The Gulf of Mexico Climate Outreach Program is assembling a Community of Practice to bring extension, outreach, and education (EOE) experts together to identify how to help coastal communities address the potential economic, social, and ecological impacts of Sea Level Rise (SLR) around the Gulf of Mexico (GOM). The project will discuss the impacts of SLR through a collaborative project involving the four GOM Sea Grant Programs (Texas, Louisiana, Florida and Mississippi-Alabama), NOAA capabilities, and other federal, state and local partners. The project will provide decision makers with reliable information and science-based guidance regarding both the level of risk to their coastal communities and strategies they can promote to effectively adapt to the rising sea level. This project will establish a long-term community of practice among EOE professionals in the Gulf region that will ensure continued dialogue and information exchange on SLR and other climate-change and coastal hazard related issues.

The workshop will provide the Community of Practice with the latest information from technical experts on projected rate of SLR, anticipated impacts to coastal natural and built resources, and practical tools for communicating risk and using community based social marketing. The EOE experts will also interact with local planners who will present case studies from around the Gulf related to SLR adaptation and planning.