OA Alliance Hosts Workshop for U.S. Mid-Atlantic Policy makers
The majority of the Mid-Atlantic coastal states are pursuing OA Action Planning either as stand-alone efforts or as part of broader coastal/ocean planning efforts.
On October 26, the OA Alliance partnered with The Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification Network (MACAN) to host a workshop for state policy makers and scientists, “Supporting OA Action Planning and Implementation in the Mid-Atlantic.”
This workshop sought to connect researchers, state agencies, and/or representatives from state legislatures from across the Mid-Atlantic region to help inform OA Action planning with an emphasis on identifying associated data/ information needs for management and coordinating monitoring where appropriate.
Objectives of the workshop included:
Sharing OA Action Planning progress, lessons-learned and next steps regarding state OA Action Planning efforts.
Deepening understanding about the science relevant for implementing OA Action Plans. (Where are the gaps? Are there targeted research projects that would help fill those gaps?)
Identifying opportunities for Mid-Atlantic states to coordinate on monitoring and/or data sharing at the regional (or water body) scale.
Discussing pathways for setting up a regional OA observation network, beginning with a regional asset inventory.
An official meeting summary is being prepared and will be issued in January of 2022. Outcomes will inform further collaborations between MACAN and OA Alliance U.S. Member States.