Justification - Phytoplankton Monitoring Network

Project Title: Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN)

Program Office Sponsoring or Conducting this CSC Project: NOS/National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)

Authority for this CSC Project: HARBARCA and CCSA

Purpose of this CSC Project: NCCOS developed the National Phytoplankton Monitoring Network (PMN) as a community-based network of volunteers monitoring marine phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms (HABs). PMN recognizes the interrelationships between humans and coastal ecosystems while providing volunteer citizen scientists with meaningful opportunities for hands-on science engagement. The PMN enhances the Nation’s ability to respond to and manage the growing threat posed by HABs and make drinking water safe by developing tools for detecting and forecasting HABs tools, which will increase our understanding of which blooms will become toxic. It does this, in part, by collecting important data for species composition and distribution in coastal waters and creating working relationships between volunteers and professional marine biotoxin researchers.

Type(s) of Information Collected and From Whom It Is Collected: This project collects environmental observation of water temperature and salinity; harmful algal bloom identification from the individual and organizations, which voluntarily participate in this project.

Use of the Information: PMN enhances the Nation's ability to respond to and manage the growing threat posed by HABs by collecting important data for species composition and distribution in coastal waters. In addition, by providing accurate onsite testing, PMN increases the viability of new and existing commercial fisheries.

Method(s) of Information Collection: email submission of data, web based data entry portal and smartphone app

Affected Public: Individuals, business or other for-profit organizations, not-for-profit institutions, State, Local, or Tribal government, and Federal government

Estimated Average Annual Number of Participants: 600

Estimated Average Annual Number of Responses per Participant: 26

Estimated Average Minutes per Response: 8.33

Estimated Average Annual Burden Hours: 2,166

Estimated Total Annual Cost to Participants in this CSC Project: $0

Estimated Average Annual Costs to the Federal Government: $432,525

Estimated Average Annual Number of Federal Government Employees (FTEs): 2.25

Recruitment and Retention Methods for Voluntary Participants (SSA item 1): There are no recruitment or retention methods for voluntary participants. Volunteers are actively asking to be involved, however, selection is based upon the location of a volunteer relative to the coast or freshwater body of water. Volunteers are recruited through participation in national meetings such as National Marine Educators Association and National Harmful Algal Bloom Annual Meeting.

Gifts or Payments (SSA Item 9): We do not plan to provide a gift or payment to the voluntary participants.

Annual and Multi-Year Schedules (SSA Item 16): This program is ongoing year round and has been since 2001.

Display OMB Control No. and Expiration Date (SSA Item 17): This information will be provided when individuals sign up to participate in this CSC project.

Statistical Methods: This CSC project will not employ statistical methods.

Approval for Pretesting: This CSC project will not require additional pretesting with more than nine members of the public.

Supplemental Documents: Supplemental documents for this CSC project include a document that contains a copy of a web page introduction to this project with a copy of an example web-based data entry form for one region, a document that contains information and forms for getting involved and frequently asked questions, and the following 11 data & ID sheets:

1. Atlantic Region 1: New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, New Hampshire Data Sheet / ID Sheet

2. Atlantic Region 2: NC North of Cape Lookout, Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey Data Sheet / ID Sheet

3. Atlantic Region 3: FL East Coast, GA, SC, NC South of Cape Lookout Data Sheet / ID Sheet

4. Freshwater Data Sheet / ID Sheet

5. Gulf of Mexico Region: Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida Panhandle and West Coast Data Sheet / ID Sheet

6. Pacific Region 1: Aleutian Islands, Kodiak Island, and Kachemak Bay Data Sheet / ID Sheet

7. Pacific Region 2: Southeast Alaska Data Sheet / ID Sheet

8. Pacific Region 4: California Data Sheet / ID Sheet

9. Pacific Region 5: Hawaii Data Sheet / ID Sheet

10. Tropics Region 1: Florida Keys and Caribbean Data Sheet / ID Sheet

11. Tropics Region 2: Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico Data Sheet / ID Sheet

CERTIFICATION: I certify the following are true.

1. The collection is voluntary.

2. The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.

3. The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal agencies.

4. The collection will not include highly influential scientific information, ,which is information NOAA or OMB determines: (i) could have a potential impact of more than $500 million in any year, or (ii) is novel, controversial, or precedent setting or has significant interagency interest.

5. The collection complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).

6. The collection will provide qualitative and quantitative data that help inform scientific research and monitoring, validate models or tools, support STEM learning, and enhance the quantity and quality of data collected to support NOAA’s mission.

Name: Steve L. Morton