President Obama’s Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force continues it leadership and commitment to advancing a healthy ocean, Great Lakes, and coasts with the timely release of its Interim Framework on Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning on December 14, 2009. This report was developed in response to the June 12 Presidential memorandum that called for the Task Force to recommend a comprehensive, integrated, and ecosystem-based framework for effective coastal and marine spatial planning that addresses conservation, economic activity, user conflict, and sustainability of ocean, Great Lakes, and coastal resources. This document sets goals and objectives, identifies science requirements, and outlines the plan for implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of marine spatial planning.

Thoroughgood, C. 2010. From the President: Marine spatial planning—A call for action. Oceanography 23(1):9–10, https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2010.100.

Ehler, C., and F. Douvere. 2009. Marine Spatial Planning: A Step-by-Step Approach Toward Ecosystem-Based Management. Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission and Man and the Biosphere Programme. IOC Manual and Guides No. 53, ICAM Dossier No. 6. UNESCO Paris, 99 pp. Available online at: http://www.unesco-ioc-marinesp.be/msp_guide (accessed January 15, 2010).

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