In Washington State, the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe and North Cove community led a vigorous local effort to find effective treatments for severe shoreline erosion along Willapa Bay. Their determination is starting to pay off in pilot projects that are halting erosion in its tracks via rebuilt dunes and the placement of cobble berms—called “dynamic revetments”—along the shoreline. The Washington Coastal Zone Management Program provided award-winning technical and monitoring assistance and worked to secure grants, one supported by NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management.

In this photo, Washington Department of Ecology’s Environmental Specialist, Amanda Hacking, and Coastal Engineer, George Kaminsky, track tagged cobbles along the dynamic revetment. Image credit: Washington Department of Ecology

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An aerial view of the Little Monie Creek component of Chesapeake Bay Maryland National Estuarine Research Reserve. Staff were observing their migrating marshes during this fly-over. Photo credit: Coreen Weilminster

Egrets roost in a small hummock in Assateague Bay — the small islands within Chesapeake Bay Maryland National Estuarine Research Reserve are vital habitat for the nesting migrants. Photo credit: Coreen Weilminster

This diver is embarking on an underwater adventure at Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. NOAA sanctuaries and reserves are protected areas that help us conserve these special coastal and marine places for future generations. Diving is just one of many recreational opportunities available at these sites.

This image shows the view from the M/V Ocean Wind as the ship transits down the Mississippi River. More than 10,000 ships pass through the port complexes between New Orleans to Baton Rouge each year. This region is the most congested waterway in the world. NOAA's Office of Coast Survey plans to begin surveying the Mississippi River in 2018 to update nautical charts.

NOAA's navigation response teams (NRT) conduct hydrographic surveys to update NOAA’s suite of nautical charts. The teams are strategically located around the country and remain on call to respond to emergencies speeding the resumption of shipping after storms, and protecting life and property from underwater dangers to navigation. Five new NRT boats, including the one shown here, were procured over a three-year period with the final boat built in 2017.

Have you ever heard of a crinoid? They’re marine animals related to sea stars and sea urchins. Divers snapped this colorful crinoid in a coral reef in the Northern Mariana Islands. If you like this photo, head over to the NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program image gallery for more breathtaking imagery.

On February 9, 2018, the NOAA Central Library unveiled the newly restored painting, Pathfinder, painted in 1899 by renowned maritime artist, Antonio Jacobsen. Included as part of the NOAA Central Library Rare Books collection, the painting is the oldest extant painting of a NOAA ancestor ship in the possession of NOAA.

The Pathfinder vessel was one of the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey’s early ships, in service from 1899-1941. The history of the Pathfinder is unique, as its career spanned 40 years charting Philippine waters before its loss in the early days of World War II. In addition to helping open the Philippine Islands to then modern ship-borne commerce, its pre-war work was instrumental for both strategic and tactical purposes in the retaking of the Philippine Islands during World War II.

On November 16, 2017, volunteers replaced pea gravel blown away during Hurricane Harvey on the trail at the Wetland Education Center at Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve in Texas. The Wetland Education Center offers trails and interpretive signs that help educate visitors on the surrounding wetlands. Staff who remained on site during the hurricane said that pea gravel from the paths pelted buildings on the reserve "like thousands of bullets."

On November 16, 2017, volunteers at Mission-Aransas National Estuarine Research Reserve in Texas cleaned up debris washed between the rocks in a jetty following Hurricane Harvey. The jetty shown here lines Aransas Pass, where oil tankers pass through to Corpus Christi Bay. The damage to the pier in the background was not caused by wind. It sustained damage from an oil tanker that was beached during the hurricane and broke free after the storm passed. The crew is cleaning up debris that washed between the rocks in the jetty during Harvey.

A blunt slipper lobster (Scyllarides squammosus) patrols a busy coral reef habitat of massive Porites and encrusting Monitpora corals off the coast of Moloka‘i in the main Hawaiian Islands.

Corals are home to millions of species. Humbug dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus) and multibar goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) are commonly seen in the shallow reefs and lagoons of American Samoa.

A sea anemone surrounded by Pocillopora, Porites, and giant clams at Kingman Reef in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.

The coral reef benthic community at Swains Island in American Samoa is dominated by an assemblage of plating Montipora and branching Pocillopora meandrina.

Close-up shot of a slate pencil urchin (Heterocentrotus mamillatus) at Kingman Reef in the Pacific Remote Islands Marine National Monument.

