NOAA in your backyard: Caribbean

Educational opportunities and staff in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands

NOAA in Your State & Territory

State by state listings of NOAA facilities and programs
A summary of NOAA facilities, programs, or activities based in, or focused on, your state or territory.

NOAA’s Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team

Local resources • Cross-NOAA content
From the Carolinas to the Florida Keys and the U.S. Caribbean, NOAA has substantial capabilities working to address priorities and needs of our stakeholders and partners in the Southeast and Caribbean Region. NOAA has a broad portfolio of activities and services in the Southeast and Caribbean. Communication and coordination across NOAA and its partners can be challenging, given the extent of locations, missions, and needs. In order to improve, focus, and better integrate the development and delivery of NOAA’s products and services, NOAA’s Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team (SECART), one of eight regional collaboration teams at NOAA, supports collaboration that strengthens communication and coordination across the agency and with partners partners at the regional level.

  • Contact: Region.SECarib@noaa.gov
  • NOAA in the Caribbean: NOAA in the Caribbean is a forum to improve engagement, communication, coordination, and collaboration between NOAA and partners working in the Caribbean to more effectively and efficiently deliver services. It functions similarly to a mini-regional collaboration team housed under SECART. 

National Weather Service

School visits • Forecast office tours • Student and educator resources
The National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas.

National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
The National Estuarine Research Reserves System protects more than 1.3 million coastal and estuarine acres in 30 reserves located in 24 states and Puerto Rico for purposes of long-term research, environmental monitoring, education and stewardship.

National Sea Grant Program

Professional development • Curriculum • Student and educator resources
Sea Grant is a nationwide network of 34 university-based programs that conduct scientific research, education, training, and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Lesson plans and curricula • Stewardship projects • Media library
The NOAA Marine Debris Program envisions the global ocean and its coasts free from the impacts of marine debris.

NOAA Fisheries

Student opportunities • Laboratory facilities • NOAA scientists • Educator resources
The NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management, and the promotion of healthy ecosystems. They have regional offices and several smaller field offices.

NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Digital trainings • Field trips • Grants • Data • Coral restoration
NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management works with a variety of partners, from all sectors, to deliver the products, services, and programs most needed by the nation’s coastal communities. 

Learn about coastal management in your territory: 

Aranzazu Lascurain, Southeast and Caribbean lead for NOAA Office for Coastal Management: Aranzazu.Lascurain@noaa.gov

Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

Curriculum • Data • Multimedia
The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national-regional partnership working to provide new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment.

International Tsunami Information Center Caribbean Office (ITIC-CAR)

Tsunami and seismic data • Educator resources • Student opportunities
The CTWP office supports an increased capability of the tsunami warning system for the Caribbean and adjacent regions. This includes the observational system (sea level, seismic and GPS) and the continued enhancement of tsunami outreach and education capacity, including the implementation of the TsunamiReady® (US) and Tsunami Ready (International) Programs.

National Hurricane Center (NHC)

Educator and student resources • Tours • Hurricane information and data
The mission of the NHC is to save lives, mitigate property loss, and improve economic efficiency by issuing the best watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather and by increasing understanding of these hazards.

Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS)

Student opportunities • Data • Laboratories
CIMAS is a cooperative institute between NOAA and ten partner universities to bring together the research resources of the partner universities with those of NOAA in order to develop a center of excellence that is relevant to understanding the Earth’s oceans and atmosphere within the context of NOAA’s mission.

  • CIMAS at the University of Puerto Rico (Mayagüez, PR) – Katie Eaton, Communications and Outreach Coordinator:katie.eaton@earth.miami.edu

Local NOAA vessels

Follow current science in the Caribbean

Historical and real-time data

Local historical weather events and data