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Cape Cod National Seashore had over 4 million visits in 2021, ranking it 17th for visitation among the 423 units of the National Park System. Image courtesy of NPS/Moynihan Counting Scale Indicator
HYANNIS – Local marine experts are applauding President Joe Biden’s announcement of the U.S. Ocean Climate Action Plan (OCAP) that they say acknowledges the essential role the ocean plays in addressing the climate crisis.
The plan is an expansion of actions taken during the first two years of the administration, which have included restoring protections for the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts Marine National Monument off the coast of Cape Cod.
Director of Ocean Policies at the New England Aquarium, Sarah Reiter said representatives of the aquarium were at the White House on Tuesday, and anticipate providing feedback to federal officials on the plan.
“The takeaways that I’m seeing from the Ocean Climate Action Plan, which is really encouraging, is that the conservation of the ocean, our ocean health, and the protection of the ocean is not mutually exclusive when it comes to an emerging responsible blue economy,” said Reiter.
Federal officials said goals of OCAP include creating a carbon-neutral future by accelerating solutions that tap the power of natural coastal and ocean systems to absorb and store greenhouse gasses and enhancing community resilience to climate change.
“This is the first step–a historic step–in terms of the national level linking the ocean and climate. And recognizing that the ocean is a solution as we look to tackle the climate crisis,” said Reiter.
The actions described in the OCAP also provide other benefits such as creating jobs, workforce development, resilient food production, ecosystem health, and scientific knowledge.
Zack is a graduate from Cape Cod Community College who is an avid sports fan and loves everything radio. Zack joined the CapeCod.com NewsCenter in 2023.
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