Grey reef sharks and colorful schools of​ ​​anthias in the waters of Jarvis Island, Pacific Remote Island Areas Marine National Monument. Credit: Kelvin Gorospe

The Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, in partnership with the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS^®), has established a new Physical Oceanographic Real Time System (PORTS^®) in Cape Cod. A high tech wave-monitoring buoy was recently deployed in Cape Cod Bay that will provide ocean information to improve safety and efficiency of marine transportation as mariner’s approach or exit Cape Cod Canal. This buoy will also become part of the Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems buoy network. (Image courtesy of U.S. Geological Survey)

The Geus River in the Manell-Geus watershed Habitat Focus Area is an important cultural, recreational, and subsistence area for many local residents. The area includes the island’s only shallow water lagoon, as well as fringing reefs, mangroves and extensive seagrass beds. It is also home to the coastal village of Merizo, which is well-known for its strong fishing tradition.

Priest Pools is a popular hiking spot for Merizo residents and visitors. It is located in the Manell-Geus watershed, a NOAA Habitat Blueprint site located in southern Guam. The area includes the island’s only shallow water lagoon, as well as fringing reefs, mangroves and extensive seagrass beds. It is also home to the coastal village of Merizo, which is well-known for its strong fishing tradition.

Students from Simon Sanchez High School view sedimentation in the Achang Marine Preserve after planting 1,000 acacia seedlings with the Guam Agriculture Department’s Forestry Division during an October 2015 restoration project in the Manell-Geus Habitat Focus Area. In the distance, a sediment plume is visible in the water after a storm.  

The Manell-Geus watershed is a NOAA Habitat Blueprint site located in southern Guam. Habitat Blueprint is focused on improving habitat as a way to improve resilience to climate change impacts. From planting trees to stabilize soil to training people to monitor their coral reef resources, NOAA and Merizo residents are teaming up to support natural resource management to ensure strong fishing traditions and healthy reef habitats exist for years, and generations, to come.

NOAA expanded its Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) to Cleveland, Ohio, to aid navigation on the Cuyahoga River. The Cuyahoga River PORTS® current meter provides critical real time data that helps vessels safely transit iron ore upriver into Cleveland’s lakefront facilities.

A pink whipray (Himantura fai) glides over colonies of the branching coral Stylophora at Swains Island, American Samoa.

In May, the 2016 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands marine debris removal mission came to an end, successfully hauling in 12 tons of debris from Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. A marine debris team of 10 NOAA scientists was part of the removal effort that spanned 32 days cleaning Midway Atoll National Wildlife Refuge, Pearl and Hermes Atoll, Kure Atoll State Wildlife Sanctuary, Lisianski Island, and the French Frigate Shoals. In this image, a Laysan Albatross looks curiously at a pile of disposable cigarette lighters. These were part of the 535 cigarette lighters collected during this year’s mission.

Children explore the Rachel Carson Reserve during a field trip with North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve staff. The North Carolina Reserve was established to preserve the fragile natural areas that make up the third largest estuarine system in the country and the variety of life found there. Credit: Emily Woodward

National marine sanctuaries and marine national monuments are places for great diversity of ocean life and this image doesn’t disappoint. Here Bluestripe snapper, Ta’ape, Threespot damselfish, and Oval Chromis damselfish are seen swimming around Lobe coral, Pohaku puna, and Table coral at French Frigate Shoals in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Credit: James Watt/NOAA

Close up of a crown-of-thorns starfish at Gardner Pinnacles in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Close up of a Spanish Dancer nudibranch egg ribbon in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

Close up of a sea urchin at the Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument

A field crew performs routine maintenance at the NOAA water level station at Coyote Creek, California. This station, located on the south shore of the San Francisco Bay, is a partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Water District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The South Haven, Michigan buoy, pictured here, was originally funded by the NOAA Coastal Storms Program to supply critical information to help keep beachgoers and recreational boaters safe along this popular Lake Michigan coastline. During the pilot program, the buoy’s observations often were used by NOAA’s National Weather Service office in Grand Rapids, which issued 60 small-craft warnings. Recognizing the buoy’s importance as part of a regional nearshore network, South Haven and community organizations secured the funds needed to support permanent buoy operation and maintenance. Credit: LimnoTech

Installation of a new microwave water level sensor at the NOAA station in Lime Tree Bay, Virgin Islands.

A NOAA field crew prepares a current meter mooring for deployment in Puget Sound, Washington.

Staff install the final components on the NOAA water level station on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, at the mouth of the bay.

