NOAA Blue Economy Pillars: 

Marine Transportation • Seafood Production • Ocean Exploration • Coastal Resilience • Tourism & Recreation

NOAA Blue Economy

Strategic Plan 2021—2025

January 19, 2021

National Oceanic and

Atmospheric Administration

U.S. Department of Commerce
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

APPROVED: 

 _______________________________

Tim Gallaudet, Ph.D., Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Ret.)

Assistant Secretary of Commerce for

Oceans and Atmosphere / Deputy NOAA Administrator

 SPONSOR

_______________________________ ________________________________

Nicole LeBoeuf Craig McLean

Acting Assistant Administrator Assistant Administrator

For Ocean Services and Coastal for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research

 Zone Management NBEEC CO-CHAIR

NBEEC CO-CHAIR

_______________________________

Chris Oliver

Assistant Administrator

For Fisheries

________________________________

Mary Erickson 

Deputy Assistant Administrator 

for National Weather Service

_______________________________ ________________________________

Mary Wohlgemuth Rear Admiral Nancy Hann

Director, National Centers for Deputy Director for Operations

Environmental Information for Office of Marine and Aviation 

National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Operations & Deputy Director of the

Information Service NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps

 January 2021 

2 NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 3

NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

I. Introduction.

The United States is an ocean nation with a growing Blue Economy. In 2018, 

the American Blue Economy, including goods and services, contributed about 

$373 billion to the nation’s gross domestic product, supporting 2.3 million 

jobs and grew faster than the nation’s economy in its entirety. Marinerelated gross domestic product grew 5.8% from 2017 to 2018, faster than 

the 5.4% growth of the total U.S. gross domestic product as measured in 

current dollars. The economic activity from America’s seaports alone grew 

from 2014-2018 by 17% to $5.4 trillion, comprising nearly 26% of the 

nation’s $20.5 trillion gross domestic product (GDP). Despite the challenges 

posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, American seaports are adding terminals 

and piers, and demand for maritime commerce is expected to triple by 2030. 

Furthermore, coastal counties in the U.S. are home to 127 million people, or 

40% of the population. From 2010-2016, the population of shore-adjacent 

counties along the Gulf of Mexico grew by 24.5%, the fastest of any region 

in the nation, which averaged 14.8%. If American coastal counties were an 

individual country, they would rank third in the world in GDP, surpassed only 

by the United States and China. The prosperity and security of this nation is 

therefore predicated on the understanding, health, and sustainable use of 

our Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes. 

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 & Recreation

5. Coastal Resilience 

NOAA further supports the growth of Blue Economy sectors by leveraging 

dynamic public-private partnerships, innovative Science, Technology, 

Engineering, and Math (STEM) education & outreach, transformative ocean 

science, and emerging technologies to monitor and maximize sustainable 

economic contributions of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources. Since 

2017, NOAA Leadership has supported advancing the American Blue 

Economy as a top budget and outreach priority. An important milestone in 

advancing this priority area was the November 2019 White House Summit on 

Ocean Science & Technology (S&T) Partnerships, where the agency arranged 

over a dozen ocean S&T partnership initiatives to advance American 

competitiveness, security, and prosperity. 

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 (NOMEC), 2020 Executive Order on Promoting 

Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth, and 2020 U.S. Federal 

Strategy for Addressing the Global Challenge of Marine Litter. It has 

also implemented several agency strategies to advance resource 

conservation, S&T, and mapping, such as the 2020 NOAA Office of Coast 

Survey (OCS) National Ocean Mapping Strategy (Mapping U.S. Marine 

and Great Lakes Waters: Office of Coast Survey Contributions to 

a National Ocean Mapping Strategy), which highlights OCS 

contributions toward the NOMEC Strategy. Through these and other 

initiatives, NOAA has been advancing the U.S. 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. 

NOAA has contributed to the American Blue Economy in diverse and 

powerful ways, such as the designation and expansion of National 

Marine Sanctuaries. NOAA designated the new Mallows Bay-Potomac 

River National Marine Sanctuary in 2019, and is working to finalize two 

shipwreck sanctuaries in Wisconsin and Lake Ontario,and to expand 

the Monitor and Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuaries. 

NOAA offices are actively engaged in efforts to improve weather 

forecasts, conserving coral reefs, removing marine debris, restoring 

habitat, protecting endangered species, and responding to oil spills. 

The ongoing implementation of the 2018 NOAA Coral Reef Conservation 

Program Strategic Plan and 2020 NOAA Strategy to Respond to and 

Prevent the Spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, for example, 

support cross-line efforts that enhance coastal resilience, tourism, 

and recreation. 

In 2020, NOAA published a new NOAA Uncrewed Systems (UxS) Strategy 

to guide advancements in UxS applications and to increase the use 

of these systems across NOAA mission areas. Shortly thereafter, the 

agency collaborated with partners to use uncrewed systems to adapt 

research operations, exploration, and fisheries management to the 

restrictions posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and mitigate impacts to 

operations to ensure the timely delivery of critical data and services. 

For Seafood Production, NOAA deployed uncrewed surface vessels to 

perform stock assessments for Pollock, and to produce updated nautical 

charts ensuring safe passage of commercial vessels. Underwater gliders 

were also deployed along the U.S. Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic 

Coast to provide sustained ocean temperature profiles to improve 2020 

hurricane forecasts. NOAA will continue to develop innovative solutions 

to support mission areas that are essential to the nation. 
4 NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

NOAA has also made great progress in quantifying agency blue economy 

contributions. The agency established the Ocean Economic Satellite 

Account with the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) to conduct 

economic valuation assessments for individual NOAA programs and 

agency wide efforts. This effort has produced marine economy statistics 

to understand the value of the marine economy and individual sectors, 

compare it with other contributions to the U.S. economy, track changes, 

and inform plans for America’s economic recovery.

At the request of the NOAA Administrator in late 2019, the Ocean 

Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB) formed a Blue Economy 

Subcommittee to recommend actionable steps NOAA can take to 

contribute to the doubling of the nation’s Blue Economy over the next 

decade. The Subcommittee first met in February, 2020, and has since 

developed initial recommendations as summarized in the Interim 

Report: Accelerating Growth of the U.S. Blue Economy. The OEAB voted to 

approve this Interim Report, which identifies preliminary opportunities 

that can be accomplished with six- to twelve-month efforts that are 

intended to support longer term efforts. 

One such opportunity was the establishment of an executive committee 

to further demonstrate NOAA’s leadership in advancing the American 

Blue Economy by evaluating opportunities identified in the OEAB Interim 

Report, maintaining awareness of new developments, promoting 

partnerships, and implementing the recommendations outlined therein. 

In August 2020, the NOAA Administrator convened the NOAA Blue 

Economy Executive Committee (NBEEC), which worked to develop the 

5-year NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan (2021-2025). This Plan is 

aligned with the recommendations from the OEAB Interim Report, and 

includes efforts across line and staff offices that are either planned or 

in progress.

The NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan is organized along the following 

lines of effort: 1) Marine Transportation, 2) Ocean Exploration, 3) Tourism 

and Recreation, 4) Seafood Competitiveness, 5) Coastal Resilience, 6) 

Internal Focus Areas, and 7) External Opportunities (Table 1). 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 that 

will maximize agency capacity to contribute data and services and engage 

with multisector partners by improving cross-cutting internal focus areas and 

leveraging external opportunities (Goals 6-7). Actions under Goals 6-7 focus 

on strategic communications and engagement, partnership agreements, 

finance and business development, S&T transition and applications, workforce 

development, policy and legislation, and socioeconomic evaluations.

The NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan provides concrete examples of how 

NOAA’s people, policies, products, and services intersect to support Blue 

Economy growth in a sustainable and responsible manner. Additionally, the 

Plan highlights how the agency is leveraging private sector capabilities and 

applying emergent science and technology to further innovation in all Blue 

Economy sectors. This approach has been instrumental to the continuation of 

ocean science operations and other efforts to adapt activities in support of the 

NOAA mission and nation following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. The 

actions in this plan will accelerate and grow these contributions in support of a 

resilient and thriving economy.

Strategy Goals Objectives & Actions

1. Advance NOAA Contributions to 

 Marine Transportation

Optimize Marine Highway Infrastructure

· Distribute Precision Marine Navigation data

· Develop products to enhance safety & utility 

· Improve operational marine weather forecasts

Improve Marine Navigation

· Maximize observations for navigation services

· Provide accurate water level measurements 

· Modernize National Spatial Reference System 

· Innovate tools for port safety & efficiency

Describe Marine Commerce

· Provide marine economy data 

· Characterize data for transportation & industry 

Table 1:
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 5

2. Map, Explore & Characterize the U.S. EEZ 

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

3. Implement the Executive Order on Promoting 

 Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth

Promote U.S. Fishing & Seafood

· Engage regional fisheries management councils

· 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

Grow Domestic Aquaculture

· Streamline permitting

· Develop Aquaculture Opportunity Areas

· Improve regulatory transparency

· Establish Regional Aquaculture Training Centers

4. Expand Tourism and Recreation Opportunities in 

 the America’s Oceans, Coasts, & Great Lakes

Increase Options & Access

· Expand & designate new National Marine Sanctuaries

· Improve access to coastal recreation areas 

· Assessing & addressing access opportunities

· Support accessible, sustainable recreational fishing 

· Develop partnerships for safety & messaging

Improve Ocean Health

· Assess, restore, & protect coral reefs

· Implement the National Marine Debris Strategy

Understand & Communicate Economic Value

5. Enhance the Resilience of America’s Oceans, Coasts, 

 & Great Lakes Coastal Communities

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
6 NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

II. Overarching Purpose.

The NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan aims to:

1. Strengthen and improve NOAA data, services, and technological 

 resources that contribute to the American Blue Economy, 

2. 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

3. Identify and support the growth of sectors of the Blue Economy 

 that will help accelerate the nation's economic recovery.

III. 5-year Strategic Plan (2021-2025).

1. Goal: Advance NOAA Contributions to Marine 

Transportation.

1.1. Objective: Provide marine economy data specific 

to the marine transportation sector that would be 

useful for investment and advocacy purposes to public 

audiences and stakeholders.

1.1.1. Action: Continue to provide economic time series data on the marine 

transportation sector through the Economics National Ocean Watch dataset 

(ENOW) and the Marine Economy Satellite Account (MESA).

Lead Offices: National Ocean Service (NOS), Office for Coastal Management 

(ENOW)

Supporting Offices: NOAA Office of the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Office 

of Performance, Risk & Social Science (PRSSO), Office of the NOAA Chief 

Economist (MESA)

Due Date: Provided annually in June (ENOW); provide as available (MESA)

1.2. Objective: Optimize the safety and utility of the 

nation’s marine highway infrastructure.

1.2.1. Action: Disseminate Precision Marine Navigation data, such as 

surface current forecasts, marine weather hazards, and high resolution 

bathymetry via the S-100 framework in top U.S. ports, waterways, and sea 

routes to decrease risk to life and property, optimize cargo loading, and 

improve route planning.

Lead Offices: NOS Office of Coast Survey, Center for Operational 

Oceanographic Products and Services

Supporting Offices: National Geodetic Survey, National Weather Service 

(NWS) Analyze, Forecast and Support Office (AFS) and Ocean Prediction 

Center (OPC)

Due Date: Ongoing through 2030

1.2.2. Action: Increase safety of maritime transportation and commercial 

shipping activities.

1.2.2.1. Action: Complete development of satellite iceberg detection 

product in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard’s International Ice Patrol 

and in support of the North American Ice Service (NAIS) and International Ice 

Charting Working Group (IICWG).

Lead Office: National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information 

Service (NESDIS)/Center for Satellite Applications and Research (STAR), 

Supporting Offices: NWS OPC, Cooperative Institute 

for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS)

Due Date: Q1FY24

1.2.2.2. Action: Evaluate experimental ocean convection product 

capability of nowcasting which storms will produce severe weather and 

explore operational NWS forecast applications.

1.2.2.2.1. Action: Current model is specific to NWS/OPC Atlantic domain.

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR

Supporting Office: NWS

Due Date: Q4FY22

1.2.2.3. Action: Refine and improve satellite ocean surface vector wind 

products for routine utilization by marine forecasters for making wind 

warning, nowcast, and forecast decisions. 

1.2.2.3.1. Action: These products are integral in determining the radius 

of gale, storm, and hurricane force winds associated with tropical and 

extratropical cyclones.

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR

Supporting Offices: NWS OPC, NWS National Hurricane Center (NHC)

Due Date: Ongoing

6. Improve Cross-cutting Internal Focus Areas to 

 Grow the American Blue Economy Sustainably

Measure Contributions

· Develop internal metrics

· Conduct valuation reports

· Measure Ocean Economy growth & trends

Increase Literacy

· Develop an Economically Literate Workforce

Streamline Internal Processes 

· Evaluate contracting, acquisitions, stewardship

· Increase ROI of NOAA Programs

· Expand & Accelerate S&T Transitions

7. Leverage Cross-cutting External Opportunities to 

 Grow the American Blue Economy

Enhance & Leverage Strategic Partnerships

Develop Policy & Legislation

Communicate & Engage

Expand Extramural Research
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 7

1.2.2.4. Action: Develop Alaskan coastal wind climatologies useful 

for identifying wind channels where mountain ranges funnel winds and 

create channels of 0-35 mph winds in a spatial distance of 30 miles, and 

explore potential utility for NWS wind grids. 

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR

Supporting Office (Potential): NWS Office of Science and Technology 

Integration (STI)

Due Date: Q1FY23

1.2.3. Action: Improve operational marine weather forecasts for efficient 

maritime commerce.

1.2.3.1. Action: Expand marine model grids to cover all U.S. Metareas 

to improve operational marine weather forecasts and facilitate ship 

avoidance to prevent economic losses. 

Lead Office: NWS OPC

Due Date: Q4FY23

1.2.3.2. Action: Provide all marine and high seas warnings in polygon 

format using S-41X metadata standards to enable real-time ingestion of 

operational high impact information into shipboard electronic 

chart display.

Lead Office: NWS OPC

Supporting Office: NWS STI

Due Date: Q4FY24

1.2.3.3. Action: Develop predictive sea ice capabilities through the 

U.S. National Ice Center to improve coupled operational marine/sea ice 

forecasts for current and expanding navigation routes in support of 

marine commerce. 

