Projects

The West Coast Ocean Alliance Fellowship Program is a full-time, one-year fellowship position designed to offer firsthand exposure to natural resource and ocean policy and science within the U.S. West Coast region. These fellowships are envisioned to empower individuals to actively contribute to the development of policies and strategies that will benefit natural resource managers, stakeholders, and user groups.

The Data Portal is an online repository of best available data related to West Coast ocean issues, such as marine debris, climate change, ocean acidification, and marine planning. This resource is meant to increase discovery and connectivity of ocean and coastal data and people to inform regional resource management, policy development, and ocean planning. WCOA support the Portal with funding for annual updates. To learn more, contact the Portal administrator, Laura Bliss.

The West Coast Ocean Health Dashboard, being developed in partnership with the West Coast Ocean Data Portal, will add new regional ocean health indicators through contracts with regional scientific and data experts. The growing suite of indicators will strengthen the role of the dashboard as a leading tool to identify ocean planning needs and progress on the West Coast.

WCOA created a new funding program dedicated to tribal government members of the WCOA, to ensure Tribes can participate in all WCOA activities they choose and support additional tribal ocean planning work relevant to WCOA regional priorities, if applicable.

WCOA funds and facilitates annual Summits for members and stakeholders, focusing on relevant ocean issues. These meetings allow the WCOA to effectively convene ocean partners, help determine the future efforts of the group, strengthen relationships, and build new partnerships.

WCOA supports working groups that allow participating governments to meet regularly to share updates and learn about common regional priorities to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of their respective management efforts. Currently, WCOA supports an Aquaculture Working Group and an Ocean Energy & Research Working Group.