NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 2021-2025 

The NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan aims to: 

• Strengthen and improve NOAA data, services, and technological resources that contribute to 

the American Blue Economy, 

• Collaborate with partners to support the growth of American business and entrepreneurship that 

contributes to the development and sustainability of the blue economy across the United States, and 

• Identify and support the growth of sectors of the Blue Economy that will help accelerate the nation's 

economic recovery. 

Demonstrated Leadership in Advancing the U.S. Blue Economy 

The Blue Economy is growing, and critical to national prosperity, 

resource conservation, and security. NOAA expands and 

strengthens the American Blue Economy by leading agency-wide 

initiatives in the following areas: 

1. Marine Transportation 

2 Ocean Exploration 

3. Seafood Competitiveness 

4. Tourism and Recreation 

5. Coastal Resilience 

NOAA further supports the growth of Blue Economy sectors by 

leveraging dynamic public-private partnerships, innovative 

STEM education & outreach, transformative ocean science, 

and emerging technologies to monitor and maximize sustainable 

economic contributions of our ocean, coastal, and Great 

Lakes resources. 

Since 2017, NOAA has supported advancing the American Blue 

Economy as a top budget and outreach priority. The agency has 

had a leading role in implementing the National Ocean Policy of 

2018, 2018 National Strategic Plan for STEM Education, 2019 

Presidential Memorandum on Mapping the U.S. EEZ and Shoreline & 

Nearshore of Alaska, 2020 National Strategy for Mapping, 

Exploring, & Characterizing the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, 

2020 Executive Order on Promoting Seafood Competitiveness and 

Economic Growth, 2020 Federal Strategy for Addressing the 

Global Challenge of Marine Litter, and several NOAA conservation, 

science and technology (S&T), and mapping strategies. 

Through these and other initiatives, such as designating and 

expanding National Marine Sanctuaries, using uncrewed systems 

to continue ocean operations during the COVID-19 pandemic, and 

quantifying economic contributions of agency programs, NOAA has 

been actively advancing the Blue Economy, and preparing the 

nation for an economy that is increasingly dependent on data 

and technology. 

The 5-year NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan is aligned with 

these initiatives, and includes recommendations from the Ocean 

Exploration Advisory Board Blue Economy Subcommittee’s Interim 

Report on Accelerating Growth of U.S. Blue Economy outlining 

preliminary steps NOAA can take to contribute to the doubling of 

the U.S. Blue Economy over the next decade. The Plan also includes 

efforts that are planned or in progress across NOAA line and staff 

offices, which continue to demonstrate NOAA’s leadership in 

addressing commitments established during the 2019 White House 

Summit on Ocean S&T Partnerships. In addition to providing a 

framework for agency-wide contributions to the 5 pillars of NOAA’s 

Blue Economy initiative (Goals 1-5), this Plan outlines actions to 

maximize NOAA’s ability to contribute data and services and 

engage with multisector partners by improving cross-cutting 

internal focus areas and leveraging external opportunities to 

advance Blue Economy sectors (Goals 6-7). 

NOAA Blue Economy Pillars: Marine Transportation • Seafood Production • Ocean Exploration • Coastal Resilience • Tourism & Recreation 
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Strategy Goals 

1. Advance NOAA Contributions to Marine Transportation 4. Expand Tourism & Recreation Opportunities in the 

Optimize Marine Highway Infrastructure America’s Oceans, Coasts, & Great Lakes 

Distribute Precision Marine Navigation data Increase Options & Access 

Develop products to enhance safety & utility Expand & designate new National Marine Sanctuaries 

Improve operational marine weather forecasts Improve access to coastal recreation areas 

Improve Marine Navigation Assessing & addressing access opportunities 

Maximize observations for navigation services Support accessible, sustainable recreational fishing 

Provide accurate water level measurements Develop partnerships for safety & messaging 

Modernize National Spatial Reference System Improve Ocean Health 

Innovate tools for port safety & efficiency Assess, restore, & protect coral reefs 

Describe Marine Commerce Implement the National Marine Debris Strategy 

Provide marine economy data Understand & Communicate Economic Value 

Characterize data for transportation & industry 

2. Map, Explore & Characterize the U.S. EEZ 5. Enhance the Resilience of America’s Oceans, Coasts, 

& Great Lakes Coastal Communities 

Coordinate & Execute Mapping 

Complete ocean mapping campaigns 

Archive, inventory, & make available expedition data 

Perform Exploration & Characterization 

Develop priorities 

Leverage funding & partnerships 

Archive & make accessible expedition data 

Develop data collection & quality standards 

Report campaign progress 

Streamline Permitting & Authorization 

Inform & Communicate 

Increase Support for the Parametric Insurance Sector 

Develop coastal & economic data-comparisons & tools 

Create & deliver regional normal calculations products 

Develop marine oil spill remediation satellite products 

Manage & Model Data 

Update local & regional digital elevation models 

Operationalize Coastal Wind & Water Events Database 

Improve coastal relief models & ocean climatologies 

Advance Cross-cutting Strategies 

Develop an Integrated Water Prediction strategy 

Expand opportunities for increasing resilience 

Develop an Ecosystem Forecasting Portfolio strategy 

3. Implement the Executive Order on Promoting Seafood 6. Improve Cross-cutting Internal Focus Areas to Grow the 

Competitiveness & Economic Growth American Blue Economy Sustainably 

Promote U.S. Fishing & Seafood Measure Contributions 

Engage regional fisheries management councils Develop internal metrics Develop an American Seafood Campaign 

Inform investments & advocacy 

Leverage citizen science networks & data 

Advance Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management 

Combat IUU Fishing 

Implement the Port State Measures Agreement 

Advance S&T for detection & monitoring 

Conduct valuation reports 

Measure Ocean Economy growth & trends 

Increase Literacy 

Develop an Economically Literate Workforce 

Streamline Internal Processes 

Evaluate contracting, acquisitions, stewardship 

Grow Domestic Aquaculture Increase ROI of NOAA Programs 

Streamline permitting Expand & Accelerate S&T Transitions 

Develop Aquaculture Opportunity Areas 

Improve regulatory transparency 

Establish Regional Aquaculture Training Centers 

7. Leverage Cross-cutting External Opportunities to Grow the American Blue Economy 

Enhance & Leverage Strategic Partnerships 

Develop Policy & Legislation 

Communicate & Engage 

Expand Extramural Research 

One-NOAA Approach 

The United States is an ocean nation, and our future prosperity and security depend upon the understanding, health, and sustainable 

use of our Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes. NOAA’s data and services are powering our economic recovery in the wake of the 

COVID-19 pandemic. The cross-cutting actions in this plan leverage partnerships, emerging S&T, and internal & external outreach, 

and will accelerate and grow these contributions.