Lead Office: NWS OPC

Supporting Office: NESDIS/STAR

Due Date: Q4FY24

1.2.3.4. Action: Development of coupled ocean/sea ice/atmosphere/

wave unified forecast modeling system prototype to save lives and 

property and support marine commerce.

Lead Office: NWS STI

Due Date: Q4FY21

1.2.3.5. Action: Implement high-resolution coupled wave/surge/inland 

flooding/atmosphere hindcast modeling system (Named Storm Event 

Model) to accurately simulate landfalling tropical storm conditions.

Lead Office: NWS STI

Due Date: Q3FY22

1.2.3.6. Action: Implement social science recommendations to improve 

the communication of risks related to sea ice to impacted activities and 

communities in Alaska.

Lead Office: NWS STI

Due Date: Q4FY21

1.2.3.7. Action: Work with private industry to innovate new costeffective and portable (e.g. miniature) technology for oceanographic 

and marine meteorological observations to improve marine forecasts 

and warnings.

Lead Office: NOAA Technology Partnerships Office 

Supporting Offices: NWS Office of Observations and NDBC, 

NWS OPC, NOS/U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System 

(IOOS), NOAA Technology Partnerships Office, NCEI, GOMO

Due Date: Q4FY24

1.3 Objective: Maximize the value and impact of real-time 

data observations for navigation services.

1.3.1. Action: Increase the cumulative percent of the top 175 U.S. ports 

covered by the NOAA PORTS (Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System) 

partnership program by 1% each fiscal year.

Lead Office: NOS Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and 

Services (CO-OPS)

Due Date: Ongoing through 2025

1.3.2. Action: Improve safe navigation at sea and enhance safety services 

through better weather warnings and forecasts by expanding participation in 

the Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) program by 20%.

Lead Office: NWS Office of Observations

Due Date: Q4FY24

1.3.3. Action: Update the National Tidal Datum Epoch and the International 

Great Lakes Datum to continue to provide accurate water level measurements 

that support safe maritime commerce and coastal resilience.

Lead Office: NOS CO-OPS

Due Date: Ongoing through 2025

1.4. Objective: Update the National Tidal Datum Epoch 

and the International Great Lakes Datum to continue to 

provide accurate water level measurements that support 

safe maritime commerce and coastal resilience. 

1.4.1. Action: Complete the GNSS field campaign in FY22 at over 200 

locations in the Great Lakes.

Lead Offices: NOS National Geodetic Survey, CO-OPS

Due Date: FY22 (COVID dependent)

1.4.2. Action: Collect seasonal gauge data in the Great Lakes. 

Lead Offices: NOS National Geodetic Survey, CO-OPS

Due Date: FY21 (COVID dependent) 

1.4.3. Action: Calculate new tidal datums at over 100 primary control water 

level stations.

Lead Office: NOS CO-OPS

Due Date: FY23

1.4.4. Action: Publish updated tidal datums and bench mark sheets for over 

2000 locations.

Lead Office: NOS CO-OPS

Due Date: FY25

1.4.5. Action: Publish updated International Great Lakes Datum water 

level heights.

Lead Office: NOS CO-OPS

Due Date: FY25

1.5. Objective: Modernize and improve the National 

Spatial Reference System (NSRS) to support centimeter 

level accuracy for latitude, longitude, and geometric 

height using GNSS positioning techniques at any location 

in the Nation, which will greatly reduce errors. 
8 NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

1.5.1. Action: Complete the Gravity for the Redefinition of the American 

Vertical Datum (GRAV-D) project.

Lead Office: NOS National Geodetic Survey

Due Date: 2024 

1.5.2. Action: Update the National Shoreline in priority ports and other 

areas of interest to update nautical chart features and improve the safety of 

navigation.

Lead Office: NOS National Geodetic Survey

Due Date: Annual

1.5.3. Action: Deliver a revised West Coast VDatum model.

Lead Offices: NOS National Geodetic Survey, Center for Operational 

Oceanographic Products and Services, and Office of Coast Survey

Due Date: FY22 

1.6. Objective: Characterize global and U.S. coastal 

ocean surface wind patterns for Marine Transportation 

as well as offshore wind energy industries. 

1.6.1. Action: Create global and regional gridded high resolution sea 

surface winds products from NOAA and Partners’ satellite and in-situ 

platform observations, and make them freely available to the public and 

marine transportation and offshore wind power communities.

Lead Office: NESDIS/National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) 

Due Date: Q4FY21

1.6.1.1. Action: Integrate Synthetic Aperture Radar wind products 

to 1.6.1.

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR

Due Date: Q3FY23

1.7. Objective: Improve marine navigation at U.S. ports 

and waterways.

1.7.1. Action: Expand operational fog visibility tools at U.S. ports to 

promote safe navigation and efficient marine commerce activities.

1.7.1.1. Action: Evaluate applicability of NOAA’s GOES-16 Fog and Low 

Stratus (FLS) product for forecasting ground fog at US ports (NWS). If 

necessary, adjust the FLS algorithm to provide more accurate, fit-forpurpose ground fog information. The FLS product, developed for aviation 

applications, helps identify areas with cloud ceilings <1000 feet and/or 

surface visibility <3 miles and provides estimates for fog depth. It became 

operational for the east CONUS sector on 9 Sep 2020.

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR 

Supporting Office (Potential): NWS/STI 

Due Date: Q1FY24

1.7.1.2. Action: Complete satellite product development for ship 

detection and ship size estimates for monitoring increases/decreases in 

maritime activity in and around US ports. 

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR

Due Date: Q4FY23

1.7.2. Action: Develop marine channel forecast including fog forecasts and 

associated decision support services for at least one new Gulf Coast port.

Lead Office: NWS/AFS

Due Date: Q4FY23

2. Goal: Map, Explore and Characterize the U.S. EEZ.

2.1. Objective: Coordinate and Execute Campaigns to Map 

the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

2.1.1. Action: Complete ocean mapping campaigns with public and 

private sector partners in accordance with the NOMEC Strategy and meeting 

established standards and protocols.

Lead Offices: Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) Office of Ocean

Exploration and Research (OER) and NOS Office of Coast Survey

Due Date: Ongoing (waters ≥40 m complete by 2030 and <40 m by 2040) 

2.1.2. Action: Archive and make accessible crowdsource (CSB) data sent to 

NCEI/DCDB

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI 

Due Date: Q4FY21

2.1.3. Action: 90% of Ocean and Coastal Mapping data submitted is archived, 

inventoried and available within 90 days of receipt.

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI

Due Date: Q4FY21. 

2.2. Objective: Coordinate and execute campaigns to 

explore and characterize the U.S. EEZ, in concordance 

with the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration, and 

Characterization Council (NOMEC) Strategy and in support 

of Blue Economy goals.

2.2.1. Action: Provide strategic exploration and characterization priorities 

identified with intra-agency, interagency, and cross-sectoral input. 

Lead Office: OAR/OER 

Due Date: Q3FY21

2.2.2. Action: Use available funding mechanisms (e.g., grants, contracts, etc.) 

and leverage new and external partnerships to support ocean exploration and 

characterization missions. 

