OCEAN ENERGY PLANNING - Potential Products and Services from user needs surveys

1.      Identify the data that state managers and key users need.  Review existing key documents such as EIS's to determine the data requirements for energy products and the adequacy of these data.  (5)

2.      The region lacks a comprehensive product that documents the potential for wind, wave, and tidal energy at a fine enough scale (need to define these scales..) for regulators and developer. (10)

3.      Participate in the October 2009 Coastal & Marine Spatial Planning workshop being hosted by NROC's Ocean Energy Planning Standing Committee.  An element of this workshop is to determine what the New States need for planning for ocean energy planning.

4.      NROC invited the New England States in spring 2009 to identify up to 3 specific sea floor mapping products to demonstrate how requested congressional funding could be support the northeast region mapping needs.   (NROC 2009)

5.      The potential development of any LNG offshore facilities will require accurate current and wave height data. (16)

6.      Consideration should be given to creating an organizational structure such as a Long Island Sound Center for the Marine Environment (LISCME) as a joint initiative of state (Connecticut and New York) and federal agencies, academic institutions, and scientists to coordinate and oversee a collaborative effort for the purpose of developing a better understanding of, and improving decision making with regard to, the environment and ecology of LIS. This type of regional collaborative effort could help ensure that LIS is viewed as a regional resource and that future research and studies will meet the needs of all agencies and regulators. This center would require funding and staff support at levels to assure it is sustainable and effective in meeting its goals and objectives. A strategy for securing adequate funding for operations and projects would need to be developed. (7).

7.      The mapping initiative for LIS would include (7):

·         Creating non-living resource maps that identify the geology of the bottom and sub-bottom of LIS. These maps provide a foundation of information that can be used to create living resource maps. The characteristics of the bottom provide clues as to the type of living resources that may populate certain areas of the seabed. These types of maps include:

o   Sedimentary environment and textures maps created from sidescan or multibeam sonar or other technologies. Ground-truthing is used to verify the data that are collected electronically by using grab sampling, video and photo surveys and other methods.

o   Bathymetric maps to identify elevations of the seafloor and in conjunction with sedimentary environment mapping, provide a three-dimensional picture of the bottom.

·         Creating living resource maps to identify benthic habitats, mobile fauna habitats and endangered and threatened species. These maps would be created by using non-living resource maps and information to identify and prioritize areas for study, with sampling being done to identify specific habitats. A process to determine targeted species of concern for further study should be created. Additional research and study is necessary for scientists to develop methods to be able to produce habitat maps.

·         Prioritizing the importance of nearshore, coastal and deep water mapping regions, and identifying the best and most cost effective methods and technologies for various types of mapping projects.

8.      How do bottomland disturbance impacts from molluscan aquaculture and harvesting activity differ from cable installation techniques/impacts? Requires reference/reserve areas to conduct this impact evaluation. (7)

9.      Identifying a risk assessment protocol for future infrastructure encroachments into LIS. (7)

10.  Assessing existing cables and pipeline installations to determine short-term and long-term impacts to benthic habitats and communities.  (7)

11.  Develop a classification of endangered and threatened species for coastal and marine waters in a fashion similar to terrestrial programs. (7)

 

SOURCES:

1.      A Survey of Coastal Managers’ Science and Technology Needs Prompts a Retrospective Look at Science-based Management in the Gulf of Maine 2004.  Prepared by NOAA NOS based in part upon the CSO 2004 national survey.

2.      Coastal Resource Management Customer Survey 2006 Prepared by NOAA CSC

3.      CSO Report:  The role of Coastal Zone Management Programs in Adaptation of Climate Change. 2007.    Final Report of the CSO's Climate change work group.

4.      CSO Report: The role of Coastal Zone Management Programs in Adaptation to Climate Change. 2008. Second annual report from the CSO's climate change work group.

5.      CSO Report:  Improving links between science and coastal management.  Results of a survey to assess U.S. State Coastal Management Science and Technology Needs. 2004.  Prepared by CSO in cooperation with the Urban Harbors Institute, University of Massachusetts Boston and the University of New Hampshire Survey Center.  Includes Appendices document.

6.      Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Strategy Recommendation (draft) 2008 CT DEP Office of Long Island Sound Programs (based in large part upon The Long Island Sound Integrated Coastal Observing System User Community Needs Workshop Summary Report 2005)

7.      Long Island Sound Symposium: A study of benthic habitats. 2004.  A report by the Connecticut Academy of Science and Energy for the Connecticut Energy Advisory Board.

8.      Needs assessment of the New England Coastal Resources Management Community: Management of Ecosystems and Natural Hazards 2008 prepared by Coastal Resources Center at URI and NOAA CSC.

9.      New England Governors Coast and Ocean Action Plan 2007.  Prepared by NROC.  This included information contained in 2009 workplans for all Standing Committees.

10.  NERACOOS Strategic Planning and Implementation Team Report (V2): May 12th, 2009, Gloucester, MA.

11.   NERACOOS Product Development Report for Harmful Algae Blooms.  This report cites the following source documents:

·         M07 - Workshop on Coastal Managers Needs for Coastal and Ocean Observations for Inundation – MACOORA, Baltimore, MD November 2006

·         Synthesis of Coastal Managers Needs for Ocean Observing Products and Services – The Keeley Group – September 2006.

·         ECOHAB/GLOBEC Gulf of Maine Modeling Workshop – June 2002

·         ECOHAB User Needs workshop – December 2006

·         Storm Surge Tools and Information: A User Needs Assessment - NOAA Coastal Services Center 2005

·         GoMOOS Annual Survey 2005, 2007

12.  NERACOOS Product Development Report for Inundation.  This report cites the following source documents:

·         M07 - Workshop on Coastal Managers Needs for Coastal and Ocean Observations for Inundation – MACOORA, Baltimore, MD November 2006

·         Synthesis of Coastal Managers Needs for Ocean Observing Products and Services.  October 2006.  Prepared for NERACOOS by The Keeley Group .

·         ECOHAB/GLOBEC Gulf of Maine Modeling Workshop – June 2002

·         ECOHAB User Needs workshop – December 2006

·         Storm Surge Tools and Information: A User Needs Assessment - NOAA Coastal Services Center 2005

·         GoMOOS Annual Survey 2005, 2007

13.   NERACOOS Product Development Report for Water Quality.  Source documents cited in the report include the following:

·         North East Regional Association 2006 Regional Water Quality Managers Meeting, 25 April 2006

·         Emails and telephone communications conducted between April and July 2007 with regional water quality managers.

·         Synthesis of Coastal Managers Needs for Ocean Observing Products and Services.  October 2006.  Prepared for NERACOOS by The Keeley Group.

14.  NROC Seafloor mapping priorities identified by New England States. 2009 (NROC_SFM)

15.  Synthesis of Coastal Managers Needs for Ocean Observing Products and Services.  October 2006. Prepared for NERACOOS by The Keeley Group.

16.  The Long Island Sound Integrated Coastal Observing System User Community Needs Workshop Summary Report 2005.  LISICOS-MACOORA sponsored workshop.

17.  Water Quality Issues: A National Perspective.  Water quality monitoring managers needs assessment workshop.  2008 prepared by NCCOS/NOS