---
kind: "section"
citation: "33 U.S.C. § 3706"
title: "33"
title_heading: "Navigation and Navigable Waters"
number: "3706"
heading: "NSF ocean acidification activities"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/33/3706"
units:
  - "Chapter 50 — Federal Ocean Acidification Research and Monitoring"
---

# §3706. NSF ocean acidification activities

- (a) **Research activities—** The Director of the National Science Foundation shall continue to carry out research activities on [ocean acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=2) and [coastal acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=1) which shall support competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research, observation, and monitoring of [ocean acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=2) and [coastal acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=1) and their respective impacts, including—
  - (1) impacts on marine organisms, including species cultured for aquaculture, and marine ecosystems;
  - (2) impacts on ocean, coastal, and estuarine biogeochemistry;
  - (3) the development of methodologies and technologies to evaluate [ocean acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=2) and [coastal acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=1) and their respective impacts; and
  - (4) impacts of multiple stressors on ecosystems exhibiting hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, or sediment delivery, combined with changes in ocean chemistry; and
  - (5) adaptation and mitigation strategies to address socioeconomic effects of [ocean acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=2) and [coastal acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=1).
- (b) **Consistency—** The research activities shall be consistent with the strategic research plan developed by the [Subcommittee](/usc/33/3702.md?p=4) under [section 3704 of this title](/usc/33/3704.md).
- (c) **Coordination—** The Director shall encourage coordination of the Foundation’s [ocean acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=2) and [coastal acidification](/usc/33/3702.md?p=1) activities with such activities of other nations and international organizations.
- (d) **Requirement—** Recipients of grants from the National Science Foundation under this chapter that collect data described under [section 3705(d) of this title](/usc/33/3705.md?p=d) shall—
  - (1) collect data in accordance with the standards, protocols, or procedures established pursuant to [section 3705(d) of this title](/usc/33/3705.md?p=d); and
  - (2) submit such data to the Director and the [Secretary](/usc/33/3702.md?p=3) after publication, in accordance with any rules promulgated by the Director or the [Secretary](/usc/33/3702.md?p=3).

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 111–11, title XII, § 12407, Mar. 30, 2009, 123 Stat. 1441; Pub. L. 116–271, title I, § 112, Dec. 31, 2020, 134 Stat. 3344; Pub. L. 117–167, div. B, title VI, § 10647, Aug. 9, 2022, 136 Stat. 1680.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### Amendments

2022—Pub. L. 117–167, § 10647(1), substituted “ocean acidification and coastal acidification” for “ocean acidification” wherever appearing in text.

Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10647(2)(A), substituted “their respective impacts” for “its impacts” in introductory provisions.

Subsec. (a)(3). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10647(2)(B), substituted “and their respective impacts” for “and its impacts”.

Subsec. (a)(5). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10647(2)(C), (D), added par. (5).

Subsec. (d). Pub. L. 117–167, § 10647(3), added subsec. (d).

2020—Subsec. (a). Pub. L. 116–271 amended subsec. (a) generally. Prior to amendment, text read as follows: “The Director of the National Science Foundation shall continue to carry out research activities on ocean acidification which shall support competitive, merit-based, peer-reviewed proposals for research and monitoring of ocean acidification and its impacts, including—

“(1) impacts on marine organisms and marine ecosystems;

“(2) impacts on ocean, coastal, and estuarine biogeochemistry; and

“(3) the development of methodologies and technologies to evaluate ocean acidification and its impacts.”