NOAA's National Ocean Service

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In the latest Making Waves, we take a look back at a 2009 NOAA report that found man-made toxic chemicals used as flame retardants in consumer products are present in all U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes.
Water level data was successfully collected through an innovative NOAA project over the last two years in Barrow, Alaska.
What is a navigation response team?
Ecological forecasts predict how changes will impact ecosystems, ecosystem components, and people, allowing coastal resource managers to answer the 'what if' questions about factors that affect coastal resources.
Have a few minutes? Catch the highlights of our Marine Debris interview in the latest Diving Deeper Shorts.

What is smart growth?

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NOAA's State of the Coast

Quick Facts

MPA Nominations

The fourth round of nominations is now open for marine protected areas to join the national system.

Tides & Charts

Visit the Office of Coast Survey for digital and print nautical charts in a variety of formats.

Get real-time or predicted future tide levels for thousands of locations around the United States.

NOS Multimedia

Images

A NOAA Natural Resources Damage Assessment team survey an oiled marsh island in the Gulf of Mexico as part of the Deepwater Horizon/BP oil spill response effort.

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Videos

Learn how NOAA and the Fish and Wildlife Service are striving to ensure fish and wildlife in the Gulf of Mexico are rebounding from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

Podcast

On the latest Diving Deeper Shorts podcast , we revisit our February 2009 interview on marine debris in less than four minutes.

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Deepwater Horizon Incident

NOAA's Deepwater Horizon Spill Portal

As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene of the Deepwater Horizon spill from the start, providing coordinated scientific weather and biological response services to federal, state and local organizations.

Trajectory Maps, Fact Sheets, Publications

Direct link to NOAA background and technical information related to the Deepwater Horizon incident, including cumulative trajectory maps, fact sheets, and other downloads related to oil spills, fisheries, corals, and assessment and restoration activities.

NOS Response to the Deepwater Horizon Spill

As response to the Deepwater Horizon incident continues, many offices within the National Ocean Service are contributing existing expertise to response efforts. From response and restoration, to tracking contamination, to aerial photography, NOS staff are providing a wide range of services in support of the spill response and recovery effort.

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NOAA Hydrographic Surveys Protect Whales and Prevent Vessel Collisions

Several hydrographic surveys managed by NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey recently reached important milestones. In July, Coast Survey acquired hydrographic survey data that will help protect North Atlantic Right Whale calves.

Scientists Say Fishing Could Control Unwelcome Lionfish on Some Reefs

Scientists at NOS’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) and their colleagues recently completed a study suggesting that approximately one-quarter of an adult lionfish population would have to be removed monthly to reduce the invasion rate of lionfish, a native Indo-Pacific species that has invaded Atlantic and Caribbean waters in recent years.