coordinate with scientists to ensure that research is focused on the most critical and vulnerable 
control methods. 
4.5. MANAGING INFORMATION UNDER CHANGING CONDITIONS 
States designing AIS information management systems should include the capacity to 
account for changing conditions by collecting and tracking climate change data (e.g., water 
temperature, salinity levels, and water chemistry). Including this information will ensure 
robustness and accuracy of information management systems under changing conditions. States 
also should check existing information systems such as NISbase and the NAS information 
resource to prevent duplicative efforts and also to benefit from information already collected. 
States’ managers also should take steps to ensure that the data collected by states is integrated 
into these existing systems. 
4.6. NEXT STEPS FOR RESEARCHERS AND MANAGERS 
Although there is much to be done for states and their partners to begin to address climate 
change in AIS management, the importance of making a concerted movement is underscored by 
the findings of this report. State AIS managers have concrete needs for information and data; the 
research community, including universities, government agencies, nongovernmental 
organizations, and private groups, has capability to address these needs. But specific financial 
and programmatic support for all of these activities does not now exist. However, even under the 
current circumstances, states have some significant options for incorporating climate 
considerations to a greater extent into their current AIS efforts. 
An adaptive-management framework may be the most appropriate framework for states 
to use to begin incorporating climate-change information into management plans and programs. 
Adaptive management involves testing the effectiveness of different management methods. This 
testing will be important because of the high levels of uncertainty about specific temporal and 
spatial effects of climate change. In addition, coordinating research with state needs and 
activities will ensure that the design and implementation of an adaptive-management framework 
is effective at addressing and anticipating climate-change effects (Bierwagen et al., 2008). 
An additional, important step for states is coordination among state and regional 
invasive-species councils and state agency personnel that manage AIS. This collaboration will 
facilitate information sharing on various management activities that will likely be affected by 
climate change, including pathway identification, monitoring data, and control mechanisms. In 
addition, agency staff and AIS coordinators would receive valuable information from reviewing 
current prevention, control, and eradication activities, as well as planned action items, for their 
potential vulnerability to climate change; identifying specific data and information needs; and 
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