An octopus camouflages itself in corals along the coast of Asuncion Island in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.

A juvenile threespot damselfish nestled in a pillar coral colony in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Pillar coral is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

A school of whitespotted surgeonfish (Acanthurus guttatus) pause their grazing for a moment before moving onto another suitable patch of reef in American Samoa.

On the reef around the island of Ta‘ū, American Samoa, a spotted guard crab defends its home and food source, a cauliflower coral, from predators and investigative camera lenses.

Brown chromis (Chromis multilineata) and other small reef fish swim over large boulders of Great Star Coral (Montastraea cavernosa) in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary. Various species of star coral and brain coral dominate the reefscape in the sanctuary.

In December 1866, the U.S. Coast Survey (NOAA's predecessor agency) began printing tide tables as an independent, annual publication. The first edition, for the year 1867, separated the predictions for the Atlantic coast and Pacific coast of the United States into two publications and gave only the daily high tides. Low tides were added in later years, as were tidal current predictions. In 2015, NOAA issued its 150th edition.

This image shows a female analyst operating the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey tide prediction machine No. 2 during World Word II. Today, tide predictions are computed electronically and distributed on NOAA’s tides and currents website.

In 1966, there was a major breakthrough in tide gauge technology with the introduction of the Analog-to-Digital (ADR) tide gauge. The ADR’s punch paper provided a computer compatible data recording, compared with earlier analog gauges which drew lines on a paper chart. The ADR paper tapes were read by an optical reader and translated onto nine-track magnetic tape for loading onto a computer system for processing. ADR gauges were used until 2003, when NOAA had fully transitioned to the Next Generation Water Level Measurement System.

The U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey used tide prediction machine No. 2, fondly referred to as "Old Brass Brains," to predict tides from 1912-1965. It was the first machine made to simultaneously compute the height of the tide and the times of high and low waters. Today, tide predictions are made on electronic computers.

The Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve in New Jersey is regarded as one of the least disturbed estuaries in the densely populated urban corridor of the Northeastern United States. Credit: Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve is one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Habitats for sea turtles, bottlenose dolphin, and manatees can be found in the deeper waters of this reserve. Oyster reefs and seagrass beds serve as nursery areas for important marine species such as shrimp, blue crab, speckled trout, and red fish. Credit: Gretchen L. Grammer.

Oyster beds at low tide. The North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve is comprised of four sites located near Corolla (Currituck Banks), Beaufort (Rachel Carson) and Wilmington (Masonboro Island and Zeke's Island) near Cape Hatteras. Credit: North Carolina National Estuarine Research Reserve.

A brown pelican roosting atop a post in Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Alabama. Habitats in this reserve support numerous rare and endangered species including the eastern indigo snake and the Alabama red-bellied turtle. Credit: Weeks Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Pendleton Point in Islesboro, Maine. Did you know that Maine has more coastline than California? NOAA's official value for the total length of the U.S. shoreline is 95,471 miles. The NOAA shoreline length calculation was determined by hand in 1939-40 with a recording instrument on the largest-scale charts and maps available at that time. Shorelines of outer coast, offshore islands, sounds, bays, rivers, and creeks were included to the head of the tidewater or to a point where tidal waters narrow to a width of 100 feet. For the Great Lakes, the shoreline lengths were measured in 1970 by the International Coordinating Committee on Great Lakes Basic Hydraulic and Hydrologic Data.

Wells Beach, Maine. The economic benefits of tourism and coastal living contribute billions of dollars to the U.S. Economy. In 2011, the tourism and recreation industry in coastal shoreline counties employed almost three million people and contributed over $282 billion to the U.S. Gross Domestic Product (GDP).

Each year, the Center for the Study of Active Volcanoes at the University of Hawaii at Hilo holds an international training program to assist developing nations in monitoring technologies for potentially active volcanoes. This year, National Geodetic Survey's Francine Coloma shared her expertise in deploying and managing GPS equipment, networks, and related surveying techniques in this humanitarian outreach effort. The program is an international training course in volcano hazards monitoring sponsored by the U.S. Geological Survey's Volcano Disaster Assistance Program. This photo was shot at Holei Pali on the flank of Kilauea volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary is known as a world-class whale watching destination!

Kayaking is just one of the many recreational activities you may enjoy in our national marine sanctuaries. This image shows a kayaker in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

A diver cuts a protected green sea turtle free at Pearl and Hermes Atoll. Three green sea turtles were freed at Pearl and Hermes Atoll during the 2014 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Debris Mission.

