Coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) is a tool that provides transparent information about ocean use, guarantees the public and stakeholders a voice in decisions affecting the oceans, and creates an inclusive, bottom-up planning approach that gives states and regions the ability to make informed decisions about how best to use the ocean. A cornerstone of collaborative regionally based planning is providing access to data for transparent, science-based decision making.

In support of CMSP, NOS Special Projects developed the NOAA CMSP Data Registry. The tool is a collection of NOAA geospatial data sets that will directly contribute to comprehensive regional planning.

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