Photo credit: AZRainman via Compfight.

Flipping through the latest issue of Commercial Fisheries News recently, I was somewhat surprised to find several stories about climate change interspersed with the ads for diesel engines and winches. These articles weren’t of the “Do you or don’t you believe” variety, or predictions of how high the seas would rise or how bad the storms/droughts/heat waves/cold waves would be. The tone of these stories was summed up pretty well by the cover: “Changing Ocean – what does it all mean?”It was a sobering read, to say the least. In short – rapidly increasing water temperatures, along with ocean acidification and shifting currents are playing havoc with our fishing grounds. Many of our most economically important fish and shellfish are not found where they used to be, and former strangers like sailfish and cobia are becoming familiar in our waters.

Many fishermen have realized, as have many of us non-fishermen, that conversations about climate “beliefs” are outdated, and the real story now is how we cope with the changes that are already happening, and are bound to keep coming.

Fishermen are joining experts in other areas such as coastal infrastructure, energy distribution, and national security in speaking out about the real, observable facts of the current impacts from climate change. Even as the ocean changes, the uses of our oceans and coasts are increasing. We are adding new uses like tidal and wind energy development and more undersea communications cables to our existing uses like fishing, shipping, and recreation. If we are going to both maintain the health of the ocean which provides the goods and services we depend upon and manage ocean uses so they are compatible, profitable and less prone to harm ocean health then we need to coordinate all new and old uses as best we can. Here in New England we have an active ocean planning process working to do just that.

In 2010 President Obama signed the Executive Order establishing the National Ocean Policy which calls for, among other things, regional ocean planning. This planning must involve better coordination of federal agencies and ocean users, be informed by the best available science and data, be conducted in a manner that considers the entire ocean ecosystem, not just discrete parts, and be open and transparent to all stakeholders.

New Englanders were well equipped for this new and important challenge, having created our own state plans in Massachusetts and Rhode Island, and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council to help guide our regional efforts. Most recently, we have convened a Regional Planning Body to begin the real nuts and bolts work of putting together our nation’s first true regional ocean plan.

There is no doubt that the ocean is changing, that these changes will require resiliency and problem-solving to cope with, and that we are asking more and more of our ocean resources than ever before.  The best way forward is with a good plan, and we will continue to actively support these efforts in New England, and we hope you will too.

Photo Credit: Aural Asia via Compfight cc

This summer New England took another big step toward regional ocean planning as the newly minted Northeast Regional Planning Body (RPB) held 10 public meetings to get feedback on set of goals they have drafted. See our previous blogs for a discussion of the draft goals and how the planning process in New England is developing.

The public meetings took place from Maine to Connecticut and were attended by RPB representatives and hundreds of fishermen, members of conservation groups, offshore renewable energy developers, and others. Generally, each meeting began with short talk on what regional ocean planning is, then an overview of any ocean planning activities that were already taking place in a given state (for example, the Massachusetts Ocean Management Plan and Rhode Island Special Area Management Plan). After that, several maps were presented to introduce the types of data that are being collected and used to inform ocean planning – shipping lanes, fishing data, and offshore energy siting among them. The public was then invited to walk around, look at the maps, and make comments or ask questions about them. This was followed by a guided public comment period on each of the goals.

The goals fall into three broad categories:

1. Effective Decision Making
2. Healthy Ocean and Coastal Ecosystems
3. Compatibility Among Past, Current, and Future Ocean Uses

Several themes emerged throughout the meetings as people commented on each of the goals:

• Cautious support of regional ocean planning. There seems to be broad support for the concept and recognition that better coordination is needed, but people are unsure of how ocean planning will change the way management decisions are currently made.
• Concerns about maps and data. Maps are static and do not represent the dynamic nature of the ocean. Maps need incorporate historical data as well as projected future uses to effectively guide decision making. Data gaps need to be acknowledged, clearly communicated, and factored into decision-making. Robust data must be used, and the local scientific community should be involved.
• Questions about scale and scope.  Regional efforts should include municipalities early in the planning processes – especially communities that are dependent on the ocean. Planning areas need to be clearly defined. Watershed-level planning and acknowledgement of the importance of estuaries to ocean health need to be incorporated. Ecosystem based management and social and economic factors should also be part of the planning.
• Concerns from fishermen. Will regional ocean planning facilitate more new uses of the ocean at the expense of productive fishing grounds? Also, fishing is already highly regulated, will this process lead to more bureaucracy for fishermen to navigate?
• Importance of meaningful stakeholder engagement. Not all industry and stakeholders groups were well represented at the public meetings. In order to ensure that all ocean and coastal user groups are aware of the process and have opportunities for full engagement, the RPB and various agencies need to put their full effort into outreach.
• Compatibility of uses should be expanded to include cumulative impact. The advances in data, user patterns and scientific information give us the benefit of being able to better understand  the effects of ocean uses on ecosystems, habitats, and species, as well as the interplay among uses.

