On September 13, 2010, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration published Federal Register notice advising that NOAA is soliciting proposals for competitive funding for Regional Ocean Partnerships. Eligible entities include state, local, territory and tribal governments, regional ocean partnerships, institutions of higher learning, and non-profit and for-profit organizations. Eligible Partnerships are those that include or emphasize regional Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning (CMSP) efforts. These efforts include protection of marine mammals.
This funding completion focuses on advancing effective coastal and ocean management through regional ocean governance and on advancing the goals for national ocean policy set out in the July 2010 Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force. The Regional Ocean Partnership Funding Program will support two categories of activities: