Two recent studies raise new awareness on offshore marine wildlife and the economy of the Mid-Atlantic ocean,respectively. Mid-Atlantic Wildlife Studies: Distribution and Abundance of Wildlife along the Eastern Seaboard 2012-2014 was released in October 2015 as part of the Mid-Atlantic Baseline Studies (MABS) project (2012-2015) and provides new insight on offshore wildlife populations. Another report, released in February 2016 by the National Ocean Economics Program (NOEP) features the latest data and analysis on the health of the ocean and coastal economies – including a regional look at the Mid-Atlantic.

The presentations made during the January 29th MARCO Forum on Ocean Assessment and Data Syntheses Products are now available online in video format.   The full presentations can be viewed here:   Laura McKay, Chair of the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO), presents an overview of the regional ocean planning process in the Mid-Atlantic.     Presentation on the Mid-Atlantic Regional Ocean Assessment (ROA) made by Emily Schumchenia and Peter H. Taylor at the MARCO Forum on Ocean Assessment and Data Syntheses Products held in Dewey Beach, Delaware on January 29, 2016. The ROA is an information resource developed to support the regional planning process. It provides an engaging and reader-friendly distillation of key information on selected topics in ocean planning for decision-makers, stakeholders, and the broader public. The ROA brings together and summarizes best available information on the ocean ecosystem and ocean uses from New York to Virginia, and it serves as a gateway to more in-depth information sources.       Patrick N.Halpin of Duke University’s Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab presents on the work of the Marinelife Data and Analysis Team (MDAT).     Melanie Schroeder Gearon of RPS ASA presents on the work of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Human Use Spatial Data Synthesis Project...

New Educational and Interactive Tool Highlights New York’s Diverse Land and Offshore Resources Provides Public Access, Transparency to Information Used in Planning Decisions   The New York Department of State launched an educational and user-friendly website that identifies New York’s diverse land and offshore assets so residents, local governments, educators, businesses and others can use this information when making planning and development decisions.  The website provides the public access to free and reliable geographic data, real-time information, interactive tools, and expert knowledge on New York’s resources, including climate change and community resilience activities.   “Now local governments and businesses have a user-friendly and comprehensive tool to identify important geographic information on the state’s water resources that will assist them in their planning decisions,” said New York Secretary of State Cesar A. Perales. “Our State’s economy, in part, is tied to its ocean, lakes and waterways, assets that provide countless commercial and economic opportunities for New Yorkers, as well as recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists.”   “This new website identifies, categorizes and organizes New York State’s resources to aid a variety of audiences when planning and developing for the future,” stated Sandra Allen, Deputy Secretary of State, who oversees the Office of Planning and Development. “Users have access to the State’s planning and development activities, as well as guidance on resilience measures to protect us against storms, hurricanes and other natural disasters, which is one of the Governor’s top priorities.”   “This new website identifies, categorizes and organizes New York State’s resources to aid a variety of audiences when planning and developing for the future,” stated Sandra Allen, Deputy Secretary of State, who oversees the Office of Planning and Development. “Users have access to the State’s planning and development activities, as well as guidance on resilience measures to protect us against storms, hurricanes and other natural disasters, which is one of the Governor’s top priorities.”   The announcement comes during Climate Week, which Governor Cuomo proclaimed from September 22-29 to raise awareness about the challenges we face with a changing climate and to highlight New York’s actions to increase resiliency and curb emissions as global leaders meet in New York City this week.   The website, the Geographic Information Gateway, or the Gateway, features state-of-the-art map viewing and contains cutting-edge interactive stories that highlight case studies, showcases community success stories, and illustrates how geographic information is collected, analyzed and used to improve planning and decision-making.  The site also includes information on the potential effects of climate change and New York State’s proactive work with local governments to advance planning efforts that would ensure communities are prepared for severe weather events and sea-level rise.   A variety of audiences...

MARCO Chair Laura McKay is featured in a new film on regional ocean planning from Swell Productions and Surfrider Foundation. The Next Wave is the story of ocean planning in the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic from the unique perspective of ocean recreational users.

When Captain Danny Burt of Ocean City, Maryland goes fishing, he catches more than fish, he also captures great footage. Captain Burt and his crew on the Pumpin Hard 66 charter boat often attach a GoPro video camera to their ballyhoo dredge to film what’s happening beneath the surface. The resulting footage is remarkable, providing an up close look at the behavior of tuna, sharks, marlin and sailfish off the Mid-Atlantic coast.

MARCO has developed a new feature of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal to help you navigate these challenges with the help of your community. The beta version of the Groups feature will be live later this month and MARCO is looking for a few pioneers to help us test it.