This important step comes after a close and productive working relationship across many years and over several marine related projects.
The NOC, in partnership with the Government of the BVI, and specifically the Ministry of Labour Immigration and Natural Resources, were recently awarded two Darwin Plus projects for the delivery of a new marine habitat map and marine spatial planning tools. Based on this, and other exciting ambitions both at the NOC and the Ministry, the decision was made to formalize their desire to work even closer together in the long-term.
The signing of the MOU provides a commitment for greater engagement, cooperation and advancement for both parties. This includes regular communication between staff at all levels to share insights in marine science, implementing policy and the challenges of managing a complex and rich marine estate. Specifically, the NOC will work to showcase the benefits of marine autonomous platforms for delivering statutory monitoring obligations within the Caribbean.
Furthermore, the MOU also provides a mechanism for supporting project deliverables long beyond the funded lifetime of projects. For example, the current Darwin Plus projects will deliver an update of the coastal resource atlas (marine habitat map) for the BVI and integrate this within a bespoke marine spatial planning system. Both parties stand to benefit greatly by an on-going collaboration on these products in terms of capacity building, directing research maintaining agendas and understanding the processes involved with marine management.