Regional Ocean Partnerships are Federally Authorized

Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROPs) were recently authorized under the National Atmospheric and Oceanic Administration (NOAA). The authorization recognized all four existing ROPs, which includes MARCO, the Northeast Regional Ocean Council, the Gulf of Mexico Alliance, and the West Coast Ocean Alliance. It also articulated a governance structure and framework to inform potential new partnerships.

MARCO, the Mid-Atlantic ROP, was established in 2009 by the governors of its five member states (VA, MD, DE, NJ, and NY) to facilitate regional, inter-jurisdictional coordination around the management of ocean resources through regional ocean planning, data sharing, and collaborative efforts.  

You can read the full legislation here, with Regional Ocean Partnerships beginning on page 3868.

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