MARCO Hudson Canyon Resources |
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The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is considering designating a national marine sanctuary in the Hudson Canyon area, located approximately 100 miles southeast of New York City. The Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) submitted a nomination for a Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary in 2016, noting that the area provides a wide range of benefits to New York and New Jersey residents such as clean air, fresh water, recreation, and food.
NOAA invited members of the public to share their views on the proposed designation. Although the in-person comment period has closed, the public can still provide written comments. Visit the NOAA Office of Marine Sanctuaries Hudson Canyon web page for more information on submitting comments.
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To help build a better understanding of this deep-sea hotspot of biodiversity, MARCO has compiled a collection of digital resources on its website.
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MACO Update: 2022 Ocean Forum Spurs New Collaborations |
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With input from stakeholders during the 2022 Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum, the Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean (MACO) is scoping an ocean conservation work group and has formed a Transmission Subcommittee under the Offshore Wind Regional Collaboration.
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Over the next several months, the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN) will be conducting an Ocean and Coastal Acidification Monitoring Inventory to update the regional Acidification Monitoring Maps on MARCO's Ocean Data Portal, identify real-time datasets that can be incorporated into MARACOOS Oceans Map, and collect information about QA/QC processes currently in use across the region.
Not only will the inventory support a gaps analysis to help decision makers identify strategic monitoring locations, optimize sensor choice, and identify opportunities to leverage existing resources, but it will also help further the dialogue on standardizing QA/QC methods to support a more cohesive regional Ocean and Coastal Acidification (OCA) observation network. Information gathered from this inventory may also support NOAA's upcoming Coastal Community Vulnerability Assessment and Monitoring Prioritization plan.
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Please help build out the inventory by completing this short questionnaire:
Provide information about the environments you monitor, the equipment you deploy, the acidification parameters (pH, TA, DIC, and/or pCO2) you're collecting, and the QA/QC standards you're using. Your contributions towards this regional effort are greatly appreciated! While the initial deadline to submit your responses was July, questionnaires will still be received during August. Feel free to share this questionnaire with other program partners or industry members actively monitoring water quality in the Mid-Atlantic region.
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Questions about the Inventory? Please contact Kirstin Wakefield, Stakeholder Outreach Liaison for MACAN, at [email protected]. |
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Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal Summer Update |
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The summer’s off to a whale of a start on the MARCO Portal. Explore links to news on our latest marine mammal data, maritime maps, important improvements to a Portal tool and more.
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MARCO Management Board Member Spotlight – Maryland, Casey Nolan |
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As part of an effort to help MARCO stakeholders and partners get to know members of the MARCO Management Board, the quarterly newsletter has added a new feature – “Spotlight on a Management Board Member.”
This month’s spotlight is on the representative from Maryland, Casey Nolan.
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State News
VIRGINIA
The Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program is funding the Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative (RWSC, which MARCO co-leads) with $49,887 to undertake a power analysis of passive acoustic monitoring of whales in Virginia that will complement the RWSC's $45,000 grant from BOEM to do a regional analysis. The Virginia CZM project is expected to be complete by January 2023.
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See New Information on Work Group Web Pages |
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New data layers and animated maps have been added to Ocean Mapping and Data Team web page.
Leadership, partners and resources are now on the Offshore Wind Regional Collaboration web page
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Click to view the entire newsletter in PDF. |
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Photo Credits: Header (L-R): Coral, NOAA-OER/BOEM; Wind turbines, Ralf Hettler; Kayaks, Raul Rosa; Shipping container, Dan Barnes; Schooling fish, Jet Chen Tan; U.S. Naval ships, Gina Addison. Body. Footer (L-R) Fishing boat, William Sherman; Diver, Michael Eversmier; Beach scene, Christie Mazzeo-Pfoertner |
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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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