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Congressional Research Service
Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jan 8, 2009
Federal Ocean Acidification Research And Monitoring Act of 2009 or FOARAM Act - Defines "ocean acidification," for this Act, as the decrease in pH of the Earth's oceans and changes in ocean chemistry caused by chemical inputs from the atmosphere, including carbon dioxide.
Requires that the Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology of the National Science and Technology Council coordinate federal activities on ocean acidification and establish an interagency working group.
Requires the Subcommittee to develop a strategic plan for federal ocean acidification research and monitoring that provides, among other things, for the development of adaptation and mitigation strategies. Directs the Secretary of Commerce, through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), to enter into an agreement with the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to review the plan.
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Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain an ocean acidification program in NOAA to conduct research, monitoring, and other activities, including: (1) providing grants for critical research projects exploring the ecosystem and socioeconomic impacts of ocean acidification; and (2) incorporating a competitive merit-based process for awarding grants that may be conducted jointly with other participating agencies or under the National Oceanographic Partnership Program.
Requires the National Science Foundation (NSF) director to continue to carry out ocean acidification research supporting competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research and monitoring of ocean acidification and its impacts.
Requires the administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to ensure that space-based monitoring assets are used in as productive a manner as possible for the monitoring of ocean acidification and its impacts.
People & committees
Sen. Lautenberg, Frank R. [D-NJ] · D–NJ
Legislative record
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Read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Introduced in Senate
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Sep 8, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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