Corals Week 2023
Join us to celebrate the beauty and importance of coral reef ecosystems.
The Inflation Reduction Act is a historic, federal government-wide investment that furthers NOAA’s efforts to build a Climate-Ready Nation. As part of this investment, NOAA will work with a variety of partners in coastal and Great Lakes communities to develop and support durable, local capacity to adapt to climate change impacts, while growing economies, protecting fisheries, addressing environmental justice, and developing a climate-ready workforce.
When temperatures rise, coral bleaching can occur. In this episode, we explore what happens during bleaching events, how corals are affected, and how we can help protect these important ecosystems. We’re joined by coral expert Dana Wusinich-Mendez, Atlantic and Caribbean team lead and Florida management liaison for NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.
The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is a transformational opportunity to make an impact against the climate crisis across the country through multiple funding opportunities. As part of this law, $1.467 billion is being invested to help coastal communities build the future they want to see. Investing in high-impact natural infrastructure projects that build coastal resilience, create jobs, store carbon, and restore habitat.
The National Ocean Service provides wide-ranging support for the coastal economy — from overhauling marine navigation data, to providing 24/7 high tide flooding outlooks, to ugrading the availability of real-time water and weather data in our nation's busiest ports. Learn how our infrastructure and technological investments strengthen the resilience of our coastal economy in the face of sea level rise and other impacts of a changing climate.
As part of one of the first re-acquisition projects of its kind at NOAA, 853 acres of ancestral land along Virginia’s Mattaponi River have been reclaimed by the Upper Mattaponi Tribe. The site will now be connected to over 3,000 acres of previously protected land.
In the latest episode of the NOAA Ocean Podcast, we revisit a 2019 interview on meteotsunamis to learn how these storm-fueled waves differ from tsunamis. Meteotsunamis are a series of large waves fueled by area-pressure disturbances like storms, and can occur in many places around the world — including the Great Lakes. We're joined by Dr. Gregory Dusek, NOS senior scientist, to discuss his research on this phenomenon.
Ocean temperatures have soared to record highs, leading to a widespread loss of coral — and an overgrowth of algae in its place. That's where crabs come in; these grazers eat the surplus algae, making space for new coral to be planted. Learn more about the process in this video from Ocean Today.
The lands and water surrounding Wisconsin Point Lighthouse, shown here, are more welcoming to people and other living things, thanks to the local Ojibwe community and other partners. (Photo credit: Sharon Mollerus, Wikimedia Commons.)
Two of NOS’s directors have been named recipients of 2023 Presidential Rank Awards, an honor bestowed by President Biden in recognition of their significant accomplishments as civil servants. Jeffrey L. Payne, Ph.D., director of the Office for Coastal Management, was named a Distinguished Executive, and Juliana P. Blackwell, director of the National Geodetic Survey, was named a Meritorious Executive.
The U.S. Department of Justice has announced a proposed settlement of approximately $33 million to compensate the public for decades of hazardous substance releases and oil discharges into Oregon's Portland Harbor and Willamette River. The proposed settlement is the result of a collaboration between federal, state and tribal partners to assess injuries to wildlife and surrounding communities from pollution discharged into the harbor.