In response to many requests for more time, the comment period for the draft goals has been extended to July 26^th. You can submit comments via standard mail, email, or online.

What’s next for ocean planning in New England?

According to Betsy Nicholson, the RPB Federal Co-Lead, “The RPB will spend the summer reviewing results from the public meetings and other public comments received to help revise and refine the draft goals document, and develop a draft work plan specifying necessary steps to accomplish our work. These two important aspects of this regional ocean planning effort—revised goals and the draft work plan—will be discussed at the next Regional Planning Body meeting to be schedule for this fall, and will be available prior to that meeting.”

The location and date of the next RPB meeting have not yet been announced, but given the progress that has been made by the RPB so far, there is reason to be optimistic that much will be accomplished.

Note: This was originally published on OpenChannels.org on July 8th, 2013. http://bit.ly/150xLCe

Photo by Phyllis Toomey

The entire ocean seemed to be falling from the sky Tuesday night as people dashed through the rain from the parking lot of the Seacoast Science Center into the warm, dry lobby. We were waiting for them with hot coffee, cookies, and lots of information about ocean planning.

The film Ocean Frontiers is “an inspiring voyage to seaports and watersheds across the country where we meet industrial shippers and whale biologists, pig farmers and wetland ecologists, commercial and sport fishermen, and reef snorkelers—all of them embarking on a new course of cooperation to sustain our oceans and the economies that rely on them.”

About 60 people joined us to watch the film, and stayed for a conversation about ocean planning in New England. Among the many concerns people had about our ocean’s health, the one we heard most in New Hampshire was about the nitrogen pollution in Great Bay. People were inspired by the movie to think about how ocean planning could help better manage this and other long-standing problems in New England’s ocean.

We encouraged them to attend the public meeting on June 25^th in Portsmouth to talk to the Northeast Regional Planning Body members about their concerns and ideas, as they relate to the goals this newly formed, first-in-the-nation planning body has drafted. If you are interested in being part of this important conversation, you should come, too. There are public meetings taking place all throughout New England, and will be a full meeting of the regional planning body in the fall, so now is a great time to get involved.

When asked what the most important takeaway message from the film was for them, these are a few of the comments we got:

“To see different groups working together toward a common goal was inspiring.”

“Everyone has to be at the table for ocean planning to work.”

“The most important takeaway for me was how interconnected we all are to the ocean. It isn’t just important for those who directly interact with the ocean to preserve it. We all need to do our part to take care of our resources.”

Once person simply said: “There’s hope.”

There has never been a more important time to care about the health and management of our oceans than now. If you are interested in learning more about ocean planning in New England and across the nation, consider hosting your own screening of Ocean Frontiers. Keep up with the latest news here, or on the Northeast Regional Planning Body’s website.

If you are like me, you will take just about any excuse to go to the New Hampshire Seacoast – but we have a really great reason for you to head there next Tuesday evening:

Ocean enthusiasts and the community are invited to join the screening of Green Fire Productions film, “Ocean Frontiers: The Dawn of a New Era in Ocean Stewardship.” This event, which is free and open to the public, will take place on Tuesday, June 11, 2013 from 7:00-9:00PM at the Seacoast Science Center in Rye, New Hampshire.

The evening will begin with a reception including coffee and cookies, and will feature educational materials from the event hosts. After the screening, there will be a Q&A discussion session moderated by Jennifer Felt, Conservation Law Foundation’s Ocean Planning Outreach Manager.

This event is free, however we request you RSVP online: http://www.ocean-frontiers.org/seacoast

This event is hosted by the Seacoast Science Center and Conservation Law Foundation, both members of the New England Ocean Action Network, a diverse group of organizations, individuals, and industries working together to promote new approaches to ocean management in our region based on collaboration, cooperation and sound science, and by Green Fire Productions.

Ocean Frontiers is an inspiring voyage to seaports and watersheds across the country where we meet industrial shippers and whale biologists, pig farmers and wetland ecologists, commercial and sport fishermen, and reef snorkelers—all of them embarking on a new course of cooperation to sustain our oceans and the economies that rely on them.

Green Fire Productions’ Executive Director and producer of Ocean Frontiers, Karen Meyer stated, “We are excited to present Ocean Frontiers to the New Hampshire Seacoast community. This film clearly conveys that win-win solutions are possible when industry, scientists, fishermen, conservationists, and government groups work together.”

