Case studies
We regularly hear stories about how the Portal is being used to make decisions, solve problems and improve projects throughout the Mid-Atlantic. This page will share a few of these case studies so they may provide guidance and food for thought for others’ work. Please check back periodically for additional examples.
Use Examples

- Marine planners with the U.S. Coast Guard's Fifth District used the Portal to design proposed anchorage areas to accommodate future vessel traffic in the Chesapeake and Delaware Bay vicinities. Webinar
- When TE SubCom built a 4,000-mile submarine communications cable from Virginia Beach to Spain, it used the Portal to design an alignment that avoided hot spots for bottom-tending fishing activities such as dredging and trawling. Fact sheet
- Gotham Whale researchers are using the Portal to identify and build awareness of potential high-risk areas for marine mammal ship strikes in the NY-NJ area. Ocean Stories feature
- The
Portal Team collaborated with the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Acidification
Network to create a group of maps that will help researchers understand
where monitoring gaps may exist in the region. Fact sheet
- The Portal served as a centerpiece in a course for New York K-12 teachers dedicated to the Hudson Canyon’s critical importance as a natural and economic resource. Fact Sheet
- Officials in the tugboat and barge industry are using the site to plan new routes that will steer safely clear of planned offshore wind areas in the Mid-Atlantic region. Fact sheet | Ocean Stories feature
- The U.S. Coast Guard is also using the Portal to help guide
discussions and show maritime industry stakeholders how they prepare for the new infrastructure at sea. Fact sheet | Ocean Stories feature
How are you using the Portal? Have an interesting story about how our data helped your organization? Let us know at portal@midatlanticocean.org.
March 2019 Portal Users Panel

A panel of Portal users at the March 2019 Mid-Atlantic Ocean Forum shared stories of how they’ve used the site to solve problems and complete work projects. Click below to watch their presentations:
- Danielle Brown, Gotham Whale
- Matt Creelman, US Coast Guard
- Stephen Drew, Sea Risk Solutions
- Kim Grubert, Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Kevin Hassell, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection
- Lyndie Hice-Dunton, Ecology and Environment
- Annie Hawkins, Responsible Offshore Development Alliance