NOAA understands and predicts changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and conserves and manages our coastal and marine resources.
NOAA is an agency that enriches life through science. Our reach goes from the surface of the sun to the depths of the ocean floor as we work to keep citizens informed of the changing environment around them.
From daily weather forecasts, severe storm warnings and climate monitoring to fisheries management, coastal restoration and supporting marine commerce, NOAA's products and services support economic vitality and affect more than one-third of America's gross domestic product. NOAA's dedicated scientists use cutting-edge research and high-tech instrumentation to provide citizens, planners, emergency managers and other decision makers with reliable information they need when they need it.
NOAA's roots date back to 1807, when the Nation's first scientific agency, the Survey of the Coast, was established. Since then, NOAA has evolved to meet the needs of a changing country. NOAA maintains a presence in every state and has emerged as an international leader on scientific and environmental matters.
NOAA's mission touches the lives of every American and we are proud of our role in protecting life and property and conserving and protecting natural resources.
NOAA's weather programs touch the lives of every American. Every day, decisions are made based on NOAA weather information -- from the mundane "should I pack an umbrella today?" to the most critical and potentially life-saving. With the mission to protect life and property, and enhance the United States' economy, NOAA's National Weather Service is the sole official voice of the U.S. government for all kinds of weather situations.
NOAA protects, preserves, manages and enhances the resources found in 3.5 million square miles of coastal and deep ocean waters. NOAA's National Ocean Service provides products, services and information that promote safe navigation, support coastal communities, sustain marine ecosystems, and mitigate coastal hazards.
More than half of the U.S. population lives in coastal counties - areas that encompass oceans and coasts, bays, estuaries and the Great Lakes. Coastal waters are rich in living and non-living marine resources that sustain prosperity and economic growth nationwide. Coastal areas are hubs of commerce, home to many major American corporations, ports and transportation networks. NOAA protects, preserves, manages, restores and enhances the nation's coastal resources and ecosystems along 95,439 miles of United States' shoreline.
NOAA is dedicated to protecting and preserving the nation's living marine resources through scientific research, fisheries management, enforcement and habitat conservation. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is the lead federal agency responsible for the stewardship of the nation's offshore living marine resources and their habitat. NOAA Fisheries manages, conserves and protects fish, whales, dolphins, sea turtles and other living creatures in the ocean.
Nearly 80 percent of U.S. overseas trade by volume travels into and out of the country through our nation's nearly 400 ports. Waterborne cargo alone contributes more than $742 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product and is responsible for more than 13 million jobs. NOAA's Office of Coast Survey is an integral part of our overall mission to support the nation's commerce with information for safe, efficient and environmentally sound transportation.
When you watch the news and see pictures of weather from around the United States or the world, you are seeing data from NOAA's environmental satellites. NOAA's environmental satellites provide data from space to monitor the Earth to analyze the coastal waters, relay signals from life-saving emergency beacons, and track tropical storms and hurricanes.
NOAA provides timely and trusted climate science information that saves lives, protects property, and boosts the economy. Our services help people plan for and manage climate-related risks and opportunities in their lives, businesses, and communities.
Which communities should be evacuated before a hurricane makes landfall? Should particular regions prepare for extended droughts in the future? Can a tornado warning or a tsunami warning be issued sooner to give people more time to seek safety? Preeminent research underpins NOAA's ability to provide accurate weather forecasts, to protect and manage the nation's coastal and ocean resources, and to enable society to plan and respond to climate change.
We find ourselves at a crossroads where many of our Nation's most critical scientific and environmental challenges are occurring when we are not well prepared to address them. Changes to the Earth are real threats to the American economy and way of life. At the same time, America's youth continue to fall further behind their global peers in science and math. NOAA has a broad mandate to educate the public about ocean, coastal, Great Lakes, and atmospheric science and stewardship. NOAA embraces this opportunity to expand the public's understanding and stewardship of the Earth's natural systems.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an Operating Unit of the Department of Commerce.
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