Lead Office: OAR/OER 

Due Date: Ongoing

2.2.3. Action: Archive and make accessible ocean exploration and 

characterization data from NOAA, partner, and other appropriate expeditions 

to the public in a timely way. 

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI

Due date: Ongoing

2.2.4. Action: Develop data collection and quality standards for ocean 

exploration and characterization for robust datasets that can be used for 

multiple objectives across sectors. 

Lead Office: OAR/OER 

Due date: Ongoing

2.2.5. Action: provide climatological mean maps of surface and subsurface 

carbon variables to assist in quantifying ocean acidification (North American 

Coastal Carbon Synthesis).

Lead Office:NESDIS/NCEI

Supporting Offices: lead with PMEL/AOML and others at NOAA

Due Date: Q2FY21
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 9

2.3. Objective: Support efforts to facilitate permitting 

for ocean mapping and exploration projects.

2.3.1. Action: Coordinate with the Ocean Resource Management (ORM) 

Subcommittee in streamlining the permitting and authorization process.

Lead Offices: Office of Coast Survey, Ocean Exploration and Research, NMFS 

Office of Protected Resources (OPR)

Supporting Offices: in coordination with NOAA representatives to the ORM

Due Date: Ongoing throughout 2022

2.4 Objective: Advance S&T in support of ocean 

mapping, exploration, and characterization.

2.4.1. Action: Include ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization 

applications in the implementation of the 6 NOAA S&T Focus Area 

Implementation Plans.

Lead Office: S&T Synergy Committee of the NOAA Science Council

Due Date: Ongoing through 2025

3. Goal: Implement the Executive Order on Promoting 

Seafood Competitiveness and Economic Growth.

3.1. Objective: Remove Barriers to American Fishing.

3.1.1. Action: Collect recommendations from the regional fisheries 

management councils to reduce burdens on domestic fishing and to increase 

production within sustainable marine fisheries.

Lead Office: NOAA Fisheries

Due Date: Q4FY21

3.2. Objective: Combat Illegal, Unreported and 

Unregulated (IUU) Fishing. 

3.2.1. Action: Take action to fully implement the Agreement on Port 

State Measures to Prevent, Deter, and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and 

Unregulated fishing, including further efforts related to capacity building. 

Lead Office: NOAA Fisheries

Due Date: Q4FY22

3.2.2. Action: Complete satellite product development for ship detection 

and identification in open ocean waters and transition product to operations. 

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR

Supporting Office: NMFS Office of Law Enforcement (OLE)

Due Date: Q4FY23

3.3. Objective: Remove Barriers to Aquaculture 

Permitting as per Executive Order (E.O.) 13921 and 

E.O. 13807. 

3.3.1. Action: Work with Federal, state, and tribal agencies to implement 

coordinated, efficient, timely, and cost-effective permitting of marine 

aquaculture in state and Federal waters.

Lead Office: NOAA Fisheries

Supporting Offices: NOS

Due Date: Ongoing

3.3.2. Action: Serve as the lead agency for aquaculture projects in federal 

waters that require an EIS.

Lead Office: NOAA Fisheries

Due Date: Ongoing

3.4. Objective: Implement Aquaculture Opportunity Areas 

(AOAs) as per E.O. 13921. 

3.4.1. Action: Identify AOAs in the Gulf of Mexico and off Southern California, 

then prepare programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyses 

for the selected AOAs.

Lead Office: NOAA Fisheries

Supporting Office: NOS

Due Date: AOA identification by May 7, 2021, completion of programmatic 

EISs for the two AOAs by May 7, 2023 (two years later)

3.4.1.1. Action: Conduct spatial planning and stakeholder engagement to 

identify location alternatives for two Aquaculture Opportunity Areas within 

the Gulf of Mexico and Southern California. 

Lead Office: NMFS Office of Aquaculture

Supporting Office: National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science

Due Date: May 2021 

3.4.1.2. Action: Develop carrying capacity models to forecast production 

potential for aquaculture in AOAs and inform the programmatic 

environmental impact statement (contingent on funding).

Lead Office: NMFS Office of Aquaculture

Supporting Office: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

Due Date: May 2023 for first two AOAs

3.5. Objective: Improve Regulatory Transparency for 

Aquaculture.

3.5.1. Action: Develop and host a website with information regarding 

Federal regulatory requirements and grant programs for marine aquaculture, 

referencing Section 8 of E.O. 13921 

Lead Office: NOAA Fisheries

Due Date: End January 2021

3.6. Objective: Develop and Implement an “American 

Seafood” Campaign.

3.6.1. Action: Work with Congress and the seafood industry to reauthorize 

the Seafood Promotion Act and set up a national seafood promotion board as 

recommended by NOAA’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee

Lead Office: NOAA Fisheries

Supporting Office: NOAA Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs

Due Date: Q1FY22

3.7. Objective: Better inform decision-making on future 

investments and advocacy to grow the seafood sector.

3.7.1. Action: Continue to provide economic time series data on the local, 

state and national level through the Economics: National Ocean Watch (ENOW) 

to public audiences and stakeholders.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Due Date: Annually in June
10 NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

3.7.2. Action: Leverage the Whale Alert network /data to prioritize and 

incentivize the use of ropeless gear technology in relevant areas.

Lead Office: Office of Sustainable Fisheries

Supporting Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NMFS OPR

Due Date: Ongoing

3.7.3. Action: Better incorporate citizen science data and applications 

(ex. Whale Alert) into NMFS scientific documents that ultimately impact 

regulatory decisions.

Lead Office: NMFS Office of Science & Technology 

Supporting: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, NMFS OPR

Due Date: Ongoing

3.7.4. Action: Advance ecosystem-based fisheries management (EBFM) 

through widespread adoption of uncrewed systems (UxS), Artificial 

Intelligence, ‘Omics, Cloud, Big Data, and Citizen Science in NOAA 

Fisheries Surveys.

Lead Offices: NMFS, NOS National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, OAR

Due Date: Ongoing through 2025

3.8. Objective: Establish Regional Aquaculture Training 

Centers through consortia of federal, university and 

industry partners to support regional aquaculture 

workforce development needs around the country.

3.8.1. Action: Seek resources and academic partners to achieve Regional 

Aquaculture Training Centers.

Lead Office: OAR National Sea Grant College Program

Due Date: Two pilot regional training centers by Q4 FY22 expanding to 

seven regional training centers by Q4 FY24 (contingent on funding).

4. Goal: Expand Tourism and Recreation Opportunities 

in the America’s Oceans, Coasts, and Great Lakes.

4.1. Objective: Expand, Select and Designate New 

National Marine Sanctuaries. 

4.1.1. Action: Finalize designation of Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National 

Marine Sanctuary.

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Due Date: FY21

4.1.2. Action: Finalize designation of Lake Ontario National 

Marine Sanctuary. 

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Due Date: Dependent on public comment periods, designate by FY22

4.1.3. Action: Expand Monitor National Marine Sanctuary. 

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Due Date: Dependent on public comment periods, publish final rule by 

FY22

4.1.4. Action: Expand Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuary

Due Date: FY21

4.1.5. Action: Issue proposed and final rule for Florida Keys National Marine 

Sanctuary to expand the boundary of the sanctuary, update sanctuarywide regulations, update the individual marine zones and their associated 

regulations, and revise the sanctuary management plan.