Hawaiian monk seal hauled out on large net at Pearl and Hermes Atoll during the 2014 Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine Debris Mission.

Marine debris can impact important marine habitats. Large debris items, such as derelicts nets, can smother corals, causing harm to both the coral organism and the greater ecosystem.

Marine debris affects more than just air-breathing marine organisms. Derelict fishing gear left in the environment can entangle and kill commercially important marine organisms such as this crab. This process is known as 'ghost-fishing'.

This stunning panorama of Gambell, located on Alaska's St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, was captured in August, 2014, by NOS's Coast Survey navigation manager in Alaska. NOAA focuses a significant portion of our ocean mapping effort in Alaskan waters because dated nautical charts are inadequate for the increasing vessel traffic in this region. NOAA surveys are essential for providing reliable charts to the area’s commercial shippers, passenger vessels, and fishing fleets.

Gambell, Alaska, located on the northwest cape of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea.

Gambell, Alaska, is located on the northwest cape of St. Lawrence Island in the Bering Sea, about 200 miles southwest of Nome.

A view of the Pacific coastline along Santa Monica, California

Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve coastline. The Tijuana River National Estuarine Research Reserve preserves one of the largest remaining examples of coastal wetland habitats in the southern California sub-region.

Spectacular view of the sunset taken during an National Geodetic Survey GRAV-D survey flight over Minnesota in summer, 2013.

NOAA’s Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is a tremendously popular destination for recreational boaters, like this sailboat off the southern end of Santa Cruz Island. Credit: Robert Schwemmer/NOAA.

Bowhead whale and calf in the Arctic (Marine Mammal Permit 782-1719). Scientists agree that the bowhead whale has the longest lifespan of all marine mammals. Whales are the largest animals on Earth and live longer than all other mammals in the contemporary animal kingdom.

Visitors return from an afternoon of paddling in the Hudson River National Estuarine Research Reserve. Free public canoe programs are just one of the education programs available at the Hudson River Reserve.

Sea otters can be spotted in National Estuarine Research Reserves in Kachemak Bay, Alaska and Elkhorn Slough, Calif. This otter was spotted in the Kachemak Bay Reserve, the largest reserve in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, encompassing over 360,000 acres of estuarine and upland habitats.

Habitat exhibit at the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve's visitor center in Tuckerton, N.J. The Jacques Cousteau Reserve is the only reserve in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System to be named after an individual. This reserve includes a variety of terrestrial, wetland, and aquatic habitats within the Mullica River-Great Bay ecosystem.

Inside the environmental learning center at Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, located in Naples, Florida, Rookery Bay is home to a myriad of wildlife including 150 species of birds and many threatened and endangered animals such as the Florida panther.

Crew from the NOAA Ship Rainier assists in a current survey of waters near Sitka, Alaska.

Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services staff installs an air gap sensor on the Don Holt Bridge in Charleston, South Carolina. The sensor is part of the Charleston Harbor Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System, or PORTS®. Information from the sensor is critical for under bridge clearance, as ships continue to maximize channel depths and widths while, at the same time, push the bounds of bridge heights.

Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services staff member conducts tide station leveling in support of the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers in Richmond, Maine.

Pearl and Hermes Atoll lies about 216 nautical miles (400 km) east-southeast of Midway Atoll and approximately 1,080 nautical miles (2,000 km) northwest of Honolulu. It is a huge oval coral reef within several internal reefs. It is the second largest (about 1,166 km2 to depths of 100 meters) among the six atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Pearl and Hermes Atoll lies about 216 nautical miles (400 km) east-southeast of Midway Atoll and approximately 1,080 nautical miles (2,000 km) northwest of Honolulu. It is a huge oval coral reef within several internal reefs. It is the second largest (about 1,166 km² to depths of 100 meters) among the six atolls in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands.

Coral and Ulua found in the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument. Coral reefs found in Papahānaumokuākea are home to over 7,000 marine species, one quarter of which are found only in the Hawaiian Archipelago.

Rapture Reef sits within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument. The monument encompasses more than 140,000 square miles of ocean and coral reef habitat.

