Urban Coast Institute (UCI) staff provided presentations and facilitation at the Fifth Annual Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum, held May 17-18 at the Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House in New York City. The event featured expert panel discussions on ocean planning topics including climate-ocean action, offshore wind energy in the Mid-Atlantic, conservation efforts in the region, diversity, equity and inclusion, sustainable ocean economies and much more. Slides and videos from all of its sessions can be found online.
During the event’s “Tribal Data and Geotools” panel (shown above), UCI Communications Director Karl Vilacoba discussed his work with tribal entities and the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) to develop an Indigenous Nations, Communities and Cultures map collection on the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal. The panel was moderated by UCI Director Tony MacDonald.
UCI Fisheries and Ocean Conservation Fellow Jay Odell summarized the Portal’s extensive collection of marine life data available to decision makers during the above session titled, “Mid-Atlantic Ocean Wildlife: Charting a Course for Biodiversity Conservation.”
MacDonald served as a facilitator throughout the two-day event, offering opening and closing remarks. In addition, a team of Monmouth students presented a mobile app version of the Portal during a poster session.