“Ocean Frontiers wonderfully illustrates how very different stakeholders can come together and cooperatively make good decisions for our vital ocean resources,” said Priscilla Brooks, CLF’s Vice President and Director of Ocean Conservation. “If we are going to be more active and responsible stewards of our ocean, we will need robust public involvement, access to good scientific data, and better coordination between the many government agencies that manage our use of the ocean. CLF is very happy to be part of a growing movement to promote awareness of these important issues and collaboration in designing a comprehensive plan for the future of our ocean.”

Wendy Lull, President of the Seacoast Science Center, said, “We are proud to host New Hampshire’s premiere screening of Ocean Frontiers. As a non-profit marine science education organization, we want everyone to understand that a healthy ocean drives our quality of life. As so beautifully shown in the film, no matter where you live, what you do every day influences the health of the ocean, and ocean health impacts our daily lives–from weather, to what we eat, where we live and how we play. Ocean Frontiers heralds a new era of stewardship, and we hope you will join us for the film, for the discussion, and for the future of our seacoast and sea.”

A reception will precede the screening and will feature information and opportunities to learn more about what New Englanders can do to help support improved management of their ocean and coast. Online registration is requested: www.ocean-frontiers.org/seacoast

Photo Credit: IronRodArt – Royce Bair (“Star Shooter”)

We are in the throes of a first-in-the-nation regional ocean planning process, and we need you to join those who are already taking part. The Northeast Regional Planning Body (RPB) is holding a series of public meetings throughout New England (find one near you here) to tell people what’s going on in ocean planning and to find out what your questions and comments are about the goals that they have developed, and their potential actions and outcomes. This process is much more effective and meaningful when people who care about the management of our ocean and coasts get involved.

There were two public meetings held last month – one in Portland, ME and one in Narragansett, RI. The meetings were well attended, and many people made comments and asked questions. Among the fishermen, renewable energy developers, and conservationists who spoke, several themes emerged:

• People want a transparent process, where they know what is being planned before it happens, and they want to be involved in meaningful ways.
• There should be careful review of the maps and data decision-makers are using to plan ocean uses.
• People want to know what this planning process will look like, and how will it be used in a practical way.

There is a meeting tonight in Ellsworth and tomorrow night in Rockland, ME, this Thursday afternoon in Boston, and later this month in New Bedford, Gloucester, and Barnstable, MA, in New Haven, CT, and in Portsmouth, NH. See the full schedule and location details here. There are many ways to submit comments to the RPB even if you can’t go to a meeting.

Why should you get involved? There are so many reasons to appreciate New England’s ocean – amazing wildlife, gorgeous scenery, a natural playground to enjoy with our children – but there is also an unprecedented amount of change right now: renewable energy has hit the water, our fisheries are in tremendous flux and some of our most iconic and economically important stocks are in true peril, our waters are rapidly warming and getting more acidic, and we are seeing accelerating coastal erosion in some of our most heavily developed shorelines. The time is now to start making better decisions that will protect our ocean for future generations.

Do you care about the way our oceans are managed? Then come learn more about ocean planning and make your voice heard! Find a meeting near you and get involved.

Do you want to help shape the future of New England’s ocean and our coastal economy? New England leads the nation in regional ocean planning and now is the time for your thoughts on healthy oceans and coasts to be heard. A series of ten public meetings are being held in from late May through June to get your questions and ideas. Why should this matter to you? If you enjoy fishing, going to the beach, surfing, boating, or are interested in offshore renewable energy, these are all reasons to get involved in ocean use planning.

Starting next Thursday in Portland, ME, then continuing on through all New England’s coastal states, members of the Northeast Regional Planning Body (convened pursuant to the National Ocean Policy – which President Obama signed in June, 2010) which represents federal agencies, states and tribes will be holding public meetings to start a conversation about how our ocean waters should be used, conserved, better understood, and more effectively managed in the future.

At each meeting there will be presentations from Regional Planning Body (RPB) representatives about what regional ocean planning is, and how we might accomplish it in New England.

