Preview the program topics for soc 2025.

The deadline to submit proposals was October 15, 2024. Submitters will be informed of decisions in January.

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