
“The most valuable aspect of attending the 2024 Decadal Visioning Workshop was participating in the smaller breakout groups,” said Tritinger. “These sessions provided an opportunity to engage with individuals from diverse backgrounds and perspectives, which was both insightful and refreshing. Additionally, the discussions felt purposeful and aligned with driving meaningful progress for the next decade, making the experience especially rewarding.”
As the USCRP and facilitators compile, organize and analyze all the notes and outcomes from the workshop, they will continue to seek detailed feedback from the community on themes, content and priorities identified through the workshop to inform a 2024 Decadal Workshop Report. Initial workshop outcomes were presented in August at the 2024 Board on Coastal Engineering Research Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California, and the 2024 American Shore and Beach Preservation Association National Coastal Conference in Galveston, Texas.
The USCRP will use the information gained from the workshop and the analysis of the outcomes to develop what comes next in their contribution to the future of nearshore coastal research.
“I hope to see a comprehensive proceedings document that clearly outlines the needs of the field and identifies how R&D can address those needs,” said Tritinger. “The document could serve as a valuable resource for driving actionable, impactful changes, providing a foundation for future initiatives and offering a credible reference point for decision-making across ERDC and beyond.”
For more information, or to view presentations from the 2024 Decadal Visioning Workshop, visit https://uscoastalresearch.org/2024-decadal-workshop.
