Preview the program topics for soc 2025.

The deadline to submit proposals was October 15, 2024.

The program for SOC 2025 will cover these topics and subtopics: 

1. Coastal Law, Policy and Funding

Legal matters critical for the future of our coast; land ownership; water rights access; groundwater policy; Water Code updates; public trust; flood insurance; Community Rating System; Deepwater Horizon disaster (15 years later); GOMESA; green and gray infrastructure funding; royalties from energy production in the Gulf; building codes (flood vs wind); funding and investments; Breaux Act implementation (35 years later); recent Supreme Court decisions; environmental justice; NEPA 

2. Human Dimensions

Peoples of our coast; traditional ecological knowledge; Indigenous perspectives in coastal restoration; workforce opportunities; student and training opportunities; change in coastal livelihoods; diversity, equity and inclusion; social vulnerability and solastalgia; demographics and population trends; community-driven relocation; adaptation strategies; lost or endangered crafts or skills; oral history and storytelling; meaningful public engagement, communication and outreach; intersection of art and coastal issues

3. Ecosystem Restoration

Project performance; project life cycles; new approaches; marsh creation; ridge restoration; barrier island restoration; hydrologic restoration; river diversions; monitoring and adaptive management; oyster reef restoration; redefining restoration in the delta; oyster shell recycling; river diversions (big and small); avian habitat restoration; canal backfilling; programmatic restoration; large-scale drainage in the Chenier Plain

4. Renewable Energy

Energy diversification; wind energy production (on/off shore); solar energy; ecosystem impacts; workforce development/transition; infrastructure implications; bioenergy, policy development and permitting; economics of; leveraging inflation reduction tax credits; energy and coastal innovation and technologies

5. Preparing for Climate Change: Mitigation and Adaptation

Future climate; sea level rise; climate modeling; floods and droughts; climate action plan; urban resilience (water, heat, etc.); blue carbon; coastal carbon capture; greenhouse gas monitoring; extreme weather events; tipping points

6. Predicting and Planning for the Future of the Coast

Coastal Master Plan; advances in modeling; hindcasting; AI and machine learning; short- and long-term priority setting; alternative oyster culture; adaptive governance; land use planning; smart growth; baseline for restoring natural or novel ecosystems; technological advancements for data collection; architecture and landscape architecture 

7. Flood Risk Management: Coastal and Inland

Nature-based solutions; natural infrastructure; surge modeling; hurricane impacts; Louisiana Watershed Initiative; watershed modeling; urban water management; compound flooding; real-time flood forecasting; non-structural solutions; levees; mitigation; multiple lines of defense; living with water; resilient solutions; benefits of restoration projects 

8. Hydrology, Geomorphology and Ecology of the Coast

Changing and dynamic conditions; habitats: birds, wildlife and fisheries; hypoxia and harmful algal blooms; nutrient pollution; ecological monitoring and trends; subsidence; sediment dynamics; carbon sequestration; estuarine mixing; saltwater wedge; saltwater intrusion; endangered species; invasive species; marine mammals; marine debris; impacts of offshore activities; lessons learned from long-term monitoring programs; impacts of climate extremes

9. Managing Our Rivers for Multiple Uses

Navigation; ports; flooding and droughts; hydrological modeling; natural crevasses; sediment budgets; river shoaling; dredging strategy and costs; Mississippi Sound impacts; freshwater and sediment diversions; levee systems; drinking water; beneficial use; engineering with nature

10. Disaster Impacts, Mitigation and Recovery

Impacts of hurricanes on communities; emergency preparedness; oil spill impacts and recovery; lessons learned; disaster resilience hubs; Katrina and Rita anniversaries; demographic changes; extreme heat 

11. Economic Opportunities

Workforce development; educational and training programs; recreational and tourism opportunities; economic diversification; public or private investment; public private partnerships; demographics of the coast; federal infrastructure funding opportunities