Interior’s Ocean and Coastal Role:
As the principal resource steward of our Nation’s Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes Resources, the Interior Department uses science-based management to inform conservation, responsible use, and to increase our understanding of the environment. Interior is responsible for protecting and providing access to these significant resources and works with other federal agencies and partners to accomplish Interior mission goals.
Through diverse programs and responsibilities for scientific research, cultural preservation, energy and wildlife management, Interior manages and conserves ocean and coastal lands and waters to protect native species and their habitats, provide recreational opportunities for the public, and ensure safe and responsible natural resource energy development. Interior scientists conduct extensive ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes research and mapping to predict, assess, and manage impacts on coastal and marine environments. In collaboration with our partners, Interior integrates effective multiple-use management from upland ecosystems to deep oceanic waters.
 The Department of Interior is participating in the 6th National Conference on Coastal and Estuarine Habitat Restoration.
Tampa Convention Center, Florida
October 20-24, 2012
Download Request for Proposals
Interior co-hosted the Coastal Zone 11 Conference
 Interior’s Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes responsibilities range from coast to coast and beyond, including all 50 states and territories, watersheds, coastlines, wetlands and open ocean areas in the Atlantic, Pacific, Arctic, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean Sea including:
- More than 35,000 miles of coastline
- 34 million acres in 84 marine and coastal National Parks (managed by the National Park Service)
- 180 marine and coastal National Wildlife Refuges (managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
- 1.7 billion underwater acres of Outer Continental Shelf (managed by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement)
- 1,100 miles of coastline of the California Coastal National Monument (managed by the Bureau of Land Management)
- Hundreds of thousands of square miles in marine national monuments managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service including the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument (co-managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NOAA and the State of Hawaii)
- Marianas Trench Marine National Monument (managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
- Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument (managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
- Rose Atoll Marine National Monument (managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service)
- Extensive ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes research and mapping by the U.S. Geological Survey and other Interior agencies to predict, assess, and manage impacts on coastal and marine environments.
Interior supports the National Ocean Policy:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/oceans/policy
On January 12, 2012, the White House released the draft National Ocean Policy Implementation Plan for public comment. This draft Plan identifies key actions that will move us toward fulfilling our national vision:
"An America whose stewardship ensures that the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes are healthy and resilient, safe and productive, and understood and treasured so as to promote the well being, prosperity, and security of present and future generations."
Interior’s bureaus are actively involved in the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force and contribute to National Ocean Policy planning in many ways. Some examples include:
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Interior contributes important geospatial data that bring Federal, state, and tribal partners together to jointly plan for the future of the ocean, our coasts, and Great Lakes through the Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning process. By 2015, all Federal non-classified geospatial data and information will be available through the interagency Ocean.Data.Gov web portal.
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Interior manages 1.7 billion underwater acres of Outer Continental Shelf. The offshore 5-year oil and gas leasing program and the “Smart from the Start” offshore renewable energy program will both greatly benefit from this coastal and marine spatial planning.
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Interior manages 34 million acres in 84 marine and coastal National Parks and 180 marine and coastal National Wildlife Refuges with ecosystem-based management. This enables Interior to provide scientific and management expertise to guide large-scale conservation and restoration initiatives on national, regional, state and local levels.
The public can read the draft plan and submit comments at www.whitehouse.gov/oceans until Feb. 27.
Learn more:
Proceedings of a Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning Workshop for the Western United States
A new report shares the proceedings from a two-day workshop convened on December 1–2, 2010, for DOI representatives and several key non-DOI participants with roles in CMSP. The meeting was a step toward clarifying national perspectives and consequences of the National Ocean Policy for the Western U.S.
An overarching theme was to promote a better understanding of current and future science needs. The workshop format included briefings by key Federal agencies on their understanding of the national focus followed by discussion of regional issues, including the needs for scientific information and coordination.
Meeting discussions helped to develop an understanding of Coastal Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) from the federal perspective and to identify regional priorities. The workshop also explored potential science contributions by Federal agencies and others; utilizing current capabilities, data, and information systems; and provided a foundation for possible future regional workshops focusing in turn on the West Coast Region (California, Oregon, and Washington), Pacific Islands (sometimes referred to as Oceania) and Alaska. |
Interior supports Regional Partnerships:
Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes Regional Alliances
States have increasingly joined together to address ocean and coastal issues on a regional basis. Interior co-chairs many of the Federal Interagency Working Groups that provide support to Regional Alliances, which address common concerns among the States, local, Tribal and our Federal partners. These partnerships also strengthen and enhance regional initiatives between the bureaus to better leverage and more effectively manage our resources in support of our ocean and coastal interests. Interior is the Federal lead representative on the Northeast Regional Council and co-lead for the Federal Working Group. Interior also co-leads Federal Working Groups supporting the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean, and the West Coast Governor's Agreement and is a member of the Great Lakes Regional Collaboration and Chesapeake Bay Program. In Alaska, Interior participates actively in the North Slope Science Initiative, the Alaska Ocean Observing System, and the North Pacific Research Board.
