The U.S. Government is closed. This site will not be updated; however NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit www.commerce.gov. For the latest forecast and critical weather information, visit www.weather.gov

The U.S. government is closed. This site will not be updated; however, NOAA websites and social media channels necessary to protect lives and property will be maintained. To learn more, visit commerce.gov

For the latest forecasts and critical weather information, visit weather.gov.

Our Ghost Hunters are Searching for Ghosts of the Ocean

Ship structure on bottom of ocean covered in an orange organic substance.It’s our most spook-tacular project yet! ?  Our team of ghost hunters are on a mission to find the ?s of the ocean…ghost ships, that is! Ghost ships are ships that sank unintentionally–often during storms or war–and provide ecologically valuable habitats for a diversity of marine species, ranging from reef fishes to top predators. Understanding how fish communities use these shipwreck reefs can help guide management decisions, spatial planning for offshore development, and habitat enhancement to ensure healthy reef ecosystems and sustainable ecosystems. Learn more about this ongoing project involving ghosts of ships past: https://coastalscience.noaa.gov/project/assessing-the-ecological-function-of-shipwrecks-artificial-reefs-and-rocky-reefs-on-the-southeastern-us-continental-shelf/