A Time for Action

From 1970 to 2020, the population in U.S. coastal counties increased by 40.5 million people, or approximately 46 percent (https://coast.noaa.gov/states/fast-facts/economics-and-demographics.html). Currently about 40% of the U.S population live within counties adjacent to an ocean or the Great Lakes, on approximately 10% of the nation's land mass. Much of this migration and associated coastal development has been stimulated by recreation and tourism opportunities. In addition, millions of U.S. travelers seek Caribbean beaches and waterfronts each year for vacations, business trips, and to visit friends and relatives.

These coastal enthusiasts utilize specialized technologies for water recreation and underwater exploration (e.g., personal watercraft, scuba equipment, remotely-operated vehicles - ROVs, sophisticated depth/bottom sounders, side-scan sonar and other acoustic remote-sensing systems, metal-detectors and magnetometers) that increase their access to the underwater world of our oceans and freshwater lakes. Such activities have resulted in both positive and negative impacts on the maritime heritage of the U.S. and Caribbean basin. Planners, researchers, and the concerned public have begun to recognize these challenges and are seeking practical solutions.

Maritime heritage includes historical structures, archaeological sites, environmental features, land and seascapes, and the many lifeways of present-day coastal communities. These different facets of maritime heritage interact to produce distinctive human relationships with rivers, lakes, and oceans of the world. Recreation, tourism, and associated economic activities are usually considered beneficial uses of maritime, coastal, and underwater resources, which can enhance the quality of life in coastal communities.

The challenge (and opportunity) is to conduct these activities in a manner that sustains both social/economic benefits, as well as the natural and cultural resources that help produce these benefits. Unfortunately, many of these resources are adversely affected by human activities and environmental processes. In addition, innovative solutions to these problems offered by the private sector are often inhibited by inappropriate government regulations and traditional approaches to resource management and development.

The CMURM board of directors and associates believe that a key to success in the conservation of maritime heritage and sustainable coastal tourism, is in creating pathways to multi-organization cooperation and collaboration, which often lead to formal, programmatic partnerships among businesses, research organizations, educational institutions, and government agencies.

This approach is necessary because most coastal submerged lands and associated water columns (with exception of international waters) are owned or managed under a "public trust" by governments, and can be considered public (non-market) resources. On the other hand, coastal economic infrastructure, as well as recreation and tourism services, are provided primarily by the private (business) sector. This situation requires the better integration of expertise and organizational resources from both the public and private sectors, in the best interests of present-day communities as well as future generations. The time to begin is now!