Marxan Workshop Materials

Posted by & filed under Department of Fish and Wildlife, Reports, Washington Sea Grant, WCMAC.

Thanks to many of you who were able to join the Spatial Analysis Workshop. If you were unable to attend or are looking for more information about what was discussed, some materials are available here for you. Marxan Overview Marxan Presentation Renewable Energy Examples Small Group Handout Full Video Additionally, the PNNL report was referenced… Read more »

Graduate student completes a spatial analysis for Washington’s waters

Posted by & filed under Reports.

Mikaela Freeman, a graduate from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs at the University of Washington recently published an article in Marine Policy. The study creates a marine potential conflict index to assess potential conflicts between current marine uses. It also identifies the marine uses that have the highest potential conflict with one another… Read more »

Olympic Coast Survey and Data Collection for Multiple Uses

Posted by & filed under News, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

Read NOAA Coast Survey’s blog post about how the seafloor and water column data from the coast of Washington is now being collected by NOAA’s Ship Rainier high priority data areas. These areas were selected in a seafloor mapping prioritization exercise in 2014. A group of state and federal managers, tribal governments, and academia delineated… Read more »

Q: What is a use analysis? How will the use analysis identify conflicts?

Posted by & filed under Questions and Answers, WCMAC.

A: The use analysis process: Summarizes data on existing uses (such as fishing, aquaculture, recreation, and shipping); Assesses where those existing uses would interact with potential new uses (such as renewable energy); Informs the development of recommendations. Image is a visual representation of combining data layers into a map series for the use analysis.  … Read more »

DFW maps seabird habitats and marine mammal haulout locations

Posted by & filed under Department of Fish and Wildlife, Reports.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) created maps detailing the locations of important seabird and mammal areas along the Washington coast and conducted marine mammal aerial surveys. WDFW identified key life history locations including seabird nesting and marine mammal haulouts. Additionally, WDFW estimated population sizes and trends for rare and recovering populations of… Read more »

Indicators of Human Well-Being and Economic Health

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, Reports, Washington Sea Grant.

Washington Sea Grant developed robust human dimensions indicators that characterize the coastal communities. These indicators are intended to be part of the integrated ecosystem assessment that the Northwest Fisheries Science Center uses for ecological indicators. Economic indicators The figure below displays the five overarching categories of economic indicators: Demographics, Housing, Employment, Labor earnings, and Competitiveness…. Read more »

Seabird Distribution, Marine Mammal Data, and Seafloor Priorities

Posted by & filed under Reports.

NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) completed three projects to inform Washington’s marine spatial plan: Development of species distribution models for key seabird species along the outer coast of Washington. Evaluation of marine mammal datasets (species distribution models are under development). Prioritization of areas for future seafloor mapping activities and identification of the… Read more »

Ecosystem Models for the Coast – Describing Nature

Posted by & filed under News, Reports.

The Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) developed conceptual peer reviewed models of habitats within Washington State’s marine spatial planning study area that represent important ecological components, physical drivers, and human activities within each habitat. The habitats include the large coastal estuaries of Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay, rocky shores, sandy beaches, kelp forests, seafloor, and… Read more »

Economic Workshop

Posted by & filed under Economic Analysis, WCMAC.

Join Cascade Economics for an in-depth discussion about the Washington Coast draft economic report. Input from the workshop may assist in guiding the final draft of the report.   What: Economic Profile of the Coast Economic Profile of Washington Coast Tribes Recreation and Tourism Commercial Fishing on the Washington Coast Recreational Fishing Social Impact Analysis… Read more »

Final Report Released: Washington Ocean and Coastal Recreation Study

Posted by & filed under Reports.

​The Surfrider Foundation, in partnership with Point 97 and the state of Washington, recently completed a study on the non-consumptive recreational uses along Washington’s coast. Results show that survey respondents spent an average of $117.14 per coastal visit on things such as food, lodging, transportation, and shopping. Each year, recreation brings $481 million dollars to… Read more »