NOAA's National Ocean Service

An official website of the United States government.
Here's how you know we're official.

Official websites use .gov

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

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.

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.

National Marine Sanctuaries Stamps Issuance

To celebrate 50 years of ocean and coastal conservation, NOS Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf is excited to share that the U.S. Postal Service and NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries teamed up to showcase our nation’s underwater treasures with 16 new Forever® stamps.

An expert from NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program discusses a disease affecting Long-spined sea urchin populations in the Caribbean.

Understanding Disease Impacts to Long-Spined Sea Urchins

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.

High-resolution bathymetry mapping data collected by multibeam sonar reveals complex topographic features of the seafloor in San Francisco Bay, California

Mapping the Gaps in Our Ocean Knowledge: Seabed 2030

We know less about the ocean floor than we do about the surface of the moon and Mars. But by the end of the decade we may know the general outline of our undersea contours and crevasses, thanks to an international project called Seabed 2030. The mapping initiative, called Seabed 2030, launched in 2017 to produce the definitive map of the world ocean floor by 2030.

This photo shows high tide flooding in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2014.

2022 Sea Level Rise Report: Guide Now Available

Community planners and decision makers now have an application guide to help them plan for the significant sea level rise the United States is expected to see in the next 30 years. The guide is a response to the Interagency Sea Level Rise report, which projected about a foot of higher waters, on average, along U.S. coastlines by 2050. That is as much sea level rise in 30 years as the country witnessed in the previous century.

A container ship enters the shipping channel at Port Miami

Marine Economy Continues to Power American Prosperity

America’s marine economy contributed about $361 billion of the nation’s gross domestic product in 2020. That is according to the most current results of the annual Marine Economy Satellite Account released today by two Department of Commerce agencies, NOAA and the Bureau of Economic Analysis. These numbers are from the first year of the coronavirus pandemic and represent a 5.8%, or $23 billion, reduction in real terms (adjusted for inflation) from 2019, outpacing the general economy’s decline of 3.4%.

Aerial view of Naval Base Kitsap - Bremerton, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard & Intermediate Maintenance Facility. (U.S. Navy/Naval Base Kitsap)

Marine Navigation System to Increase Safety, Commerce in Northwest

Mariners can breathe a little easier when sailing in and around Naval Base Kitsap in Washington state. The base is now fitted with a NOAA system that helps ensure safe and efficient marine navigation. The technology is part of a nationwide network called Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System, or PORTS^Ⓡ. Kitsap PORTS is the 37th system in this network of precision marine navigation sensors. The sensors track oceanographic and meteorological conditions as they unfold around Naval Base Kitsap.

An octopus, sea star, bivalves and dozens of cup coral all share the same overhang in an area adjacent to the Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York and New Jersey.

NOAA Begins Process to Potentially Protect Waters Off New York, New Jersey

NOAA is seeking public comment on potentially designating a new national marine sanctuary in Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York and New Jersey. A sanctuary designation would help conserve the area’s rich marine wildlife and habitats, promote sustainable economic activities and create new opportunities for scientific research, ocean education and recreation.

50 years of ocean & coastal conservation

a humpback whale tale rising out of ocean

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.

Around the Ocean Service

New Funding Opportunities for Coastal Zone Management Programs and National Estuarine Research Reserves
coastal management
Now Open: Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Grant Opportunity for Marine Debris Removal
marine debris
Ocean and Coastal Mapping Matching Fund Opportunity
coast survey
How NOAA's Response and Restoration Office Supports Coastal Resilience
response and restoration
Researchers Develop Drone-based System to Detect Marine Debris, Expedite Clean Up (Video)
coastal ocean science
Updated Relative Sea Level Trends Now Available
tides and currents
Study Finds Pollution Low in American Samoa’s Fagatele Bay (Video)
sanctuaries
Archiving the Ocean Biodiversity Information System
ocean observing
The Remarkable Horseshoe Crab (Video Series)
ocean today

Official websites use .gov

Secure websites use HTTPS

Rip Current Forecast Model

tides and currents

nautical charts

harmful algal blooms

sea level
rise

hurricane response

Education
Resources

Fall High Tide Bulletin