MAF Master’s Student Katie Denman is currently working with MAF Professor Tracey Dalton on a thesis project that focuses on the recently reopened NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Nomination Process. Katie is interested in exploring the new process and, more specifically, is trying to understand how participants perceive the nomination process. Mallows Bay-Potomac River in Charles County, Maryland was the first of two sites nominated for Sanctuary designation. Mallows Bay-Potomac River encompasses nearly 200 historic shipwrecks from the Revolutionary War to the present, making this an area of historical significance.

In order to fully understand the story of how this area came to be nominated, Katie traveled to Maryland this summer to interview those that were actively involved throughout the nomination process. By conducting in-depth interviews with process participants, Katie is trying to understand how these types of processes can better engage stakeholders. According to Katie, the newness of this nomination process provides an exceptional opportunity to showcase the uniqueness of this federal process and explore potential areas that can be improved upon to maximize project effectiveness and longevity.