Integrated Ocean & Coastal Mapping

Spatial Priorities Studies

What are the Spatial Priorities Studies?

The IWG-OCM is conducting multiple Spatial Priorities Studies, which comprehensively gather the priorities of ocean and coastal mapping partners and those that rely on coastal and ocean mapping data. This study asks IOCM partners to define areas where they need mapping data in our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes, and say briefly why and what they want to do with it. This work is done in support of the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration and Characterization (NOMEC) Strategy.

Screenshot of USGS submission response over Washington and Oregon, on the U.S. Mapping Coordination website.

How do Spatial Priorities Studies Support NOMEC?

These studies will allow Integrated Ocean and Coastal Mapping (IOCM) partners to see where there are overlaps in requirements so that resources can be allocated efficiently. Other study goals include enabling participants to better coordinate and leverage resources where there is a shared mapping need.

Which Studies Have Been Completed?

So far, the studies listed below have been completed:

the NOAA Spatial Priorities Study (nationwide, NOAA offices only)
the Great Lakes Spatial Priorities Study (Great Lakes region only, government and non-government participants)
the IWG-OCM Spatial Priorities Study (nationwide, federal agencies only).
the Alaska Spatial Priorities Study (Alaska region only, government and non-government participants)
the Florida Coastal Mapping Program (FCMaP) Deepwater (20-200m) Spatial Priorities Study (Florida region only, government and non-government participants)

More information about each study can be found below.

NOAA Spatial Priorities Study

	Participants: Over a dozen NOAA offices across the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the National Weather Service (NWS), the National Ocean Service (NOS), and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR).
	Geographic Scope: Areas from twenty (20) kilometers inland to the extent of the EEZ, including Canadian waters in the Great Lakes.
	Results: These study results can be found on our U.S. Mapping Coordination Site. Tech Memo Recording of the Seminar on the NOAA Spatial Priorities Study

Map showing the number of NOAA offices that participated in the study with High Priority (data needed within 1-2 years) interests in the Continental U.S.

Great Lakes Spatial Priorities Study

Collaborators: The Great Lakes Spatial Priorities Study was a collaborative effort between NOAA's IOCM program, the Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS), and other organizations, including the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) and USGS.

	Participants: Over thirty organizations throughout the Great Lakes in both U.S. and Canadian waters, including federal agencies, state governments, provincial governments, tribal governments and organizations, academia, conservation organizations, and other institutions.
	Geographic Scope: The Great Lakes only, extending ten (10) kilometers inland.
	Results: These study results can be found on our U.S. Mapping Coordination Site. Recording of the Seminar on the Great Lakes Spatial Priorities Study

Map showing the number of organizations with High Priority (data needed within 1-2 years) interests in the Great Lakes.

IWG-OCM Spatial Priorities Study

	Participants: Several federal agencies, including USGS, USCG, NPS, and BOEM.
	Geographic Scope: Areas from twenty (20) kilometers inland to the extent of the EEZ, including Canadian waters in the Great Lakes.
	Results: These study results can be found on our U.S. Mapping Coordination Site. Recording of the IWG-OCM Seminar on the NOAA Spatial Priorities Study

Alaska Spatial Priorities Study

	Collaborators: The Alaska Spatial Priorities Study was a collaborative effort between NOAA's IOCM program and the Alaska Coastal Mapping Initiative.
	Participants: Over twenty five organizations throughout Alaska, including state agencies, federal agencies, boroughs, tribal corporations and organizations, academia, and others.
	Geographic Scope: Alaska only, extending twenty (20) kilometers inland.
	Results: These study results can be found on our U.S. Mapping Coordination Site. Recording of the Seminar on the Alaska Spatial Priorities Study

Map of Showing Number of Organizations with High Priority (data needed within 1-2 years) interests in Alaska.

Florida Coastal Mapping Program (FCMaP) Prioritization 2: Deepwater (20-200m)

	Collaborators: The FCMaP Prioritization 2 study was a collaborative effort between NOAA's IOCM program and FCMaP.
	Participants: Twenty-two Federal, State, Local, and Academic participants.
	Geographic Scope: Florida only, covering depths between 20 and 200 meters.
	Results: These study results can be found in the U.S. Mapping Coordination Site and the FCMaP Hub Site.

10 x 10 km grid cells covering Floridian waters between 20-200m depth, areas indicated as High Priority for data collection by participants in the 2023 FCMaP 2 Deepwater (20-200m) Spatial Priorities Study.

Initial and final results shown sequentially for "High Priority" from the FCMaP 2 Deepwater (20-200m) Spatial Priorities Study conducted by FCMaP and NOAA IOCM in 2023.

What's next?

To further support NOMEC goals by making it easier for organizations to identify shared areas of mapping interest, the NOAA IOCM team is currently working with the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) encompassing the states of Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, and New York, to begin implementation of a spatial priority study.

For inquiries on completed and in-progress studies or requests to support new studies, please reach out to the IOCM team at iwgocm.staff@noaa.gov