Residents of coastal Oregon, Washington and California have until Jan. 31 to take part in a survey designed to identify ocean and coastal research and information priorities for  the region.

The survey, jointly sponsored by Sea Grant programs in the three states, is part of a federally funded effort intended to:

• Ensure the region’s unique resource management challenges are better understood and represented at the federal level
• Help the region progress toward effective, ecosystem-based management
• Identify the common needs of west coast communities of place and interest to encourage further region-wide collaboration on critical ocean and coastal issues

The project, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and endorsed by the governors of all three states, is a response to recent national recommendations calling for a regional approach to research planning.

Survey responses will be combined with comments received during a series of community meetings held up and down the West Coast in 2007, and will be incorporated into a final report to be delivered to NOAA in 2008.

The survey, along with information about the planning process and collected comments from community meetings, can be accessed here.  Although three versions – one for each state – are provided, the questions are identical and all responses will be compiled for the final report. Respondents whose interests overlap state boundaries need only respond to one survey.