Ocean and Coastal Ecosystem Health
Goal
Enhance regional coordination and collaborative actions to monitor, map, and manage ecological resources.
Overview
The U.S. North Atlantic is a series of complex ecosystems with abundant resources, multiple ocean uses, and vibrant coastal communities. These valuable ecosystems are vulnerable to a number of impacts. Numerous governments, entities, and organizations work to promote ocean and costal ecosystem health in New England.
The Ocean and Coastal Ecosystem Health (OCEH) Committee supports collaboration, advances collectively determined regional actions,and articulates a regional vision for management and restoration to promote ecosystem health in New England. The Committee identifies research priorities to address data and information needs, prioritizes areas to characterize, and integrates disparate programs to improve decision making and management for healthy and resilient ocean and coastal ecosystems.
Projects
Coastal Vegetation
Habitat Classification and Ocean Mapping
Ocean Acidification
Committee
Participating organizations include:
- Environmental Protection Agency (Co-chair)
- MassBays National Estuary Partnership (Co-chair)
- New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services (Co-chair)
- Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (Co-chair)
- Penobscot Nation (Co-chair)
- Maine Division of Marine Resources
- Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management
- Rhode Island Coastal Resources Management Council
- Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management
- Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection
- New York Department of State
- Tribal Nations
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- Department of Interior – Fish and Wildlife Service, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Geologic Survey, National Park Service
- New England National Estuarine Research Reserves
- University of Connecticut – Long Island Sound Seafloor Habitat Mapping Initiative
- University of Rhode Island
- University of New Hampshire Gulf of Maine Research Institute
Contact
For more information about the NROC Ocean and Coastal Ecosystem Health Committee and its activities, contact Amy Trice, NROC, atrice@northeastoceancouncil.org.