Media Coverage

NOAA today announced the initiation of plans with state partners in Alaska to identify Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in Alaska state waters, making Alaska the third region after Southern California and the Gulf of Mexico to identify such areas.  NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service will seek public comments will be sought as the identification process advances. In making […]

President Biden today proclaimed June 2023 as National Ocean Month, calling on Americans to “take action to protect, conserve, and restore our ocean and coasts.” The proclamation highlighted the role of the ocean as a solution to climate challenges, and noted administration efforts including implementation of the Ocean Climate Action Plan, advancement of offshore wind projects, infrastructure modernization

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced its completion of a final environmental assessment on potential impacts of offshore wind leasing in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico, with a finding of no significant impact. BOEM Director Elizabeth Klein called completion of the review “an important step forward to advance clean energy development in a responsible manner

The Interior Department’s Bureau of Ocean Energy Management today announced the availability of a final environmental impact statement for the construction and operation of Ocean Wind LLC’s proposed Ocean Wind 1 Offshore Wind Farm Project off New Jersey. The proposed action is to approve the request to construct, operate, and maintain the project, which would include up to 98

The State Department today announced that the Shipping Coordinating Committee will hold a public meeting in Washington, DC on Thursday, June 29 in preparation for the 80th session of the International Maritime Organization’s Marine Environment Protection Committee, to be held in London on July 3-7. Meeting topics include harmful aquatic organisms in ballast water, air pollution prevention, reduction of GHG emissions from

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that the Western Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Ad Hoc Marine Planning Committee will hold public meetings on June 14-29. Agenda items include updates on proposed sanctuaries in the Pacific Remote Island Areas and Northwest Hawaiian Islands, and the Ocean Climate Action Plan.

NOAA today announced that the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Advisory Committee will hold a public meeting in Moss Landing, CA on June 27-29. The meeting will include discussion on ocean observations and West Coast collaborations, as well as continued work on phase 2 recommendations from the Committee workplan. The Committee is tasked with advising the NOAA Administrator

The Office of Management and Budget today announced that it is seeking nominations by Thursday, June 15 of experts interested in serving on an independent scientific peer review of forthcoming guidance for assessing changes in environmental and ecosystem services in benefit-cost analysis. The forthcoming guidance is being developed pursuant to the Apr. 2022 Executive Order on Strengthening the Nation’s

The Coast Guard today announced that National Navigation Safety Advisory Committee will hold a virtual public meeting on Friday, June 23.  Agenda items include discussion of a final report on recommendations related to navigation safety in and around offshore renewable energy installations. The Committee advises the Homeland Security Secretary on matters related to maritime collisions, rammings, and groundings; Inland

NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service today announced that it is seeking comments by Monday, July 24 on its 90-day finding that substantial scientific or commercial information indicates that listing the smalltail shark as threatened or endangered may be warranted.  The smalltail shark is generally found in nearshore waters of the western Atlantic from Brazil to the northern Gulf