Conserving special places in our coastal and marine environment is a great way to balance the often competing and occasionally conflicting demands of coastal resource use, economic development, and conservation. Programs such as NOAA's National Marine Sanctuaries and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System enable communities to come together to study, discuss, and find solutions to a broad range of pressing problems in specific regions around the nation. These special places are focal points that encourage partnerships in science, education, technology, management, and community.
Coastal intelligence refers to information that is used by governments, businesses, and citizens to make decisions that support healthy ecosystems, strong economies, and resilient communities along our coasts. NOS and partners support this decision-making process by translating science—coastal and ocean observations, data, and research—into information that people can use.
Resilience is defined as "the ability to become strong, healthy, or successful again after something bad happens." This ability to overcome, or bounce back, is a concept that applies to individuals, to communities large and small, to our infrastructure, and to the environment. Here at the National Ocean Service, we are focused on coastal and ocean resilience because we recognize that communities that live near our coasts are increasingly vulnerable to disasters while also facing many other powerful long-term environmental changes.
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