MARCO Ocean Data Portal Update: Virginia Turbine Infrastructure and Other Upgrades

The first two offshore wind turbines in U.S. federal waters off the coast of Virginia are now producing power for 3,000 homes.   Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal users can now see where they are. Learn more about this new map and news about other data additions and site enhancements below.

Virginia Offshore Wind Turbine Locations: Located 27 miles off the coast of Virginia Beach, the Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind (CVOW) pilot project includes two turbines that have been actively producing electricity since October 2020. Users can access the new Virginia Offshore Wind Turbine Locations map layer, along with the previously published Virginia Offshore Wind Turbine Area and Virginia Offshore Wind Cable Alignment layers, in the Renewable Energy theme’s Operational Offshore Energy Projects folder.

New York Proposed Artificial Reef Expansions: At the request of fishing stakeholders, a new map was added showing the boundaries of nearly a dozen new and expanded artificial reef areas proposed and currently under evaluation by the State of New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo recently committed to doubling New York’s existing reef acreage by expanding seven of its existing areas and creating four new artificial reef zones in Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean by 2022.

CZMA Boundary: A map showing the Coastal Zone Management Act boundaries for each of the Mid-Atlantic states is now available in the Portal’s Administrative theme. First published on gov, the map represents the extent of the nation’s coastal zone, as defined by the individual states and territories under the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972 (CZMA).

Portal Software Upgrade: The Portal’s technology stack was upgraded to the latest version in December, unlocking the potential for new tool upgrades and enhancements in the New Year. Users may notice minor differences in the appearance and functionality of some elements of the Marine Planner mapping application. If you have any questions or encounter any technical issues, please contact the Portal team at portal@midatlanticocean.org.

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