All Science & Stakeholder Projects
Please find a complete listing of recent and ongoing Science & Stakeholder projects below. This list represents a compilation of work by multiple groups and individuals. As indicated, some projects were led and conducted entirely by the state (EEA/CZM) while others were either partially or completely directed and supported by SeaPlan/MOP—follow the project title/link to access more information about an individual project.
If you have any questions or comments, please do not hesitate to contact us via online submission, email or phone.
| Social Capital Development to Improve Decision Making Capability |
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| Project Title: | Primary Goal: | Status: | Primary Participants: |
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Support development, implementation and evolution of an Ecosystem-based Marine Spatial Plan for Massachusetts and to leverage those products, processes and lessons to inform other regional, national and international MSP initiatives |
Ongoing |
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Cultivate social capital through: convening informal venues that facilitate cross-sector dialogue, keeping MOP Partners informed, and building capacity among Partners to participate meaningfully in ocean planning processes |
Ongoing |
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Provide guidance and support to ensure successful MOP programmatic implementation |
Ongoing |
MOP Governing Board Members; MOP Committee Members; MOP Staff |
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Obtain input from general public and ocean stakeholders for MA Ocean Plan development |
Completed |
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Formal advisory body for EEA planning process; Stakeholder inclusion |
Completed; More Expected |
OAC (with MOP Partner representation); EEA; MOP; General Public; Numerous MOP Partners |
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Formal vehicle for scientific input to EEA planning process; Stakeholder inclusion |
Completed; More Expected |
SAC (with MOP Partner representation); EEA; MOP; General Public; Numerous MOP Partners |
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Obtain targeted input from key ocean use stakeholders |
Completed; More Planned |
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Review preliminary MA OMP products and obtain input from general public and ocean stakeholders |
Completed; More Expected |
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Formal public review of Draft MA OMP; Obtain input from general public and ocean stakeholders |
Completed |
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Dissemination of products, processes and lessons to advance the practice of CMSP |
Ongoing |
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Document, distill and disseminate methods and strategies employed to share successes and pitfalls with fellow practitioners |
Ongoing |
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Keep MOP Partners abreast of current ocean planning work in MA; provide access to all MOP projects and products |
Ongoing |
MOP Staff; C&P; Ambidextrous Graphica; 3 Sq; Moody Street Picts; McConnell Productions; COMPASS |
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| Indicators of Ecological, Economic, Social and Governance Change |
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Project Title: |
Primary Goal: |
Status: |
Participants: |
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Develop a set of indicators to measure the effectiveness of MA Ocean Plan implementation |
Indicators Selected; Additional work In Progress |
MOP, EEA, UMB – UHI & EEOS, NOAA CSC, US EPA, MWRA, GoME Council – ESIP |
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Improve collaboration among northeast regional indicator initiatives |
In Progress |
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Synthesize select measures to develop innovative ways of communicating and visualizing ecological and socioeconomic status and trends and of illustrating and articulating the linkage between human well being and ecosystem productivity/resilience |
In Progress |
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| Policy & Management Goal Setting and Decision Making |
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Project Title: |
Primary Goal: |
Status: |
Participants: |
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Reports the findings and recommendations of the MA Ocean Management Task Force which called for comprehensive ocean management planning for MA coastal waters |
Completed |
MA Ocean Task force participants included government, industry, science and conservation interests |
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Mandated development and implementation of a comprehensive ocean management plan for MA state waters within a specific timeframe |
Completed |
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Survey other relevant planning frameworks for lessons and components applicable to MA |
Completed |
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Develop options for key components of the MA Ocean Planning process and decision making structure |
Completed |
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Reports the findings of President Obama’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force which established guiding principles and nine priorities for a national ocean policy; and set forth a science based, stakeholder guided framework for CMSP at a national scale |
Interim Report on National Ocean Policy issues September 2009; Interim CMSP Framework issued December 2009 Final CMSP Framework and accompanying Executive Order expected in 2010. |
CEQ Task Force Members |
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The Northeast Regional Ocean Council is a state and federal partnership with the goal of engaging in regional protection and balanced use of ocean and coastal resources. |
On going |
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The draft MA Ocean Plan and subsequent 6-month comment period afforded stakeholders the opportunity to shape the final plan. |
Completed |
EEA/CZM Planning Teams, MOP Governing Board, staff and contractors |
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To balance wise use with protection of ocean resources in support of resilient ecosystems and sustainable economies |
Completed |
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| National Ocean Policy | Using the guiding principles and nine priorities that President Obama’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force established, the National Ocean Policy will pursue a science-based and stakeholder-guided approach to ocean management planning on a national scale. | On going | This is the official listing of initial participants from the White House website http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/about |
| Tools to Inform Decision Making |
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Project Title: |
Primary Goal: |
Status: |
Participants: |
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Understand the compatibilities between and among ocean uses and ocean resources |
Completed |
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Provide a catalogue of planning tools and their potential for application in coastal and marine spatial planning in MA and elsewhere |
Completed |
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Implement and advance a framework for assessing the impacts associated with multiple uses |
In Progress |
MOP; NCEAS; EEA; Stone; Stellwagan Bank NMS, TNC and 65+ survey experts and numerous data providers |
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Develop methodologies to model the tradeoffs between five ecosystem services and create a suitable front-end tool for use by broader audiences |
In Progress |
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| Integrated Data Network |
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Project Title: |
Primary Goal: |
Status: |
Participants: |
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Integrate and analyze key datasets for the development of the MA Ocean Plan |
Completed |
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Provide an online catalogue of coastal and ocean data |
Completed; more work in progress |
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Develop design concept and recommendations for implementation of a data network |
Completed |
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Provide demonstration of data network concepts to promote technological innovation and data sharing |
In Progress |
MOP; ASA; NOAA; EEA; NERACOOS; NEODP; Canada DFO; Univ. of Dalhousie |
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Improve current MA ocean data portal to enhance access to ocean data and promote data sharing |
In Progress |
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Develop a northeast regional data portal to support and facilitate data sharing and accessibility |
In Progress |
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| Data: Social and Economic |
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Project Title: |
Primary Goal: |
Status: |
Participants: |
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Provide baseline data to inform the planning process |
Completed |
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Initial assessment of MA coastal communities’ relationship to the ocean (focusing on four human uses). |
Completed |
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Assess options for quantifying the economic impact of new uses on commercial fishing |
Completed |
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Enhance integration of economic methods into coastal management by bringing economists and managers together |
Completed |
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Improve our understanding of recreational boating activity and its value |
In Progress |
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Improve our understanding of MA commercial fisheries for use in marine spatial planning |
Project Being Scoped with MOP Partners; partial funding secured through MOP |
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| Data: Ecological and Physical |
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Project Title: |
Primary Goal: |
Status: |
Participants: |
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Provide baseline data to inform the planning process |
Completed |
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Support the State’s assessment of the EVI and make recommendations for potential future adaptation/application |
Completed |
MOP, EEA, MRAG, Members of the SAC, Duke, UMD (Maryland), UCSB-NCEAS, Beta Scientific Consulting |
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Develop database and related data products for key oceanographic parameters from 1990-2010 |
In Progress |
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| Habitat Imagery | Analyze images of the seafloor to understand associations between species and different bottom types (mud, sand, gravel, rock) | In Progress | MOP, EEA, WHOI |