New proposals for offshore energy production and other ocean uses are crossing the desks of coastal resource managers at an accelerating rate. For many managers, it feels as if the rush to take advantage of a growing list of ocean services is happening more quickly than their ability to make decisions about appropriate uses or siting.
In the cover story of this edition of Coastal Services, we look at the marine spatial planning process that coastal managers in Massachusetts went through to create the nation’s first comprehensive ocean management plan that protects critical marine resources and fosters sustainable uses in a state’s waters.
Massachusetts’ plan is an important example for other coastal managers on how to conduct marine spatial planning in the U.S. Other examples can be found on the “In Practice” page of NOAA’s new Marine Spatial Planning website, www.msp.noaa.gov.
Developed by the Coastal Services Center and NOAA partners, the website features six real-world examples of ocean planning, zoning, and management that relate to the principles of marine spatial planning, as well as resources and information.
Also in this edition of Coastal Services, we feature an article on regulatory action taken by Texas coastal managers to protect seagrasses. Managers are assessing if this first-ever regulation is effective by incorporating a geographic information system and aerial photography into their monitoring program.
The Center recently released a shallow-water benthic habitat atlas of over 190 miles of Texas coastal bays. Atlas map sheets consist of high-resolution images with an overlay of benthic habitat data and are being used to monitor, preserve, and manage seagrasses and other coastal habitats. To view the Benthic Habitat Atlas, go to www.csc.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/texasatlas/.
Another new resource is the NOAA Climate Services portal, www.climate.gov, which showcases NOAA’s climate data, products, and services. The Center and NOAA partners have contributed coast-specific resources and information to the site, which can be found at www.climate.gov/serving_society/coastalComm.html.
As always, the Center and NOAA are working hard to bring relevant tools, technology, and information to the nation’s coastal managers.
Margaret A. Davidson
-- Margaret A. Davidson
