Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROPs) were recently authorized under the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This authorization formally recognizes all four existing ROPs:
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO)
The Northeast Regional Ocean Council (NROC)
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance (GOMA)
The West Coast Ocean Alliance (WCOA)
The authorization also established a governance structure and framework to guide the development of future partnerships.
MARCO, the Mid-Atlantic ROP, was established in 2009 by the governors of its five member states—Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York—to facilitate regional, interjurisdictional coordination in managing 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.