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 in the Southeast and the Caribbean

NOAA data, news, and current research

Chip Kasper, Regional Team Lead: Kennard.Kasper@noaa.gov

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.

San Juan Weather Forecast Office (Carolina, Puerto Rico) – Ernesto Morales, Warning Coordination Meteorologist: ernesto.morales@noaa.gov

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.

Jobos Bay Reserve (Puerto Rico) – Aitza Pabon, Manager: apabon@drna.pr.gov

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.

Puerto Rico Sea Grant offsite link – Lesbia L. Montero Acevedo, Education Coordinator: lesbia.montero@upr.edu

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.

Caribbean Office – Yaritza Rivera-Torres, Regional Coordinator: yaritza.rivera@noaa.gov

NOAA Fisheries

Student opportunities • Laboratory facilities • NOAA scientists • Educator resources
The NOAA Fisheries Service 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.

Southeast Regional Office (St. Petersburg, FL) – Amy Clark, Education Coordinator (Stennis Space Center, MS): amy.clark@noaa.gov
San Juan, PR Field Office: Jose Rivera, Fishery Biologist: jose.a.rivera@noaa.gov
Christiansted, USVI Field Office: Dinorah Chacin, Natural Resource Scientist: dinorah.chacin@noaa.gov

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.

Aranzazu Lascurain, Southeast and Caribbean lead for NOAA Office for Coastal Management: Aranzazu.Lascurain@noaa.gov
Puerto Rico: Aurora Justiniano-Santos, Coral Reef Conservation and Coastal Zone Management Liaison: Aurora.Justiniano-Santos@noaa.gov
U.S. Virgin Islands: Leslie Henderson, Coastal Zone/Coral Management Liaison: Leslie.Henderson@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.

Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS) offsite link – Adolfo González, Education and Outreach Coordinator: adolfo.gonzalez1@upr.edu & Berliz Morales, Education and Outreach Coordinator: berlizm@gmail.com

Caribbean Tsunami Warning Program (CTWP)

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.

Mayagüez, PR – Christa G. von Hillebrandt-Andrade, Deputy Director: christa.vonh@noaa.gov

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.

Miami, FL – Daniel Brown, Senior Hurricane Specialist/Warning Coordination Meteorologist: daniel.p.brown@noaa.gov & Dennis Feltgen, Communications and Public Affairs Officer: dennis.feltgen@noaa.gov

Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) offsite link

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) – Richard Appeldoorn, Professor: richard.appeldoorn@upr.edu