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For over six decades, the National Geodetic Survey has partnered with the U.S. Census Bureau to calculate the U.S. center of population — the precise location where an imaginary, flat, weightless, and rigid map of the United States would balance perfectly if all Americans were of identical weight. Tune in to the latest episode of the NOAA Ocean podcast to learn about the center of population, and how capturing snapshots of the U.S. population reveals long-term migration patterns and even helps us use maps on our smartphones.
NOAA’s National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) is announcing $11M in Fiscal Year 2022 to fund 18 coastal resilience research projects across the nation. The complex challenges of sea level rise, coastal flooding, and increased storm frequency pose increasing risks to our nation’s communities and their surrounding ecosystems. Storm surge and coastal flooding that alters shorelines also represent a significant — and costly — threat to ports, roads, railways and public transportation.
On behalf of the National Oceanographic Partnership Program, NOAA and partner agencies have awarded several new proposals that build upon the foundation established by the U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observation Network, the U.S. Animal Telemetry Network, and the U.S. IOOS regional associations. The new projects work across sectors and disciplines towards an integrated, sustained marine life observing capability for the U.S. ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes — from estuaries to the deep ocean.
Mariners sailing in and around Port Freeport — the fastest-growing port in Texas — have something to celebrate. The seaport, located outside of Houston, is now fitted with a NOAA system that improves safe and efficient marine navigation. The technology is part of a nationwide network called Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System, or PORTS®.
This September marked the completion of the five-month expedition to the Mariana Islands on the NOAA ship Rainier. I’m proud to share with you a video message about this cruise. This innovative NOAA mission combined very different and historically siloed projects – mapping and charting in conjunction with coral reef ecosystem surveying.
Two years ago, there were no offshore wind farms in U.S. federal waters. Now, there are two farms, with a total of seven turbines in federal waters, producing roughly 32 megawatts of energy. These numbers are about to get a lot higher. The first two commercial-scale offshore wind projects, which will produce around 900 megawatts of energy, are both under construction. The U.S. government aims to deploy 30 gigawatts of wind energy production in federal waters by 2030. The National Ocean Service (NOS) is helping the nation achieve this goal.
A draft Report on microfiber pollution is now available for public comment. Required by law, this report will provide Congress with an overview of the microfiber pollution issue, while also outlining a path forward for federal agencies, in partnership with other stakeholders, to address this problem. We invite comments, feedback, and recommendations on the report, which contains a plan that outlines opportunities to reduce microfiber pollution.
There are some factors that cause the tides to be higher than what is "normally" seen from day to day. View our bulletin to see when you may experience higher than normal high tides for the period of time between September and November of 2022.
In this episode, an expert from NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program discusses a disease affecting long-spined sea urchin populations in the Caribbean. We explore how disease has impacted these organisms in the past, their important role in keeping coral reef systems healthy, and how you can help save them.
In 1972, in response to growing public concern about the state of our environment, Congress enacted banner legislation designed to protect our nation’s ocean and coasts. The legislation shaped our past 50 years and will continue to shape the future. Learn more and find out how you can help.
