To lead the nation's efforts to manage and conserve ocean and coastal resources.
The Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM), part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), provides national leadership, strategic direction and guidance to state and territory coastal programs and estuarine research reserves.
We work with state and territory coastal resource managers in a variety of ways. We foster knowledge sharing, promote research and pursue innovative management strategies and techniques. We are working with partners to develop a scientifically-based, comprehensive national system of marine protected areas (MPA's). Through NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program we support effective management and sound science to protect, sustain and restore coral reef ecosystems.
Our activities are mandated by three articles of legislation: the Coastal Zone Management Act, MPA Executive Order, and Coral Reef Conservation Act. The Office is composed of six divisions: Coastal Programs, Estuarine Reserves, National Policy and Evaluation, Business Management, MPA Center, and the Coral Program.
Public Comment Opportunity: The Coral Reef Conservation Program has put into place working groups to provide recommendations on the strategic goals and objectives the Program should work towards in the next 5-20 years in order to effectively address each of the top three global and national threats to coral reef ecosystems: fishing impacts, land-based sources of pollution, and climate change. The working groups have delivered their draft goals and objectives and they will be available for public comment until April 24, 2009.
Visit OCRM's new Climate Change Webpage. Find out what climate change is doing on the coasts, and some ways NOAA and the states are addressing those impacts.
Site Map | About the Site | Privacy Policy | First Gov
Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) | Information Quality