Economic Scorecard Helps Coastal Communities Assess Best Places for Offshore Wind Facilities

Although other nations have used offshore wind facilities for decades, the technology is relatively new to the U.S. and the growth potential is large. Some communities, however, are concerned that wind facilities might have a negative impact on coastal tourism and recreation. For this reason a “scorecard” was developed that ranks potential impacts for 113 Atlantic coast geographies, primarily counties. Community profiles were also created for the 70 counties most vulnerable to negative impacts from wind energy facilities.

This information is used by counties assessing the pros and cons of wind energy facilities. The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management created these assessments using economic data provided through NOAA’s Digital Coast and their Economics: National Ocean Watch initiative. (2016)

More information: coast.noaa.gov/dataregistry/search/collection/info/enow

Partners: Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, IFC Incorporated, NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Community Boosts Future Flood Resilience during Post-Sandy Recovery

Post-Superstorm Sandy proved to be an ideal time for the Brigantine Island community to implement comprehensive flood-resilience plans. Actions included elevating the only road on and off the island; improving zoning and floodplain ordinances; replacing a major city well; and building and strengthening barriers around the island’s bayside and oceanfront. Officials also increased freeboard requirements above and beyond what the state requires. (Freeboard refers to the mandated height above a structure’s high-water mark.) Houses where base flood elevation is nine feet are now required to have three feet of freeboard. Houses with base flood elevation of 10 or 11 feet must have two feet of freeboard.

These actions enabled the City of Brigantine Beach to upgrade their Community Resilience Rating from a 6 to a 5, qualifying for insurance rate reductions under the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program. Future resilience steps will include an early-warning system for tidal flooding and a reverse 911 system to alert residents when their property is at risk from a storm.

NOAA played a role in these efforts. The “Getting to Resilience” self-evaluation process facilitated by the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve helped city officials understand their resilience strengths and weaknesses as well as their planning needs. Digital Coast sea level rise maps helped officials understand future flooding risks. Many post-Sandy grants from local, state, and federal sources also supported the resilience efforts.

More information: prepareyourcommunitynj.org

Partners: Atlantic County Long-Term Recovery Group, BrigStrong, City of Brigantine Beach, Coastal Coalition, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation , New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Economic Development Authority, New Jersey Environmental Infrastructure Trust, New Jersey Governor’s Office of Rebuilding and Recovery, U.S. Department of the Interior

Turning to Nature to Address Coastal Erosion

Superstorm Sandy dramatically impacted the coast of New Jersey. Not only did physical aspects of the shoreline change, but so did coastal communities. People started rethinking how coastal resources are managed. Using a grant from NOAA, The Nature Conservancy launched the New Jersey Resilient Coastlines Initiative, which includes a focus on nature-based solutions for addressing erosion and flooding.

Under this initiative various organizations and experts came together to solidify smart policies and obtain the tools, training, and information needed to make the region more resilient. The Restoration Explorer tool was developed to help communities find the right nature-based solutions, such as to bio-log living shorelines, restore oyster reefs or the beach, or whatever solution is best for each site’s particular needs.

Another positive development from this initiative is the community resource guide, which explores potential and existing living shoreline projects within 19 coastal communities. A “future habitat” application was also created to help people visualize areas of salt marsh most likely to succumb to sea level rise by 2050, which is useful to know when prioritizing marsh restoration and enhancement efforts.

During the outreach phase, more than one community member said without this information they would have moved forward with a bulkhead, which, at this point in time, is easier and quicker to design and permit in New Jersey. Demonstrating the impact of a living shoreline, and providing communities with helpful information about this topic, is increasing positive perceptions and making nature-based solutions more likely.

Partners: American Littoral Society, Barnegat Bay Partnership, NOAA, Partnership for the Delaware Estuary, Rutgers University, Stevens Institute of Technology, The Nature Conservancy

Marine Debris Removal Grant Used to Exorcise Ghosts of Crabbers Past

Ghost pots—crab traps that have been lost from storms or cut lines—damage sensitive habitats, create navigational hazards, and continue to trap and kill various marine species, including harvestable crabs (a phenomenon called ghost fishing). To remove these pots, commercial crabbers are working with Stockton University and Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve on a project funded by a NOAA Community-based Marine Debris Removal Grant.

Since beginning in 2012, the project has employed side-scan sonar to map about 3,000 traps. Crabbers use the data to zero in on the ghost pots with their own equipment, and to date they’ve recovered about 1,500 lost traps. Those that are marked and in good condition are returned to their owners, and unusable traps are recycled. In addition to removal efforts, this project is conducting education and outreach activities focusing on recreational boaters and crabbers, and training commercial crabbers to be peer leaders in this effort.

More information: nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/Hidden-Hazards-in-Jersey-Shore-Bay-for-Boaters_Philadelphia-372292441.html

Partners: Conserve Wildlife Foundation, Great Egg Harbor Watershed Association, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, Marine Academy of Technology and Environmental Science, Monmouth University, NOAA, ReClam the Bay, Rutgers University, Stockton University

Thirty Years of Fishery Data Now Available

Analysis of 30 years’ worth of larval fish samples from three research reserves is now available through www.SEAMAP.org. Fisheries management decisions throughout the Mid-Atlantic region are benefiting from this information. Access to these data is helping people expand their understanding of current conditions and changes, including the relative abundance of species and community composition. The project is also broadening the impact of the reserves’ system-wide environmental monitoring data by integrating these data with the fisheries data. For example, the two data sets together allow researchers to analyze larval winter flounder data relative to climate change. The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, in partnership with Rutgers University and research reserves in the Carolinas, created the portal. (2016)

More information: www.nerra.org/projects/connecting-the-dots-between-data-and-atlantic-fisheries-management

Partners: Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve, North Inlet-Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Rutgers University

New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary Restoration – a Look Back and Forward

Since 2009, Harbor Estuary, the most densely developed urban estuary in the nation, has benefited from an investment of over $1 billion to create over 80 habitat restoration and land conservation projects, which includes over 200 acres of restored wetlands and over 500 acres of new or enhanced parks and public spaces. A comprehensive report was written about the results and identifies seven priority actions that officials can consider to address climate change and sea level rise in future restoration efforts. (2016)

More information: Restoring the New York–New Jersey Harbor Estuary: Ensuring Ecosystem Resilience and Sustainability in a Changing Environment

Partners: Hudson River Foundation, National Park Service, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, The Nature Conservancy, New York–New Jersey Harbor and Estuary Program, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, New York City Department of Environmental Protection, New York/New Jersey Baykeeper, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, The Trust for Public Land, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

CZM and Reserves Partner with Cities to Increase Community Resilience

In the wake of damages from Post-Tropical Cyclone Sandy, coastal New Jersey communities are acutely aware of community vulnerability and are looking for ways to improve resilience. Over 30 municipalities are using the Getting to Resilience self-assessment website, developed by the state’s coastal zone management program, to increase preparedness by linking planning, mitigation, and adaptation. Implementing some of the suggested actions is also helping constituents get cheaper flood insurance rates through FEMA’s Community Rating System.

The local Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve is assisting in this effort by working alongside municipal staff members and providing helpful data and tools. Tools include the New Jersey specific-Coastal Hazard Profiler and the NOAA Digital Coast’s Coastal Flood Exposure Mapper. The work with each community occurs over several meetings, after which reserve staff members are able to write specific recommendations aimed at increasing community resilience. The recommendations come complete with digital and hard copy maps. (2016)

More information: coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/stories/jc-nerr

Partners: Barnegat Bay Partnership, Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, NOAA Office for Coastal Management, New Jersey Coastal Management Program, Rutgers University, Sustainable Jersey