Among the new data now available on the website are:

• A compilation of aquaculture sites in Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maine that is developed in collaboration with the states and informed by industry.
• A map of recreational boating activity based on the results of the 2012 Northeast Recreational Boater Survey. This map serves as a precursor to additional recreational information that will come out of this partnership with boaters and the boating industry.
• Maps of pilot boarding areas; naval range restricted areas; safety, security, and regulated areas; and marine mammal management areas developed at the recommendation of the maritime commerce sector.
• More maps of marine life, including data sets on marine mammals, sea turtles, plankton, and fish provided by the NOAA Northeast Fisheries Science Center and The Nature Conservancy. These initial maps provide a starting point for discussions with stakeholders about the appropriate characterization of natural resources in support of ocean planning.

We have also improved access to and display of the data, including:

• New interactive maps for data related to fish, plankton, sea turtles, and recreation.
• Updates to existing interactive maps with new data related to aquaculture, maritime commerce, and energy.
• A redesigned data viewer, providing more effective access to our entire data catalog, including the ability to search for data by keyword.

The Working Group is continuing to work with stakeholders and government agencies to further refine these data and maps, and soon it will make additional data sets available to help support ocean planning and decision making in the Northeast.

The website’s most exciting new feature is a set of simple interactive maps on key topics in the northeast region. Maps currently available focus on aquaculture, energy, maritime commerce, and marine mammals. Each map shows information that is relevant to the topic.

By greatly simplifying the user interface and presenting only a few types of data at a time, we are making it much easier for people with little or no technical expertise to explore the data and to gain new insights into each of the topics. These maps are intended to change and improve, and new maps will be added over time. We are working with many organizations to obtain new information, identify data needs, and determine the best way to display information about ocean resources and activities.

The newly redesigned home page provides one-click access to the interactive maps. New interactive maps for commercial fishing, recreation, and other marine life are being developed and will be posted soon.

Nearly all content from the previous version of the website is still available on the redesigned site. The content has been updated and reorganized to make it more user friendly. In addition to the new interactive maps, the website provides the Northeast Ocean Data Viewer, downloadable data, external data sources, and a compilation of policies and standards related to ocean planning in the northeast region.

We are continuing to develop the Northeast Ocean Data website as a valuable tool for stakeholders and government agencies engaged in regional ocean planning. Please tell us what you think about the interactive maps and redesigned site.

Among the enhancements to the Northeast Ocean Data Viewer are faster loading of data layers and the addition of bathymetry data from three external sources: University of New Hampshire Center for Coastal Ocean Mapping, NOAA National Geophysical Data Center, and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management. Many additional upgrades are included in the new version of the Viewer, which is an easy-to-use interactive map of data on ocean uses, environmental features, and political and administrative boundaries.

Contained in the new and improved databases is a high-resolution dataset on commercial vessel traffic derived from one year of Automatic Identification System (AIS) data. The dataset was created through a cooperative effort between the NOAA Coastal Services Center, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, and The Nature Conservancy. Another significant addition to the geospatial databases is a ten-year dataset on the average numbers of fishing trips made with fishing gear such as trawls, dredges, and pots and traps.

Check out the enhanced Northeast Ocean Data Viewer
Download the new databases

The Northeast Ocean Data Portal is featured on the new site, and members of the Working Group and our partners in the planning and data community had an opportunity to comment and provide quotes on the prototype portal.  We look forward to continuing to work with our national and regional partners to improve access to data and tools to support ocean planning and management.

Since the initial release of the Portal in June 2011, the Working Group has focused on developing regional data products for the priorities defined by the Northeast Regional Ocean Council, and enhancing functionality to improve data access and analysis capabilities.

The second release of the Portal is highlighted by the addition of the following datasets to our catalogue:

Administrative and Regulatory

• Massachusetts Area Under Consideration for Potential Wind Energy Development
• Rhode Island/Massachusetts Area of Mutual Interest for Future Offshore Renewable Energy Development

Ocean Uses

• AIS Vessel Density (Large Vessel Traffic from Automatic Identification System)
• Cable Areas
• Energy Facilities
• Pipeline Areas
• Recreational Fishing Vessel Trips
• Shellfish Classified Areas

Biological Resources

• Coastal Wetlands

Demography (new data category)

• Economics National Ocean Watch Data (2006 – 2009)
• Population by County
• Population by State

The release is also highlighted by a suite of functionality enhancements that have been incorporated into the Northeast Ocean Data Viewer—resulting in a new look and feel, a more user-friendly design, and prototypical analysis tools. The Viewer now has enhanced data extraction capabilities, a search by location feature, and updates to the design of the layer list, external sources window, and system tool icons.

Lastly, additions have been made to the external sources datasets, representing the Working Group’s commitment to continuously linking to outside sources to facilitate a one-stop data shop for ocean and coastal resource managers in the Northeast.  The Viewer’s external source datasets have been updated to include new products from the Multipurpose Marine Cadastre:

• Department of Defense Oil and Gas Stipulation Areas
• Navy Aviation Warning Areas
• Navy Operation Areas

The Working Group invites your comments on the new design of the website, the added datasets, and functionality enhancements.

The National Workshop, as called for in the National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes, brought together federal, state, tribal, and regional representatives to develop an understanding of the CMSP process, begin to build a community of future CMSP practitioners, and consider next steps for regional implementation.

Gathering public feedback through this workshop was a critical step toward implementing a National Ocean Policy, as established by Executive Order under President Obama. After this national session, regional workshops were planned to provide additional opportunities for public engagement.