Multipurpose Marine Cadastre Outcomes
Development of the Multipurpose Marine Cadastre began in 2007. The Cadastre has been used most prominently for permit review and site suitability analysis for energy projects, and it is being integrated increasingly into coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) processes. The following examples illustrate how the Cadastre is used.
The Northeast Ocean Data Portal draws some of its data from the Cadastre. The Portal integrates these data with regional data sets to support regional-scale planning.
- The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) Mapping and Planning Portal, developed by The Nature Conservancy under a contract with the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, contains a compilation of state and local data for regional CMSP efforts from New York to Virginia. To inform such regional planning efforts, authoritative federal spatial data were also required. The MARCO Mapping and Planning Portal directly accesses federal data that are produced, maintained, and made available through the Cadastre. By using web services from the Cadastre, The Nature Conservancy reduced the costs associated with collecting and processing spatial data, while providing state, regional, and local practitioners with the most accurate information.
- The Nature Conservancy is collaborating with several partners to develop a web-based source of data to support CMSP in the northeastern United States from Maine to Connecticut. The Northeast Ocean Data Portal is a decision support and information system for managers, planners, scientists and project proponents involved in coastal and marine spatial planning. The Portal provides access to data, interactive maps, tools, and other information needed for decision making. Some of the data in the Portal are drawn from the Cadastre, and the Portal integrates these data with regional data sets into a format that is useful for regional-scale planning.
- The Cadastre project team is working closely with the National Ocean Council, regional planning bodies, and other agencies to develop systems for storing and distributing data required for CMSP processes.
Next Steps
Currently, the Multipurpose Marine Cadastre does not contain enough biodiversity data to support multi-objective planning efforts intended to address conservation. Following the success of the pilot project with biodiversity data from the eastern United States, The Nature Conservancy is collaborating with federal partners toward integrating more biodiversity data into the Cadastre. Adding these trusted data is essential for the Cadastre to support implementation of CMSPand other elements of the U.S. National Ocean Policy, which mandates multi-objective planning encompassing conservation. Based on this pilot project, the following are among the key recommendations:
- Trusted sources can provide value-added marine habitat and biodiversity data combined from disparate sources to fill authoritative source data gaps.
- Trusted data sources can represent academic research, synthesis of academic and government research, or compiled information from stakeholders. Including these sources of information in CMSP processes will be required to effectively meet management objectives for diverse marine resource uses.
- Incorporating marine habitat and biodiversity information into CMSP applications such as the Cadastre can help influence the planning process to include multiple management objectives. The Nature Conservancy’s regional planning work can influence CMSP at different levels, including (a) processes that focus on a conservation objective (e.g., Marine Life Protection Act), (b) processes that focus on energy objectives (e.g., Multipurpose Marine Cadastre), and (c) processes that consider multiple management objectives, such as conservation and energy (e.g., Venezuela case study).
For More Information
Website: Multipurpose Marine Cadastre
Recorded webinar: Multipurpose Marine Cadastre 2.0
News article from Wind Today: Multipurpose Marine Cadastre Speeds Offshore Site-Screening Process
Contact: nos.csc.mmc@noaa.gov