2022 Sea Level Rise Report: Guide Now Available
New application guide helps coastal communities plan for sea level rise
Every June, our country observes National Ocean Month. Here at NOS, we celebrate throughout the month on our website and social media channels by sharing videos, facts, trivia, and more! Our virtual celebration highlights the critical role our ocean plays, the relationship we share with it, and the steps we can take to protect and conserve it. Whether you live along a coast, on a farm, in a city, or on top of a mountain, this amazing body of water is a part of your life. Although there are five named oceans divided by region, there is only one global ocean, and we are all connected to it.
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%.
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.
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.
NOAA is forecasting a summer “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico that will be approximately 5,364 square miles, making it about average for the 35-year history of the summertime dead zone measurements in the region. The forecast is lower than last year’s measured size and slightly lower than the five-year average measured size of 5,380 square miles.
Keeping our marine transportation system moving safely and efficiently through our busy national waterways depends upon hydrography — the science that measures and describes the physical features of bodies of water through a process called surveying. In this episode, hear how and why this work is done from two NOAA experts who talk about ongoing hydrographic survey missions within the Great Lakes.
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 June and August 2022.
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.