January 8, 2025 — Climate change is driving rapid changes in U.S. marine and Great Lakes ecosystems. The impacts range from devastating marine heatwaves to shifts in the distribution and abundance of commercial and recreational fish stocks. These changes are already impacting these important resources and the people, businesses, and coastal communities that depend on them.
NOAA Fisheries is committed to helping resource managers, businesses and coastal communities build resilience and adapt to changing ocean environments. To be successful, we need up-to-date information on what’s coming, what’s at risk, and how best to prepare and respond.
NOAA’s Climate, Ecosystems, and Fisheries Initiative (CEFI) is designed to address these needs and transform how we approach and respond to changing ocean and Great Lakes conditions. CEFI is a cross-NOAA effort to build a nationwide decision support system to help reduce impacts and increase resilience. For the first time, NOAA will regularly provide robust forecasts of future ocean ecosystem conditions, information on what’s at risk, and advice on best strategies for resilience and adaptation.