A New Tool for Ocean Planners

Today the Administration launched ocean.data.gov, a new portal that gives all Americans transparent access to the same data and information that Federal agencies have about our oceans and coasts. The portal collects all of the latest Federal ocean data and planning tools in one place, and makes them available to the public to serve as a one-stop hub for anyone who wants to use it—from fisheries management councils, to businesses, to state and local governments, to regional planners, to you.

Click here to read the blog post announcing ocean.data.gov.

Here's what members of the ocean and coastal community have to say about the new tool:

"The new Ocean.Data.gov website brings together a huge amount of previously difficult to access data in one place. It will become an essential source of information for managers of coastal resources and communities, researchers, students, and interested citizens who are seeking to understand the US coastal ocean, one of our nation’s most valuable natural resources."
Andrew A Rosenberg, Ph.D., Chief Scientist, Conservation International

"I envision using the site as a resource for updating data for which I don’t have direct access such as distribution of fishing effort and survey catches. This portal will allow me to ensure I have the best available information when helping to develop fishery management plans." 
James Armstrong, Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council

"Supporting the health of our oceans will require that we breakdown silos and ensure that all stakeholders and agencies are working with open and clear collaboration--as I called for in my bill Oceans 21. This portal is a great step forward in that direction. I want to commend the Obama Administration for taking action to better coordinate data collection and communication, which will ultimately result in increased efficiency and improved conservation of our marine resources."
Congressman Sam Farr, Co-Chair of the House Oceans Caucus

"This portal may very well be an outstanding tool for states and federal agencies to utilize to make sure information is readily available to the public at a single, easy to access and navigate through site."
Bill Walker, Chair of the Gulf of Mexico Alliance Management Team and Executive Director of the MS Department of Marine Resources

"The new National ocean data portal allows diverse American ocean stakeholders a one-stop shop for easy access to the ocean data and information produced by multiple agencies. It’s a great start with its built in features that offer the opportunity to join a community to advise government on how to make it better, and how to ensure that our ocean continues to provide the goods and services that people want and need."
Jay Odell, Mid-Atlantic Marine Program Director, The Nature Conservancy

"The National Ocean Council is finally breaking through some of the barriers that have prevented this kind of seamless data sharing in the past."
Doug Myers, Director of Science, People for Puget Sound

"The National Ocean Data Portal provides for the first time a single access point to coastal and marine data hosted by the various federal agencies. It will be immediately useful to ocean managers and industries, and provides a model for other regional and state information networks."
Nick Napoli, Director of Marine Planning Programs, Seaplan

"This is the best data portal I have seen yet. This portal provides valuable one-stop shopping for ocean data and a useful hub to build relationships with other members of the community."
Justin Manley, Senior Director, Business Development, Teledyne Benthos

Jay Jensen is Associate Director for Land & Water Ecosystems at the White House Council on Environmental Quality