NROC News – June 2019

NROC Meetings and Work Plans

During NROC’s April 2019 meeting at NH Department of Environmental Services in Portsmouth, partners reviewed and discussed draft work plans for the Ocean Planning, Ocean and Coastal Ecosystem Health, and Coastal Hazards Resilience committees. Following the meeting, Committee Co-chairs incorporated feedback and finalized 2019-2020 Work Plans. Copies are available on the NROC website at:

• Ocean Planning Committee 2019 – 2020 Work Plan
• Ocean and Coastal Ecosystem Health 2019 – 2020 Work Plan
• Coastal Hazards Resilience 2019 – 2020 Work Plan

Presentations, meeting summary and materials from the April meeting have been posted to NROC’s online library under Council Meetings. The date and location for NROC’s Fall 2019 meeting will be posted here when available. General questions about NROC can be directed to jleblanc@northeastoceancouncil.org.

NROC Ocean Planning Committee

NROC’s Ocean Planning Committee held a meeting on June 4, 2019, at NOAA Fisheries Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office in Gloucester, MA. The meeting included an update and discussion about offshore wind development in the Northeast, an update about federal implementation of Executive Order 13840, and an overview of the Ocean Planning Committee’s work plan and recent accomplishments. Presentations from the meeting are available on NROC’s ocean planning website at online meeting documents. Questions about Ocean Planning can be directed to Nick Napoli at nnapoli@northeastoceancouncil.org.

HCOM Video Workshop

NROC hosted a Habitat Classification and Ocean Mapping Video Workshop on May 13, 2019. Participants explored techniques, challenges and successes when analyzing videography. Presentations from the workshop are available in NROC’s online library under the Ocean and Coastal Ecosystem Health Committee.

Northeast Biological Observations Workshop

In May, NERACOOS, NROC, the Marine Biodiversity Observation Network, Animal Telemetry Network, and the Ocean Tracking Network hosted a workshop at University of New Hampshire to help identify priorities for animal telemetry and marine biodiversity observations. Presentations from the workshop are available here.

Upcoming Events

2019 Shell Day
Maine to Long Island Sound, August 22, 2019
Northeast Coast Acidification Network (NECAN) is working with partner organizations and citizen scientists throughout the region to implement Shell Day, a one-day coastal acidification monitoring blitz set to take place at hundreds of coastal monitoring stations throughout the Northeast. Because coastal acidification is influenced by local factors, monitoring can provide valuable information for watershed management, strategic habitat protection and restoration aimed at improving local resilience to acidification.

2019 Living Shorelines Tech Transfer Workshop
Beaufort, North Carolina, October 8-9, 2019
Restore America’s Estuaries has announced that registration is now open for this two-day workshop on October 8 and 9 in Beaufort, North Carolina. This unique learning experience will combine field sessions with interactive classroom discussions. Information about registration, travel and lodging is available on Restore America’s Estuaries website.

Gulf of Maine 2050 International Symposium
The Westin Portland Harborview, Portland, Maine, November 4 – 8, 2019
The Gulf of Maine 2050 International Symposium will bring scientists, managers, industry and community leaders together to understand how the Gulf of Maine is expected to change over the next 30 years and identify challenges and opportunities for regional resilience. Registration is now open, a call for abstracts has been issued, and opportunities for sponsorship are available. Details are available at www.gulfofmaine2050.org. Follow @gulfofmaine2050 on twitter for latest news about the symposium. Discounted early registration rates are available through July 15, 2019