One of the first public wave energy testing facilities in the U.S. began operation off Oregon’s coast this summer. It’s a reminder for coastal resource managers of the need to prepare as much as possible for the emerging ocean energy industry.
In the cover story of this edition of Coastal Services, we look at the role coastal managers had in permitting the testing facility and how the state is planning for this new ocean use.
Managers interested in planning for the wave energy industry should check out MarineCadastre.gov, an integrated marine information system that provides ocean data, offshore planning tools, and technical support to the offshore renewable energy community. Developed by the NOAA Coastal Services Center and the Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, MarineCadastre.gov has three primary focus areas: Web map viewers and ocean planning tools; a spatial data registry; and technical support and regional capacity building.
Also in this edition of Coastal Services, readers will find articles on how local and state coastal managers in Maine are working to create a regional adaptation strategy to respond to rising sea levels and become more resilient to coastal storms, and how managers in North Carolina developed the first-ever digital map of the state’s 12,000-mile estuarine shoreline.
Readers will also discover how beachgoers in the Great Lakes can now check for water quality advisories and weather and water conditions with the click of a smartphone button.
Another great place for coastal resource management professionals to learn about new geospatial data, tools, technology, and information is at Coastal GeoTools 2013. Make your plans now to attend this cutting-edge conference being held March 25 to 28, 2013, in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. For more information, go to http://geotools.csc.noaa.gov.
I look forward to seeing you there!
-- Jeff Payne, Acting Director