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Supporting Office: National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science

Due Date:Proposed rule in FY21; Final rule in FY22 

4.2. Objective: Assess, Restore, and Protect American 

Coral Reef Systems.

4.2.1. Action: Execute Implementation Plans for the Coral Reef Conservation 

Program’s Strategic Plan (2018). 

Lead Offices: NOS Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef 

Conservation Program

Due Date: CRCP’s FY21-23 implementation plan will be finalized Oct 2020 

and implemented over fiscal years 2021-2023

4.2.2. Action: Implement the NOAA Strategy to Respond to and Prevent the 

Spread of Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease (2020). 

Lead Offices: NOS Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef Conservation 

Program and the Office of the Administrator

Due Date: Ongoing

4.2.3. Action: Expand partnerships and support for Mission Iconic Reefs to 

restore seven iconic reefs in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.

Lead Offices: NOS Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef Conservation 

Program, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, and NMFS Office of Habitat 

Conservation

Due Date: Ongoing

4.2.4. Action: Produce the 2nd iteration of National Coral Reef Monitoring 

Program status reports, capturing status and trends of the Nation's coral reefs 

and human connections.

Lead Offices: NOS Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef 

Conservation Program

Due Date: 2025

4.2.5. Action: Operationalize one or more potential coral interventions 

reviewed in the NAS Research Review of Interventions to Increase the 

Persistence and Resilience of Coral Reefs.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef 

Conservation Program

Supporting Offices: NMFS Office of Habitat Conservation and NMFS 

Office of Science and Technology

Due Date: 2025

4.2.6. Action: Develop coral restoration plans in all seven states and 

territories with coral reefs, using the Manager's Guide to Coral Restoration 

Planning and Design.

Lead Offices: NOS Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef 

Conservation Program

Due Date: 2023
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 11

4.2.7. Action: Develop Coral Reef Emergency Response and Resource 

Recovery Guidelines and distribute to the seven U.S. coral reef 

jurisdictions.

Lead Offices: NOS Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef 

Conservation Program

Due Date: 2022

4.2.8. Action: Estimate the values that U.S. coral reefs provide to 

society in order to best manage the ecosystem services and economic 

opportunities that rely on these systems over time.

Lead Offices: NOS Office for Coastal Management, Coral Reef 

Conservation Program with partners across NOAA

Due Date: 2025

4.3. Objective: Implement the National Marine Debris 

Strategy.

4.3.1. Action: Coordinate with federal partners to identify actions to 

support the National Marine Debris Strategy.

Lead Offices: NOS Office of Response and Restoration, Marine 

Debris Division

Due Date: Q2FY21

4.3.2. Action: curate a database of microplastics to facilitate the 

understanding of and monitoring of distribution and effects of 

microplastics on the ocean environment and biota, on recreation and 

on fisheries.

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI

Supporting Office: NOAA Marine Debris Program 

Due Date: Q4FY21

4.4. Objective: Develop partnership strategies to 

improve beach and surf zone safety and messaging in 

close coordination with life saving organizations and 

coastal tourism sectors.

4.4.1. Action: Work with all Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors 

(including Surfing.com’s World of Waves and Ocean Positive) to amplify 

safety messaging to new sectors, including rip currents and shorebreak. 

Lead Office: NWS AFS

Supporting Office: NWS STI

Due Date: Ongoing

4.4.2. Action: Provide coastal modeling guidance (waves, surge, 

freshwater impacts, rip currents) to the public to save lives and property 

and enhance the national economy.

Lead Office: NWS STI

Due Date: Ongoing

4.4.3. Action: Provide U.S. Coastal Water Temperatures (near real-time 

and averages) to the public

4.4.3.1. Action: Enhance the NCEI Coastal Water Temperature guide 

to improve user interface and update monthly averages.

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI

Due Date: Q1FY22

4.4.4. Action: Provide updated local emergency information to 

coastal U.S. residents through the NOAA Extreme Weather Information 

Sheets (NEWIS).

4.4.4.1 Action: Provide climatological low temperature maps for 

the surface ocean to assist the Coast Guard in setting passenger 

survival craft requirements.

Lead office: NESDIS/NCEI

Due date: Q1FY21

4.5. Objective: Understand and communicate the 

value of the tourism and recreation sector to the 

Nation, coastal states, and communities.

4.5.1. Action: a) Continue to provide economic time series data 

particular to the tourism and recreation sector through the Economics: 

National Ocean Watch (ENOW) data set. b) Provide economic time 

series data particular to the tourism and recreation sector through 

the Marine Economy Satellite Account (MESA) (subject to available 

resources) to public audiences and stakeholders.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management (ENOW)

Supporting Office: PRSSO Chief 

Economist Office (MESA)

Due Date: Annually in June (ENOW), provided as available (MESA)

4.5.2. Action: Complete assessments of the type, distribution and 

intensity of uses in national marine sanctuaries.

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Supporting Office: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Due Date: Ongoing. Site specific or activity specific (ie. Whale 

watching) are happening at some sites now. 

4.5.3. Action: Use the 50th Anniversary of the NMSA to expand 

visibility of and build support for national marine sanctuaries and the 

recreation and tourism opportunities they offer. 

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 

Due Date: FY 2022 (50th Anniversary of the NMSA)

4.5.4. Action: Create a National Marine Sanctuary System wide 

Business Recognition Program

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries.

Due Date: FY2021

4.5.5. Action: Complete the Comprehensive Ecosystem Services 

Valuation of U.S. Coral Reefs.

Lead Offices: NOS Office for Coastal Management, NOAA Coral Reef 

Conservation Program

Due Date: Q4FY23

4.5.6. Action: Quantify the economic impacts and costs of mitigation 

of Harmful Algal Blooms in regions across the nation. 

Lead Office: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 

Due date: 2022 - 2024 
12 NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

4.6. Objective: Assessing and addressing access 

opportunities. 

4.6.1. Action: Improve accessibility to coastal recreation areas to ensure 

that we engage and promote an inclusive outdoors.

Lead Offices: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Office for Coastal 

Management

Due Date: Ongoing through 2025

4.6.2. Action: Hold a regional symposium with state, local, tribal, 

territorial, non-profit and private sector to identify new/existing 

opportunities to support expansion of tourism and recreation.

Lead Office: NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, with support from 

other programs

Due Date: Q1FY22

4.7. Objective: Implement the National Saltwater 

Recreational Fisheries Policy

4.7.1. Action: Work across NOAA and with external partners to foster 

and support publicly accessible and sustainable recreational fishing 

opportunities. 

Lead Office: NOAA Fisheries

Due Date: Q4FY21

5. Goal: Enhance the Resilience of America’s Oceans, 

Coasts, and Great Lakes Coastal Communities.

5.1. Objective: Increase Support for the Parametric 

Insurance Sector.

5.1.1. Action: Maintain data accessibility to private partners that develop 

personal risk products.

Lead Office: NOS CO-OPS

Supporting Office: Office for Coastal Management

Due Date: Ongoing through 2025

5.2. Objective: Inform and communicate using data 

and tools focused on the marine economy and useful in 

resilience efforts for planning and rebuilding 

after storms.

