The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council’s October meeting will be held October 5-8, 2020. The meeting was originally scheduled to be held in Riverhead, NY. Due to ongoing concerns about COVID-19 and public safety, the meeting will be held via webinar. Briefing materials will be posted below as they become available. AGENDA
Questions? Contact Mary Sabo at msabo@mafmc.org, (302) 518-1143.
Public Comments
Written comments must be received by 11:59 p.m. on September 23, 2020 to be included in the briefing book. Comments received after this date but before 5:00 p.m. on October 1, 2020 will be posted as supplemental materials on the Council meeting web page. After that date, all comments must be submitted using an online comment form available at https://www.mafmc.org/comments/october-2020-public-comments.
Join us for a three part series exploring life in the deep sea. Pre-eminent scientists from around the Mid-Atlantic region will guide us on a tour of unique and exciting species living in extreme conditions far below the surface. We will explore the animals that live there and how they use both natural and man-made habitats to aid in their survival. From crustaceans and corals to sharks and whales, this is one webinar series you won’t want to miss!
Featured Speaker: Steve Ross, Research Professor, Center for Marine Science, University of North Carolina – Wilmington
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The Mid-Atlantic Committee on the Ocean (MACO) will host a public webinar on Oct. 8 at 2 p.m. that features discussion from U.S. Coast Guard representatives about port access and navigation safety studies that the agency is leading along the Atlantic Coast as offshore wind development proceeds. The free session will also include a panel discussion with representatives of the port, maritime ind offshore wind industries.
The Coast Guard is currently conducting four Port Access Route Studies (PARS) for areas including the Northern New York Bight, the New Jersey coast and Delaware Bay approaches, the Chesapeake Bay approaches, and the North Carolina coast. The purpose of the studies is to evaluate the adequacy of existing vessel routing measures and determine whether changes are necessary in these areas due to factors such as offshore wind development, current port capabilities and anticipated improvements, increased vessel traffic, existing and potential anchorage areas, effects of weather and navigational difficulty. The Coast Guard is also evaluating a potential system of fairways intended to ensure that traditional navigation routes along the East Coast are kept free from obstructions that could impact navigation safety.
The webinar will begin with presentations on the studies by George Detweiler, Michele DesAutels and Capt. Maureen Kallgren of the U.S. Coast Guard. Nick Napoli and Karl Vilacoba of the MARCO Data Portal team will demonstrate interactive maps showing the study areas online. Afterward, a panel of industry stakeholders including Will Fediw of the Virginia Maritime Association, Stuart Griffin of the Pilots’ Association for the Bay and River Delaware, Jeff Kaelin of Lund’s Fisheries, and Tom Vinson of the American Wind Energy Association will provide perspectives on navigation safety. The panel will be moderated by Tony MacDonald of the Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute. Members of the audience will be welcome to take part in an open Q&A session with the speakers.
Through a collaborative process co-designed by fishermen, wind developers, and state, academic, and federal partners, this effort will advance the Responsible Offshore Science Alliance’s (ROSA) regional science efforts, by describing the current state of science, existing research and monitoring programs, and data gaps and soliciting input regarding priority research questions.
For information about how to join the webinar contact: lane@rodafisheries.org
Join us for the third in a three part series exploring life in the deep-sea. A collection of scientists from the Mid-Atlantic will cover unique and exciting species living in both natural and man made habitats such as submarine canyons, methane seeps and shipwrecks. We will explore the animals that live there and how they use their habitats. From crustaceans and corals to sharks and whales this is one webinar series you won’t want to miss.
The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) is hosting its second State of the Science Workshop on Offshore Wind Energy on November 16-20, 2020.
The 2020 State of the Science Workshop is being held virtually this year in response to COVID-19. Workshop efforts remain focused on (1) assessing the state of the knowledge regarding offshore wind development’s cumulative effects on populations and ecosystems, and (2) working to identify key studies that could be conducted in the next 3-5 years to improve our understanding of cumulative biological impacts as the offshore wind industry develops in the U.S.
Plenary presentations and Q&A panel discussions will occur via an online event platform throughout the week of November 16-20. Smaller working meetings will be held virtually in late 2020 and early 2021, and efforts will culminate in a final webinar in the Spring of 2021 to report the outcomes of the breakout group efforts.
The Whova event platform has both a web version and mobile app that allows for easy access to the agenda, live-streamed sessions, community boards and more. Workshop registrants will need to create an account in Whova to access workshop sessions. More information can be found on the Workshop Logistics page.
For more information:
The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet by webinar Monday, December 14 – Thursday, December 17, 2020. Webinar connection details and briefing materials will be posted on this page as they become available.
Questions? Contact Mary Sabo – msabo@mafmc.org, 302-518-1143.
Public Comments
Public comments can be submitted using the online form linked below or by mail, email, or fax (see this page for addresses). Comments submitted by 11:59 p.m. on Wednesday, December 2, 2020 will be included in the briefing book. Comments submitted after this date but before 5:00 p.m. on December 10, 2020 will be posted as supplemental materials. After that date, comments may only be submitted using the form below.
Agenda
Despite covering 70% of the planet’s surface, we are only beginning to understand the seascapes, species, and processes of the world’s changing oceans. We are at a critical juncture in our knowledge of how ‘planet ocean’ will respond in the Anthropocene. To close this knowledge gap, new geospatial technologies are playing a crucial role in addressing many ocean challenges, including marine ecology, resource management, and ocean conservation. In this webinar, Duke University scientist Pat Halpin and his colleagues will describe the exciting developments in geospatial ocean science and technology, and how they are being used to support ocean health and sustainable use. These advances are also informing the development of new ocean governance structures, including the development of the new implementation agreement for the Law of the Sea as well as helping to set priorities for the coming UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development.
Learn about the physical dimensions of marine cable installation, the environmental and marine use implications, best practices, and stakeholder considerations. Joel Whitman, Executive Vice President, Global Marine Group will provide an overview of the cable installation process. David Slee of Burns & McDonnell will highlight lessons learned from the EU experience. Speakers and panelists from the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic will then discuss issues and potential impacts to protected species, habitat, and fisheries in the region.