Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning project team declares Gulf of Mexico Training a success; highlights field trip and performance of YMCA

WASHINGTON (Saving Seafood) August 15, 2013 — The Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning project team has declared their Gulf of Mexico Training held on March 4-7, 2013 in Spanish Fort, Alabama a "success." According to a published account on their website, 35 coastal managers participated in the 4 day training "which included a wonderful field trip to the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and the Dauphin Island community to speak with city planners and oyster aquaculture operations." The website also highlights the creation and performance of a “C.M.S.P. version of the classic song Y.M.C.A. by the Village People organized by the Research Vessel Blue Duck which was represented by a portion of the class participants.

Mid-Atlantic training was provided on May 20 – 23, 2013 in Baltimore. Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning-Advancement Training (CMSP-AT) is produced by Battelle Memorial Institute in association with Coastal States Organization and is made possible through funding provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Marine Conservation Initiative.

According to their website: "As a tool to assist coastal managers, coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) considers and addresses the entire suite of activities occurring in a specific place to ensure healthy oceans and economies. The CMSP tool provides the analysis and understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of human activities in marine areas needed by coastal managers to make more informed and ecosystem-based decisions to achieve ecological, economic, and social objectives. The oceans are a common property resource, therefore a public process is needed that allocates space in a more efficient, effective, and equitable manner – such as is achieved through CMSP."

Also according to their website "During the past decade, the evolution of CMSP zoning has become increasingly important in implementing ecosystem-based marine management. Originally, CMSP was used to improve the management of marine protected areas. One of the best-known examples is Australia’s Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. Australia’s approach permits multiple human activities, e.g., fisheries and tourism, while simultaneously providing a high level of protection for specific areas. However, more recent attention has been placed on managing the multiple uses of marine space, especially in areas where conflicts among users and the environment are already clear as, for example, in the North Sea. In the United States, CMSP has been identified as a priority through the executive order signed by President Obama in 2010, which establishes a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Our Coasts, and the Great Lakes. Under this national policy, CMSP will be a flexible, regional, integrated, ecosystem-based approach to address multiple uses of the ocean, coasts, and the Great Lakes. The framework includes the establishment of nine (9) regional planning areas, and there is a large disparity as to the implementation of CMSP among the regions. In the Northeast Region, for example, CMSP efforts are already underway at the state and regional levels, and one example of the successful implementation of CMSP that could be applied to other regions is the Ocean Special Area Management Plan developed by the State of Rhode Island."

The following are the lyrics to the "C.M.S.P" version of Y.M.C.A.

Stakeholder, there's no need to feel down.
I said, stakeholder, launch your vision off the ground.
I said, stakeholder, 'cause you're in a new town
There's no need to be conflicted.

Stakeholder, there's a process to use.
I said, stakeholder, it may require some tools
If you can plan it, then I'm sure you will find
Many ways to manage your dime.