The NOAA Ocean Podcast

Connect with ocean experts and explore topics from corals to coastal science with our audio podcast.


Listen to episodes of the new NOAA Ocean podcast here—and subscribe to us in your favorite podcatcher so you never miss an episode. Just search for "NOAA Ocean."

A screenshot of the West Coast Operational Forecast System (WCOFS) Currents taken from the IOOS Model Viewer.
Connecting the Dots with Modeling (Part One)

What do harmful algal blooms, dust from the Saharan desert, and hurricanes have in common? They are all pieces of the puzzle that modeling puts together to give us the big picture when it comes to studying and understanding our ocean and coasts. In part one of this two-part episode, we take a deep dive into why modeling is important, what kind of data is provided, and how collaboration with stakeholders strengthens our knowledge base.

20 May 2021
This is a view of an electronic nautical chart for the coast near San Francisco, California.
NOAA Custom Chart

NOAA is moving into the digital age by phasing out paper nautical charts over five years. In this episode, we talk with NOAA Corps Capt. EJ Van Den Ameele, chief of Coast Survey's marine chart division, to learn how this transition will affect mariners and why electronic charts offer many advantages over paper. And if you still need paper charts, Coast Survey has you covered. EJ discusses how an online tool called NOAA Custom Chart makes it easy to export printable charts for all maritime areas.

15 April 2021
A digital elevation model of the Florida Keys area from a topobathy lidar system. Green represents higher elevations and dark blue/purple represents lower elevations.
Lidar Lesson

Explore how lidar supports NOAA’s mission and enables scientists and mapping professionals to examine both natural and manmade environments with accuracy, precision, and flexibility.

25 March 2021
Kurt Mann holding a pro camera on the deck of the NOAA ship Ron Brown
Explore Your Ocean with NOAA Ocean Today

Let's dive in to the ocean! NOAA Ocean Today offers more than three hundred exciting, scientifically vetted short videos on topics ranging from deep sea exploration to climate change to marine life.

04 March 2021
A snorkeler explores the shallow site of the sunken schooner Portland, lost in a Lake Huron storm in 1877. Credit: David Ruck.
Shipwrecks, Science, and Stewardship

In this episode, we speak with Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary's superintendent about world-class shipwrecks and the wealth of scientific research and recreational opportunities that the sanctuary has to offer.

14 Jan 2021

All Episodes

Looking for a recent podcast? Start here.

