The Texas General Land Office (GLO) CZM program led a statewide effort to develop the Texas Coastal Resiliency Master Plan in 2017. [1] The Texas coast is critical to the Blue Economy, with a population of 6.5 million, bustling ports, military installations, 25% of the nation's refining capacity, and most of the nation’s strategic petroleum reserve. These communities are also highly risk exposed, with severe threat from hurricanes and 65% of the state’s coastline eroding at an average rate of two feet per year. The Master Plan confronts these challenges by identifying and prioritizing vulnerabilities, and selecting and implementing the most cost-effective projects to contain those vulnerabilities, using a natural infrastructure approach in project design to balance competing demands on ecosystems and coastal economies. GLO is also leveraging federal partnerships through a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Coastal Texas Protection & Restoration Feasibility Study to stabilize and protect the Texas Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and natural barriers surrounding the Houston shipping channel to defend industries and densely populated neighborhoods. These planning efforts have already significantly assisted the state’s recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey.

[1] Texas General Land Office, Texas Coastal Resiliency Master Plan, March 2017 - http://www.glo.texas.gov/coastal-grants/projects/files/Master-Plan.pdf

DOE released a Request for Information about alternate applications for marine renewable energy for various maritime markets like aquaculture, data collection and ocean observation, shoreline protection, and disaster relief (among others). All comments and feedback are extremely valuable and will help inform WPTO which markets marine energy could best serve or enable. 

The comment period closes July 31st.

Download the report here: https://eere-exchange.energy.gov/default.aspx#FoaIdb8a4d4f5-1398-438d-afe1-876763816a8c

Definition of “Waters of the United States” -

Recodification of Preexisting Rule will be Published on 07/12/2018 but the unpublished PDF is available for download now.

FR Link:

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2018/07/12/2018-14679/definition-of-waters-of-the-united-states---recodification-of-preexisting-rule  

CRMC adopts Beach SAMP Eighth CRMC SAMP is first climate change plan in nation

The State of Rhode Island now has a roadmap to plan for impacts to homes, businesses, and vital infrastructure as a result of climate change-driven erosion, increased storms, and flooding from sea level rise: the newly adopted Rhode Island Shoreline Change (Beach) Special Area Management Plan, the only one of its kind in the nation.

With its June 12 adoption of the Beach SAMP, the R.I. Coastal Resources Management Council (CRMC) now has eight tailored regional plans that span most of the state, providing customized guidelines and regulations for addressing the specific needs of those areas. This SAMP seeks to address Rhode Island’s constantly changing shoreline, and provide tools and guidance to our 21 coastal communities that are on the front line of sea level rise impacts. Read more.

Rising seas, rising stakes: R.I. researchers project future flooding

A once-in-a-century hurricane would wreak havoc in R.I. Raise the sea level 7 feet and things get really ugly. An interactive look. Read more.

SCDNR: Charleston Harbor Dredging Holds Key to Saving Crab Bank

Coastal bird populations face multiple threats, including habitat loss and degradation, human disturbance, increased predation and sea level rise, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) said in its latest release. 

In fact, their populations have declined by 70 percent during the last forty to sixty years, according to SCDNR.

South Carolina is a critical link in preserving these birds; numerous species of nesting and migrating birds visit the coastline each year, including a remarkable 38 percent of all the nesting brown pelicans on the East Coast during summer and some of the largest colonies of skimmers and terns in the Southeast. Read more.

This Seaside Community Is Getting Swallowed by the Ocean

SLOWLY BUT SURELY, North Carolina's Outer Banks are being eaten up by the sea.

The 200-mile stretch of islands that sits just off the coast is known for its idyllic beaches and thriving tourism, but scientists say those beaches are in jeopardy. Rising sea levels are forcing residents to grapple with a home that's slowly washing out from under them. Read more.

State adopts plan for evaluating new ocean projects

Washington has adopted a new tool to help make coordinated, science-based decisions about new projects and uses that may be proposed for the Pacific Ocean that are adjacent to the state coastline.

The Washington departments of Ecology, Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources (DNR) jointly developed a marine spatial plan after a six-year planning process. The plan sets a framework for evaluating new projects and uses proposed in an ocean area nearly 6,000 square nautical miles in size between Cape Flattery and Cape Disappointment. Read more.

NYDEC Extends Lake Ontario Flood Recovery General Permit

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner, Basil Seggos, yesterday announced that DEC has completed revisions to the Lake Ontario General Permit related to erosion and shoreline damage caused by the historic high-water levels of Lake Ontario during 2017-18, and is extending the permit authority to September 30, 2019.

The revisions and extension of the General Permit are the latest in a series of State actions that support Governor Andrew M. Cuomo’s ongoing commitment to helping residents impacted by last year’s devastating flooding. Read more.

