Increase the number of scientists, particularly from under-represented minority groups in the environmental, coastal and oceanic sciences;
Enhance the scientific understanding of human interactions with the coastal environment in support of NOAA’s place-based management;
Improve the scientific basis for coastal resource management by developing tools and research products to characterize, evaluate, and forecast coastal and marine ecosystem responses to natural and human induced stressors;
Facilitate community education and outreach relating to the function and significance of coastal ecosystems.