About NERACOOS

The Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems (NERACOOS) has been established to network and expand the existing observing and prediction capacities of a multitude of institutions and agencies throughout New England and Maritime Canada. Collaborating in new, innovative ways will greatly enhance the region's capacity to make better, more informed forecasts and decisions. Fisheries managers, water quality specialists, researchers, mariners, the Coast Guard, coastal land managers, and many more benefit from accurate and timely ocean observing infrastructure and related decision support tools that effectively interpret data. Ultimately, this increased capacity leads to safer maritime commerce and improved natural resource management. Sustained long term observations of our coastal oceans are vital to understanding and documenting the effects of Climate Change.

One of the primary responsibilities of NERACOOS is to prioritize and appropriately allocate federal funding from NOAA to entities in the region for ocean observing and product development. Funding allocations will be developed by first assessing user needs in the region, and then evaluating the ocean observing system requirements and related product development necessary to realize priorities.

The region includes the coastal waters of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut. There is overlap with the Mid-Atlantic Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (MACOORA), which also includes the coastal waters of Connecticut and Rhode Island. In addition, partners from the Canadian provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia will be involved to ensure appropriate coverage in shared waters.