Marine Spatial Planning

The ocean is wilderness at our doorstep.  Standing on the beach looking seaward is an untamed environment.  It may be difficult to directly observe and explore, but it is rich with life. 

Seabed relief map - USGS

From a fish’s point of view, not every place in the ocean is created equal.  The sea floor varies with ridges and plateaus, gravel banks, boulder piles, and broad muddy basins.  Oceanography and geography combine to make some locations “hot spots” for marine life to feed or breed. Conditions change. Fish move around, fishermen follow the fish in a dynamic environment.  

 Wild fish stocks depend on the diversified balance of a wild, natural ecosystem to support abundant fish populations.   Future generations’ access to plentiful seafood may hinge on planning choices we make today.

From "Fishing Grounds of the Gulf of Maine" Walter Rich 1929

In the traffic lane

Society’s growing demands for energy, food and commerce are increasing pressure for industrial development in wild ocean habitats.  Energy exploration, off-shore wind power, open ocean aquaculture, shipping, high-speed ferries, even commercial fishing are potentially disruptive of the ecological functions that sustain fisheries and marine life.

 How will we strike the right balance?  How do we preserve the attributes of ocean wilderness at the same time that we extend the reach of civilization into these pristine places? 

Stand off

Because no single government agency has executive authority over ocean resources, conflicting objectives around competing uses abound.  In recent years, regional initiatives in Marine Spatial Planning have emerged to coordinate management activities.  Fishermen, the sea-food consuming public and anyone with an interest in healthy ocean ecosystems have a major stake and a role to play. 

Cradled in Massachusetts Bay, the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is the very heart of ecology in the Gulf of Maine. Straddling the shipping lanes, this 842-square-mile sanctuary, extraordinary marine habitat, is also the backyard to 6-million residents of metropolitan Boston. Whales feed there within sight of the Boston skyline!  

Whale researchers in Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary photo by David Ryan

National Marine Sanctuaries such as Stellwagen Bank offer a unique contribution to regional Marine Spatial Planning efforts.  Sanctuaries are discrete places in the ocean where environmental stresses are most likely to show and user conflicts are most likely to surface.  When crafting management solutions, NOAA takes guidance from the Sanctuary Advisory Council made up of representatives from marine industries, stakeholder groups, science and government agencies.   

John

John Williamson, Sea Keeper Consulting, has played a leadership role with the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council in seeking a common public vision for the future of marine resource development and protection in New England.  He also serves on the board of directors of Stellwagen Alive! Friends of Our National Marine Sanctuary, a great way to get involved.

The purpose of this website is to promote an informed constituency for wise use of our ocean resources.  Please feel free to share your comments or questions, or to begin a dialogue (below).