There will be a focus on a set of 3 draft goals, each of which has a series of potential outcomes and possible actions that could be taken to achieve these outcomes. The goals are in three broad categories – effective decision making, healthy ocean and coastal ecosystems, and compatibility among past, current, and future uses. The goals have been framed around the following principles:

1. The ocean and its resources are managed for the benefit of the public, now and in the future.

2. The historic, cultural, and spiritual importance of the ocean are important to consider.

3. The present and past connection between communities, watersheds, and ocean is important.

4. New ocean uses are emerging and existing ocean uses are changing.

5. There is concern about changing ocean “health” and ecosystem conditions.

6. Better data and information, including traditional knowledge, will lead to better understanding and decision making.

7. There is a need for improved government efficiencies and transparency.

8. We need to adapt as environmental, social and economic conditions change.

9. Importantly, regional ocean planning outcomes must be implemented through existing authorities and regulations. Neither the National Ocean Policy nor regional ocean planning create or change existing authorities.

After the RPB’s presentations, there will be significant time for public comment and discussion at each meeting.

So, find a meeting close to you, learn about the planning process, and help shape New England’s first ever regional ocean plan.

With warming seas and ocean acidification putting unprecedented pressure on our already heavily fished, shipped, and polluted coastal areas, adding the extreme pressures of seismic testing and offshore oil drilling, which we keep hearing are supposed to be safe and foolproof, but never really are, seems like a foolhardy move.

There are plenty of other options for developing offshore energy that will not put us at such high risk of horrible toxic spills and deadly-to-wildlife noise. We don’t want dead or deformed fish, whales, and dolphins in our ocean, and tar balls on beaches where our kids build sand castles. We have some of America’s most beautiful coastal areas and amazing ocean life here in New England, and we need to keep them that way.

What can you do to help? Be part of a global campaign by joining one of your local Hands Across the Sand events this Saturday, May 18^th, 12 PM local time, to say “No” to dirty fossil fuels and “Yes” to clean, renewable energy. Hands Across the Sand started in Florida in 2010, and has rapidly grown into a major global campaign. The idea is simple – join your fellow ocean champions on the beach, lock hands, and unite in opposition to dirty energy.

Have someone take a picture and post it to the Hands Across the Sands Flickr page (and, if you’re in New England, please share your photos with us, too!), and send it to your elected officials for even greater impact. Visit the Hands Across the Sand page to find a local even or organize your own.

Fishermen, beach-goers, surfers, and conservation groups agree – oil drilling has no place in New England’s ocean. So take a stand and put your Hands Across the Sand!

This was originally posted on New England Ocean Odyssey on May 14th, 2013.

Now that we are in the throes of a real ocean planning process in New England , how will we protect special places in New England’s ocean? We have both a great responsibility and a great opportunity to do so as we bring people together to make decisions about how we will manage multiple and growing uses in our already busy ocean.

We must identify and protect the beautiful places in New England’s ocean that provide food and shelter and spawning areas that can help our ocean thrive. Places like Cashes Ledge, located about 80 miles east of Cape Ann, Massachusetts. It’s a unique underwater mountain range which provides refuge for a vibrant, diverse world of ocean wildlife.

The steep ridges and deep basins of Cashes Ledge create ideal conditions for marine life as currents mix nutrient- and oxygen-rich water at a depth exposed to sunlight. Home to the deepest and largest cold water kelp forest along the Atlantic seaboard, Cashes Ledge provides an important source of food and a diverse habitat for common New England fish and rare species such as the Atlantic wolffish. This abundance draws in even more ocean wildlife like migrating schools of bluefin tuna, blue and porbeagle sharks, and passing pods of highly endangered North Atlantic right whales and humpback whales.

Cashes Ledge is important not only to marine life but also to scientists hoping to learn about the health and function of New England’s oceans – many scientists believe that Cashes Ledge represents the best remaining example of an undisturbed Gulf of Maine ecosystem. As a result, scientists have used Cashes Ledge as an underwater laboratory for decades.

There are many other beautiful places in the Gulf of Maine, some we know about, and some we may not have identified yet. That’s why it’s essential that our regional planning process includes science-driven work to actively identify and protect these ecologically important areas. The basic chemistry of our ocean is rapidly changing, and if our ecosystems are going to adapt, they will need the space and time to do so. Reducing fishing, shipping, and other pressures on certain areas may be one of the best ways to give them these.

As CLF continues to be extremely active in New England’s ocean planning process, we will also continue highlighting the need to protect New England’s beautiful places and thriving ecosystems.

Watson and the Shark. a 1778 oil painting by John Singleton Copley. Image from Wikimedia Commons.

Shark! OK – not until the third paragraph, but I want you to stay with me[i]. The second meeting of our first-in-the-nation coastal and ocean Regional Planning Body is happening in a couple of weeks, and the goal is to set some goals for regional ocean planning. This may sound like a wonky, best-left-to-professionals sort of affair, but we beg to differ. Bear with me, and maybe I can convince you that this is worth paying attention to.