Today, NOAA announced members of a new sanctuary advisory council for the proposed Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary.

The council will provide the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries with advice and recommendations to guide NOAA during the designation process for the proposed sanctuary. Council members also serve as liaisons to their communities, building a strong connection between the sanctuary and stakeholders.

The council includes 15 voting members and 15 alternates representing a variety of community interests. Citizens appointed by NOAA to serve on the Sanctuary Advisory Council are:

Commercial Fishing:

o   Meghan Lapp, fisheries liaison at Seafreeze Ltd. Point Judith, R.I.; Greg DiDomenico, fisheries management specialist at Lund’s Fisheries, Cape May, N.J.

o   Patrick Knapp, Andrew Minkiewicz (alternates)

●      Recreational Fishing:

o   Alan Lee, John Depersenaire (members)

o   Deane Lambros, Will Poston (alternates)

●      Tourism/Recreation:

o   Kiera Maloney (member)

o   Rob Nixon (alternate)

●      Conservation:

o   Noah Chesnin, Carl LoBue (members)

o   Judith Weis, Peter Chaibongsai (alternates)

●      Science/Research:

o   Dr. Mercer Brugler (member)

o   Dr. Walter Golet (alternate)

●      Business and Economic Development:

o   Cortney Koenig Worrall (member)

o   Rick Weber (alternate)

●      Marine Industry:

o   Stephen Lyman, John Dempsey (members)

o   Rik van Hemmen, Ron Rapp (alternates)

●      Education/Outreach:

o   Lisa Breslof, Chrissy Word (members)

o   Chris Lido, Jim Kent (alternates)

●      Citizen at Large:

o   Paul Collier, Raymond Fusco (members)

o   Brynn Heller, Marty Scanlon (alternates)

The council also includes the following non-voting governmental members:

U.S. Department of Interior/Bureau of Ocean Energy Management; U.S. Coast Guard; U.S. Navy; NOAA Fisheries; New England Fishery Management Council; Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council; South Atlantic Fishery Management Council; State of Rhode Island; State of New York; and State of New Jersey.

The Hudson Canyon Advisory Council will hold its first meeting sometime this summer and it will likely be virtual. Prior to that meeting, council members and alternates will receive additional background information about national marine sanctuaries and advisory councils.

For more information about the Advisory Council and upcoming meetings, please visit the proposed Hudson Canyon National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council webpage or contact LeAnn Hogan ([email protected]) or Ellen Brody ([email protected]).