Focus of Work
NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) collaborate across the United States to strengthen spatial planning capabilities, especially as offshore wind, aquaculture farms and other activities are proposed in federal waters. Advancements in digital ocean intelligence and ongoing community engagement are essential for the success of the evolving blue economy. Marine spatial planning holds great promise to support coastal managers, Native American Tribes, environmental organizations, academia, and industry in planning for future coastal and offshore development, including for renewable energy.
Our Approach
Seatone has to date supported NOAA in planning, facilitating, and documenting seven marine spatial planning workshops across the nation, including multi-day events in the U.S. Caribbean and Guam, along the Atlantic Seaboard, in Alaska, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Our team begins by assisting agency conveners to form and utilize a steering committee to design the agenda and facilitation strategies that guide each event. We then facilitate all aspects of the workshop for both on-site and virtual participants. Afterwards, we collaborate closely with federal conveners to analyze the outcomes and present key findings as a NOAA Technical Memo.
Key Outcomes
Each regional workshop has generated a comprehensive list of insights, challenges, and available data across multiple ocean sectors, including natural resources and fisheries, industry and national security, metocean, and the cultural and social resources most valued by residents of the region. Some events brought focus to offshore wind energy or the transmission planning required to connect established wind farms to the land-based grid. Some considered Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Alaska. Individually and collectively, these workshops enhance communication and collaboration between federal and state agencies, as well as with tribal nations, the fishing sector, environmental NGOs, and the research community.
Click the report covers below to access NOAA Technical Memos that capture the outcomes of different regional workshops. Additional reports are pending in the months ahead.
