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.

EcoGIS – GIS Tools for Ecosystem Approaches to Fisheries Management

The EcoGIS project was launched in September 2004 to investigate how Geographic Information Systems (GIS), marine data, and custom analysis tools can better enable fisheries scientists and managers to adopt Ecosystem Approaches to Fisheries Management (EAFM). EcoGIS is a collaborative effort between NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS) and National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), and four … Read more

Assessment of Existing Information on Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitats: Development of a web-based spatial bibliography, query tools, and data summaries

The primary objective of this project, “the Assessment of Existing Information on Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat”, is to inform conservation planning for the Atlantic Coastal Fish Habitat Partnership (ACFHP). ACFHP is recognized as a Partnership by the National Fish Habitat Action Plan (NFHAP), whose overall mission is to protect, restore, and enhance the nation’s fish … Read more

Establishing National Ocean Service Priorities for Estuarine, Coastal, and Ocean Modeling: Capabilities, Gaps, and Preliminary Prioritization Factors

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and National Ocean Service (NOS) Strategic Plans present a vision for protecting, restoring, and managing our nation’s aquatic resources through proactive ecosystem approaches to management. These approaches require integrated, multidisciplinary models and coordination across research and modeling activities to provide a sound basis for decision making. For NOS … Read more

An Oceanographic Characterization of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Pacific Northwest: Interpretive Summary of Ocean Climate and Regional Processes Through Satellite Remote Sensing

This summary represents the continuation of an ongoing collaboration with the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS), Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS), and the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) Center for Coastal Monitoring and Assessment (CCMA), through a comprehensive regional oceanographic data synthesis and integration effort for the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW). … Read more

Support for Integrated Ecosystem Assessments of NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserves System (NERRS), Volume II: Assessment of Ecological Condition and Stressor Impacts in Subtidal Waters of the North Carolina NERRS

A study was conducted to assess the status of ecological condition and potential human-health risks in subtidal estuarine waters throughout the North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) (Currituck Sound, Rachel Carson, Masonboro Island, and Zeke’s Island). Field work was conducted in September 2006 and incorporated multiple indicators of ecosystem condition including measures of … Read more

Support for Integrated Ecosystem Assessments of NOAA’s National Estuarine Research Reserves System (NERRS), Volume I: The Impacts of Coastal Development on the Ecology and Human Wellbeing of Tidal Creek Ecosystems of the US Southeast

A study was conducted, in association with the Sapelo Island and North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserves (NERRs), to evaluate the impacts of coastal development on sentinel habitats (e.g., tidal creek ecosystems), including potential impacts to human health and well-being. Uplands associated with southeastern tidal creeks and the salt marshes they drain are popular locations … Read more

Protocols for Conducting Dolphin Capture-Release Health Assessment Studies

The Bottlenose Dolphin Health and Risk Assessment (HERA) Project, initiated in 2003, is a collaborative effort between the National Ocean Service’s Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research and Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution. This comprehensive, integrated, multi-disciplinary research project is designed to assess the health of Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in CHS and … Read more

Distribution of Persistent Organic Contaminants in Canyons and on the Continental Shelf off Central California

The National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, and the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, in cooperation with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), University of California Moss Landing Marine Lab (MLML), and the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), conducted ecosystem monitoring and characterization studies within and between marine sanctuaries along the California coast in 2002 … Read more

Magnitude and Extent of Contaminated Sediment and Toxicity in Chesapeake Bay

This report summarizes the results of NOAA’s sediment toxicity, chemistry, and benthic community studies in the Chesapeake Bay estuary. As part of the National Status and Trends (NS&T) Program, NOAA has conducted studies to determine the spatial extent and severity of chemical contamination and associated adverse biological effects in coastal bays and estuaries of the … Read more