The South Central Climate Adaptation Science Center (CASC) strives to provide actionable science, tools, and information to decision makers in order to address climate change and variability. In this effort, the South Central CASC supports actionable science through multi-institutional and stakeholder driven approaches to assessing the impacts of climate on natural and cultural resources. The South Central CASC is hosted by the University of Oklahoma with six consortium partners: Texas Tech University, The Chickasaw Nation, The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Louisiana State University, Oklahoma State University, and University of New Mexico. During the period of 2019 – 2024, the South Central CASC consortium will strive to: i) understand how sustainable and usable water resources will change throughout the region and how best to adapt; ii) examine coastal ecosystems along the Northern Gulf of Mexico; iii) enhance the resilience of indigenous, rural and vulnerable communities; iv) understand product sensitivities and uncertainties with stakeholders; v) map and predict changes in species distribution and ecosystems; and vi) understand teleconnections that influence landscape-scale resilience.
Each CASC is a formal collaboration between the USGS, a regional host university, and a multi-institution partner consortium. Through this agreement, the host and consortium institutions undertake a number of activities, including conducting research science projects, supporting fellows, and engaging with resource management partners. To learn more about the work of the South Central CASC, visit: https://southcentralclimate.org/.