5.2.1. Action: Provide economic business employment data overlaid 

on the Sea Level Rise Viewer and Lake Level Viewer useful for resilience 

planning to protect jobs (project underway).

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Supporting Office: Bureau of Labor Statistics partners

Due Date: 2022

5.2.2. Action: Provide snapshots of all coastal county areas that feature 

marine businesses and jobs data with sea level rise and flooding data 

using ESRI Business Analyst, given their particular vulnerability to flooding 

(project underway).

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Due Date: 2021

5.2.3. Action: Provide trainings to help coastal managers identify 

economic sectors and jobs vulnerable to flooding from coastal hazards and 

provide methods useful to describe potential economic losses from 

coastal hazards.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Due Date: 2021

5.2.4. Action: Collect and share up-to-date cost and benefit data through 

the Green Infrastructure Database for use in estimating economic effects 

resulting from coastal green infrastructure projects.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Due Date: 2021

5.3. Objective: Creating Coastal Normals for the U.S. 

coastal ocean, by region.

5.3.1. Action: Deliver normals calculations and a web-based product for 

the Atlantic Seaboard (North Atlantic, South Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico).

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI and the Southern Regional Climate Center

Supporting Office: NOS/IOOS and other partners 

Due Date: FY20, FY21, FY22 respectively

5.4. Objective: Continuously update coastal digital 

elevation models. 

5.4.1. Action: Updates of regional and local DEMs 

Lead Office: NOAA/NCEI 

Supporting Office: NWS/STI

Due Date: Q4FY21

5.5. Objective: Operationalize the Coastal Wind and 

Water Events Database (CWWED)

5.5.1. Action: CWWED V1.0 is operational.

Lead Office: NOAA/NCEI

Supporting Office: NWS/STI

Due Date: Q3FY22

5.6. Objective: Improved coastal relief models for 

the U.S.

5.6.1. Action: Updated CRMs for West/Central Gulf, New England, 

and Hawaii

Lead Office: NOAA/NCEI 

Due Date: Q4FY21

5.7. Objective: Provide improved Ocean Climatologies.

5.7.1. Action: Provide monthly updated ocean heat content, salt content 

and steric sea level time series to understand global and regional changes 

affecting coastal communities.

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI 

Supporting Office: OAR

Due Date: Q3FY21
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 13

5.8. Objective: Complete development of the satellite 

product suite for marine oil spill remediation.

5.8.1. Action: Develop oil platform change detection product in the 

Gulf of Mexico and transition to operations.

5.8.1.1. Action: Product will detect changes in platform location/

orientation due to severe weather events. Changes could be indicative 

of oil leakage.

5.8.1.2. Action: Consistent, slow oil leak seepage affects aquaculture 

and recreational fishing activities.

Lead Offices: NESDIS/STAR, Office of Satellite 

and Product Operations (OSPO) 

Supporting Office: with consultation from the 

Office of Response and Restoration

Due Date: Q1FY24

5.8.2. Action: Complete development of oil spill thickness product and 

transition to operations.

5.8.2.1. Action: Product is useful for deciding if remediation is 

necessary or even possible, including around shipwrecks. 

Lead Offices: NESDIS/STAR, OSPO

Supporting Office: with consultation from the 

Office of Response and Restoration

Due Date: Q1FY24

5.8.3. Action: Maintain oil spill cover product for detection and 

tracking of event-driven oil spills. 

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR

Supporting Office: with consultation from the Office of Response and 

Restoration

Due Date: Ongoing

5.9. Objective: Develop a Comprehensive Integrated 

Water Prediction strategy across NOAA lines and the 

Weather, Water, Climate Enterprise to support coastal 

resilience and safeguard commerce.

5.9.1. Action: Support Coastal Tourism Opportunities by developing a 

pilot satellite coastal flood mapping product.

Lead Office: NESDIS/STAR

Supporting Office: NWS/AFS, ONMS, OCM

Due Date: Q1FY23

5.9.2. Action: Implement non-tropical storm surge modeling 

capabilities to improve both accuracy and coverage of coastal inundation 

models to better inform both emergency managers and the general 

public.

Lead Office: NWS Science and Technology Integration

Supporting Office: NOS

Due Date: Q4FY24

5.9.3. Action: Deploy National Water Model v3.0 with initial coastal 

coupling capabilities providing integrated water prediction that includes 

freshwater, storm surge, and tides. 

Lead Office: NWS Office of Water Prediction

Supporting Office: NWS STI

Due Date: Q4FY23

5.9.4. Action: Implement Flood Inundation Mapping operationally 

for near 100% of U.S. residents providing improved decision support 

products to Emergency Managers.

Lead Office: NWS Office of Water Prediction

Due Date: Q4FY26

5.10. Objective: identify new/existing methods to 

support expansion of opportunities for increasing 

coastal resilience.

5.10.1. Action: Hold a regional symposium with state, local, tribal, 

territorial, non-profit and private sectors.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Due Date: FY21

5.10.2. Action: Develop a National Goal of increasing wetlands and 

other protective coastal ecosystems in endangered areas (suffering 

wetland and marsh losses) and identify partners to support this effort.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Supporting Offices: National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science, 

NOAA Restoration Center, with support from external partners 

including US Army Corps of Engineers and the National Fish and 

Wildlife Foundation

Due Date: FY21

5.10.3. Action: Work with FEMA and the BRIC program to determine 

if there are priorities’ that can be developed for funding coastal 

resilience efforts.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Supporting Office: NOS Office of Response and Restoration (OR&R) 

Disaster Preparedness Program 

Due Date: Q4FY21

5.10.4 Action: Advance existing modeling methods to assess coastal 

marsh health, and identify opportunities to encourage resilience of 

existing marshes, or allow for marsh migration and growth. 

Lead Office: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Due Date: FY22 - FY24

5.10.5 Action: Evaluate the effectiveness of and provide 

implementation guidance for natural and nature-based infrastructure 

for shoreline stabilization, ecosystem restoration, and habitat 

protection. 

Lead Office: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Due Date: FY21 - FY23

5.11. Objective: Develop an Ecosystem Forecasting 

Portfolio strategy across NOAA Line Offices that 

supports coastal community resilience in the areas 

of public health and safety.
14 NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

5.11.1. Action: Write a NOAA Ecosystem Forecasting Portfolio Strategic 

Plan that includes actions to improve Ecosystem Forecast Bulletins (e.g. 

Harmful Algal Blooms, Sargassum) and actions to improve transition of 

ecological forecast products and services.

Lead Office: National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

Supporting Office: NESDIS/NCEI, NESDIS/STAR

Due Date: FY21

6. Goal: Improve Cross-cutting Internal Focus Areas to 

Grow the American Blue Economy Sustainably.

6.1. Objective: Regularly assess NOAA Blue Economy 

efforts to measure progress.

6.1.1. Action: Develop metrics that quantify agency wide 

economic impacts.

