As promised in an earlier appeal, this is our final appeal for 2014 – and your last chance to modify your 1040’s by a contribution to Ocean Conservation Research.
It is also our last chance this year to express how much we appreciate the support – both financial and moral that we get from you – our community. Without your endorsement we would be doing little and meaning less. But this last year we got quite a bit accomplished both in terms of education and outreach, as well technical and policy work, such as as firming up national and international standards used to discuss and set regulatory terms and conditions.
We also reviewed the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) proposed acoustical exposure guidelines, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) Atlantic Geophysical and Geological Environmental Impact Statement and opened up a little can of worms on their “oversight” on fast-track permitting in the Gulf of Mexico.
In this coming year we will be focusing on the recent opening of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf to oil and gas prospecting. This should be exciting as we are collaborating with a number of other ocean organizations to bring industry and government to the table on their ending a long-standing moratorium on offshore oil operations, violating the National Environmental Protection Act, and ignoring the concerns of a preponderance of the Atlantic Seaboard citizens. We’ll also be heading off to Washington DC – again with many of our ocean colleagues to inaugurate the “Sea Party” and make the ocean a 2016 election issue.
We’ve got a number of other projects on the boards and will keep you informed as they gel. Meanwhile thanks so much for your ongoing support. We would be nowhere without you!
