Delaware recreational boaters have been asked to play a prominent role in helping to map future recreational Atlantic Ocean use by participating in the  2013 Mid-Atlantic Boater Survey. The survey is being conducted via the mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) to gain valuable and viable information about recreational boating activities throughout the region.

Over 5,000 invitations went out to boaters in Delaware earlier this week asking them to take part in the 2013 Mid-Atlantic Boater Survey, with invitations also mailed to boaters from Maryland, New Jersey, and Virginia. Information collected through the survey will be translated into maps and incorporated into MARCO’s online mapping tool to support ocean planning efforts in the region, including Delaware’s Atlantic waters.

Recreational boaters contacted for the survey were randomly selected from state and federal boating databases. Those who agree to participate will be emailed a short survey each month (June through November) asking them to describe their most recent boating trip from the previous month, including information about the location, duration and time aboard, activities such as angling and sailing, and money spent.

The survey will yield valuable data in planning for how Atlantic Ocean resources are utilized and coordinated in the years ahead, and help minimize and avert potential user conflicts on the ocean, said Sarah Cooksey, administrator, DNREC’s Delaware Coastal programs and one of the state’s MARCO delegates. DCP encourages Delaware boaters contacted this week to participate in the survey, as data gathered will help with marine planning for the Delaware Bay and for Delaware’s Atlantic waters within the three-mile offshore limit, according to Ms. Cooksey.

Logo courtesy Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control