National Coastal Resilience Fund 2018 Request for Proposals

OVERVIEW

The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) is pleased to announce the National Coastal Resilience Fund. Projects funded under this national program will provide benefits to communities, as well as for fish and wildlife. In partnership with NOAA, NFWF will make investments to advance identified priorities for restoring and strengthening natural systems so they can protect coastal communities from the impacts of storms and floods and enable them to recover more quickly, while also enhancing habitats for important fish and wildlife populations. Read more.

Tips and Stories for Coastal Managers, Delivered to Your Inbox

 

Have the latest technical topics, professional tips, and stories from your peers emailed to you each month. Subscribe to NOAA Office for Coastal Management’s recently redesigned Digital Coast Connections newsletter . Stay in the know about new data, tools, and resources from NOAA’s Digital Coast, as well as announcements from the research reserves, the Coastal Zone Management Program, and the Coral Reef Conservation Program. Email the office for more information. 

Honda Marine Science Foundation

Funds projects by 501(c)(3) public charities that advance the understanding and/or implementation of living shorelines. HMSF will select an estimated 2-3 grantees per year. Grant amounts may range from $25,000-$75,000. Letters of Intent due October 1, 2018. 

The State of Sea Grant 2018 Biennial Report to Congress

Read it here.

Add Your Name In Support of National Ocean Sciences Board

Ocean education needs greater attention in the U.S. The National Ocean Sciences Bowl (NOSB) is a long-standing program providing high school students with high quality educational experiences and building a community—already tens of thousands strong—of STEM trained, ocean literate, and thoughtful future leaders in our nation’s workforce. The letter linked below urges the federal government to renew its support for ocean education and, in particular, the NOSB. Without sustained federal funding, the NOSB will likely soon come to an end. Please help us demonstrate the ocean science and education community’s support for this program and the need for federal action by signing on to the letter. Sign on here!

August 6 - 9, 2018

August 2, 2018

September 10 - 13, 2018

September 17 -19, 2018

October 13 - 18, 2018

October 15 - 19, 2018

October 17 - 18, 2018

October 22 - 25, 2018

October 30 - Nov 2 , 2018

December 8 - 13, 2018

Great Lakes Restoration Initiative

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will host a series of public engagement sessions this summer to update the public on the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) and to seek their input on future priorities.

 

EPA and its federal partners are in the process of developing Action Plan III, which will outline priorities and goals for the GLRI for 2020-2024. Action Plan III will identify five focus areas for environmental progress: toxic substances and areas of concern, invasive species, nonpoint source pollution impacts on nearshore health, habitat and species, and future restoration actions. The proposed plan is expected to be available for formal public comment this fall.

The schedule of the remaining public engagement sessions is:

Thursday, July 12, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

EPA Mid-Continent Ecology Division

6201 Congdon Boulevard

Duluth, Minn. 

Wednesday, July 18, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Zelazo Center

2419 E. Kenwood Blvd

Milwaukee, Wis.

 

Tuesday, July 24, 6:00 – 8:00 pm

Saginaw Valley University Curtiss Hall

7400 Bay Road

Saginaw, Mich.

 

Tuesday, August 7, 2:00 – 4:00 pm

EPA Region 5

Lake Michigan Room – 12 ^th floor

77 West Jackson Blvd.

Chicago, Ill.

The NOAA Digital Coast: Turning Coastal Data and Tools into Actionable Information by Josh Murphy, Doug Marcy, and Nate Herold of NOAA.

NOAA’s Digital Coast is a website and partnership that provides public access to coastal data, tools, training, and resources in order to meet the unique needs of coastal communities. Coastal resource managers can access collections of high quality, authoritative geospatial data (e.g., topography, coastal land cover change, socioeconomic information), tools, and trainings to address coastal and ocean management challenges. More than just a website, the Digital Coast provides the framework and information needed to save organizations time and money and allows groups that might not otherwise work together to join forces. Content on the Digital Coast comes from many sources, all of which are vetted by NOAA. This webinar will provide an overview of the Digital Coast and demonstrate two geospatial tools that turn data into actionable information: 1) Sea Level Rise Viewer ( https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/slr), which visualizes coastal flooding scenarios and social vulnerability due to sea level rise; and 2) Land Cover Atlas ( https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/tools/lca ), an online data viewer that provides user-friendly access to coastal land cover and land cover change information developed through NOAA’s Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP). Visit NOAA’s Digital Coast at https://coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast. Webinar hosted by the EBM Tools Network (co-coordinated by OCTO and NatureServe). Register for the webinar at https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_WzBSJVBbRlSezGWIljjqDQ .

Connecticut Institute for Resilience & Climate Adaptation (CIRCA) - Deadline July 19

NOAA - OCM South Regional Director

Walton Family Foundation - Program Officer for Oceans Initiative

OCEANA - Associate, Global Risk

Sea Grant Washington: Director

Oceana: Marine Scientist 

Job Boards

The Nature Conservancy

International Association for Great Lakes Research