Swanson: A troubling future for Long Island Sound (Newsday)

From:  Newsday

The Long Island Sound, formed by ancient glaciers, is a creation of climate change. And because of that, we can anticipate that it will be considerably different 50 years from now, because that change is accelerating.

This is the outlook of the recently published “Long Island Sound, Prospects for the Urban Sea,” from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Long Island Sound Study. The book, by oceanographic scholars — including myself and several others at Stony Brook University — summarizes the state of scientific knowledge about the Sound, documents environmental improvements and shortcomings that have resulted from attempts to manage the Sound, and discusses ecological concerns. It looks to the future, considering present knowledge and projected climatic alterations. And considering the projected path of climate change, the future for the Sound and its coastal communities is troubling.

[Interview] Marine Spatial Planning and the Maritime Industry (Maritime Executive)

Marine spatial planning (MSP) is a process that coordinates a plan for maritime interests, such as energy, industry, government, conservation and recreation to develop a sustainable strategy for utilizing marine resources in a specific sea area. Dr. Sandra Whitehouse is a Senior Policy Advisor to the Ocean Conservancy who proactively uses her expertise in marine science to help shape MSP initiatives across the country.

Maritime TV’s Dave Gardy interviewed Dr. Whitehouse on February 12, 2014 at the Ocean Conservancy offices in Washington D.C. to help gain a perspective on what MSP means for the maritime industry, now and in the future.

Irish government launches new offshore renewable energy plan (Renewable Energy Magazine)

From: Renewable Energy Magazine

The Irish Minister for Communications, Energy & Natural Resources, Mr Pat Rabbitte, T.D., has announced the launch of the Irish government’s new Offshore Renewable Energy Development Plan (OREDP) aimed at providing a framework for the sustainable development of Ireland’s offshore renewable energy resources

The OREDP is designed to facilitate the development of offshore renewable energy across three key pillars – environmental sustainability, technical feasibility and commercial viability by coordinating action across all of the relevant Government policy areas.

MMO Consider Core Grounds Approach for Marine Spatial Planning

From: The Fish Site

UK – A new project has begun to consider if using a core fishing grounds approach is appropriate for marine planning.

The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is calling on fishermen and others to comment on the benefits and difficulties in agreeing areas of sea most important for the fishing industry and the potential of using these areas to develop a spatial marine plan policy.

The project is running through February and March, and will help marine planning to identify ways to best take account of fishing activities.