

Since 1989, the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) has submitted annual reports to Congress called Our Changing Planet. The reports describe the status of USGCRP research activities, provide progress updates, and document recent accomplishments
In particular, Our Changing Planet highlights progress and accomplishments in interagency activities. These highlights represent the broad spectrum of USGCRP activities that extend from Earth system observations, modeling, and fundamental research through synthesis and assessment, decision support, education, and public engagement.
Collaboration across regions and institutions in Alaska supports increased resilience to climate-related risks to lives and livelihoods.
In Alaska, changes in snow, ice, and weather have increased risks to human lives and threats to valuable natural resources, damaged infrastructure, and disrupted hunting, fishing, and livelihoods. The vast and largely undisturbed landscapes of Alaska and Northwest Canada support unique natural and cultural resources that are valued locally and globally. To help address these challenges, leaders...
A new Federal coastal adaptation resource highlights strategies to protect natural and cultural resources in coastal parks that can be applied in coastal landscapes across the country.
The “Coastal Adaptation Strategies Handbook” and “...
Although global climate change can be challenging to grasp as a seemingly abstract concept, connecting it to concrete impacts that are recognizable within a familiar region can be an effective approach for understanding and learning. The Third National Climate Assessment offers a wealth of accessible information about climate effects, risks, and response strategies at the regional scale. Capitalizing on this, NOAA, the NCAnet Education Affinity Group, and members of the
Trout and salmon are economically and ecologically important stream-dwelling species. Researchers from USGS, NOAA, and the University of Montana are working together to assess the effects of current and future climate change on these species’ freshwater habitats throughout the Pacific Northwest, with the goal of providing tools to help managers predict and respond to potential climate impacts on habitats, populations, and the economy.
Research to date indicate that increasing stream water temperatures may lead to fragmentation of suitable habitat for
Coastal zones are central to socioeconomic development and are estimated to provide more than half of all global ecosystem goods and services. These narrow, marginal, often low-lying areas are subject to intense population pressure—with over a billion inhabitants—and are highly vulnerable to extreme weather and natural hazards associated with climate change. USGCRP supports efforts to understand and prepare for climate impacts in coastal zones worldwide through its member agency activities in the United States and its funding for IHDP, IGBP, and
Overview
Hurricane Sandy hit the northeastern United States in October 2012 and was the deadliest hurricane of the season, as well as the second costliest hurricane in U.S. history. Such extreme coastal flooding events are expected to become more frequent as a result of climate change-related sea-level rise. A Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force was created to provide consistent, clear, accessible information for decision
Overview
Coastal erosion is a long-term concern along most open-ocean shorelines in America. As coastal populations increase and more infrastructure is built to support them, demand is increasing for accurate information and regionally comprehensive analyses regarding past and present shoreline changes.
In an effort to document and understand recent trends in