A Message from MARCO
In these unprecedented times, MARCO sincerely hopes this quarterly newsletter finds you, and your families and friends, safe and well.
It will take some time to know the full ramifications that COVID-19 will have on all our lives, our research, and our education efforts. Despite the logistics of working from home, people are finding innovative ways to come together to advance their mission and find new ways to meaningfully engage stakeholders. We were looking forward to hosting you in NYC for the in-person Ocean Forum scheduled on May 19. While virtual platforms come short of the added benefit of sharing ideas face-to-face, it is important we press forward with our work.
MARCO is fortunate to be able to continue work as a virtual organization. The MARCO Management Board meets virtually every month and its staff teleworks. If there is some way that MARCO can assist you, or if you just want to stay in touch, please let us know.
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Explore the Mid-Atlantic's Deep-Sea Canyons
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) biologist Timothy Shank and a team of researchers recently explored eight of the Mid-Atlantic's lesser-studied canyons using towed camera technology. Their work provided a look inside of these ancient formations in stunning detail and mapped the locations of thousands of never-seen coral colonies. MARCO, one of several partner agencies that supported the work, is pleased to take you inside the canyons with these three new resources.
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Portal Maps Show Significant Shifts in Mid-Atlantic Fish Species
A series of interactive maps published on the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal illustrates the shifts that took place over the last five decades by several commercially and recreationally important fish species living along the East Coast.
These maps can be activated in combination with any of the Portal's 5,000 map layers showing data for commercial fishing hot spots, marine life habitats, zones being examined for offshore wind development, and much more.
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You're Invited to the 2020 Ocean Forum Webinar
MACO will convene a virtual Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum on Tuesday May 19 from 10 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. The face-to-face meeting was unfortunately canceled, but MACO is working hard to ensure the virtual effort will be not just informative, but interactive. A
draft agenda
for the webinar is available on the MACO website.
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New Partnership Will Update and Improve Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Commercial Fisheries Data Products
T
hese data portals are used to inform planning and management of offshore wind development, aquaculture, telecommunications cables, ocean disposal site designation, and other uses. Maps and data depicting how different fisheries use the ocean are among the most highly used on both regional data portals.
Read More
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Communication is critical and with financial support from the Betty and Gordon Moore Foundation, MARCO is improving it's ability to provide updates on ocean planning in the Mid-Atlantic region to its stakeholders.
The goal was to make the website easier to navigate and mobile friendly while keeping the same domain name . . .
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New on the MARCO Ocean Data Portal
The Portal Team has published hundreds of maps in the
first quarter of 2020 showing recent and future fish habitat shifts (see feature article), surface currents, sea turtle and
diving bird migration routes, electric transmission lines and substations and more.
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MARCO State Spotlight: Delaware
Delaware has the lowest average elevation of any state in the United States, which brings both opportunities and challenges when managing our coastal and ocean resources. The entire population of the State of Delaware lives in coastal areas with no one more than 8 miles from tidal water. Delaware's coastal economy employs over 424,000 people annually, earning a total of $22.7 billion or $68.8 billion in GDP.
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May 28 11 AM
MACAN Webinar: "OA Research Planning"
Nov. 16 - 17
NYSERDA State of the Science in Offshore Wind Energy: workshop on
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ABOUT MARCO
Established in 2009 by the Governors of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland and Virginia, MARCO provides a forum for our coastal Mid-Atlantic states to collaborate on shared regional priorities related to marine habitats, renewable offshore energy, climate change adaptation, and ocean water quality. MARCO initiated and oversees the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal to assist the region with ocean planning efforts. For more information about MARCO, visit our website, MidAtlanticOcean.org .
CONNECT WITH US!
Thank you for your continued interest in MARCO. We welcome questions and feedback you may have, including content for upcoming issues of MARCO News. To provide comments or suggestions, or to join our email distribution list, please click "Join Our Mailing List" below, or contact us at: [email protected].   
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