Help Surfrider Foundation Collect Important Data on Beach Goers, Divers, Kayakers, and More!

Photo Credit: Shark River Cleanup Coalition

Your help is needed to ensure that your favorite coastal recreational areas are considered in coastal and ocean planning activities coming to the Mid-Atlantic. The Surfrider Foundation launched an online survey in July 2013 that is capturing spatial and economic data on coastal and ocean recreational use in the states of Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia.

Surfrider is working in partnership with Ecotrust, Monmouth University’s Urban Coast Institute, and The Nature Conservancy, and in close coordination with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) and the Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC), to survey recreational uses such as beach goers, swimmers, beach wildlife viewers, surfers, kayakers, windsurfers, and divers.

“Knowing what’s important to the recreation sector will help us make better ocean planning decisions and ensure that we maximize both sustainable economic activity and ocean health,” said Laura McKay, Director of the Virginia Coastal Zone Management Program and MARCO Management Board member.

Regional ocean planning, a process which has just begun in the Mid-Atlantic, will be a chance for all user groups to contribute to a vision of how our coastal and ocean resources should be managed. The data from this survey will be included in the Mid-Atlantic Ocean Data Portal, an online spatial data depository created by MARCO and used for regional ocean planning.

MARCO is an arrangement by the Governors of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia to improve the health of Mid-Atlantic ocean and coastal resources, and ensure that they continue to contribute to the economic vitality of coastal communities.

The survey will be online until the end of December 2013. To participate visit http://www.surfrider.org/mid-atlantic-recreation and enter your email address. The survey is not covering recreational fishing or boating as other studies are covering those uses. For more information please visit our regional website.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the world's oceans, waves and beaches for all people, through conservation, activism, research and education.