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The meeting, held virtually  February 8-9, facilitated knowledge exchange across interagency working groups about federal initiatives related to global change research on a wide range of topics including coastal hazards and resources, climate change, among others.

The U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) was mandated by Congress to coordinate federal research and investments in understanding the human and natural forces shaping the global environment and their impacts on society. USGCRP facilitates collaboration and cooperation across its federal member agencies to advance understanding and maximize efficiencies in federal global change research.

The longstanding focus of USGS on Latin America, the Caribbean, and Canada reflects a commitment to scientific collaboration, capacity building, global learning, and partnership throughout the Western Hemisphere.

Drs. Donya Frank-Gilchrist and Legna Torres-Garcia of the USGS St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center (SPCMSC) attended the virtual annual meeting on Feb 8-9, 2023. At the USGCRP meeting, the team learned about various federal programs and initiatives for advancing the understanding of global change research on topics such as coastal hazards, water cycle modeling, and climate engagement and capacity building among others, as well as facilitating international collaborations on these efforts. Dr. Frank-Gilchrist also shared information on the Stakeholder Engagement for Natural Hazards Investigations in the Caribbean (SENHIC) project during a breakout group discussion on the Latin America and Caribbean Initiative (LACI) for climate assessment capacity building. Also in attendance at the USGCRP meeting were representatives from the USGS Office of International Programs, including Dr. Virginia Burkett, Chief Scientist for Climate and Land Use Change and USGS Lead for the LACI initiative, and Dr. Gustavo Bisbal, Acting Regional Science Advisor for Latin America, Caribbean, and Canada (Western Hemisphere). Drs. Donya Frank-Gilchrist and Legna Torres-Garcia were invited to participate in the USGCRP meeting after presenting on their stakeholder engagement efforts in the Caribbean to the USGCRP International Activities Interagency Working Group (IAIWG) in January.