This project is part of a Master's thesis at the School of Marine Affairs by Kary Coleman. It is sponsored by the West Coast Sea Grant Programs and the California Ocean Science Trust. The objective of this project is to assess regional marine research needs identified in existing planning and resource management documents from public agencies or research institutes administering programs on the West Coast. The research needs identified within source documents are categorized according to a regionally appropriate modification and refinement of the national research priorities identified in the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology (JSOST) 2007 report.

Sixty source documents dating back to 2000 are reviewed, summarized, and categorized. After sorting and ranking the categories of research needs by different methods, the ten highest ranked categories of research needs are identified. More information on this research is available through the documents included below. Further, the findings of this project are one component of a larger project underway through the West Coast Sea Grant Programs to identify and prioritize regional marine research needs.

This project created two reports. The interim report from August, 2007 provides a preliminary ranking of the JSOST priorities for the West Coast region. The final report from June, 2008 provides a final analysis of the ranking of categories of research needs, based upon existing planning documents. The June, 2008 report identifies the top ten categories of research needs and provides a discussion of each. As well, this report includes a discussion of opportunities for collaboration with tribes on the West Coast, through the input and involvement of four Indian tribes on the Pacific Coast of Washington. These tribes are the Hoh Tribe, Makah Tribe, Quileute Tribe, and the Quinault Indian Nation.

Source Document Summaries: Before categorizing the research needs identified in source documents, the research needs within all 60 source documents were summarized. The research themes and priorities in the JSOST 2007 report were also summarized.

Tables of Research Needs: This document reveiews the categorization of research needs identified within the 60 source documents. In these tables of research needs, the categories of research needs define the columns and the source documents define the rows. Identified research needs from source documents are summarized in the cells with a reference to their origin. The categories of research needs are organized by the JSOST priorities and themes, with additional pages on priorities independently added or divided for this project.

Excel Spreadsheets of Raw Data: The number of research needs and the number of documents in each category of research needs was determined. Information on the source documents' titles, authors, publication year, corresponding state, and type of document are also included. The Excel spreadsheet by number of research needs includes the number of research needs for each category of research needs in relationship to its source document. By comparison, the Excel spreadsheet by number of source documents, has a zero or one entered in cells to signify the presence or absence of stated research needs within each category of research needs.

Overview of the Rankings of Research Needs: The ranking of research needs was assessed by a number of different methods to test for biases due to source documents including greater numbers of research needs, agencies authoring multiple documents, or imbalances in research topics and geographic locations. An overview of all the different rankings of the categories of research needs created for this project is available online. As well, an overview of the different rankings of the JSOST priorities is also available online.

Former School of Marine Affairs professor Marc J. Hershman was a collaborator and adviser on this project. He helped conceive and establish outside support for this project, as well as offered his own insights and experience gained through his years of work. Though many people offered their time and support following his passing in 2008, he is missed. A short biography and tributes to him can be found by clicking here.