NOAA Environmental Cooperative Science Center (2011 Awardee)

NOAA ECSC Website offsite link

Award Recipient: Florida A&M University

Primary NOAA Line Office: The National Ocean Service

 

A photo of a college campus that looks down on the campus as if the photo was taken from an upper story. The campus has central lawn with decorative geometric walkways with modern fountains at the entrance. Buildings surround the central lawn.
NOAA ECSC at Florida A&M University (FAMU).

 

Center Overview

Education Focus: ECSC Students are provided education and training opportunities through innovative courses and degree programs at all levels and by engaging in research in ecological processes, geospatial analysis, integrated social science, integrated ecological assessment and any combination of these in support of environmental decision making.
 

Academic Partners

National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR)/ Sanctuary Partners 

Goals of the Center

ECSC has four primary and interrelated goals:

  1. Increase the number of underrepresented minorities in atmospheric, environmental, and oceanic sciences by training and graduating students and expanding the capacity of faculty from member institutions to participate in NOAA related research;

  2. Develop tools, including conceptual models, to assess the response of coastal ecosystems and communities to develop measurement programs to monitor critical system attributes;

  3. Improve the scientific basis for coastal resource management; and,

  4. Facilitate community education and outreach relating to the function and significance of coastal ecosystems.

Center Abstract

The ECSC mission is to educate a new generation of Abstract scientists in NOAA-related sciences, particularly from under-represented minority groups, and to develop the natural and social science tools for integrated assessments of ecosystem health in support of coastal environmental decision making. Our academic partners provide NOAA, NOAA contractors, other Federal agencies, and academia with access to a diverse pool of students from underrepresented minority groups; an impressive array of academic programs with the established capacity to provide quality educational and research experiences to prepare students in NOAA-related sciences; and a collection of highly qualified faculty and staff committed to engaging in teaching, research and service needed to support the desired outcomes of NOAA’s ecosystem goals namely: "1. Healthy and productive coastal and marine ecosystems that benefit society, and 2. A well-informed public that acts as stewards of coastal and marine ecosystems".

The ECSC has established a regional approach to address coastal and marine environmental issues through collaborations with NOAA and its National Ocean Service (NOS) and by partnering with strategically selected National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERR) that span coastal regions from the extreme western Gulf of Mexico to the Atlantic coast of Delaware. The ecological, economic, social, and cultural attributes of these coastal and marine ecosystems are vital on the local, regional, and national levels and, as such, provide excellent study areas upon which to focus the research, education, and outreach activities of the Center.

Center Directory

 
Center Director:
Michael Abazinge, Ph.D.
850-599-8553
michael.abazinge@famu.edu
 
Deputy Director:
Bernadette Kelly, Ph.D.
850-599-3692
bernadette.kelley@famu.edu
 
Center Coordinator:
Ms. LaVerne Thomas
 
Distinguished Professor:
Charles Jagoe, Ph.D.
850-412-5691
charles.jagoe@famu.edu
 
Technical Monitors:
Steven Thur, Ph.D.
301-713-3020 x174
steven.thur@noaa.gov

 

     

    NOAA ECSC Executive Summary

     

    Awarded: 2001; 2006; 2011

    ECSC is funded under the NOAA/EPP/MSI Cooperative Agreement # NA11SEC4810001