Imagine coastal managers trying to do their jobs without technology such as aerial photography, geographic information systems (GIS), or even e-mail.
The technological revolution may continue for coastal resource managers as new ocean observation systems generate a wealth of data, and more and more of the ocean floor is accurately and cost-effectively mapped.
It is the belief of scientists and managers in the Gulf of Maine that detailed maps of the ocean floor will prove to be essential in managing trawling, dredging, aquaculture, mining, fiber-optic and electric power cables, oil and gas pipelines, wind farms, and other near- and offshore activities.
The cover story of this edition of Coastal Services looks at the Gulf of Maine Mapping Initiative (GOMMI), a collaborative proposal by U.S. and Canadian researchers and resource managers to provide the framework for mapping the entire gulf.
So far, Gulf of Maine seafloor maps have been used to route fiber-optic cable through a national marine sanctuary and assist Canadian fishermen in precisely targeting scallop habitat, thus saving time and money, and reducing ecological damage.
Ocean and coastal observation systems also will provide a wealth of information beneficial to coastal management decision making.
Discussions on the management issues that observation systems can help address, potential partnerships, and current and planned regional observation activities are on the agenda of the annual Ocean and Coastal Program Managers' Meeting being held March 9 through 11 at the Hotel Washington in Washington D.C. For more information on the conference, log on to http://coastalmanagement.noaa.gov/pmm/.
Other new technologies that have led to more efficient, less expensive, and more scientifically rigorous monitoring and assessment programs will be on the agenda of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Environmental Monitoring and Assessment Program (EMAP) Symposium 2004. For more information on the symposium, being held May 3 through 7 at the Hotel Viking in Newport, Rhode Island, go to www.csg.org, and search under the keyword "EMAP."
I hope you will take part in these discussions.
-- Margaret A. Davidson
