oceanpolicy.com

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced a final rule authorizing the unintentional take of marine mammals incidental to oil and gas-related geophysical surveys in federal waters in the U.S. Gulf of Mexico.  Effective April 19, 2021 for five years, the rule allows for the issuance of Letters of Authorization to authorize incidental take, prescribes permissible taking [...]

The State Department today announced that it will hold a public meeting on Wednesday, Feb. 10 in preparation for the 7th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Subcommittee on Human Element, Training and Watchkeeping, to be held remotely on Feb. 15-19.

The Department of Energy today announced the termination of the Methane Hydrate Advisory Committee. The Committee, which was created in response to the Methane Hydrate Research and Development Act of 2000 and reauthorized in the Energy Policy Act of 2005, had been tasked with providing advice on potential applications of methane hydrate to the Secretary of Energy, [...]

NOAA today announced selection criteria and requirements for a Hydrographic Surveying Matching Fund opportunity pilot program, and request for proposals by Friday, Feb. 26 by non-federal entities to partner with NOAA on jointly funded hydrographic surveying and mapping activities. Under the pilot program — the goal of which is to acquire ocean and coastal hydrographic survey data [...]

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries today announced that it is seeking comments by Thursday, Feb. 11 on whether to allow the 2015 nomination of the proposed Lake Erie Quadrangle National Marine Sanctuary to remain on the inventory for an additional 5 years.  The proposed sanctuary would span ~759 of Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie waters up to the low water [...]

During the One Planet Summit for Biodiversity, a new coalition of 51 governments co-chaired by the United Kingdom, France, and Costa Rica today announced their commitment to protect at least 30% of the world’s land and 30% of the world’s ocean by 2030 and secure a global agreement to that effect at the Convention on Biological Diversity [...]

The Maritime Administration today announced that nominations are being sought by Monday, Feb. 8 to fill vacancies on the U.S. Maritime Transportation System National Advisory Committee.  MARAD noted that it will continue to accept applications for up to 2 years after the deadline to fill any further vacancies. Members will be selected to ensure representation of interests including active mariners, [...]

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that it is seeking comments on a draft Environmental Impact Statement in connection with a Construction and Operations Plan submitted by Deepwater South Fork for a proposed wind energy facility in federal waters ~19 miles southeast of Block Island, RI and 35 miles east of Montauk, NY.  A cable would connect [...]

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Tuesday, March 9 on revisions to its previously proposed designated habitat in the Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort Seas for the threatened Arctic ringed seal subspecies. NMFS separately announced that it is seeking comments by Tuesday, March 9 on its proposal to designate critical habitat in the Bering, [...]

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Friday, March 26 on the agency’s initiation of a 5-year review for the threatened Beringia and Okhotsk distinct population segments of the Pacific bearded seal subspecies. The review will assess the best scientific and commercial data available to determine whether any of the species should [...]