Dr. Steve Murawski had the pleasure of presenting at NOAA’s Hydrographic Services Review Panel’s (HSRP) spring meeting, March 3 – 4, 2021. The slides presented on behalf of COMIT can be viewed here. The focus of the first day’s session was Coastal Data and Information Systems for Resilience, and the second day considered Coastal Ocean Modeling in Support of Marine Navigation and the Blue Economy.

Over the two days of discussions and presentations, some strong themes emerged. One, the importance of building partnerships across government agencies and other stakeholders to make tangible progress on coastal issues. And second, how the offshore wind energy industry is touching on nearly every aspect of the HSRP’s domain. Not only does NOAA’s involvement on the ground floor help to better ensure optimal planning and development, but investment in this facet of a Blue Economy could harness significant opportunities to bolster the US workforce and move our nation forward in addressing climate change.

Other important issues highlighted during the meeting were the need for improved navigation under heavy fog conditions and stronger partnerships between NOAA and private entities such as regional associations (e.g. IOOS) and survey firms (e.g. Dewberry, Fugro). These latter action items are well within COMIT’s wheelhouse and planning is underway to determine the best course of action our Center could take to heed the HSRP’s recommendations.

An official recap of the meeting will be available from the HSRP in mid-April 2021.