PURPOSE: NOAA SUPPORTS SEVERAL RESEARCH AND LONG-TERM MONITORING INITIATIVES IN AND AROUND STELLWAGEN BANK NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY AND UNTIL RECENTLY MANY OF THESE EFFORTS HAVE REMAINED UNCOORDINATED AND SILOED IN THEIR RESPECTIVE PROGRAMS OR ORGANIZATIONS. TO REDUCE REDUNDANCIES AND INCREASE EFFICIENCIES ACROSS THE INTEGRATED OCEAN OBSERVING SYSTEM, THE NATIONAL DATA BUOY CENTER, AND THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARIES WE PROPOSE TO TRANSITION AN EXISTING NDBC METEOROLOGICAL BUOY (44018) INTO A MULTI-PURPOSE ECOSYSTEM MONITORING BUOY THAT WOULD PROVIDE IN SITU REAL-TIME INFORMATION ON THE METEOROLOGICAL, PHYSICAL, CHEMICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT AT THE SURFACE AND SUBSURFACE TO MEET NOAA AND OTHER STAKEHOLDER NEEDS. LEVERAGING STATE-OF-THE-ART MOORING TECHNOLOGY, WE WILL DESIGN, DEVELOP, AND TRANSITION AN INNOVATIVE ASSET THAT CAN BE DEPLOYED NATIONWIDE TO MEET THE RISING NEED TO MONITOR A CHANGING MARINE ENVIRONMENT. TO ACHIEVE THESE GOALS, WE HAVE OUTLINED SIX OBJECTIVES BELOW, INCLUDING: OBJECTIVE 1: MOORING SYSTEM ASSESSMENT OBJECTIVE 2: MOORING SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION OBJECTIVE 3: MOORING DEPLOYMENT & SUSTAINED OPERATION OBJECTIVE 4: DATA MANAGEMENT & ACCESSIBILITY OBJECTIVE 5: STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT OBJECTIVE 6: DEVELOPMENT OF A TRANSITION PLAN THE EXPANDED SUITE OF DATA WILL BE USED TO INFORM WEATHER FORECASTING, SAFE COMMERCIAL AND RECREATIONAL NAVIGATION, STATE AND FEDERAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND WATER QUALITY MANAGEMENT, OFFSHORE WIND DEVELOPMENT, AS WELL AS OCEANOGRAPHIC, CHEMICAL, BIOLOGICAL AND CLIMATE RESEARCH. ADDITIONALLY, THIS COORDINATED MONITORING APPROACH PROVIDES A BLUEPRINT FOR OTHERS TO IMPLEMENT ACROSS THE COUNTRY TO REDUCE INEFFICIENCIES AND IMPROVE NOAAS ABILITY TO MONITOR THE ECOSYSTEM MORE HOLISTICALLY.