The  potential effects of climate change on these ecosystems are complex and  often difficult to predict, according to the 2014 National Climate  Assessment. NOAA Is Taking a Variety of Actions to Support States’ Efforts to Enhance Marine Coastal Ecosystem Resilience, and States Have Generally Positive Views of NOAA’s Actions

NOAA is taking a variety of actions under the CZMA to support states’  efforts to make their marine coastal ecosystems more resilient to climate  change, and states generally view NOAA’s actions as positive steps. The CZMA provides a foundation for  managing marine coastal ecosystems and partnering with states to work  towards the agency’s goals of achieving resilient coastal communities and  healthy coastal ecosystems, according to the officials. Financial Incentives

NOAA has targeted some of the financial incentives it provides to states  under the CZMA for activities aimed at addressing the impacts of climate  change and enhancing marine coastal resilience. For example, within the  National Coastal Zone Management Program for fiscal years 2016 to  2020, NOAA designated coastal hazards—physical threats to life and  property, such as sea level rise—as an enhancement area of national  importance. NOAA also  increased the total amount available for these competitive grants from $1  million in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 to $1.5 million for fiscal year 2016. Officials from all 25 state coastal zone management programs said that  financial assistance provided by NOAA has been critical for planning  projects designed to enhance marine coastal ecosystem resilience and  reduce the potential impacts of climate change. Officials from nearly all  state coastal zone management programs expressed concern, however,  that the amount of financial assistance available is insufficient to address  states’ needs in implementing projects. For example, officials from 15 of  the 25 state programs said that coastal zone management grants have  been the primary source of funding from NOAA that they have used for  efforts related to ecosystem resilience. However, these grants generally  cannot be used to purchase land or for construction projects—activities  the states identified as important for improving the resilience of their  coastlines. Technical Assistance

Through its administration of the National Coastal Zone Management  Program, NOAA has also provided technical assistance to coastal states  to help them understand and address the potential impacts of climate  change on marine coastal ecosystems. For instance, the Digital  Coast contains an interactive tool that allows users to estimate sea  level rise and simulate different sea level rise scenarios using  elevation and surface data to help identify coastal areas that may be  affected by rising sea levels in a changing climate. Officials from all 25 state coastal zone management programs said  that the technical information NOAA provides has generally helped  them incorporate climate information into their state programs. NOAA has developed instructor-led and online training on  topics such as the use of marine coastal ecosystems for improving  community resilience and understanding how to use the tools found in  the Digital Coast as a way to plan for and take action to address the  potential impacts of climate change. National Estuarine Research Reserve System

NOAA officials said that the National Estuarine Research Reserve  System is important for marine coastal ecosystem resilience, in part,  because the reserves serve as “living laboratories” for the study of  estuaries and natural and man-made changes, including the impacts of  climate change. For example, in 2014, coastal zone managers from one  state partnered with the state’s research reserve staff, along with NOAA  and others, to study and map marsh migration patterns across the state’s  coastline to determine how marsh ecosystems may respond to rising sea  levels. Officials from 19 of the 25 state coastal zone management programs said  that the work carried out through their respective research reserves plays  an important role in furthering their understanding of how climate change  may affect the structure and function of estuarine ecosystems. Agency Comments

We provided the Department of Commerce a draft of this report for review  and comment.
Why GAO Did This Study

Coastal areas—home to over half of the U.S. population—are increasingly vulnerable to catastrophic damage from floods and other extreme weather events that are expected to become more common and intense, according to the 2014 Third National Climate Assessment. This assessment further indicated that less acute effects from changes in the climate, including sea level rise, could also have significant long-term impacts on the people and property along coastal states. Marine coastal ecosystems—including wetlands and marshes—can play an important role in strengthening coastal communities' resilience to the impacts of climate change, such as protecting eroding shorelines from sea level rise. Under the CZMA, NOAA is responsible for administering a federal-state partnership that encourages states to balance development with the protection of coastal areas in exchange for federal financial assistance and other incentives.
GAO was asked to review federal efforts to adapt to potential climate change effects on coastal ecosystems. This report provides information about NOAA's actions to support states' efforts to make marine coastal ecosystems more resilient to the impacts of climate change and states' views of those actions. GAO reviewed the CZMA and relevant NOAA policies and guidance; interviewed officials from NOAA headquarters and six regional offices; and conducted structured interviews with officials from the 25 state coastal zone management programs in all 23 marine coastal states.
NOAA provided technical comments on this report.

What GAO Found

The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is taking a variety of actions to support states' efforts to make their marine coastal ecosystems more resilient to climate change, and states generally view NOAA's actions as positive steps. The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) provides a foundation for managing these ecosystems and partnering with states to work towards the agency's goals of achieving resilient coastal communities and healthy coastal ecosystems, according to NOAA officials. Through the federal-state partnership established under the CZMA, GAO found that NOAA has taken actions, including:
Financial incentives. NOAA has targeted some of its financial incentives for activities aimed at addressing the impacts of climate change. For example, NOAA designated coastal hazards—physical threats to life and property, such as sea level rise—as the focus of CZMA competitive grants. States competed for a total of $1.5 million in grants in fiscal year 2016. Officials from all 25 state programs that GAO interviewed said funding provided by NOAA has been critical for planning projects related to ecosystem resilience, but also expressed concern that the amount of funding is insufficient to address states' needs in implementing projects. For instance, officials from 15 state programs further indicated that coastal zone management grants have been a primary source of funding from NOAA, but that they generally cannot be used to purchase land or for construction projects, activities states identified as important for improving coastal resilience.
Technical assistance. NOAA has provided assistance largely through technical information, guidance, and training to help states better understand and address the potential impacts of climate change on marine coastal ecosystems. For example, NOAA helped develop an interactive digital tool to simulate different sea level rise scenarios. NOAA also developed guidance to help identify ways ecosystems may be used to enhance the resilience of coastal areas, such as using natural shorelines to buffer the effects of erosion. In addition, NOAA developed training on topics such assessing the vulnerability of coastal areas. State managers GAO interviewed had generally positive views of the technical assistance provided by NOAA. For example, officials from all 25 state programs said that the technical information NOAA provides has generally helped them incorporate climate information into their state programs.
National Estuarine Research Reserve System. NOAA, in partnership with coastal states, manages 25 marine-based estuary reserves, in part, to study natural and man-made changes to estuaries (bodies of water usually found where rivers meet the sea), including the potential impacts of climate change. For example, in 2014, one state used its research reserve to study and map marsh migration patterns across the state's coastline to determine how these ecosystems may respond to rising sea levels. Officials from 19 of the 25 state programs said that work carried out through the research reserves plays an important role in furthering their understanding of how climate change may affect the structure and function of estuarine ecosystems.