• NOAA’s National Ocean Service, National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science in partnership with the National Marine Fisheries Service, Southeast Fisheries Science Center and Southeast Regional Office are working to build spatial science capacity in the U.S. Caribbean Region. This helps to ensure an equitable use of shared ocean resources and address environmental considerations early in marine planning initiatives.
• NOAA has published a Request for Information in the Federal Register seeking public input to identify coastal and marine spatial data or other critical information to inform marine spatial studies and potential coastal and ocean development activities in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands (USVI), such as development of renewable energy facilities, aquaculture, and other blue economy sectors.
• The public has the opportunity to provide comments and information at two public meetings being held in St. Croix, USVI (August 28 – 29) and in San Juan, Puerto Rico (August 31 - September 1). Written comments may also be submitted electronically via the Federal e-Rulemaking Portal through September 30, 2023.

Federal Register Citation: 88 FR 54302, published August 10, 2023.