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Ocean Mapping a U.S. Priority

Ocean Mapping a U.S. Priority

By Kristen Fletcher, Faculty Associate-Research, Energy Academic Group

Recent presidential actions have prioritized ocean technology and mapping, including the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Alaska shore. Following the November 2019 White House Summit on Partnerships in Ocean Science and Technology, President Trump issued a Memorandum on Ocean Mapping of the United States Exclusive Economic Zone and the Shoreline and Nearshore of Alaska.

Noting that only 40% of the EEZ has been mapped and that Alaska and the Alaskan Arctic lack the shoreline and nearshore maps available across the U.S., the memorandum calls for the Ocean Policy Committee, led by the Office of Science and Technology Policy and Council on Environmental Quality, to develop a national strategy for mapping, exploring and characterizing the EEZ. It directs NOAA to work with the State of Alaska and Alaska Mapping Executive Committee, which includes DoD representation, to develop a strategy to map the shoreline and nearshore of Alaska. Goals include identifying potential new sources of critical minerals, energy, and other resources and streamlining permitting for exploration, mapping, and research activities in the EEZ. A 10-year strategy to map the Alaskan Coast was released in June. This effort will be critical in defense readiness in the Arctic which is experiencing some of the globe’s most rapid climate-related changes.

In response to the 2019 Presidential Memorandum, the Ocean Policy Committee released several documents in June detailing mapping strategies for the EEZ and Alaska shoreline and recommendations for increasing permitting efficiency. The National Strategy for Mapping, Exploring and Characterizing the US EEZ includes calls for interagency coordination for mapping, and developing and maturing science and technology for mapping. It establishes a council to coordinate approaches and prioritizes public-private partnerships and the utilization of federal platforms, such as Navy oceanographic ships and Coast Guard ice breakers, to accomplish these goals.

LEARN MORE

White House Ocean Policy Initiatives are available at https://www.whitehouse.gov/ceq/initiatives/ocean-policy/

Executive Orders and other Presidential Actions are available at: https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/

The Mapping the Coast of Alaska strategy is available at:
https://iocm.noaa.gov/about/documents/strategic-plans/alaska-mapping-strategy-june2020.pdf

Contact Kristen Fletcher at kristen.fletcher@nps.edu

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