For more information, please visit each regional alliance's webpage:
Interior supports the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force:
http://www.coralreef.gov/
Interior co-leads the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force with NOAA. Interior’s bureaus play important roles in coral reef conservation.
- The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service manages 15 coral reef National Wildlife Refuges and 4 National Marine Monuments which represent the largest and most ecologically comprehensive series of fully-protected marine areas under unified conservation management in the world.
- The Bureau of Ocean Management, Regulation, and Enforcement has sponsored long-term monitoring in the coral reef ecosystem of the Flower Garden Banks located in the Gulf of Mexico.
- The National Park Service has 10 National Parks in the Pacific, Florida and the Caribbean with coral reef ecosystems.
- The Office of Insular Affairs, through its Coral Reef Initiative, funds coral reef conservation and management projects in the US insular areas.
- The U.S. Geological Survey developed a “Strategic Science for Coral Ecosystems 2007-2011,” a comprehensive planning document encompassing marine reserves and reef structure, pollution and local impacts, and responses to global change. http://pubs.usgs.gov/circ/1364/
DOI supports the Ocean Biogeographic Information System
The USGS Ocean Biogeographic Information System-USA (OBIS-USA) provides access to an important collection of data on the occurrence of marine organisms in US waters. Through OBIS-USA, scientists, decision makers and the public have access to a set of data that is as comprehensive — spatially, taxonomically, and temporally — as possible. Users may locate, view and download aggregated data sets (or records) of interest. Learn more: OBIS-USA
Processes for bringing data into OBIS-USA are designed to capture full data quality while minimizing the burden on participants. OBIS-USA works with data holders (participants) to understand the best process to transfer the data, review the data prior to their release, and then allow public access. This process of becoming part of the OBIS-USA network frees the participant’s resources from responding to requests for data and alleviates much of the concern for security since the users do not directly access the participant’s computers or the original data sets. The collection includes data from state and federal agencies, as well as educational and research institutions.
The search mechanisms include query paths through metadata, geography, taxonomy or individual data sets. The site provides summary data about what is contained in each dataset, number of records and quality of the data sets. The site also offers summaries of dataset contents, such as extent of biological detail and taxonomic definition available, to assist users in evaluating suitability for use. The data are available in accordance with the Darwin Core data standard which promotes data interoperability. In addition to basic download (tab-delimited), OBIS-USA offers web services for query flexibility and a wide range of output formats, such as kml, NetCDF, MATLAB, json, graph and map output, and more, to enable diverse types of scientific and geospatial data use and analysis platforms and products. |
Newsletters and Features:
A collection of features highlighting Interior Ocean and Coastal activities.
Other Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes Newsletters of Interest:
Science Informing Decision Making:
Bureaus:
 The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) works closely with academic institutions, state, and other Federal agencies. USGS is spearheading an effort to better understand the processes that affect the health and sustainability of our Nation's coral reefs. To learn more about USGS coastal and science research, read their Sound Waves newsletter.
At right: U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy during a USGS cruise to map the floor of the Arctic Ocean.
(http://soundwaves.usgs.gov/2008/09/fieldwork2.html) |
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The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement (BOEMRE) plays a key role in America’s energy supply by managing renewable and mineral resources on the 1.7 billion acres of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS), a significant source of our Nation’s energy supply. The agency is responsible for overseeing the safe and environmentally responsible development of our Nation’s traditional and renewable ocean energy and mineral resources. BOEMRE publishes Ocean Science, a science and technology journal. |
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 The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) manages the 550-unit National Wildlife Refuge System, 180 of which are found in marine, coastal, and Great Lakes environments, including Pelican Island (see right) in Florida, America's first National Wildlife Refuge designated by President Teddy Roosevelt
in 1903.
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 The National Park Service (NPS) manages 84 coastal Parks with over 86 million annual recreation visits, including the Point Reyes National Seashore in California (see right) where over 45% of North American avian species are found due to the wide variety of habitats and unique geology. (http://www.nps.gov/pore/index.htm).
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 The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) works with a wide variety of partners to protect the California Coastal National Monument (see right), a unique collection of the public lands consisting of a network of more than 20,000 small islands, rocks, exposed reefs, and pinnacles that provide a haven for animals and plants along the 1,100 miles of the California coast.
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 The Office of Insular Affairs (OIA) is working with the U.S.-affiliated insular areas to protect coral reefs. Through the Micronesia Challenge, Palau, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, Guam, and the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands committed to protect at least 30 percent of near-shore marine resources and 20 percent of terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.
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For More Information About Ocean, Coastal and Great Lakes Activities at the Department of the Interior
Please Contact:
Terry Holman, DOI Ocean and Coastal Activities Coordinator
Mail Stop 5120
1849 C Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20240
Telephone: 202-208-1944
Fax: 202-208-1067
E-mail: Terry_Holman@ios.doi.gov
Ann B. Tihansky
Communications Specialist/Physical Scientist
U.S. Department of the Interior
Ocean, Coasts and Great Lakes Activities
1849 C Street NW, Room 3519
MS-3530 MIB
Washington, DC 20240
tel: 202-208-3342
E-mail: ann_tihansky@ios.doi.gov |
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