V1, 7/18/05 17 “planned and proactive” approach.  We agree, and regret the misunderstanding that motivated the panel’s comment.  In its strategic and implementation plans the SEACOOS, project, including the E&E WG, has laid-out such a planned and proactive approach.  However, the E&E WG must also function in a responsive and opportunistic manner.  It must respond to the current state of the SEACOOS science in targeting users, and seize upon opportunities for teaching and/or learning when they occur.  Extension and education thrive on the “teachable moment” for example, the unexpected cold water upwelling event on the coast of Florida, the recent search and rescue operation for two South Carolina boys along the Carolinas coast, and the unprecedented landfall of four hurricanes in the state of Florida last summer. · It is recommended that SEACOOS prepare a detailed inventory of specific regional and state governmental entities and business and industry clientele in the SEACOOS domain. SEACOOS should conduct user needs workshops for the government, business and industry, and educational sectors of the users to focus the priorities for identification of requirements-driven data and data products. Additionally, it should engage extension personnel in documenting longitudinal impacts of the ocean observing system. Such an inventory was begun by Sandy Bernard in her SEACOOS user characterization report, and continues in her organizational work with SECOORA.  The E&E WG has assessed user needs in a number of different ways including a collaborative workshop with Ocean.US and the NOAA Coastal Services Center with educational users of COOS information, and with emergency managers in a workshop in Georgia.  To assess user needs in other sectors we have chosen to employ one on one interviews (done in the user characterization study) and targeted “super-user” meetings.  At the “super-user” meetings, SEACOOS PI/PIs meet with individual scientists from management agencies to explore potentials for interaction and possible demonstration projects.  Through each of these means, the E&E WG has focused on the identification of requirements driven data and data products, as the panel recommends.  Current work in this area includes, for example: 1.  Conducting a general market analysis, evaluating marine and coastal industries in the southeast region by state and by counties where information is available.  The purpose of this analysis is to summarize the economic strengths and provide some economic foundation for IOOS priorities in the southeast. 2.  Preparing more in-depth studies including economic information and data needs of specific regional industries including port industries, cruise industries, and financial/energy sectors. · Where major user needs are not addressed by the SE observing system (for example, the high priorities of land use and habitat change identified in the Coastal States Organization needs assessment), the extension effort must be