State Success Story
New Jersey is truly a coastal state, encompassing 127 miles of Atlantic coastline and nearly 1,800 miles of estuarine shoreline. The coastal zone is comprised of multiple shoreline types, including spits, headlands, high-energy barrier island systems, mixed-energy barrier island systems, and bays, all of which sustain habitat and wildlife, support viable maritime and tourism industries, and harbor a way of life for many New Jersey residents. Unfortunately, much of New Jersey's coastal landscape is threatened by the impacts of episodic and chronic erosion, subsidence, shallow coastal flooding, nor'easters, tropical storms, and hurricanes. To learn more click here
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At the Agencies
NOAA Fisheries is announcing the availability of approximately $10 million in funding for projects focusing on sustainable fisheries and coastal fishing communities.
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NOAA is recommending $9 million in funding for 17 coastal and marine habitat restoration projects for its 2016 Community-based Restoration Program, as part of agency efforts to support healthy ecosystems and resilient coastal communities.
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On July 27, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) released a new Climate Explorer program online to expand American communities' access to the organization's historical climate data and climate change predictions.
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In the News
Rising sea levels due to hurricanes and tidal flooding intensified by climate change will put military bases along the U.S. East Coast and Gulf Coast at risk, according to a report released on Wednesday. Nonprofit group the Union of Concerned Scientists analyzed 18 military installations that represent more than 120 coastal bases nationwide to weigh the impact of climate change on their operations.
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The governor of New York has thrown his weight behind a proposed 90MW offshore wind farm in the waters around Long Island. Andrew M Cuomo "strongly encouraged" the board of the Long Island Power Authority, which is considering the project on Wednesday, "to demonstrate's NY's leadership on climate change and help achieve the state's ambitious goal of supplying 50% of our electricity from renewable energy by 2030".
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In the States and Regions
East Coast
Furthering its mission to conserve and restore Florida's coastal and aquatic resources, DEP's Florida Coastal Office announces the debut of six public service announcements that educate residents and visitors about the ecosystems and species within Florida's aquatic preserves. The one- to two-minute videos were produced by Pelican Media in cooperation with the aquatic preserves to raise awareness about how we all can play a part in protecting the state's marine resources.
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On July 21, the
Maryland Department of Natural Resources awarded $200,000 to four nonprofit organizations dedicated to engaging students in monitoring, studying and restoring local streams and waterways. The four
Explore and Restore Maryland Streams funding recipients will work with seven different counties, reaching over 7,000 students and 120 teachers at more than 50 schools throughout the state.
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Gulf Coast
A new coastal master plan addressing sea level rise and sinking land is expected to be released January. The plan will take on the issues through a series of projects over the next five years.One-hundred fifty-five projects were submitted to the Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority for the 2017 plan by 42 sponsors. Fifty-two of those projects are being evaluated for the final plan. The projects include ideas involving restoration and that are nonstructural and structural in nature.
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To improve and ensure the efficacy of restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon - the largest oil spill in U.S. history - a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends a set of best practices for monitoring and evaluating ecological restoration activities. The Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustee Council, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council), and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are the largest restoration programs working toward the Gulf's recovery after the 2010 offshore oil spill that led to a 20 percent reduction in commercial fisheries and damaged about 1,100 miles of coastal salt marsh wetlands. These programs administer a majority of the $16 billion available in restoration funds, supporting projects that range from coastal and offshore habitat restoration to recovery of certain species, water quality improvement, and land acquisition.
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West Coast and Pacific Islands
In California, a survey is underway of nearly 2700 coastal professionals to assess how they are preparing for the impacts of climate change. What challenges do they face? What information, technical training, and science is needed? Results will help the state determine where more guidance, financial resources, and science resources are needed to help them effectively invest funds. Results will also help USC Sea Grant, and partner organizations, fine tune how to best work with communities to advance adaptation planning.
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Great Lakes
State officials have released the second part of a 30-year plan to manage, protect and improve Michigan's water resources. The Department of Environmental Quality's Office of the Great Lakes developed
the strategy. The portion announced Wednesday says that there should be an increased focus on sustainable expansion of water recreation and water-based business. The focus includes renewing waterfronts and improving the state's commercial and recreational harbors. Michigan Office of the Great Lakes Director Jon Allan says in a statement that: "Care for our natural resources and investment in sustainable water-based industries will benefit Michigan citizens and play a key role in moving the state forward."
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Announcements & More
The Maine Coastal Program staff directly benefits from The Coastal Society's efforts to bring together academics, state, federal, NGO, and private sector individuals and institutions to discuss the latest issues and solutions to today's coastal management challenges.
Again this year, The Coastal Society is partnering with Restore America's Estuaries to sponsor the Restore America's Estuaries 2016 Summit, bringing practitioners, managers, and researchers together under one roof in New Orleans from December 10th to the 15th 2016. For more information about the Summit - or to register - please follow this link:
https://www.estuaries.org/Summit.
OneNOAA Science Seminars, 2016
Title: Engaging the Public in Marine Reserves and Protected Areas: The Oregon Marine Reserve Partnership
Date & Time: August 11, 2016 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
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Title: A Transdisciplinary Approach to Valuing Ecosystem Services from Natural Infrastructure
Date & Time:
August 31, 2016 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm
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Title: Bring the Ocean into Your Classroom with National Marine Sanctuaries
Date & Time: September 21, 2016 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
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Seminars are open to the public. For remote access, location, abstracts and more, visit the OneNOAA Science Seminar Calendar at:
http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/seminars/
Seminars are posted in Eastern Time and subject to changes without notice; please check the web page for the latest seminar updates.
Events & Webinars
September 7 - 8
September 12 - 14, 2016
October 5 -7, 2016
December 10 -15, 2016
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