Update on Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC)

In quite a few meetings and conference calls, I’ve heard people ask what the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC) is and what it’s doing. Usually they’ve only heard that it was set up a couple years ago by the governors of the northeastern states to advance regional ocean management. Other than that, NROC seems to be a mystery to lots of people engaged in ocean management and policy. NROC (apparently) doesn’t have its own website, and googling turns up surprisingly little info. To shed some light on the matter, here are documents that describe NROC’s purpose and activities: Update on NROC (Sept 2008), NROC Report to Governors (October 2007), and Oceans Resolution (June 2007). Here’s an excerpt from the 1st document, dated Sept 2008:

In 2005 (and subsequent years) the NEGC/ECP [New England Governors and Eastern Canadian Premiers] passed resolutions that created and provided direction to the Oceans Working Committee (OWC). (In the initial resolve they created the Northeast Regional Ocean Council to serve as the US component of the OWC.) The geographic extent of the OWC initiative is from Newfoundland – Labrador to Connecticut.

Corporate responsibility, social justice, ethics…and fisheries?

Interesting article in the new issue of Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. The authors argue that corporate responsibility, social justice, and ethics are the most important issues to address for successful fisheries management. Their ideas are noteworthy as another attempt to think in terms of linked socio-ecological systems, instead of just the ecological system. More and more people are trying to do so, and it seems like a fruitful new direction not only for resource management but basic ecological research. However, I’m not convinced that a focus on philosophy and ethics, as suggested in this article, is going to pay off on a practical level for resource management. You really can’t change people’s viewpoints to conform to a particular philosophy or set of ethics. I believe that a more promising approach is to work holistically on integrating economics and ecology to support management decisions. As part of this approach, philosophical and ethical values can be factored into management decisions through economic models. Thoughts?

Bundy A, Chuenpagdee R, Jentoft S, Mahon R. 2008. If science is not the answer, what is? An alternative governance model for the world’s fisheries. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment: 6(3):152–155.

Gulf of Maine Science Symposium in the works

The Regional Association for Research on the Gulf of Maine (RARGOM) has begun to plan a major symposium to be held in 2009. The Gulf of Maine Science Symposium will have sessions and presentations on the state of scientific knowledge about the Gulf of Maine, management of marine resources, and future needs for science and management. It’s envisioned as a gathering of policy makers, managers, marine industry, natural scientists, social scientists, and non-governmental organizations. The symposium will take place October 4-9, 2009, in St. Andrews, New Brunswick. DFO/St. Andrews Biological Station, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, and COMPASS are convening the symposium in collaboration with RARGOM.

Articles on ocean observing

There are several articles on ocean observing in Coastal Management, Volume 36, Issue 2:

Estimating the Economic Benefits of Regional Ocean Observing Systems
Authors: Hauke Kite-Powell; Charles Colgan; Rodney Weiher

The Potential Economic Benefits of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems: The Southeast Atlantic Region
Authors: Christopher F. Dumas; John C. Whitehead

The Economics of Using Ocean Observing Systems to Improve Beach Closure Policy
Authors: Linwood Pendleton

Cost and User Profile of a Coastal Ocean Observing System
Authors: Evan Richert; Philip Bogden; Josie Quintrell

Potential Benefits of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems to Alaskan Commercial Fisheries
Authors: Katharine F. Wellman; Marcus Hartley

A Bayesian Methodology for Estimating the Impacts of Improved Coastal Ocean Information on the Marine Recreational Fishing Industry
Authors: Kenneth Wieand

Ecology of the Northeast Continental Shelf

Here’s a handy 24-page booklet written by Michael Fogarty of NMFS Northeast Fisheries Science Center. Info ranges from fairly basic to more advanced — something for everyone. Well written and useful beyond fisheries. Nice illustrations showing how the ecosystem functions.

Ecology of the Northeast Continental Shelf: Toward an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (PDF, 996 KB)

Table of Contents: Foreword; Monitoring the Ecosystem; Ecosystem Drivers; Fueling the Ecosystem; Habitat and Benthos; Life in the Water Column; Fish Communities; Food Habits; Protected Resources; The Steps Ahead