Biodiversity of zooplankton is central to the functioning of ocean ecosystems, yet morphological taxonomic analysis requires teams of experts and detailed examination of many samples. Metabarcoding (DNA sequencing of short amplified regions of one or a few genes from environmental samples) is a powerful tool for analysis of the composition and diversity of natural communities. The 18S rRNA V9 hypervariable region was sequenced for 26 zooplankton samples collected from the Gulf of Maine, Georges Bank, and Mid-Atlantic Bight during ecosystem monitoring surveys by the U.S. Northeast Fisheries Science Center during 2002–2012. A total of 7 648 033 sequences and 22 072 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) were identified and classified into 28 taxonomic groups of plankton. Comparative analysis of molecular (V9 sequence numbers) and morphological (abundance counts) focused on seven taxonomic groups and revealed similar patterns of variation among years and regions. Sequence numbers and abundance counts showed positive correlation for all groups, with significant correlations (p < 0.05) for Calanoida, Gastropoda, and Chaetognatha. Shannon diversity index values calculated using sequence numbers and abundance counts showed highly significant correlation (r = 0.625; p < 0.001) across all regions during 2002–2012. This study demonstrates the potential of metabarcoding for time-series analysis of zooplankton biodiversity, ocean ecosystem assessment, and fisheries management.

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To confront the myriad challenges posed by climate change, we present oysters as a nature-based solution with an abundance of environmental benefits and economic stimulus to coastal communities. We encourage the Biden administration to support international efforts to restore oyster reefs by presenting an “Oyster Restoration Initiative” to the World Economic Forum, mirroring recent actions on trees. On the domestic front, several legislative actions can be taken to sustain the current trajectory of restoration efforts. These efforts can be pursued in tandem, but we recommend that policy actions focus on expanding low carbon, oyster-based restorative aquaculture programs. This can revolutionize U.S. food production while reducing pollution from other forms of agriculture.

Living Shorelines (LS) refer to the combined use of man-made and natural materials to build a resilient and ecologically vibrant shore. LS are an emerging alternative to hardened shorelines (HS), which employ engineered structures to reinforce eroding shorelines. LS better protect coastlines against erosion and flooding, which are of increasing concern due to climate change and rising sea levels. New Jersey (NJ) is a leader in LS policy, but lack of knowledge regarding these structures hinders further LS implementation. Progress has been made to reduce regulatory hurdles for LS projects. However, decision-making power rests with many private property owners (PO) who default to familiar approaches, like HS. Therefore, we advise the NJ state legislature to encourage LS development by appropriating funds to the NJ Department of Environmental Protection or other relevant agencies to conduct an awareness campaign in key coastal communities. Additionally, PO can be incentivized to convert from HS to LS by restructuring the existing NJ Shoreline Protection Fund. This proactive intervention will provide environmental benefits, in addition to protecting the coastline of NJ.