Editor

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Ad Hoc Marine Planning Committee will hold a public meeting on Friday, Sept. 30.  The meeting will include discussion of issues related to offshore wind energy development and Aquaculture Opportunity Areas.

The Coast Guard today announced the availability of a summary of findings of port access route studies conducted for the Northern New York Bight, Seacoast of New Jersey including offshore approaches to the Delaware Bay, DE, approaches to the Chesapeake Bay, VA, and the Seacoast of North Carolina. In announcing the availability of the consolidated findings, the Coast

NOAA’s National Ocean Service today announced that the Interagency Marine Debris Coordinating Committee will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, Sept. 29.  The meeting will address federal efforts to address abandoned and derelict vessels. The Committee was established under the Marine Debris Act in 2006 and tasked with coordinating a comprehensive program of marine debris research and activities

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that the New England Fishery Management Council will hold a public meeting on Sept. 26-29 in Gloucester, MA (also accessible online). The agenda includes presentation of the revised management plan for the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, efforts to draft regulatory actions formally closing the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument

NOAA today announced that the Hydrographic Services Review Panel will hold a virtual public meeting on Sept. 20-22 in Honolulu, HI (also accessible virtually). Agenda items include navigation observations and positioning, Pacific mapping, working group updates, flooding and sea level rise challenges, and public comment sessions. The Panel is a federal advisory committee that advises the NOAA Administrator on oceanographic

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced that it is seeking comments by Monday, Oct. 17 on a draft Environmental Impact Statement for the construction and operations plan submitted by Revolution Wind, LLC for a proposed wind farm off Rhode Island. In conjunction with the comment period, BOEM will hold in-person meetings on Tuesday, Oct. 4 (Aquinnah, MA), Wednesday, Oct.

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced the extension of the comment period on its draft Equity and Environmental Justice Strategy through Friday, Sept. 30.  NMFS cited requests from partners and stakeholder communities in announcing the extension. The draft Strategy includes goals for prioritizing the identification, equitable treatment, and meaningful involvement of underserved communities, providing equitable delivery of services,

NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research today announced the extension of time for nominees to submit interest in serving on the Ocean Research Advisory Panel through Friday, Sept. 30. Authorized by the National Defense Authorization Act, the Panel will include 10-18 members and advise the Ocean Policy Committee on policies and procedures to implement the National Oceanographic Partnership Program;

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries today announced the establishment of the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council, and requested nominations from individuals interested in serving on the Council by Oct. 1. Voting seats will be held by the following representatives: Citizen-at-Large (3), Diving/Dive Clubs/Archaeology (2), History, Heritage and Public Interpretation (2), Tourism and Marketing (2), Education (K–12),

NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation today announced the award of $7.7 million in grants to support coastal resilience in Hawaii, Maine, New Jersey, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Virginia. The grants, which were awarded through the National Coastal Resilience Fund, are being awarded using funding from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo called coastal maintenance and