During the month of October we celebrate National Seafood Month, and seafood is certainly worth celebrating! Seafood is not only important to our nation’s food security and coastal economies, it is a critical part of a healthy diet. Seafood production requires the sacrifice, adaptability, and innovation of our seafood industry, and so we honor those who bring savory seafood to our dinner plates from their boats and working waterfronts.
September has been a challenging month here at NOS. On Monday, September 2, the dive charter MV Conception was on a three-day dive excursion within Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary (CINMS) when a catastrophic fire on the boat killed 34 people, including all 33 guests and one member of the boat’s crew. While the events of the boating fire unfolded, Hurricane Dorian unleashed its fury over the Abaco Islands and Grand Bahama Island. In anticipation of the storm, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia declared a state of emergency, and some coastal counties from Florida to North Carolina issued mandatory evacuation orders.
Last week, I provided opening remarks for and participated in a panel discussion following a screening of the documentary “Dispatches from the Gulf 2: Research * Innovation * Discovery” at the Terrace Theatre in Charleston, South Carolina.
I am pleased to announce the designation of Mallows Bay-Potomac River National Marine Sanctuary. The designation will be official and take effect following a review by Congress and the Maryland governor after a period of 45 days of Congressional session.
NOS is making important contributions to ocean science both globally and locally. Recently, several members of the NOS leadership team traveled to Norfolk, Virginia, where we met with federal partners and regional stakeholders to hear about their experiences addressing and planning for sea level rise, as well as to discuss the impacts that sea level rise is having and will continue to have on NOS people, programs, and facilities.
Following last year’s successful U.S. Navy - NOAA partnership to deploy a fleet of “storm chaser” underwater gliders, we’ve been busy analyzing those results, and preparing for another hurricane season.
NOAA lost a steadfast champion and strong voice in support of its mission this month. Former Senator Ernest “Fritz” Hollings passed away on April 6 at his home in South Carolina at the age of 97.
Throughout the month of March, we celebrate Women’s History Month to commemorate the invaluable role of women in American history.
Celebrate the outstanding accomplishments across National Ocean Service programs in Fiscal Year 2018. View more than 40 examples of our success in the newly released Fiscal Year 2018 Year in Review.
To acknowledge the importance of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in the world today, we celebrate GIS Day annually on the second Wednesday of November. GIS Day provides an international forum for users of GIS technology to demonstrate real-world applications that are making a difference in our society.
Last week, NOS was once again called to service as Hurricane Michael ravaged the Florida Panhandle and portions of Georgia and Virginia. Here is an update of our recent activities in support of response and recovery to Hurricanes Michael and Florence.
The past week has been challenging for many of us dealing with Hurricane Florence. From preparations and evacuations to storm predictions and damage assessments, we have weathered this major event and have accounted for all of our personnel in the affected area. Here are a few examples of recent NOS activities supporting response and recovery to this historic storm.
You may know that the Office for Coastal Management’s Digital Coast website was developed to meet the unique needs of the coastal management community. What you may not be aware of is that in addition to providing data and predictive tools, the site offers a wealth of learning resources through its Digital Coast Academy.
June is our annual celebration of National Ocean Month. We are often asked at this time of year, how many oceans are there? There’s only one! The ocean is the defining feature of our planet, covering approximately 70 percent of Earth’s surface. Our one ocean is divided into five named ocean basins and is intricately connected to major lakes, watersheds, and waterways through a vast and complicated drainage system. No matter where you live, you are connected to our one global ocean.
On April 3, 2018, several NOAA leaders joined me and local officials at PortMiami to dedicate a new Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) comprised of three offshore buoy-mounted current meters that will enhance navigation safety for the Miami seaport. In Miami, ship pilots face strong currents from the Gulf Stream as they enter the channel. The new PORTS provides pilots with critical real-time information that they need to make navigation decisions, using a new technology configuration that makes the meters more reliable, more cost-efficient, and extends their range offshore. The information is especially important as cargo ships and cruise ships become larger and carry more goods and people.
2018 is the third International Year of the Reef—a platform to highlight the importance of coral reefs. Covering less than one percent of the planet, coral reefs are the home to 25 percent of marine species and supply food to millions of people. They are also vital to our ocean economy, providing billions of dollars in services, such coastal protection, jobs, tourism and more.
I’d like to take a moment to celebrate the outstanding accomplishments across our programs in FY 2017. More than 40 examples of our success appear in the newly released Fiscal Year 2017 Year in Review. Here are some numbers that help tell the story of the year.
I am pleased to announce that Dr. Steven Thur has been selected to serve as Director of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) effective December 10, 2017. Dr. Thur brings a high degree of scientific rigor and an emphasis on organizational excellence that we believe will advance the work of NCCOS and coastal science throughout the National Ocean Service.
National Ocean Service Acting Assistant Administrator Nicole LeBoeuf.
