The British Virgin Islands (BVI) was represented for the first time at the annual General Assembly of the Caribbean Coastal Ocean Observing System (CariCOOS).

Emergency Communications Officer in the Department of Disaster Management, Jasen Penn who manages the Department’s network of hazard instruments attended the General Assembly in San Juan, Puerto Rico on April 28, 2016.

CariCOOS operates a network of observing assets including data buoys, coastal meteorological stations, vessels, instruments and radars to provide information on ocean data and forecasts around the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Penn’s attendance at the meeting afforded him the opportunity to learn about the benefits of CariCOOS’ products to the BVI while exploring the possibility of expanding CariCOOS’ weather monitoring network to the BVI and having access to technical support for data collection.