  1. Connecting the Dots with Modeling (Part One)
    20 May 2021
  2. NOAA Custom Chart Tool
    15 Apr 2021
  3. A Laser is Worth a Thousand Words
    25 Mar 2021
  4. Explore Your Ocean with NOAA Ocean Today
    04 Mar 2021
  5. Shipwrecks, Science, and Stewardship at Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary
    14 Jan 2021
  6. Protecting Culebra's Coral Reefs
    08 Dec 2020
  7. Precision Marine Navigation
    29 Oct 2020
  8. The Microplastic-Mussel Connection: Part Two
    30 Sep 2020
  9. The Microplastic-Mussel Connection: Part One
    30 Sep 2020
  10. From Diving to Data: Close-up with Coral Research
    27 Aug 2020
  11. Breaking Down Barriers: Natural Infrastructure
    30 Jul 2020
  12. Turning the Tide: D-Day from an Oceanographer's Perspective
    24 Jun 2020
  13. Marine Life Counts: The U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observation Network
    28 May 2020
  14. Education Resources
    24 Apr 2020
  15. Understanding Gravity
    19 Mar 2020
  16. Bringing Wetlands to Market
    20 Feb 2020
  17. The Nurdle Patrol: Citizen Scientists Fight Pollution, One Pellet at a Time
    23 Jan 2020
  18. After a Hurricane Hits: NOAA’s Emergency Response Aerial Imagery
    17 Dec 2019
  19. The Nautical Origins of 10 Popular Phrases
    23 Oct 2019
  20. NOAA's Disaster Preparedness Program
    07 Aug 2019
  21. Meteotsunamis: State of the Science
    11 Jul 2019
  22. Ocean Gliders: How NOAA uses autonomous technology to help predict hurricane intensity
    30 May 2019
  23. Navigating the Sea is Safer, More Efficient With Digital Charts
    25 Apr 2019
  24. Making it Count
    21 Mar 2019
  25. Lionfish Invasion
    28 Feb 2019
  26. Fa’a Samoa: The Samoan Way (Part Two)
    04 Dec 2018
  27. Fa’a Samoa: The Samoan Way (Part One)
    04 Dec 2018
  28. All About HABS: Uncovering the Mystery of Harmful Algal Blooms
    14 Nov 2018
  29. Remote Control
    24 Oct 2018
  30. Ocean Noise
    29 Aug 2018
  31. Breaking Down Barriers: Natural Infrastructure
    28 Jun 2018
  32. National Ocean Service's Role in Hurricane Prep, Response, and Recovery
    24 May 2018
  33. Motion in the Ocean: Tides and Currents
    26 Apr 2018
  34. Garbage Patches: How Gyres Take Our Trash Out to Sea
    22 Mar 2018
  35. Dealing with Dead Zones: Hypoxia in the Ocean
    22 Feb 2018
  36. Geodesy: The Invisible Backbone of Navigation
    18 Jan 2018
  37. Marine Debris in Alaska
    16 Nov 2017
  38. Reef Resilience
    23 Aug 2017
  39. Ocean Current Surveys 101
    27 Jul 2017
  40. Historical Maps and Charts
    21 Jul 2017
  41. Celebrating 100 Years of NOAA Corps
    25 May 2017
  42. Marine Animal Telemetry
    11 May 2017
  43. Restoration at Industrial Waste Sites
    04 May 2017
  44. Volunteering with our National Marine Sanctuaries
    17 Apr 2017
  45. GPS on Bench Marks
    23 Mar 2017
  46. Picking the Right Spot: Offshore Wind Energy
    01 Mar 2017
  47. Marine Life Counts: The U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observation Network
    19 Jan 2017
  48. Listen up: What you need to know about ocean noise.
    08 Dec 2016
  49. Bringing Wetlands to Market: the Power of Blue Carbon in a Changing Climate
    04 Aug 2016
  50. Connecting the Dots Between Corals and Humans
    24 Mar 2016
  51. Alaska: Marine Debris in the Wilderness
    28 Jan 2016
  52. Vertical Mapping and Atomic Clocks
    24 Sep 2015
  53. Exploring the Unknown in the Caribbean
    01 Apr 2015
  54. Shipwreck Detectives in California
    15 Jan 2015
  55. Arctic Shield
    01 Oct 2014
  56. Great Pacific Garbage Patch
    26 Jun 2014
  57. Coastal Blue Carbon
    08 May 2014
  58. The Exxon Valdez, 25 Years Later
    21 Mar 2014
  59. Connecting the Dots: Corals and Humans
    15 Sep 2016
  60. Ocean Economy
    18 Aug 2016
  61. Harmful Algal Bloom Forecasting
    05 May 2016
  62. Remembering the Titanic
    15 Apr 2016
  63. Shipwreck Detective
    17 Feb 2016
  64. How Invasive Species Are Introduced
    21 Jan 2016
  65. Marine Debris Movement
    24 Nov 2015
  66. A Healthy Eelgrass Meadow is Restored
    29 Oct 2015
  67. Coral Bleaching
    17 Sep 2015
  68. Hypoxia
    18 Jun 2015
  69. NOAA PORTS
    14 May 2015
  70. Tsunamis
    26 Mar 2015
  71. Four Corners
    19 Mar 2015
  72. Coastal Blue Carbon
    12 Feb 2015
  73. Invasive Lionfish
    06 Feb 2014
  74. Restoring Natural Resources
    16 Jan 2014
  75. Reef Resilience
    22 Sep 2016
  76. Microplastics
    30 Jun 2016
  77. Living Shorelines
    07 Apr 2016
  78. Exploring Hawaii's Coral Reefs
    03 Dec 2015
  79. Nuisance Flooding
    22 Oct 2015
  80. Hurricane Katrina: 10 Years Later
    27 Aug 2015
  81. Ocean Economy
    25 Jun 2015
  82. GPS on Bench Marks
    16 Apr 2015
  83. Invasive Species
    26 Feb 2015
  84. Coral Bleaching
    01 Dec 2014
  85. Tides and Currents
    18 Mar 2014
  86. The Intracoastal Waterway
    20 Feb 2014
  87. Planning Ocean Uses
    30 Jan 2014
NOAA Ocean podcast icon

From corals to coastal science, connect with ocean experts to explore questions about the ocean environment.

We also offer episode archives and transcripts for Making Waves and Diving Deeper, two podcasts which preceded the NOAA Ocean Podcast:

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