May 13-15, 2024 | Lewes, Delaware
The free event will feature expert presentations and discussions on topics including climate-ocean action, sustainable ocean economies, ocean conservation and healthy ecosystems, marine spatial planning and data-sharing, and much more. Students and early career professionals are also invited to participate in a poster session highlighting their work.
Goal: Foster robust information exchange and collaboration across multiple state and federal government agencies, Tribes, non-governmental entities, and ocean stakeholders to promote informed decision-making around regional ocean planning.
Objectives:
- Increase awareness and understanding of state, federal, Tribal, and regional fisheries management programs and other efforts to advance a sustainable ocean economy and a healthy ocean ecosystem
- Identify and assess key issues and opportunities that could benefit from regional coordination and collaboration
- Invite stakeholders to provide input on regional ocean planning activities
- Promote collaborative partnerships among diverse stakeholders, leveraging collective expertise and resources for the sustainable management of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean region
SCROLL BELOW FOR LODGING OPTIONS AND AGENDA. More details on the Forum will continue to be added to this page. For questions, email events@midatlanticocean.org. Information on past events can be found here.
FORUM AGENDA
Day One: Monday, May 13
09:30 | Welcome and Coffee
10:00 – 10:30 | Opening Remarks
Avalon Bristow, Executive Director of Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO)
Tony MacDonald, Director of the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University
Plenary
Kristi Lieske, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
Shawn M. Garvin, Secretary of Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
10:30 – 11:30 | Data Sharing and Marine Spatial Planning
Moderator: Kevin Hassell, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJDEP)
Implementing Data Governance for Collaborative Ocean Data Sharing (Dr. Rachael Blake, Intertidal Agency)
East Coast Climate Change Scenario Planning Initiative: Informing a Coordinated East Coast Fisheries Management Response to Change (Kiley Dancy, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council)
Marine Life Distribution and Abundance Model Updates (Jesse Cleary and Sarah DeLand, Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab)
11:50 – 12:45 | Data Sharing and Marine Spatial Planning (cont.)
Moderator: Nick Napoli, Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC)
Coordinating with Mid-Atlantic Partners to Support the Sustainable Development of Offshore Wind Energy Along the US East Coast (Mike Crowley, Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal and Ocean Observing System [MARACOOS])
Spatial Planning in Action: GIS Support for an Offshore Wind Construction Operation Plan (Gwen Lockhart and Todd Gys, Tetra Tech)
Introduction to the Rutgers University Weather Research and Forecasting (RUWRF) Model Dataset (James Kim, Rutgers University Center for Ocean Observing Leadership)
12:45 – 2:15 | Midday Break + Poster Session
2:15 – 3:15 | Ocean Justice in the Mid-Atlantic: Breakout Sessions Facilitated by Raben Group
Topic 1: Identifying Underserved Communities in Regional Ocean Planning
Topic 2: Harnessing Effective Communication for Ocean Justice
Topic 3: Broadening Equitable Access to Public Lands and Waters
3:30 – 4:30 | Coastal Communities and Habitat: The human dimension, aquaculture, carbon, and beyond
Moderator: Paul Ticco, New York State Department of State
Connecting Sea Grant, the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Sciences, and coastal-ocean communities in the Mid-Atlantic to improve sustainable aquaculture siting and development (Hannah Cooper, Maryland Sea Grant)
Assessing Variability of Blue Carbon Stocks Across Scales and their Fate Under Sea Level Rise (Dr. Molly Mitchell, Virginia Institute of Marine Science)
Where Does the Carbon Go? Exploring Carbon Dynamics in a Temperate Salt Marsh (Rodrigo Vargas, University of Delaware)
4:30 | Adjourn
6:30 | Trivia Night at The Wheelhouse at 7PM
View PDF version of agenda (updated 4/24/24)
Day Two: Tuesday, May 14
08:00 | Welcome
08:30 – 09:00 | Opening Remarks and Plenary
Kaitlyn Dykes, Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control
09:00 – 10:30 | Monitoring and Characterization of Ocean and Coastal Changes
Moderator: Will Isenberg, Virginia Coastal Zone Management (VACZM)
Acidification Data Layer: A tool for monitoring site selection (Dr. Janet Reimer, Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network)
The Shellfishes’ Silent Struggle: a case for acidification monitoring (Stephen Tomasetti, University of Maryland Eastern Shore)
ECO-Gliders: An autonomous-based oceanographic and ecological mission to inform offshore wind development (Dr. Josh Kohut, Rutgers University)
Enhancing Coastal Resilience through Better Water Level Data and Information Products (Mary Ford, MARACOOS)
10:50 – 12:00 | Concurrent Breakout Sessions: Engaging and Understanding Communities for Marine Resource Management
1. Our Changing Ocean – understanding community needs and priorities and connecting people with resources (Alexandra Puritz, NOAA Ocean Acidification Program)
2. Mid-Atlantic Marine Sanctuaries (Leann Hogan, NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries)
3. Marine Debris CBSM and Policy Perceptions
a. Mid-Atlantic Survey Results (Steve Raabe, OpinionWorks)
b. Facilitated discussion (John Kuriawa⬨, NOAA Office of Coastal Management)
12:00 – 1:00 | Midday Break
Demos available at MARCO Portal and MARACOOS OceansMap tables; GreenFin table: MACAN OA videos
1:00 – 2:00 | The Seafloor: Sand and Sediment Management
Moderator: Ursula Howson, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM)
BOEM’s Holistic System’s Approach to Sand Resources and Ecosystem Balance (Jeffrey S. Waldner, BOEM Marine Minerals Program)
A Balancing Act: Applied Science for Environmentally Responsible Use of Outer Continental Shelf Sand Resources (Victoria Brady, BOEM)
Modeling and mapping 21st century beach sand supply and demand along the Delaware-Maryland Atlantic coastline and beyond (Daniel L Warner, Ph.D., Delaware Geological Survey)
2:15 – 3:15 | The Seafloor: Habitat
Temporal Variability in the Highly Migratory Shark Assemblage on a Dredged Shoal (Benjamin Marsalay, University of Delaware)
Shoreface Sand Ridge Structuring of Fish Habitat off New Jersey (Thomas Grothues, Rutgers University)
Regional Wildlife Science Collaborative Habitat and Ecosystem Regional Seafloor Activities (Nikelene McLean, RWSC Habitat Subcommittee Lead)
3:30 – 4:30 | Stakeholder Panel
The panel will include representatives from Federal, State, Regional, Maritime Industry, and Non-Governmental Organizations
Dolphins off the coast of Lewes, Delaware.
Day Three: Wednesday, May 15
09:30 – 11:00 | Organized off-site event
Narrated eco-tour in the Lewes-Rehoboth Canal
Departure from Anglers Road dock in Lewes, DE
TRAVEL & LODGING
Room Blocks
Virden Retreat Center
A group rate of $119 per night is available for the dates of May 12-14 on the Forum grounds at the Virden Retreat Center.
To reserve a room, call: 302-645-4100 and use Reference: 2024 Mid Atlantic Ocean Forum.
Hyatt House Lewes/Rehoboth Beach
A group rate of $129 is available for the dates of May 12-15. The cutoff date to book rooms is April 29.
Visit this page to book: https://www.hyatt.com/en-US/group-booking/ILGXL/G-MARC
Guests may also call reservations at 1-855-556-1297 and ask for the MARCO rate (Group Code G-MARC)
Additional Local Hotels
Forum participants may also consider booking rooms at the following hotels close to the venue.
Phone: (302) 200-7373
17388 Ocean One Plaza Lewes, Delaware 19958
