Resources

Ocean acidification action planning efforts are progressing in every Mid-Atlantic State. Whether as a stand-alone effort, or part of a larger climate action or ocean resources management plan, states across our region are discussing the emerging threats of ocean and coastal acidification and identifying opportunities to leverage funding and coordinate monitoring, mitigation, and resilience strategies across many partners. Learn more about the status of each state’s efforts below.

NEW YORK

The NY OA Task Force has prepared a draft Ocean Acidification Action Plan to identify ways to mitigate acidification and minimize its adverse impacts to New Yorkers. This plan stems from the New York Ocean Action Plan’s Action 15, which lists dedicated steps to combat Ocean Acidification and increase the resilience of ocean resources to impacts associated with climate change. Learn more about these efforts on NY DEC’s Ocean Action Plan web page.

Contact: Jeff Herter

NEW JERSEY

New Jersey is in the process of developing an Ocean Action plan under the direction of the New Jersey Coastal Management Program. An outline of a potential draft plan and approaches to its development can be found in this report, “Opportunities to Address Ocean Acidification Impacts in New Jersey.”

Contact: Megan Rutkowski / Grace Saba

DELAWARE

Delaware's Coastal Management Program is currently exploring how OA Action Planning can be incorporated into a statewide Ocean Resource Plan. 

Contact: Kari St Laurent

MARYLAND

Maryland's OA Action Plan is published here. Developed jointly by the Maryland Department of the Environment, Maryland Department of Natural Resources, and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, the OA Action Plan emphasizes Maryland’s commitment to reducing greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient additions to waterways. Next steps will involve coordination among scientists and State agency monitoring programs to assess opportunities for enhancing existing monitoring networks to capture pCO2 and total alkalinity.

Contact: Jeremy Testa / Jim George

VIRGINIA

Virginia plans to incorporate OA action planning during development of a comprehensive Virginia Ocean Plan. This effort is being supported through Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program’s section 309 funding from NOAA. 

Contact: Laura McKay / Emily Rivest

Additional Resources

Support for OA action planning can also be found in the Ocean Acidification Alliance “toolkit” that guides OA Alliance members through the potential content of and approach to developing an OA Action Plan.

To learn how states plan to incorporate OA monitoring into their action planning, see the recording of the Supporting OA Action Planning and Implementation Workshop or download the workshop summary (October 26, 2021). Check back soon for a recording of the event.