ASTORIA, OREGON | By Arlo Hemphill
In 2009, the Governor’s of Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey and New York signed an agreement to enhance the vitality of the Mid-Atlantic’s ocean ecosystem and economy and identify four regional priorities for shared action to improve ocean health and contribute to the high quality of life and economic vitality of the region: climate change adaptation, protection of important marine habitats, offshore renewable energy development, and water quality improvement. The agreement also established the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) as a Regional Ocean Partnership (ROP) to address the shared regional priorities and provide a collective voice. Today, MARCO is one of eight such ROPs active in the United States
The eight current Regional Ocean Partnerships active in the United States.
During the recent annual meeting of the Coastal States Organization held in Astoria, Oregon, a number of the ROPs had the opportunity to compare notes and present a united front to the group of state and federal officials and other ocean professionals gathered at the meeting. A highlight of the event was a panel presentation during which the ROPs provided a financial update and discussed the importance of long-term funding and on-going project support for the ROPS. This spurred additional funding and collaborative opportunity discussions following the panel between ROP representatives and federal partners.
The ROPs provide a unique, state-led model for ocean and coastal resource management, and present opportunities for increased efficiency, cost-effectiveness and more robust ecosystem-based approaches to the way the nation engages the ocean and its many stakeholder groups. Working together to promote awareness of ROPs work and develop long-term financial strategies can only benefit the effort to maintain healthy oceans.
The current Regional Ocean Partnerships of the United States include:
- Council of Great Lakes Governors. Est. 1983
- Gulf of Mexico Alliance. Est. 2004
- West Coast Governor’s Alliance on Ocean Health. Est. 2006
- Northeast Regional Ocean Council. Est. 2005
- Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean. Est. 2009
- Governor’s South Atlantic Alliance. Est. 2009
- Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Partnership. Est. 2012
- Caribbean Regional Ocean Partnership. Est. 2012
Image at top: Sea Foam by Wendy, Creative Commons