Lead Office: NOAA CFO/PRSSO

Due Date: Q4FY22

6.1.2. Action: a) Measure the contribution of the ocean economy sectors 

and activities to the U.S. economy. Maintain and update (subject to 

availability of resources) the Marine Economy Satellite Account (MESA); 

and b) Maintain and update the Economics: National Ocean Watch national, 

state and county reports for measuring the Marine Economy growth and 

trends. Continue to invest in MESA and ENOW data production to monitor 

our success in achieving the majority of the goals in the plan.

Lead Offices: NOAA CFO/PRSSO (MESA), Office for Coastal Management 

(ENOW)

Due Date: May/June 2021 (release of updated statistics; MESA), annually 

in June (ENOW database)

6.1.3. Action: Conduct valuation reports for individual NOAA Programs like 

that for the National Geodetic Survey’s Aeronautical Survey Program (ASP).

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Supporting Offices: economists across NOAA

Due Date: Specific due date contingent on the program being valued. 

Estimated 2021 - 2025

6.1.4. Action: Conduct valuation reports for ecosystem indicators 

developed by NOAA’s Ecosystem Indicators Working Group (e.g. assessing 

value of marginal changes in one or more ecosystem indicator(s) and

 the value of the information that NOAA makes available about a

 particular indicator).

Lead Office: NOAA CFO/PRSSO

Due Date: Q2FY22

6.1.5. Action: Complete final reports for U.S. Extended Continental Shelf 

Project (ECS) areas for core regions

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI

Supporting Office: OAR

Due Date: Q4FY22

6.2. Objective: Develop an Economically Literate 

Workforce.

6.2.1. Action: Prioritize Blue Economy and Blue Tech in projects conducted 

by NOAA scholars, fellows, and interns. 

Lead Office: NOAA Office of Education

Supporting Office: with assistance of a coordinating body such as the 

NOAA Research Council

Due Date: Q1FY22

6.2.2. Action: Prioritize Blue Economy and Blue Tech in projects conducted 

by NOAA rotational assignments. 

Lead Office: NOAA Office of Human Capital Services (OHCS)

Due Date: Q1FY22

6.2.3. Action: Post and regularly update International Ocean Science 

and Technology Industry Association (IOSTIA) career center and other 

opportunities on our NOAA Blue Economy website.

Lead Offices: NOAA OAR Technology and Partnerships Office, OHCS

Due Date: Q4FY21

6.2.4. Action: Support the implementation of NOAA’s Diversity and 

Inclusion Strategic Plan by engaging Educational Partnership Program 

(EPP) scholars and their associated MSIs and HBCUs to inform them about 

NOAA’s Blue Economy activities to recruit a more diverse and inclusive Blue 

Tech workforce.

Lead Office: NOAA Office of Education

Supporting Office: CFO/PRSSO

Due Date: Q4FY21

6.2.5. Action: Develop and execute a Blue Economy Personnel Exchange 

and Liaison Program. 

Lead Office: NOAA Office of the ASOA 

Due Date: Q1FY22

6.2.6. Action: Develop an economic valuation guidance tool and webinar 

to assist local, state and regional stakeholders on economics terminology, 

concepts, and methods to aid in their project decision-making.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management

Due Date: Late Spring 2021 (project underway)

6.2.7. Action: Establish an internal Blue Economy Toolkit with facts and 

figures, talking points, and graphics/pictures. Establish a schedule of 

articles and blog posts from each line office on how it is supporting the 

overall effort.

Coordinating Office: NOAA Office of Communications

Content Producing Offices: NOS, NMFS, OAR, OMAO, NWS, and NESDIS 

communications offices

Due Date: Ongoing 

6.3. Objective: Streamline Internal Processes 

to Increase the Return on Investment (ROI) of 

NOAA Programs.

6.3.1. Action: Explore efficiencies in executing multi-year contracts for 

mapping and exploration.

Lead Office: NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office

Due Date: Q1FY22

6.3.2. Action: Further support Blue Economy acquisition initiatives 

to advance innovative approaches such as examining the use of Other 

Transaction Authority (OTA). 

Lead Office: NOAA Acquisition and Grants Office

Due Date: Ongoing
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 15

6.3.3. Action: Expand and Enhance Coastal Data Stewardship to 

develop integrated datasets for use in Blue Economy decision-making 

activities. 

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI 

Due Date: Ongoing

6.3.4. Action: Improve NOAA data stewardship (archive and access) 

processes to ensure data is made available to the public more quickly and 

efficiently

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI 

 Due Date: Ongoing

6.3.5. Action: Aggregate essential data from NOAA and external 

monitoring sources, quality control, upload to databases, and provide 

back to communities for enhanced study and monitoring utilizing all 

programs’ major asset - data.

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI 

Due Date: Ongoing

6.4. Objective: Expand and Accelerate Science and 

Technology Transitions.

6.4.1. Action: Expand the scope of NOAA's Office of Research Transitions 

and Applications (ORTA) to identify "relationship managers" for each 

partnership inventoried under 7.1.1. 

Lead Office: NOAA OAR/ORTA

Due Date:

6.4.2. Action: Support and improve ocean, coastal, and Great 

Lakes observing capabilities through IOOS’ Ocean Technology 

Transition (OTT) Project.

Lead Office: Integrated Ocean Observing System

Due Date: Ongoing multi-year cycles

7. Goal: Leverage Cross-cutting External Opportunities to 

Grow the American Blue Economy.

7.1. Objective: Strengthen and Expand Partnerships.

7.1.1. Action: Develop and track monthly a NOAA blue economy 

partnership inventory, using the NOAA Center for Artificial Intelligence 

(NCAI) Partner Tracking Process as a model. Conduct semi-annual 

reviews of the inventory and brief the NBEEC during periodic 

committee meetings. 

Lead Office: OAR Technology and Partnerships Office

Due Date: January, 2022

7.1.2. Action: Develop a federally-established public-private 

Roundtable to Advance American Blue Technology.

Lead Office: NOAA Office of the Assistant Secretary of Commerce for 

Oceans and Atmosphere (ASOA)

Supporting Offices: OAR Technology and Partnerships Office, DOC 

(Office TBD)

Due Date: Q4FY21

7.1.3. Action: Identify and execute funding opportunities offered 

by Department of Commerce (DOC) Bureaus (Bureau of Industry and 

Security (BIS), U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA), International 

Trade Administration (ITA), U.S. Economic Development Administration 

(EDA), Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA)), the Small 

Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR), and other Departments 

such as the Department of Energy Powering the Blue Economy Ocean 

Observing Prize. 

Lead Office: NOAA Office of the ASOA

Supporting Office: DOC Office of Policy and Strategic Planning (OPSP)

Due Date: Q4FY21

7.1.4. Action: Identify and execute funding opportunities from key 

interagency partners (DHS/U.S. Coast Guard, DOD/U.S. Navy, DOT/U.S. 

Maritime Administration, DOI, etc).

Lead Office: NOAA Office of the ASOA 

Supporting Office: NOAA representative to the White House Office 

of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) Subcommittee on Ocean 

Science and Technology (SOST) and National Oceanographic 

Partnership Program (NOPP)

Due Date: Q4FY21

7.1.5. Action: Expand our initiatives with zoos, aquariums and other 

partner organizations to educate more people about marine protected 

areas, NOAA Blue Economy, and other Agency priorities and initiatives.

