NOAA's Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research (CSCOR) develops and improves predictive capabilities for managing the Nation's use of its coastal resources through competitive research programs. CSCOR also supports efforts to translate the results of its research investments, and those of others, into accessible and useful information for coastal managers, planners, lawmakers, and the public to help balance the needs of economic growth with those of conserving the resources of our Nation's Great Lakes, estuaries, and coastal ocean. Its mission is to provide the highest quality research in support of coastal management decisions through competitive, peer-reviewed research and holistic ecosystem studies.