he West Coast Ocean Data Portal is a project to increase discovery and connectivity of ocean and coastal data and people to better inform regional resource management, policy development, and ocean planning. The Portal informs priority West Coast ocean issues such as tracking sources and patterns of marine debris, adaptation to sea-level rise, understanding impacts of ocean acidification on our coasts, and marine planning.
The Portal links existing data systems together to provide an easy to use gateway to discover ocean and coastal data. Coastal decision-makers, researchers, and stakeholders use the Portal to access data and decision-support tools they need to understand and address high-priority regional issues. The Portal was originally funded through NOAA's Regional Ocean Partnership grant which supported development of tools to help coastal managers track marine debris to help prioritize clean ups and advocate for policies to reduce the impact of trash on our beaches. Technical enhancement and development funding to maintain and upgrade the Portal has been provided through grants from NOAA and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management.