Ocean and Coastal Adaptation Planning Act - Directs the Administrators of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to jointly establish four Institutes for Ocean and Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change and Ocean Acidification to: (1) assess, prepare for, and adapt to the impacts of climate change and ocean acidification on ocean and coastal areas and resources, including the Great Lakes; and (2) create centers of excellence to document and predict coastal and ocean effects of climate change and ocean acidification and to serve as principal national and international resources for technical expertise on adaptation strategies.
Requires the Administrators to jointly select and award a grant to one institution of higher education to serve as such an Institute in each of four regions: (1) the Great Lakes Region; (2) the Northeast Region; (3) the Southeast and Gulf Coast Region; and (4) the Western and Pacific Region.