Ocean Acidification Outreach Report to inform data and information needs for management and industry released

The Ocean Acidification Outreach Report summarizes feedback provided during NROC’s engagement to understand management priorities when developing data and tools for the Northeast Ocean Data Portal to inform aquaculture, siting, permitting, and business decisions in New England.

NROC will review the feedback provided by ocean managers, planners, Tribes, and industry to determine the path forward for the development of data and information for the Northeast Ocean Data Portal that can be used to inform decision making related to ocean acidification in the future.

The feedback provided by ocean managers, planners, Tribes, and industry indicated a clear need for and data available to support some fundamental ocean acidification-related data products and content for the Northeast Ocean Data Portal in the near term. Among recommendations for relatively sophisticated data products and tools, each group that was engaged also noted the need for:
 
1. Locations of where ocean chemistry variables are being measured throughout the region
 
2. Climatologies of ocean chemistry variables over time to characterize ocean acidification regionally and to use in simple overlays (e.g., with existing aquaculture sites) or more complex analyses
 
Given the resources shared by the groups engaged through this effort, the Northeast Ocean Data Portal team will work on developing and integrating these first-order data products in the near term. NROC can also use the information provided to create a directory on the Portal of regional ocean acidification management and research to foster collaboration and awareness of ongoing efforts. Once these data products and related content are integrated into the Portal, NROC will work with regional partners and experts to understand how they are being used, how they could/should be updated over time, what additional data might be available to support more complex data products, and what other data and information might be needed to better inform ocean acidification management and aquaculture permitting decisions.
 
Further outreach to solicit regional partner and expert feedback on methodologies and draft data products may take place to inform the development of decision support tools that help to reliably mitigate the effects of ocean acidification on valuable coastal resources in the Northeast. 
 
This report is intended to provide a snapshot in time (2025), outlining data and information needs in New England. Conversations will continue to evolve as new data, information, and tools are integrated into the Northeast Ocean Data Portal.

NROC encourages regional conversations and collaboration among partners to address the topics outlined in the outreach report. Some of the data and information requested through our engagement are achievable through collaboration with partners to integrate into the Northeast Ocean Data Portal. Other components require additional research, funding, and further collaboration to achieve. A more coordinated approach to address these challenges across partners monitoring, researching, and addressing ocean acidification in New England is needed to achieve the clear outcomes outlined in this report for more informed decisions related to ocean acidification management and aquaculture.