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

Hampton Roads’ Sea Level Rise Adaptation Advances on Multiple Fronts

Virginia’s Hampton Roads region is experiencing the highest rates of sea-level rise along the entire Atlantic seaboard and is second only to New Orleans as the largest U.S. population center at risk. Forty percent of the local economy comes from U.S. Department of Defense spending, and almost all major military facilities in this region are threatened by sea level rise.

Researchers estimate that three feet of sea level rise here would impact anywhere from 59,059 people (more than four times the population of Williamsburg) to 176,124 people (equal to 84 percent of Richmond’s population). It would cause from 162 to 877 miles of roads to be inundated, either permanently or regularly.

TIn 2008 Virginia’s Coastal Zone Management Program started to invest here in climate change adaptation. Significant funding also flows from this program to other adaptation planning efforts. In Hampton Roads and other large metro areas, the district planning bodies coordinate functions across the municipalities and are often out in front on issues. In more rural areas, district planning bodies often represent the only available planning entity.

The following initiatives are helping Hampton Roads prepare for sea level rise impacts:

• ThRIVe: Resilience in Virginia” is a living-with-water approach that is unifying the region, building water management solutions, improving economic vitality, and strengthening vulnerable neighborhoods.
• The City of Virginia Beach’s adaptation strategy involves relocating new and existing infrastructure. The city received $825,000 from NOAA to put in place adaptation strategies. Virginia Beach’s influence, and their public engagement during this grant project, will benefit the greater Hampton Roads region.
• Efforts spearheaded by the rural Middle Peninsula Planning District led to an adaptation plan focused on the local government’s role in public health, safety, and welfare. The Virginia Coastal Management Program provided funding.
• The Hampton Roads Intergovernmental Pilot on Sea Level Rise is coordinating sea level rise preparedness efforts among the private sector and federal, state, and local agencies.
• The Hampton Roads Planning District Commission has produced local adaptation reports and helps coordinate response across the 17 municipalities in this region.
• The NOAA-supported Hampton Roads Adaptation Forum hosts quarterly meetings of regional professionals to foster coordination, exchange ideas, and share best practices.

More information: governor.virginia.gov/newsroom/newsarticle?articleId=13972

Partners: Accomack-Northampton Planning District Commission, City of Virginia Beach, Hampton Roads Planning District Commission, Middle Peninsula Planning District, NOAA, Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program

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World’s Most Successful Eelgrass Restoration Project

The most successful eelgrass restoration project of its kind is alive and growing on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Seagrass beds improve coastal water quality and positively impact the overall health of the ecosystem. This project’s innovative methods are rapidly expanding eelgrass in this region.

The College of William and Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science team, armed with knowledge garnered from years eelgrass and water quality research, began to rethink efforts to establish eelgrass beds and came up with a new seed harvest and broadcasting distribution approach. The team located prime areas for broadcasting seeds, and in a relatively short time began seeing tremendous results. In 15 years the 57 million seeds broadcast onto 410 acres have spread eelgrass to almost 5,000 acres.

After seeing this success, the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program pulled together multiple agencies and dedicated coastal zone management grant money over six years to restore multiple aspects of the seaside. The program introduced scallops into the seagrass beds—an initial number of 50,000 scallop broodstock—yielding a population of over two million wild scallops in two years.

Partners: Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program, Virginia Seaside Heritage Program

Climate Education Assistance

Many coastal educators find teaching about local climate change impacts to be challenging. Teachers in Virginia requested help with this task, and the Chesapeake Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve responded.

Climate Education for a Changing Bay brings the classroom into the field and provides teachers with a professional development opportunity. During its pilot year, the program reached approximately 75 students and five teachers with classroom visits, schoolyard field experiences, and a second field experience at the Chesapeake Bay Reserve.

Teachers are now more aware of age-appropriate materials and ways to use visualizations and data. The reserve’s staff helped incorporate NOAA Digital Coast tools into teacher training in a continued effort to empower teachers with the knowledge and confidence to teach about climate change and the specific impacts to Chesapeake Bay. (2016)

More information: coast.noaa.gov/digitalcoast/stories/climate-education

Partners: Chesapeake Bay-Virginia National Estuarine Research Reserve, Climate Education for a Changing Bay