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NOPC Submits Comments on U.S. Ocean Biodiversity Strategy

NOPC today submitted comments on the Biden administration’s development of a National Ocean Biodiversity Strategy.  NOPC’s comments are accessible here.

National Offshore Safety Advisory Cmte. to Hold Public Meeting

The Coast Guard today announced that the National Offshore Safety Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting on Mar. 12-13 in New Orleans, LA.  The meeting will focus on input regarding the review and identification of the Coast Guard’s Outer Continental Shelf regulations, as well as a review of the Coast Guard’s final report on the SEACOR POWER liftboat report [...]

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Mgmt. Council Meeting to Include Offshore Energy Update

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will hold a public meeting on Feb. 6-7 in Dover, DE (remote participation available). Meeting agenda items include offshore wind updates from the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, updates from the state working group on a fisheries compensation fund administrator, and updates from offshore wind project developers [...]

Ocean Research Advisory Panel to Hold Public Meeting

NOAA today announced that the Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP) will hold a public virtual meeting on Monday, Feb. 26. The meeting will include discussion of ORAP’s initial review of the following tasks performed by ORAP members following their inaugural meeting in December: Landscape assessment and horizon scan of current and emerging technologies for ocean biogeochemical sensing (e.g., eDNA, microfluidics, [...]

Coast Guard Seeks Comments on Proposed Atlantic Shipping Safety Fairways

The U.S. Coast Guard today announced that it is seeking comments by Thursday, Apr. 18 on its proposal to establish 18 shipping safety fairways and 1 fairway anchorage, 2 traffic separation scheme extensions, 1 precautionary area expansion, and 6 new precautionary areas with associated traffic lines on the Atlantic Coast, noting increased interest in offshore commercial development, including [...]

State Dept. to Hold Public Meeting Ahead of IMO Gathering

The State Dept. today announced that it will hold a public meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 6 in Washington, DC in preparation for the 11th Session of the International Monetary Organization’s Subcommittee on Pollution Prevention and Response, to be held in London on Feb. 19-23. Agenda items include safety and pollution hazards of chemicals and preparation of consequential amendments to the International [...]

NOAA Announces Funding for Regional Ocean Partnerships

NOAA today announced the availability of $9.6 million for Regional Ocean Partnerships in the Gulf of Mexico, West Coast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast as well as 5 Integrated Ocean Observing System Regional Associations, in order to support cross-jurisdictional priorities and data sharing. Funded by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, NOAA said that the funding will allow the agency [...]

NOAA Marine & Coastal Management Advisory Cmte. to Hold Inaugural Meeting

NOAA today announced that the Marine and Coastal Area-Based Management Advisory Committee will hold its inaugural meeting on Feb. 1-2 in Silver Spring, MD (remote participation not available). The meeting will include open discussion and Q&A with NOAA leadership, as well as discussion of the Committee charge, nominations for Committee Chair and Vice Chair, federal law investments in areas-based [...]

Hydrographic Services Review Panel to Hold Public Meeting

NOAA today announced that the Hydrographic Services Review Panel will hold a public meeting on Mar. 5-7 in San Pedro, CA (also accessible virtually). Agenda items include recent National Ocean Service activities including the update to the National Spatial Reference System, the status of NOAA’s navigation services in the context of recent federal laws including the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, Inflation [...]

BOEM Seeks Comments on Atlantic Wind Energy-related Draft EA, Programmatic EIS

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that it is seeking comments by Monday, Feb. 12 on its draft Environmental Assessment regarding potential impacts of wind energy-related leasing, site assessment, and site characterization activities in federal waters off Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia. In conjunction with the comment period, BOEM will hold virtual public meetings on Tuesday, Jan, 30 and Thursday, Feb. [...]