Features

Part Reef Doctors, Part Bricklayers, Researchers at NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Patch Together a Coral Reef

A recently published study of coral restoration in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary illustrates how a patch reef – an isolated, comparatively small coral outcrop located in shallow waters – can survive and even thrive nearly a decade after being hit by the hull of a boat. More...

NOAA Website Supports Offshore Renewable Energy Planning

MarineCadastre.gov is a website that supports offshore renewable energy development in U.S. waters by providing the best available geospatial data, decision-support tools, information, and partnership opportunities in an accessible online format. It integrates legal, physical, ecological, and cultural data to inform decision making on a range of ocean issues. More...

Tracking Marine Debris from the Japanese Tsunami

Debris from the tsunami that devastated Japan in March could reach the United States as early as this winter, according to predictions by NOAA scientists. However, they warn there is still a large amount of uncertainty over exactly what is still floating, where it's located, where it will go, and when it will arrive. Responders now have a challenging, if not impossible situation on their hands: How do you deal with debris that could now impact U.S. shores, but is difficult to find? More...