Written by Nina Yang; USC Sea Grant 2022 Knauss Fellow
Published May 30, 2023
I first learned about climate change in high school through the documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, which attributed the cause of Earth’s increasing temperatures to fossil fuel emissions. At the time, it was hard to fathom that human activity could throw an entire planet’s health off course. However, fast forward nearly 20 years, and it is now more apparent than ever that, collectively, we have done just that. Earlier this year, scientists reported that in 2022, the ocean was the warmest on record, marking a fourth consecutive year of rising water temperatures.
The ocean provides many services to humans, including food, climate regulation, recreation, and economic opportunities like tourism. As a scientist, I study how life in the ocean will respond to warming so that we can better predict how climate change will affect these essential ecosystem services. However, science is only one part of the equation to fighting climate change. We must also implement bold and transformative policies that are informed by the latest science.
When I entered graduate school...I never imagined myself getting involved in policy. Mostly, I didn’t know that it was a possibility, and I didn’t understand what a career in ocean policy entailed.
When I entered graduate school in 2017 for my Ph.D. at the University of Southern California, I never imagined myself getting involved in policy. Mostly, I didn’t know that it was a possibility, and I didn’t understand what a career in ocean policy entailed. The Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship changed all that, providing a one-year fellowship experience in marine policy with the Federal Government in Washington D.C.
As a 2022 Knauss Fellow, I was placed with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ocean Exploration, whose mission is to explore the ocean “to protect ocean health, sustainably manage our marine resources, accelerate our national economy, better understand our changing environment, and enhance appreciation of the importance of the ocean in our everyday lives.” I served as a Policy Advisor for the U.S. Ocean Science and Technology (OST) subcommittee of the Ocean Policy Committee (OPC) and worked closely with the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and the National Science Foundation (NSF) to coordinate interagency activities related to ocean science and technology.
In this capacity, I was a Policy Advisor and a member of the writing team to develop a national Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) that would lay out a roadmap for the U.S. to harness ocean-based solutions to address the climate crisis. The OCAP prioritizes eight key actions that include: increasing offshore wind; conserving and restoring ecosystems that serve as natural carbon stores (“blue carbon); investing in marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) research and development; expanding marine protected areas (MPAs); and enhancing climate resilience in fisheries as well as communities.
Collectively, these ocean-climate actions will help the country address three key goals: (1) create a carbon-neutral future and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, (2) accelerate nature-based solutions to protect and conserve critical ecosystems, and (3) enhance community resilience so that people can adapt and thrive in the face of a changing climate.
Looking at this ambitious document now, I can’t believe that the writing of the OCAP started out with very humble beginnings as a short review I put together nearly a year ago...
The OCAP was recently published in March 2023 and represents the first-ever ocean-climate roadmap in the United States. It would not have been possible without a massive team effort that included contributions from other Knauss Fellows representing the White House Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ), the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), NOAA, and the NSF. Looking at this ambitious document now, I can’t believe that the writing of the OCAP started out with very humble beginnings as a short review I put together nearly a year ago of the existing scientific literature and my own recommendations for which ocean-based solutions to prioritize.
Working on the OCAP, I was able to share my scientific knowledge and perspectives. I witnessed firsthand the inner workings of policymaking, such as the high level of collaboration and dedication required to navigate the different levels of decision-making in the government. I learned to coordinate and facilitate effective meetings, draft key science and policy briefs on short deadlines, and connect the various perspectives across agencies into a cohesive strategy. Moreover, I met countless people who are tirelessly dedicated to public service and are staunch advocates for just and equitable policies. My experience gives me hope that we have a chance to course-correct the ongoing climate crisis and ensure a liveable, thriving planet for generations to come.
I am grateful for USC Sea Grant and the Knauss Fellowship for this unique opportunity, the people I met, and the lessons learned that will undoubtedly continue to shape my career for years to come.
When I applied to be a Knauss Fellow, I wrote that I wanted to “learn to apply science to aid policymaking at the highest level of government with a collaborative network of people who share similar goals of sustainably conserving and managing our marine resources.” My Fellowship experience with NOAA Ocean Exploration not only fulfilled that aspiration but also opened doors I never even knew existed. I am currently a Postdoctoral Investigator at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where I am combining my science and policy experience to conduct research illuminating the little-known biodiversity of the Ocean Twilight Zone. I hope that this work can be used to inform conservation and exploration of the deep sea. I am grateful for USC Sea Grant and the Knauss Fellowship for this unique opportunity, the people I met, and the lessons learned that will undoubtedly continue to shape my career for years to come.