The Department of the Interior established the South Central Climate Science Center in 2012 as one of eight regional institutions across the United States to research the impacts of climate variability on natural and cultural resources. South Central Climate Science Center (SC-CSC) focuses specifically on Louisiana, New Mexico, Texas, and Oklahoma. Seven organizations participate in the SC-CSC: Un
iversity of Oklahoma, Louisiana State University, Texas Tech University, Oklahoma State University, the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma, and NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab (GFDL). Additionally, these branches partner with local, regional, and federal agencies to create a network of scientists who work together to develop tools to manage the effects of climatic changes within each region. In contrast to most other areas in the south central region, Louisiana displays a unique set of concerns regarding climate variability. Coastal erosion, flooding, hurricanes, saltwater intrusion into aquifers, and water management systems number among the problems facing the region. Researchers from the South Central Climate Science Center at Louisiana State University (SC CSC-LSU) investigate diverse facets of regional climate change including climatology, paleoclimatology, agricultural climatology, environmental archaeology, human dimensions of climate change, water resources, and estuarine and coastal ecosystems. SC CSC-LSU maintains partnerships with LCCs, federal agencies, research institutions, and climate science centers across the region to provide a conduit for exchanging information and developing strategies to adapt to climate change.
