diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index be511f6c..711737ca 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 /*.geojson
 /*.png
+*.pyc
diff --git a/combine_features.py b/combine_features.py
index e358fc51..b317e571 100755
--- a/combine_features.py
+++ b/combine_features.py
@@ -32,6 +32,9 @@
 parser.add_argument("-n", "--new_feature_name", dest="new_feature_name",
                     help="The new name of the combined feature",
                     metavar="NAME", required=True)
+parser.add_argument("-g", "--groupName", dest="groupName",
+                    help="Feature group name.",
+                    metavar="GROUPNAME", default="unspecifiedGroupName")
 parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", dest="output_file_name",
                     help="Output file, e.g., features.geojson.",
                     metavar="PATH", default="features.geojson")
@@ -97,6 +100,7 @@
 feature['properties']['constituents'] = '; '.join(list(set(featureNames)))
 feature['geometry'] = shapely.geometry.mapping(combinedShape)
 features['features'].append(feature)
+features['groupName'] = args.groupName
 
 if feature['geometry']['type'] == 'GeometryCollection':
     print "Error: combined geometry from %s is of type GeometryCollection."%(args.feature_file)
diff --git a/difference_features.py b/difference_features.py
index 0bd136c6..b661d43a 100755
--- a/difference_features.py
+++ b/difference_features.py
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@
                     help="Feature file with one or more features whose overlap "
                          "with features in feature_file should be removed",
                     metavar="FILE2", required=True)
+parser.add_argument("-g", "--groupName", dest="groupName",
+                    help="Feature group name.",
+                    metavar="GROUPNAME", default="unspecifiedGroupName")
 parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", dest="output_file_name",
                     help="Output file, e.g., features.geojson.",
                     metavar="PATH", default="features.geojson")
@@ -108,6 +111,8 @@
     else:
         print "%s has been removed."%name
 
+features['groupName'] = args.groupName
+
 write_all_features(features, out_file_name, indent=4)
 
 # vim: foldmethod=marker ai ts=4 sts=4 et sw=4 ft=python
diff --git a/driver_scripts/setup_MOC_basins.py b/driver_scripts/setup_MOC_basins.py
index 438e4f40..d69e4203 100755
--- a/driver_scripts/setup_MOC_basins.py
+++ b/driver_scripts/setup_MOC_basins.py
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@ def spcall(args): #{{{
 
 options, args = parser.parse_args()
 
+groupNameMOC = 'MOCBasinRegionsGroup'
+groupNameBasins = 'OceanBasinRegionsMOCGroup'
 
 subBasins = {'Atlantic': ['Atlantic', 'Mediterranean'],
              'IndoPacific': ['Pacific', 'Indian'],
@@ -52,11 +54,11 @@ def spcall(args): #{{{
     #merge the the features into a single file
     print " * combining features into single feature named %s_MOC"%basinName
     spcall(['./combine_features.py', '-f', basinFileName, '-n', '%s_MOC'%basinName,
-            '-o', basinCombinedFileName])
+            '-g', groupNameBasins, '-o', basinCombinedFileName])
 
     print " * masking out features south of MOC region"
     spcall(['./difference_features.py', '-f', basinCombinedFileName,
-            '-m', MOCMaskFileNames[basinName], '-o', MOCName])
+            '-m', MOCMaskFileNames[basinName], '-g', groupNameMOC, '-o', MOCName])
 
     if options.plot:
         spcall(['./plot_features.py', '-f', MOCName, '-o', imageName, '-m', 'cyl'])
diff --git a/driver_scripts/setup_ocean_basins.py b/driver_scripts/setup_ocean_basins.py
index a23568a3..040f7943 100755
--- a/driver_scripts/setup_ocean_basins.py
+++ b/driver_scripts/setup_ocean_basins.py
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ def spcall(args): #{{{
 
 options, args = parser.parse_args()
 
+groupName = 'OceanBasinRegionsGroup'
+
 for oceanName in 'Atlantic', 'Pacific', 'Indian', 'Arctic', 'Southern_Ocean', 'Mediterranean':
 
     tag = '%s_Basin'%oceanName
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ def spcall(args): #{{{
     #merge the the features into a single file
     print " * combining features into single feature named %s_Basin"%oceanName
     spcall(['./combine_features.py', '-f', basinFileNameName, '-n', '%s_Basin'%oceanName,
-            '-o', basinCombinedFileName])
+            '-g', groupName, '-o', basinCombinedFileName])
     
     if(options.plot):
         args = ['./plot_features.py', '-f', basinCombinedFileName, '-o', imageName, '-m', 'cyl']
diff --git a/merge_features.py b/merge_features.py
index 66367115..820d1c95 100755
--- a/merge_features.py
+++ b/merge_features.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 parser = argparse.ArgumentParser(description=__doc__, formatter_class=argparse.RawTextHelpFormatter)
 parser.add_argument("-f", "--feature_file", dest="feature_file", help="Single feature file to append to features.geojson", metavar="FILE")
 parser.add_argument("-d", "--features_directory", dest="features_dir", help="Directory containing multiple feature files, each will be appended to features.geojson", metavar="PATH")
+parser.add_argument("-g", "--group", dest="groupName", help="Feature group name.", metavar="GROUPNAME", default="unspecifiedGroupName")
 parser.add_argument("-t", "--tags", dest="tags", help="Semicolon separated list of tags to match features against.", metavar='"TAG1;TAG2;TAG3"')
 parser.add_argument("-o", "--output", dest="output_file_name", help="Output file, e.g., features.geojson.", metavar="PATH", default="features.geojson")
 
@@ -101,6 +102,8 @@
             print "Error parsing geojson file: %s"%(path)
     del paths
 
+all_features['groupName'] = args.groupName
+
 write_all_features(all_features, file_to_append, indent=4)
 
 # vim: foldmethod=marker ai ts=4 sts=4 et sw=4 ft=python