Strategic Sciences News

On July 17-19, 2018, the Department of the Interior (DOI) Strategic Sciences Group (SSG) convened a multidisciplinary group of experts in Hilo, Hawai’i, to consider the cascading consequences of the 2018 Kilauea eruption to DOI resources, employees, and facilities as well as to the surrounding communities. The team developed scenarios to identify potential actions and known knowledge gaps to mitigate the negative effects of the eruption. This activation of the SSG was supported by the US Geological Survey (USGS).

Through SSG facilitation, the USGS Amphibian Research and Monitoring Initiative hosted a workshop on the the emerging amphibian fungal disease Bsal. Discussions focused on Appalachia with participants from NPS, USFWS, Appalachian Landscape Conservation Cooperative, USDA/USFS, TN Wildlife Resources Agency, and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. Workshop goals included the identification of barriers that might slow a rapid response to a Bsal detection and scientific data gaps that need to be filled to support Bsal-related decisions. Participants explored the cascading consequences of a hypothetical Bsal detection in Great Smoky Mountains National Park followed by associated die-offs on USFS and Cherokee lands.

SSG staff collaborated with the American Academy of Arts and Sciences to convene a workshop on science during crisis at the House of the Academy in Cambridge, MA. Participants explored the best practices, a research agenda, and policy recommendations for science during crisis. A forthcoming Academy publication will summarize workshop conclusions.

SSG staff co-facilitated a workshop on Zika virus at the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine Forum on Medical and Public Health Preparedness and Catastrophic Events. Using elements of SSG scenario-building methodology, workshop participants explored a scenario of active Zika virus transmission by mosquitoes in the continental US and the cascading consequences of implementing different types of integrated vector management strategies. Participants were encouraged to use workshop findings upon return to their home institutions which included federal, state, and local government offices.

At the world’s largest Earth and space sciences meeting, the SSG presented findings of a capacity-building exercise it conducted in Spring 2015 to test the applicability of its scenario-building methods to slow-onset disasters associated with climate change.

The SSG has formed partnerships with 20 professional societies and academic centers across the physical, life, and social sciences to expedite the formation of crisis science teams by helping to identify and vet potential team members. The SSG discussed the efficacy of this network with researchers, practitioners, and policy makers at this annual conference.

Collaborations between the SSG and professional societies, such as the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, allow scientists and other experts to apply their knowledge to disaster response as members of SSG's crisis science team.

The SSG will convene a panel at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) 2015 annual meeting highlighting innovative approaches, best practices, and challenges for conducting and disseminating science during crises.

The SSG co-convened a session at the 2014 American Geophysical Union (AGU) Annual Meeting, the largest Earth and space science meeting in the world, on “Exploring the Roles of Science, Communication, and Education throughout the Disaster Lifecycle”.

Dr. Kiza Gates and Dr. Kris Ludwig published a guest editorial describing the critical role of professional societies in helping to identify potential SSG crisis science team members and encouraging scientists to engage in rapid response efforts.