U.S. flag An official website of the United States government.

dot gov icon Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

https icon Secure websites use HTTPS

A small lock or https:// means you’ve safely connected to a .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Infographics

thumbnail of coral report infographic
Coral Reefs and Coastal Communities

View trends from coral reef socioeconomic surveying in South Florida.

screenshot of story map, showing the United States and text that says economic impact of marine debris on tourism
Economic Impact

Learn about the economic impacts of marine debris on tourism-dependent communities.

infographic thumbnail: Sunscreen Chemicals and Marine Life
Protecting Marine Life

How sunscreen chemicals can affect marine life and how we can help.

infographic thumbnail: Earth's Largest Waterfall
Largest Waterfall

The largest waterfalls are beneath the surface of our ocean, hidden from our view.

infographic thumbnail: Impacts of Derelict Crab Pots in the Chesapeake Bay
Derelict Crab Pots

Derelict crab pots in the Chesapeake Bay kill approximately 3.3 million blue crabs annually, and capturing more than 40 non-target fish species.

graphic of lighthouse
About our Coast

Did you know that U.S. coastal counties are home to 40 percent of the nation's population? This is one of many key facts you'll find in this handy print document.

coral reef and pollution infographic
Land-based Pollution

Many serious coral reef ecosystem stressors originate from land-based sources, most notably toxicants, sediments, and nutrients.

infographic thumbnail: Natural Resource Damage Assessment
Natural Resource Damage Assessment

After many environmental disasters, the Natural Resource Damage Assessment process begins.

infographic thumbnail: Deeper Ports, Deeper Pockets
An inch of water. What's it worth?

An extra inch of water depth in a port = larger ships, millions of dollars worth of additional cargo.

coral reef and overfishing infographic
Overfishing

Many coastal and island communities depend on coral reef fisheries, but overfishing can deplete key reef species and damage coral habitat.

coral reef and climate infographic
Climate Change

The varied effects of climate change are changing the ocean; these changes dramatically affect coral reef ecosystems.

graphic of earth showing Mount Chimborazo
Highest Mountain?

You may think you know the name of the highest point on Earth, but the answer is debatable! It depends on how the measurement is made.

graphic benefits of living shoreline
Living Shoreline

Get to know this green infrastructure technique that uses native vegetation alone or in combination with offshore sills to stabilize the shoreline.

graphic showing oil spill awareness, loss of beach access
Oil Spills

NOAA experts measure how pollution affects people's enjoyment of nature-based activities like fishing and swimming.

graphic showing tide table milestones
Tide Tables

NOAA and its predecessor agencies have published annual tide tables since the 1860s! See how tide table tech has changed through the years.

graphic showing a person at a computer
Oil and Chemical Spills

Ever-evolving tools and techniques are used to clean up environmental spills. These three infographics explain complex processes.

Infographic explaning the perigean spring tide.
Perigean Spring Tide

A few times a year, the new or full moon coincides closely in time with the point when the moon is closest to the Earth.

Infographic showing red tide algae close-up
Better Forecasting

See how improved NOAA red tide forecasting is helping coastal communities and public health managers.

Infographic showing aquaculture tools and techniques.
Growing Resilient Coastal Communities

Learn about NOAA's efforts to support coastal aquaculture planning and environmental sustainability.

Infographic showing how scientists map coral reefs.
Mapping Coral Habitat

This story map takes you on a journey through some of the most remote and pristine locations on the planet. Follow along with researchers during an 88-day mission to survey and study coral reef ecosystems.

Infographic showing ten things you can do to protect the earth.
Earth Day

Protecting our planet starts with you. This infographic illustrates ten simple choices that you can make for a healthier planet. Check it out!

Infographic showing extent of some marine debris from Japan Tsunami.
Disaster Debris

Natural disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms, tsunamis, and landslides have the potential to be the source of a tremendous amount of marine debris.

Infographic explaning how coral becomes bleached.
Coral Bleaching

When corals are stressed by changes in environmental conditions they expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, causing them to turn completely white.

Things you can do to help coral reefs infographic.
Coral Reefs

Coral reefs play a vital role in sustaining the health of our ocean and our economy. NOAA is working to increase understanding of the causes of reef decline.

Conserving our Ocean and Coasts infographic.
Ocean and Coasts

Conserving special coastal and marine places is a great way to balance competing demands of coastal resource use, economic development, and conservation.

Resilience
Bouncing Back

The ability to overcome, or bounce back, is a concept that applies to individuals, to communities large and small, to our infrastructure, and to the environment.

Athos 1 Oil Spill
Athos 1 Oil Spill

In Nov. 2004, there was an oil spill that you've probably never heard of that ultimately fostered several significant changes to address future oil spill accidents across the nation.

Our world Ocean
Our World Ocean

From the air we breathe, to climate regulation, to transportation, food, medicine, and recreation...our world ocean provides much more to us than meets the eye.

nuisance flooding
Nuisance Flooding

As relative sea level increases, it no longer takes a strong storm or a hurricane to cause coastal flooding. Flooding now occurs with high tides in many locations.

marine debris costs
Debris on Beaches

California residents are losing millions of dollars each year by avoiding nearby littered beaches and traveling to beaches that are farther away and cleaner.

Storm Surge graphic
What tide is it?

Storm surge or storm tide. What's the difference? Storm surge is the rise in seawater level caused solely by a storm; storm tide is the observed seawater level during a storm.

Exxon Valdez graphic
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill

The tanker Exxon Valdez spilled almost 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound in 1989. How long has it taken animals and plants to recover from this spill?