Agencies > Mid-Atlantic Regional Counsel on the Ocean (MARCO)
To address ocean challenges and opportunities, the Governors of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia in 2009 signed the Mid-Atlantic Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Conservation. The Agreement established the Mid-Atlantic Regional Council on the Ocean (MARCO) as a partnership to address shared regional priorities and provide a collective voice. It also identified four regional priorities for shared action to improve ocean health and contribute to the high quality of life and economic vitality of the region:
- Climate Change Adaptation
- Renewable Energy
- Marine Habitats
- Water Quality
MARCO uses regional ocean planning as a means to advance priorities identified in the Governors’ Agreement. Ocean planning is a process to improve understanding of how ocean resources and places are being used, managed, and conserved, and to establish a common foundation that will guide actions to address the shared regional priorities.