This measure tracks progress toward the recovery of endangered, threatened, or depleted protected species under NMFS’ jurisdiction. The species included in this measure are listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) or as depleted under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). Decreases may occur when species are de-listed or when separate stocks of a listed species are merged. Recovery of threatened, endangered, or depleted species can take decades. It may not be possible to recover or de-list a species in the near term, but progress can be made to stabilize or increase the species population. For some species, this means trying to stop steep population declines, while for others it means trying to increase their numbers.

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 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 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).

NTIA will provide Technical Assistance / Engagements (webinars, events, online materials, one-to-one assistance) to States and Territories to support their development and completion of comprehensive 5-Year Broadband Action Plans and support for the implementation of those plans through the BEAD Grant Program.

Proposed new indicator for FY 2022. Measure is under development.

Proposed new indicator for FY 2022. Measure is under development.

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.

An Economic Benefit is a dollar value of all financial/contractual transactions, capacity investments and increases in sales to MBEs via the asisstance of MBDA programs, services and resources.

This measure tracks the number of dives that use imagery/video as well as other sensors that provided a multidisciplinary first-look at an unknown or poorly understood area of the ocean. These data can be collected using a variety of platforms including ROVs, AUVs, ASVs, etc. OER recognizes a distinction between exploration and characterization. Exploration is conducted using a suite of tools and techniques that provides a multidisciplinary first-look at an unknown or poorly understood area of the ocean. The outcome is intended to be sufficient to inform follow-on characterization, which provides comprehensive data for a specific area of interest of the seafloor, sub-bottom, and/or water column that supports specific research, resource management, policymaking, or applied mission objectives (this is not depth dependant unlike the mapping statistics).

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.