Delaware News

Delaware boaters asked to help map recreational boating activity in Mid-Atlantic Ocean via survey

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | News | Date Posted: Monday, May 20, 2013



DOVER (May 17, 2013) – Delaware recreational boaters have been asked to play a prominent role in helping to map future recreational Atlantic Ocean use by participating in the  2013 Mid-Atlantic Boater Survey. The survey is being conducted via the mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) to gain valuable and viable information about recreational boating activities throughout the region.

 Over 5,000 invitations went out to boaters in Delaware earlier this week asking them to take part in the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Boater Survey, with invitations also mailed to boaters from Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. Information collected through the survey will be translated into maps and incorporated into MARCO’s online mapping tool to support ocean planning efforts in the region, including Delaware’s Atlantic waters.

Recreational boaters contacted for the survey were randomly selected from state and federal boating databases. Those who agree to participate will be emailed a short survey each month (June through November) asking them to describe their most recent boating trip from the previous month, including information about the location, duration and time aboard, activities such as angling and sailing, and money spent. 

The survey will yield valuable data in planning for how Atlantic Ocean resources are utilized and coordinated in the years ahead, and help minimize and avert potential user conflicts on the ocean, said Sarah Cooksey, administrator, DNREC’s Delaware Coastal programs and one of the state’s MARCO delegates. DCP encourages Delaware boaters contacted this week to participate in the survey, as data gathered will help with marine planning for the Delaware Bay and for Delaware’s Atlantic waters within the three-mile offshore limit, according to Ms. Cooksey. 

ABOUT MARCO:
With traditional coastal and ocean uses expanding, and new uses emerging, pressure grows to ensure sustainable growth of both current and future uses and resources. As such, it is important that ocean managers have the best available information about when and where uses take place in order to minimize conflicts. To address these challenges, and to ensure that future generations enjoy healthy and productive ocean ecosystems, the governors of Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Virginia committed to a comprehensive, regional approach, creating the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean. The five MARCO states will work to maintain and improve the health of the Atlantic ocean and coastal resources, and ensure that they continue to contribute to the high quality of life and economic vitality of our region’s communities well into the future. 

For more information about 2013 Mid-Atlantic Boater Survey, please contact Lorraine Jordan, Urban Coast Institute, Monmouth University at 732-263-5662 or ljordan@monmouth.edu or visit the survey website.  

CONTACT: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902, or Kate Fleming, Delaware Coastal Programs, 302-739-9283 

Vol. 43, No. 207

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Delaware boaters asked to help map recreational boating activity in Mid-Atlantic Ocean via survey

Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control | News | Date Posted: Monday, May 20, 2013



DOVER (May 17, 2013) – Delaware recreational boaters have been asked to play a prominent role in helping to map future recreational Atlantic Ocean use by participating in the  2013 Mid-Atlantic Boater Survey. The survey is being conducted via the mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) to gain valuable and viable information about recreational boating activities throughout the region.

 Over 5,000 invitations went out to boaters in Delaware earlier this week asking them to take part in the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Boater Survey, with invitations also mailed to boaters from Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. Information collected through the survey will be translated into maps and incorporated into MARCO’s online mapping tool to support ocean planning efforts in the region, including Delaware’s Atlantic waters.

Recreational boaters contacted for the survey were randomly selected from state and federal boating databases. Those who agree to participate will be emailed a short survey each month (June through November) asking them to describe their most recent boating trip from the previous month, including information about the location, duration and time aboard, activities such as angling and sailing, and money spent. 

The survey will yield valuable data in planning for how Atlantic Ocean resources are utilized and coordinated in the years ahead, and help minimize and avert potential user conflicts on the ocean, said Sarah Cooksey, administrator, DNREC’s Delaware Coastal programs and one of the state’s MARCO delegates. DCP encourages Delaware boaters contacted this week to participate in the survey, as data gathered will help with marine planning for the Delaware Bay and for Delaware’s Atlantic waters within the three-mile offshore limit, according to Ms. Cooksey. 

ABOUT MARCO:
With traditional coastal and ocean uses expanding, and new uses emerging, pressure grows to ensure sustainable growth of both current and future uses and resources. As such, it is important that ocean managers have the best available information about when and where uses take place in order to minimize conflicts. To address these challenges, and to ensure that future generations enjoy healthy and productive ocean ecosystems, the governors of Delaware, Maryland, New York, New Jersey and Virginia committed to a comprehensive, regional approach, creating the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean. The five MARCO states will work to maintain and improve the health of the Atlantic ocean and coastal resources, and ensure that they continue to contribute to the high quality of life and economic vitality of our region’s communities well into the future. 

For more information about 2013 Mid-Atlantic Boater Survey, please contact Lorraine Jordan, Urban Coast Institute, Monmouth University at 732-263-5662 or ljordan@monmouth.edu or visit the survey website.  

CONTACT: Michael Globetti, DNREC Public Affairs, 302-739-9902, or Kate Fleming, Delaware Coastal Programs, 302-739-9283 

Vol. 43, No. 207

-30-

image_printPrint

Related Topics:  , , , ,


Graphic that represents delaware news on a mobile phone

Keep up to date by receiving a daily digest email, around noon, of current news release posts from state agencies on news.delaware.gov.

Here you can subscribe to future news updates.