Editor

The White House Council on Environmental Quality and Office of Science and Technology Policy today announced the release of an Implementation Plan for the National Strategy for Ocean Mapping, Exploring, and Characterizing the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (“National Strategy”). The release of the Implementation Plan — which details steps to fully map the deep waters of the U.S. […]

Following congressional passage through a veto override, the FY 2021 National Defense Authorization Act became law today, among other things codifying the Ocean Policy Committee created in 2018 and reauthorizing the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and Ocean Research Advisory Panel. The legislation charges the Committee with continuing its activities as it existed prior to the NDAA taking

NOAA’s National Ocean Service today announced that it is seeking nominations through Monday, April 26, for five vacancies on the Hydrographic Services Review Panel (Panel) that will open on Jan. 1, 2022.  NOAA welcomes applications from individuals with expertise in marine navigation and technology, port administration, marine shipping or other intermodal transportation categories, cartography and geographic information systems,

NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries today announced that the Sanctuary System Business Advisory Council will hold a virtual public meeting on Thursday, Jan. 14. The meeting will include a report from the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries Director, discussion on elevating recreation and tourism in national marine sanctuaries, administrative matters, and a public comment session. The Council was established

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced its approval for Hilcorp Alaska and Eni Operating Co. to take small numbers seals incidental to ice road and ice trail construction, maintenance, and operations during the ice-covered season in Alaska’s North Slope from 2020-2025.  The activities being sought for authorization will facilitate access to the companies’ oil and gas facilities in

The Northeast Regional Ocean Council’s (NROC) Ocean Planning Committee today announced an upcoming webinar series it will host in partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) regarding offshore wind transmission in order to increase understanding and promote dialogue on offshore wind transmission planning in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. The online sessions — which will take place

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced the release of agency priorities and guidance for 2021, with a primary goal being the long-term sustainability of U.S. fisheries and 2021 activities to be implemented to support amplification of the economic value of commercial and recreational fisheries in a sustainable way, species recovery and conservation in a manner that supports

EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler met with Taiwan Foreign Affairs Minister Joseph Wu today to commit to extending the countries’ International Environmental Partnership created in 2014 and supporting a new Indo-Pacific Marine Litter Initiative. Wheeler said that the new marine debris effort “should make dramatic improvements to the problem of marine litter in the coming years,” while

The U.S. State Dept. today announced that expert reviewers are being sought to submit comments by Friday, Jan. 8 as part of the U.S. government’s review of the second-order draft of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change Working Group II Contribution to the 6th National Assessment Report, including the first draft of the Summary for Policymakers.