University Calendar
Planning for Healthy Ecosystems and Sustainable Human Use in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean
About Tony Macdonald
Tony MacDonald is Director of the Urban Coast Institute (UCI) at Monmouth University in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Mr. MacDonald is also a member of U.S Integrated Ocean Observing System National Advisory Committee, a Board Member of the NY/NJ Baykeeper, and a co-author of the Northeast Chapter of the Global Charge Research Program’s 4th National Climate Assessment. His current work focuses on regional ocean planning, coastal zone management, sea level rise and coastal community resilience. Mr. MacDonald was previously the Executive Director of the Coastal States Organization (CSO) in Washington, DC and Special Counsel and Director of Environmental Affairs at the American Association of Port Authorities.
About the Seminar
The seminar will focus on how coastal and marine sustainability issues in the Mid-Atlantic have been addressed through regional ocean planning and marine spatial planning. The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) was established in 2009 to enhance the vitality of the region's ocean ecosystem and economy. Obama Administration established an Ocean Policy Task Force and signed an Executive Order on July 19, 2010 adopting the Final Recommendations of the Task Force, establishing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes, and calling for the development of regional coastal and marine spatial plans.
MARCO’s first action items was the development of the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal to serve as an on-line platform to engage stakeholders across the region with the objective of improving their understanding of how ocean resources and places are being used, managed, and conserved. Monmouth University Urban Coast Institute served as the principal investigation in working with MARCO and other partner in development of the Ocean Data Portal.