Joint Initiative Hosts East Coast Leadership Roundtable in New York

NEW YORK, June 17, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative (Joint Initiative) will host the East Coast Ocean Leadership Roundtable with the purpose of engaging and generating conversation around ocean policy reform at the national, regional, state and local levels. This Roundtable is the second installment in a four-part roundtable series hosted by the Joint Initiative as part of its 2014-2017 strategy, which convenes high level leaders in various sectors to identify regional approaches to major ocean challenges, generate creative solutions, and inspire state and local leadership. In April, the Joint Initiative hosted the Arctic Ocean Leadership Roundtable in Fairbanks and Barrow, Alaska.

"The East Coast and the Atlantic Ocean serve as vital engines for commerce, health and quality of life. The ocean and the coast generate economic opportunity and are a vital part of our national security. But the East Coast is facing a period of unprecedented change, including natural, climatic and economic shifts," said Joint Initiative co-chair Norman Mineta.  "It is vital that governance and policy structures be responsive and adaptive to these changes to protect our coasts, improve research and ensure adequate infrastructure. This meeting is a critical aspect of ensuring preparedness."

The East Coast Ocean Leadership Roundtable will bring together thought leaders, scientists, and experts from the public, private, and non-profit sectors around the theme of managing change facing waters off the East Coast of the United States. The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative has identified four broad topics around which to focus discussion:

• Resilience and adaptation to climate change;
• Offshore energy development;
• Marine transportation and infrastructure; and
• Addressing multiple environmental stressors.

Through this week's discussions in New York, the Joint Initiative hopes to gain an understanding of the unique challenges facing the East Coast, from Maine to Miami, and generate momentum for managing change along the coastline. Following the meeting, the Joint Initiative will leverage its extensive network to amplify messages about changes facing the East Coast to our nation's leaders and elevate key policy and action priorities shared by diverse stakeholders.

The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative is a collaborative effort of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and Pew Oceans Commission. The primary goal of the Joint Initiative is to accelerate the pace of change that results in meaningful ocean policy reform.

SOURCE Joint Ocean Commission Initiative

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