Since 1959, land surveyors and other geospatial professionals have had two standards to measure the length of a foot — the U.S. survey foot and the international foot — both supported by the National Geodetic Survey and the National Institute of Standards and Technology. And they’re not exactly equal. Find out why NOAA and NIST are retiring the U.S. survey foot, and standardizing on the international foot.
NOAA 2020 tide tables are now available. NOAA tide predictions are used by both commercial and recreational mariners for safe navigation. NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services produce these tide tables on an annual basis.
Marine debris is a pervasive issue in many coastal areas of the United States, where tourism and recreation account for $124 billion in gross domestic product. Explore the economic impacts of marine debris on tourism-dependent communities with this story, infographic, and story map.
In recognition of National Seafood Month, I invited James Morris, marine ecologist at the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, to take the pen to discuss the importance of seafood to our economy and, in particular, NOS's role in seafood and aquaculture planning, science and policy initiatives, and in the development of forecasting tools.
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, 2019.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) occur when algae — simple photosynthetic organisms that live in the sea and freshwater — grow out of control while producing toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals, and birds. Visit our new portal for region-specific HAB information, links, and resources.
National Estuaries Week may be over, but it's still a great time to visit your local estuary research reserve. These special places are about more than simply enjoying or experiencing; they’re places to conserve, study, educate, clean, restore, and unite.
A project to survey the nation's gravity field will soon allow us to calculate heights with much greater accuracy. Mapping out hurricane evacuation routes and floodplains are just two cases in which it is critical to know accurate land heights so that we know which way water will flow.
In our latest podcast, the chief of NOAA’s Disaster Preparedness program explains how her team facilitates internal communication, coordination, and preparation for all types of unforeseen disasters.
From September 4-7, the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) collected U.S. aerial damage assessment images for Hurricane Dorian. Imagery was collected in specific areas identified by NOAA in coordination with FEMA and other state and federal partners.
Sponges are animals with dense skeletons that are often mistaken for plants, and appear in a wide variety of colors, shapes, and sizes. Scientists believe that the colors of the sponge may act as a protection from the sun’s harmful UV rays.
Meteotsunamis occur all over the world, but scientists are just beginning to better detect and understand them. In our latest podcast, hear about new research that advances what we know about these surprisingly common weather-driven events.
