The governments of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands have signed an agreement to coordinate planning for marine and coastal areas around the two U.S. Caribbean territories. Under the alliance, the directors of the coastal zone management programs from Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands will be responsible for coordinating scientific research, planning and technical issues at the local and regional levels to promote the sustainable use of marine and coastal resources. Puerto Rico Natural & Environmental Resources Secretary Daniel Galán Kercadó stated ―these marine ecosystems include important coral reefs and sea plants that warrant special protection.‖
The agreement stems from an executive order issued in June 2010 by President Barack Obama setting a new national policy for strengthening the way the U.S. manages its oceans and coasts, and the Great Lakes. A key tenet of the policy is a zoning process, known as marine spatial planning, that confines some recreational and commercial activities to designated areas. Proponents of the process say it will help balance and manage competing uses of the oceans.