Sea Technology

AUG 2012

The industry's recognized authority for design, engineering and application of equipment and services in the global ocean community

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"When all data layers are presented simultaneously, the overly complex presentation makes it difficult to unravel and separate the usage patterns that will be the basis of CMSP. Tropical Pacific Islands, began at the community level, with government sup- port being sought later in the process. Communicating Complex Data Although governments and scientists are good at gathering data on coastal usage patterns by all stakeholders and presenting it in various formats, there is surprisingly little information on stake- holder use, engagement and manage- ment in the evolving and dynamic field of CMSP in the EU and North America. Gathering this type of information is a slow process, without much funding. Prior to GIS, the complexity of available data types (i.e., differing formats and scales) made CMSP a challenge. For the U.S. West Coast, some usage data exists, for instance, concerning ma- rine transportation and shipping, military use, oil and gas deposits, and dredge sources and disposal. But much data has to be ground-truthed or has yet to be gathered, such as for commercial fishing efforts, recreational fishing and boating, scientific research and indigenous cul- tural practices. Government data comes in represen- tational length scales ranging from 20 to 100 kilometers, with high detail but low resolution. GIS technology can help al- leviate this scaling issue. A present focus is regional plots. When all data layers are presented simultaneously, the overly complex presentation makes it difficult to unravel and separate the usage pat- terns that will be the basis of CMSP. Stakeholders in coastal communities are accustomed to handling multiple-use length scale modes but not at the re- gional planning level. Using GIS at small scales better engages stakeholder groups and decision makers. Successful CMSP Techniques A few CMSP programs have focused on local usage patterns first, which are CLEARLY SUPERIOR IMAGING " then nested within larger geographical usage patterns, representing a bottom-up thinking style. The practices imple- mented in these programs have shown the importance of scaling up from exist- ing local use patterns by taking into ac- count community input before making decisions about the location and amount of any coastal development. Alaska. Problems erupted in Alaskan coastal communities in the past decade with the decline in the timber harvest, leveling of fisheries harvests and mining restrictions. Communities sought solu- tions to their economic and social prob- lems but were hampered by restrictive state and federal policies and regula- tions. Alaska Sea Grant's Marine Advisory Program worked closely with local com- munities, providing public education and GIS-based spatial planning to iden- tify and permit new sites and technology. The number of permitted farms in- creased, and support spread to a regional level, with the legislature funding infra- structure projects. Shellfish aquaculture has since grown into a leading economic initiative for Alaska, which shows that working at the community level can break down barriers to progress. Maryland. The Maryland Sea Grant recognized that recent decades saw a precipitous decline in bivalve popula- tions. Concern over the loss of filter-feed- ing bivalves led to new concepts to rebuild coastal stocks. These projects in- clude production techniques that have resulted in the acceptance of restoration aquaculture, creating political support for expanded private aquaculture to help rebuild the industry. Policy groups iden- tified barriers to progress, and political support developed for revising laws to attract investment in the local industry. State agencies were also reorganized to facilitate required permits by developing programs utilizing GIS to educate new www.sea-technology.com The Leader in Underwater Technology Acoustic Releases | USBL | MRU Side Scan Sonar | Sub-bottom Profi lers Bathymetry | AUV & ROV Sonars Combined & Customized Solutions Connect With Us At: For more information, visit EdgeTech.com info@edgetech.com USA 1.508.291.0057 AUGUST 2012 / st 31

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