33 USC § 3706 - NSF ocean acidification activities

---
identifier: "/us/usc/t33/s3706"
source: "usc"
legal_status: "official_prima_facie"
title: "33 USC § 3706 - NSF ocean acidification activities"
title_number: 33
title_name: "NAVIGATION AND NAVIGABLE WATERS"
section_number: "3706"
section_name: "NSF ocean acidification activities"
chapter_number: 50
chapter_name: "FEDERAL OCEAN ACIDIFICATION RESEARCH AND MONITORING"
positive_law: false
currency: "119-84"
last_updated: "2026-04-17"
format_version: "1.1.0"
generator: "[email protected]"
source_credit: "(Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12407, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1441; Pub. L. 116–271, title I, § 112, Dec. 31, 2020, 134 Stat. 3344; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VI, § 10647, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1680.)"
---


# § 3706. NSF ocean acidification activities

**(a)** **Research activities** The Director of the National Science Foundation shall continue to carry out research activities on ocean acidification and coastal acidification which shall support competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research, observation, and monitoring of ocean acidification and coastal acidification and their respective impacts, including—

**(1)** impacts on marine organisms, including species cultured for aquaculture, and marine ecosystems;

**(2)** impacts on ocean, coastal, and estuarine biogeochemistry;

**(3)** the development of methodologies and technologies to evaluate ocean acidification and coastal acidification and their respective impacts; and

**(4)** impacts of multiple stressors on ecosystems exhibiting hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, or sediment delivery, combined with changes in ocean chemistry; and

**(5)** adaptation and mitigation strategies to address socioeconomic effects of ocean acidification and coastal acidification.

**(b)** **Consistency** section 3704 of this title

The research activities shall be consistent with the strategic research plan developed by the Subcommittee under .

**(c)** **Coordination** The Director shall encourage coordination of the Foundation’s ocean acidification and coastal acidification activities with such activities of other nations and international organizations.

**(d)** **Requirement** Recipients of grants from the National Science Foundation under this chapter that collect data described under section 3705(d) of this title shall—

**(1)** collect data in accordance with the standards, protocols, or procedures established pursuant to section 3705(d) of this title; and

**(2)** submit such data to the Director and the Secretary after publication, in accordance with any rules promulgated by the Director or the Secretary.

---

**Source Credit**: (Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12407, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1441; Pub. L. 116–271, title I, § 112, Dec. 31, 2020, 134 Stat. 3344; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VI, § 10647, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1680.)

## Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—, substituted “ocean acidification and coastal acidification” for “ocean acidification” wherever appearing in text.

Subsec. (a). , substituted “their respective impacts” for “its impacts” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(3). , substituted “and their respective impacts” for “and its impacts”.

Subsec. (a)(5). , (D), added par. (5).

Subsec. (d). , added subsec. (d).

2020—Subsec. (a).  amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Director of the National Science Foundation shall continue to carry out research activities on ocean acidification which shall support competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research and monitoring of ocean acidification and its impacts, including—

“(1) impacts on marine organisms and marine ecosystems;

“(2) impacts on ocean, coastal, and estuarine biogeochemistry; and

“(3) the development of methodologies and technologies to evaluate ocean acidification and its impacts.”