This week's National Ocean Service Science Seminar features "An Overview of Social Science Research within the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science" on Thursday, May 5 from 12–1 pm ET. In recent years, NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) has actively grown its social science capacity in order to execute research that has helped institutions, managers and communities broaden their understanding of the connections that exist between humans and the coastal environment. This presentation will provide an overview of select projects that are currently underway or have been recently completed by the social science team at NCCOS.

The presentation will take place in NOAA SSMC4, Room 8150 and will also be available via Mymeetings webinar: a) for audio dial toll-free (US and CAN) 1-877-708-1667 and enter code 7028688# ;b) for webcast go to www.mymeetings.com and look under "Participant Join", click "Join an Event", and add conference number: 744925156. No passcode needed for web. Participants may need to install and run the plug‐in for WebEx before the seminar.

The presentation will highlight a range of social science and integrated social-ecological projects, including:

• social and non-market valuation of ecosystem services in National Marine Sanctuaries and National Estuarine Research Reserves;
• community vulnerability assessments for climate impacts in coastal communitiesand Habitat Focus Areas;
• valuation of natural infrastructure for the National Estuarine Research Reserves;
• socioeconomic/biogeographic assessments of special places;
• use of local knowledge in the assessment of coral reefs in the U.S. Virgin Islands;
• recreational fishing assessment for St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands; and
• social monitoring for the National Coral Reef Monitoring Program.

In addition, this presentation will address ways that social science can be integrated into a broad range of research focused on coastal and marine ecosystems and resilient communities and economies.

Presenters include: Maria Dillard, Theresa Goedeke, Angela Orthmeyer, Jarrod Loerzel, Sarah Gonyo, Eric Messick, Matt Gorstein, Chloe Fleming, and Seann Regan.

About the Team: The social science team at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) consists of social scientists, resource economists, geographers and marine policy specialists located at the Hollings Marine Laboratory in Charleston, South Carolina, the Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment in Silver Spring, Maryland, and the Cooperative Oxford Laboratory in Oxford, Maryland. The various backgrounds and areas of specific expertise allow for effective collaboration on an array of projects that explore and highlight the connections between society and the environment. At NCCOS, this team strives to deliver ecosystem science solutions in order to sustain thriving coastal communities and economies through the innovative use of social science. Research priorities for this team include detecting socioeconomic and environmental changes, assessment of human use of coastal and marine environments, assessment of vulnerability and resilience for coastal communities, and valuation of ecosystem services.