This measure tracks Sea Grant’s success in assisting industry personnel with the adoption of responsible harvesting and processing techniques that improve social, economic, and ecological sustainability. Industry personnel include recreational, commercial (wild and cultured), and subsistence fishery participants, processors, and retailers. Practices include techniques, technologies and best management practices adopted. Fisheries sustainability and seafood safety refers to any combination of the ability of the ecosystem to remain diverse and productive; the social, cultural, and economic resilience of the fishing community; personal or crew safety; and quality and safety of the seafood product.

The AHHI provides an indicator of the overall amount of U.S. EEZ that is currently surveyed to an appropriate level of certainty to support safe navigation. The index is measured based on an internal model that assessed the degree of certainty needed for a a given area based on several factors – for instance, highly tracked and shallower areas need higher resolution surveys, and must be resurveyed more frequently to capture natural and human-caused changes (e.g., from storms, dredging, or maritime accidents). The index has a maximum score of 300; areas that are more important to maritime industry are weighted more heavily in the index.

This measure tracks the percentage of fish stocks that are below their annual catch limit (ACL) in a given year. In 2007, Congress enacted a requirement to use ACLs to end and prevent overfishing. The use of ACLs has been successful in ending and preventing overfishing, as stock assessments have shown the number of stocks subject to overfishing continuing to decline. Performance is measured by comparing the final annual catch estimate to the ACL for each stock that has an ACL. If the final annual catch estimate for the stock is less than the ACL, NOAA will report that the stock did not exceed its ACL.

The AHHI provides an indicator of the overall amount of U.S. EEZ that is currently surveyed to an appropriate level of certainty to support safe navigation. The index is measured based on an internal model that assessed the degree of certainty needed for a a given area based on several factors – for instance, highly tracked and shallower areas need higher resolution surveys, and must be resurveyed more frequently to capture natural and human-caused changes (e.g., from storms, dredging, or maritime accidents). The index has a maximum score of 300; areas that are more important to maritime industry are weighted more heavily in the index.

This network provides the capacity to track long-term changes in ocean chemistry and to alert stakeholders and industry partners about corrosive events impacting the Nation’s blue economy. This indicator reflects the number of National Ocean Acidification - Observing Network (NOA-ON) observations that are successfully transmitted to NOAA. This occurs when a NOA-ON sensor asset successfully transmits a minimum of 8 observations within a 24 hour day. Ideally, the number of transmitted observations should equal 100% of observations collected.

Seafood Import Monitoring Program (SIMP) audits select a random sample of consignments to a target statistical validity. Each consignment is audited for completeness and verified accuracy of documentation. Once this evaluation is complete, any concern with the consignment is forwarded to the Office of Law Enforcement for further investigation. This measure shows the percentage of audited consignments with documentation that is sufficiently complete and verified accurate to not warrant further investigation.

This measure highlights change in jobs that communities or businesses generate or save due to Sea Grant assistance (i.e., providing information to help communities, industries or businesses expand, make better decisions or avoid mistakes). Sea Grant provides the information and training that informs business decisions, and in some Hurricane forecast track error cases firms create or sustain jobs as a result. A job created is a new position created and filled as a result of Sea Grant activities. An existing position that is filled with a Sea Grant-trained applicant should not be reported in this measure. A job sustained is an existing, filled position that is sustained as a direct result of Sea Grant activities. A job cannot be reported as both created and sustained in the same year.

This measure tracks cumulative progress of NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey toward completing gravity observations for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) initiative and implementation of a new National Vertical Datum. The measure indicates the percentage of the U.S. for which NOAA has airborne gravity data necessary to support the new National Vertical Datum. This improved vertical reference system is critical for all observing systems and activities requiring accurate heights. For example, this system is important for helping determine where water flows in order to make accurate inundation models and assessments.

This measure captures a range of efforts by NOAA’s Aquaculture Program that together will lead to a more efficient federal permitting process. These efforts include: working with federal partners under the White House/OSTP's Subcommittee on Aquaculture to coordinate and streamline inter-agency permitting, working with industry partners to establish and manage offshore aquaculture pilot projects, conducting spatial analysis and developing siting tools, developing engineering solutions, efforts to assess and reduce risk (e.g., entanglement) from aquaculture operations, conducting programmatic environmental reviews to reduce burden on individual applicants, and drafting/revising guidance to permit applicants to improve application quality. We will also continue to support, as requested, any Congressional initiative to develop aquaculture legislation.

This measure shows the number of environmental reviews (ESA Section 7 formal consultation, MMPA incidental harassment authorization, EFH consultation) that exceed regulatory, statutory, or otherwise agreed-upon deadlines. Under the ESA and MSA, Federal agencies must consult with NOAA when any project or action might affect an ESA-listed marine species or a critical habitat. Under the MMPA, NMFS issues incidental harassment authorizations, which allow for the otherwise prohibited incidental “take” of marine mammals resulting from lawful activities (such as military readiness training, seismic surveys, or coastal construction).