The 23 topics below are the primary areas of responsibility of NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS). Click on a topic for a brief description of NOS's role and its major activities in that area. The description includes links to other NOS or NOAA Web sites that provide more information, data, or reports on these topics.

Oceans

• Coral Reef Conservation
• International Collaboration
• Marine Protected Areas
• National Marine Sanctuary System
• Ocean Exploration
• Oil and Chemical Spills

Coasts

• Coastal Decision-making Tools
• Coastal Ecosystem Science
• Coastal Zone Management
• Coastal Monitoring and Observations
• Contaminants in the Environment
• Ecological Forecasting
• Harmful Algal Blooms
• National Estuarine Research Reserves
• Natural Hazards Assessment
• Natural Resource Restoration
• Training and Capacity-building

Charting and Navigation

• Aerial Photography and Shoreline Mapping
• Global Positioning
• Height Modernization
• Hydrographic Surveying
• Marine Navigation
• Tides and Currents