This project was funded by White House Executive Order 13840: Ocean Policy to Advance the Economic, Security, and Environmental Interests of the United States, emphasizes improved access to and use of federal data. Two federal agencies, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), are leading the effort.
The overall aim of the EO is “to enhance capacity for sharing and integration of Federal and non-Federal data in support of regional coastal, ocean, and Great Lakes management
priorities”. The EO states that “Each region should build upon their existing capacity and priorities to decide the most appropriate use of these funds. IOOS Regional Associations will work together with Regional Ocean Partnerships, in regions where both exist, and coordinate with state coastal resource management programs, to identify highest priority management and associated data needs for current and potential future implementation, pending availability of FY2020 appropriations.
Funds can be used for the following types of activities:
- Collaborate across regional data and state coastal resource management partners to identify goals and actionable steps to address data challenges for priority management issues (can build on needs expressed in the Regional Data Scoping Study Report).
- Characterize regional data sharing and maintenance capabilities, and outline additional capacity needed to improve how the region accesses, analyzes, applies, and maintains/updates data to inform priority management decisions, including roles for regional partners.
- Implement actions articulated by the region, which could range from coordination and planning, to designing data sharing systems, to developing data products that address priority management issues.
Read more about the Initiative on the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) factsheet: Improving Regional Ocean Data Access, Use, and Application.