Welcome to the first issue of the Northeast Ocean Data Portal newsletter of 2019! This issue reviews the Portal’s data updates, news, and happenings during the last quarter of 2018.

Data Updates

All of the updated datasets listed below can be viewed on the Data Explorer map. Most are available in downloadable databases or map services on the Data Download page.

Commercial Fishing – Management Areas

Updated with the latest information from the NOAA NMFS Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office (GARFO)
Includes some of the updated information associated with the New England Fishery Management Council’s Omnibus Essential Fish Habitat Amendment 2 (OHA2), such as revised habitat and groundfish management areas
Also includes Sea Scallop Rotational Areas, Habitat Management Areas, the Nantucket Lightship Closed Area Exemption Areas, and Dedicated Habitat Research Areas

Learn More

Energy & Infrastructure – Planning Areas

Added New York Draft Wind Energy Areas
Added Massachusetts Final Sale Notice Areas

Learn More

Commercial Fishing – Draft Management Area Alternatives

Added NEFMC Clam Dredge Framework Alternatives to support December NEFMC meeting

Learn More

Marine Transportation – Commercial Traffic

Added 2017 AIS data (annual and monthly) for eight vessel categories
Added a time slider tool for viewing monthly data
Video Tutorial: Vessel Traffic and Time Slider on the Marine Transportation Theme Map
Video Tutorial: Vessel Traffic and Time Slider in the Data Explorer

Learn More

Administrative Boundaries

Added U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Regulatory Boundary
Added U.S. Coast Guard Districts

Aquaculture

Updated datasets for Maine and Rhode Island

Marine Life – Fish, Birds, Marine Mammals

Released Version 2 of marine life data products from the Marine-life Data and Analysis Team (MDAT)
Includes new observations, new individual species products, new species group products
Enhanced data visualizations

Learn More

Next Anticipated Data Updates (Dates TBD):

Energy and Infrastructure – Planning Areas
Marine Life and Habitat – Fish
Commercial Fishing – Communities at Sea
Marine Transportation – Navigation
Culture
Sand

Portal in Action

Senators advocate that fishermen’s interest be considered earlier in the siting process (12/14)

Offshore Wind Auction Draws Huge Interest, Big Money (12/15)

BOEM Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Vineyard Wind (12/6)

“Recipe for Successful Regional Ocean Planning in the Northeast” at the Congress on Ocean Policy (12/6)

New GIS-Based Tool for Aquaculture Siting Developed by New England Aquarium (12/5)

NEFMC Clam Dredge Framework (12/4)

Working Group Nears Consensus on Transit Lanes for Fishing Vessels in Northeast Wind Energy Areas (12/3)

Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force Meeting (11/28)

Talking Fish: Visualizing Fisheries Management (11/21)

NEOSEC Ocean Literacy Summit Workshop on Technology for Ocean Education (11/15)

Northeast Regional Ocean Council Ocean Planning Meeting (11/14)

Offshore Wind Symposium in New Bedford (10/30)

NEARC Fall Conference: Creating Marine Vessel Activity Data Products from AIS (10/30)

Data Portal Training at American Littoral Society (10/24)

AWEA Offshore WINDPOWER 2018 Conference (10/16)

Coastal Resilience Summit (10/10)

New Curriculum on Ocean Planning from Ocean Frontiers (10/2)

Webinar: Mapping Marine Life on the East Coast (9/28)

Marine & Oceanographic Technology Network Annual Meeting (9/26)

News Items

Updated Maps of Wind Energy Areas Offshore New York and Massachusetts

The Portal added the newly designated Draft Wind Energy Areas in the New York Bight in advance of the Intergovernmental Renewable Energy Task Force’s meeting on November 28. We also updated the Portal with the Massachusetts Final Sale Notice Areas, where leases were auctioned on December 13.

NEFMC Clam Dredge Framework Alternatives Now Viewable on Northeast Ocean Data Interactive Maps

Prior to the December meeting of the New England Fishery Management Council, the Portal added maps of the alternative areas being considered for clam management. They can be overlaid with data on fishing vessel activity, habitat characteristics, and more.

New 2017 Vessel Traffic Data, Maps, and Tools Now Available on Northeast Ocean Data

Vessel traffic can be viewed and downloaded for eight vessel categories either annually or monthly.

New Case Study Features Teachers Using the Data Portal to Engage K-12 Students

Teachers in Maine are using the Portal as a tool to engage their K-12 students in learning about the ocean ecosystem, relationships among ocean uses, and more.

Upcoming Portal Events

1/11: Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Expo

1/15: Metcalf Institute Webinar: “Mapping our ocean resources and activities”

1/17: Surfrider Foundation, Northeast Ocean Data Portal Webinar

1/23-24: BOEM Atlantic Ocean Energy and Mineral Science Forum

2/11-14: Coastal GeoTools Conference

3/22: Environmental Business Council Portal Workshop

Several other private workshops and trainings. Contact us to schedule a workshop or training for your group.

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