NOAA's National Ocean Service

Have you visited a NOAA reserve or sanctuary lately? Get inspired to take a trip this summer with our latest round of desktop wallpapers.
A cultural resources expert with the National Marine Protected Center? Sounds interesting.
The nation's coastal waters receive a fair rating.
In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Coastal Zone Management Act, today's Diving Deeper Shorts explores how coastal zone management is helping to safeguard our coastal areas.
We celebrate our own mothers in mid-May, so why not nurture Mother Earth herself this month by participating or volunteering at a national marine sanctuary near you?

Ocean Facts

What do coral reefs have to do with our economy?

Healthy coral reefs support commercial and subsistence fisheries as well as jobs and businesses through tourism and recreation. Approximately half of all federally managed fisheries depend on coral reefs and related habitats for a portion of their life cycles. The National Marine Fisheries Service estimates the commercial value of U.S. fisheries from coral reefs is over $100 million! Read more

What's New

National Ocean Service Mission: In the U.S., where over half of us live along the coast and more than 78 percent of our overseas trade by volume comes and goes along our marine highways, the health of our coasts is intricately connected to the health of our nation's economy. The National Ocean Service (NOS) translates science, tools, and services into action, to address threats to coastal areas such as climate change, population growth, port congestion, and contaminants in the environment, all working towards healthy coasts and healthy economies. About NOS