Lead Office: NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Supporting Office: Office of Education

Due Date: Ongoing through 2025

7.1.6. Action: Establish and strengthen the Office of National Marine 

Sanctuaries Business Advisory Council and other similar councils.

Lead Office: Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

Due Date: Q2FY22

7.1.7. Action: Identify international partners with similar and/or 

complementary Blue Economy strategies, such as Canada’s Ocean 

Supercluster (OSC), and integrate Blue Economy discussions into 

bilateral and multilateral engagements with those partners to explore 

possible cooperative activities for mutual gain.

Lead Office: NOAA Office of International Affairs

Supporting Offices: OAR, IOOS 

Due Date: Q4FY22

7.1.8. Action: Work with the Department of the Interior (DOI) Bureau 

of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), DOC Bureaus (e.g. EDA), and 

others to Identify and incentivise targeted activities that support U.S. 

Blue Tech (e.g. robotics) and other industries such as offshore mining 

and energy. 

Lead Office: NOAA Office of the ASOA

Supporting Office: DOC (OPSP)

Due Date: Q4FY21
16 NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan

7.1.9. Action: Leverage established UxS partnerships to prototype the 

UxS Data Enterprise through agile development of one or more use cases 

in alignment with NOAA Science and Technology Data, Cloud and AI 

strategies. Identify how this action aligns with emerging NOAA and U.S. 

Navy collaborations to execute provisions of the Commercial Engagement 

Through Ocean Technology Act of 2018 (CENOTE) pertaining to the 

assessment, acquisition, and use of uncrewed maritime systems.

Lead Office: NESDIS/NCEI 

Supporting Offices: OAR (PMEL and OER) and OECI (USM), OMAO

Due Date: Q4FY21

7.1.10. Action: Collaborate with organizations and principals from Blue 

Technology clusters nationwide, such as the Gulfport, Mississippi, Blue 

Economy Innovation District (BEID) and others in New England, San Diego, 

and Seattle, to gather user requirements and demonstrate the return on 

investment in UxS data collections. Evaluate how this action aligns with 

emerging NOAA/U.S. Navy CENOTE collaborations per uncrewed 

maritime systems.

Lead Office: OAR

Supporting Offices: NESDIS/NCEI, OECI (USM), IOOS 

Due Date: Q4FY21

7.1.11. Action: Coordinate with University partners to define a workforce 

development plan including opportunities in Science & Technology 

supporting technologies (i.e. business and data science, and computer 

science/engineering), and evaluate how these activities can align with 

similar emerging NOAA/U.S. Navy CENOTE collaborations on uncrewed 

maritime systems. 

Lead Office: OAR

Supporting Offices: Office of Education, OHCS, NESDIS/NCEI with 

OECI (USM)

Due Date: Q4FY21

7.1.12. Action: Conduct a formal tribal consultation with federally 

recognized tribes in coastal areas, in accordance with E.O. 13175 

Consultation and Coordination With Indian Tribal Governments, to gather 

input from tribes on how they contribute to the blue economy, how the 

strategy impacts NOAAs government to government relationship with 

tribal sovereign nations and ways we can partner with tribes to grow 

blue economy.

Lead Offices: NOAA Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs 

(Tribal Relations), OAR (EEO) 

Due Date: Q2FY22

7.1.13. Action: Develop a strategy for NOAA engagement in the Blue 

Economy internationally via The United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for 

Sustainable Development (2021-2030).

Lead Office: OAR

Due Date: Q4FY21

7.2. Objective: Develop Policy and Legislation.

7.2.1. Action: Consider and develop language on what NOAA would 

like to see in a CENOTE reauthorization bill that can help advance the 

Blue Economy.

Lead Office: NOAA Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs

Due Date: Q1FY22

7.2.2. Action: Pursue passage of an Ocean Exploration, Mapping and 

Characterization Act.

Lead Office: NOAA Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs

Supporting Offices: In coordination with NOAA line offices and the Office 

of General Counsel

Due Date: Q1FY23

7.2.3. Action: Inclusion of NOAA in Conservation Corps legislation.

Lead Office: NOAA Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs

Due Date: Q1FY23

7.3. Objective: Expand Targeted Strategic 

Communications and Engagement.

7.3.1. Action: Develop an Annual NOAA Blue Economy Engagement Plan 

that identifies key White House, Congressional, interagency, international, 

media, private sector and philanthropic entities, events, and the messages 

we want to convey to each, informing 7.3.3. 

 Lead Office: NOAA Office of the ASOA

 Due Date: Q4FY21

7.3.2. Action: Establish a NOAA Blue Economy website.

Coordinating Office: NOAA Office of Communications 

Content Producing Offices: NOS, NMFS, OAR, OMAO, NWS and NESDIS 

communications offices

Due Date: Existing and website updated as milestones are met

7.3.3. Action: Develop a NOAA Blue Economy Annual Report and 

disseminate it to partners and stakeholders during outreach events listed 

in 7.2.1.

Lead Office: NOS Office for Coastal Management 

Supporting Offices: NOAA CFO/PRSSO, with partners that include Bureau 

of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics

Due Date: Existing and updated annually in June

7.3.4. Action: Establish an external Blue Economy Toolkit with facts 

and figures, talking points, and graphics/pictures, along with a public/

private team of “Champions” who can speak at conferences and external 

events. Establish a schedule of articles and blog posts from the consortia or 

champions on supporting the overall effort.

Coordinating Office: NOAA Office of Communications 

Content Producing Offices: NOS, NMFS, OAR, OMAO, NWS, and NESDIS 

communications offices

Due Date: Ongoing

7.4. Objective: Leverage Partnerships from 7.1. to 

support Finance and Business Development.

7.4.1. Action: Explore options to develop Blue Tech opportunity zones, 

including legislative, public-private partnership, and other activities, and 

assess the feasibility of this action. Leverage connections with existing 

blue tech clusters forged through Action 7.1.10. and work with the DOC to 

identify programs to apply to blue economy efforts.

Lead Office: OAR

Supporting Offices: OAR Technology and Partnerships Office, IOOS, DOC

Due Date: Q4FY21
NOAA Blue Economy Strategic Plan 17

7.5. Objective: Expand Support for Extramural 

Research.

7.5.1. Action: With attention to objectives 7.1. and 7.4., increase 

involvement in NOAA Research & Development (R&D) by Cooperative 

Institutes (CI), and include language in the forthcoming CI prospectus on 

targeting research and technology that will support science leading to 

Blue Economy economic gain.

Lead Office: OAR

Supporting Office: NOAA Cooperative Institutes

Due Date: Q4FY21

7.5.2. Action: Increase involvement in NOAA R&D by private sector and 

philanthropic organizations. 

Lead Office: OAR

Due Date: Q4FY21

IV. Execution.

The NOAA Blue Economy Executive Committee (NBEEC) will meet 

monthly to oversee the execution of this plan, raising issues that require 

Line or Staff Office resolution to the NOAA Ocean and Coastal Council 

(NOCC), NOAA Executive Panel (NEP), or NOAA Executive Council (NEC) 

as appropriate. As execution of the plan has dependency on future year 

appropriation, this Committee will monitor any resource constraints as 

they arise and modify the plan as needed on an annual basis.

V. Conclusion.

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 COVID-19, and the 

actions in this plan will accelerate and grow these contributions.