The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management is sponsoring a meeting focused on understanding and maintaining habitat values of offshore shoals on the outer continental shelf (OCS) on Friday, January 24, 2014, in Charleston, S.C.
Offshore shoals are commonly proposed for use in coastal restoration projects.
BOEM’s objectives for the meeting are:
– to foster collaboration among interested parties and stakeholders in identifying the habitat value and function of these ridge/swale and shoal complexes on the Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico OCS;
– to discuss current scientific understanding of the habitat uniqueness, value and function of these geographic features; and
– to identify future study needs and opportunities.
The meeting will be held in conjunction with the Southern Division of the American Fisheries Society Spring Meeting. The bureau’s environmental work is an integral part of supporting BOEM’s Marine Minerals Program, which authorizes the use of OCS sand and gravel resources in coastal restoration projects.
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Press Release, January 17, 2014