Good planning starts with good information. That’s why the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) forum met on Jan. 29 to learn about three data-collection projects regarding the Atlantic Ocean.
Hosted in Dewey Beach, with the Rehoboth Bay as a backdrop, the MARCO meeting revolved around one idea: What do we know about the Mid-Atlantic?
The MARCO partnership includes Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, New Jersey and New York.
The online toolkit and resource center consolidate available data and let users visualize and analyze ocean resources and human-use information, such as fishing grounds, recreational areas, shipping lanes, habitat areas and energy sites, among others. (…)
That data will help the Mid-Atlantic Regional Planning Body (RPB) prepare its official report this year. Their goal is to increase coordination between government and tribal agencies, fisheries and other stakeholders, ultimately leading to better-informed decisions about use of ocean space. (…)
Topics are widespread, including beach replenishment, ocean acidification, industry values (from tourism to shipbuilding) and more.
Designed to be easy to navigate for professionals and the general public, it contains a library of data, maps and links to more of the same. (…)
Laura Walter, Coastal Point, 12 February 2016. Article.