Sunset over the marsh at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve in Florida. The Guana Tolomato Matanzas Reserve contains the northernmost extent of mangrove habitat on the U.S. east coast, some of the highest dunes in Florida (measuring 30-40 feet), and one of the few remaining ‘inlets’ in northeast Flordia not protected by a jetty. Credit: Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve

Halibut Cove in Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Alaska. Kachemak Bay is the largest reserve in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System, encompassing over 360,000 acres of estuarine and upland habitats. Credit: Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

A beautiful sunrise at the Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve in Ohio. The Old Woman Creek Reserve is one of two National Estuarine Research Reserves in the Great Lakes. Credit: Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve

A resting kayak at the Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Rhode Island. Kayaking is just one of the many recreation opportunities available at our 28 National Estuarine Research Reserves. Credit: Narragansett Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Piers in Philadelphia. Philadelphia ranks 21st in leading commercial ports within the U.S. In 2010, 34 million tons of cargo moved through the Philly port system.

A hydrographic survey launch from the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson in New York Harbor. Following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, NOAA vessels surveyed shipping lanes, channels, and terminals in the Port of New York and New Jersey to search for dangers to navigation. These hydrographic surveys aided in the quick reopening of this vital waterway to navigation and commerce.

The Port of Los Angeles. In the U.S., where over half of us live along the coast and more than 78 percent of our overseas trade by volume comes and goes along our marine highways, the health of our coasts is intricately connected to the health of our nation's economy.

A view of the downtown Miami coastline. With the majority of us living in coastal states, one impact of climate change many of us should be concerned about is sea level rise. Scientists project that global sea levels will rise this century faster than ever before in recorded human history. Even a small rise in water levels can have a big impact—from increased coastal flooding to eroding shorelines and loss of wetlands.

Mom and baby manatee swim in canal in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Mom and baby sea turtle sleeping on the beach on the Big Island in Hawaii. Credit: Karyn Wagner

The many facial expressions of Northern fur seal pups. Credit: Eric Boerner, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA Fisheries Service

Southern Resident Killer Whale mother and her calf swimming.

Mom and baby elephant seal just rolling around on the beach in Ano Nuevo Island, California.

A northward view of the Big Sur coastline and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary approximately 120 miles south of San Francisco, Calif. Bixby Creek Bridge, a popular landmark of this region, is visible in the distance.

NOAA’s LCDR Joe Pica diving with a humpback whale off Dominica Republic. His encounter with this humpback whale occurred during a routine dive off NOAA ship Gordon Gunter to recover an acoustic underwater buoy.

Children discover ocean life at the Smithsonian National Zoo's invertebrates exhibit in Washington, DC.

There are 23 Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS®) located around the U.S. with the goal of supporting safe and efficient marine transportation.

Staff from the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services install a microwave radar water level sensor on the Dog River Bridge in Mobile County, Ala. This is one of five stations installed to support the County's storm surge monitoring network established in 2011.

On June 20, 2012, the M/V Zhen Hua 13 delivered new cranes from China to the Port of Baltimore by navigating the waters of Chesapeake Bay. To reach this destination, the cranes had to clear a major obstacle—passing under the Chesapeake Bay Bridge outside of Annapolis. As the cranes slid under the bridge, the National Ocean Service provided air gap information as part of the Northern Chesapeake Bay Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®). These measurements, along with real-time tides and current data, helped to ensure a safe and early passage of the ship in to the Port of Baltimore.

As multi-year sea ice continues to disappear at a rapid rate, vessel traffic in the Arctic is on the rise. NOAA is working to update Arctic nautical charts, add new tide and current monitoring stations, and conduct geodetic surveys to support safe navigation, national security, and economic growth in the region.

Polar bears have evolved to living in the extreme conditions of the Arctic. Polar bears and seals are dependent on sea ice for foraging, resting, and reproduction.

An iceberg captured on camera during a 30-day mission in 2012 to map areas of the Arctic aboard the NOAA Ship Fairweather.

A manta ray in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Florida. 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, which established NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary system. Head to sanctuaries.noaa.gov for a link to a special website highlighting the top 40 accomplishments of the sanctuary system.

The wreck of the schooner E.B. Allen, located within Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary in Michigan. 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, which established NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary system. Head to sanctuaries.noaa.gov for a link to a special website highlighting the top 40 accomplishments of the sanctuary system.

Starfish along the shore in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary in Washington State. 2012 marks the 40th anniversary of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, which established NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary system. Head to sanctuaries.noaa.gov for a link to a special website highlighting the top 40 accomplishments of the sanctuary system.

The NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson prepares to bring aboard one of its launches after a day of hydrographic surveying in Long Island Sound. In 2012, the Thomas Jefferson and its two launches are working in a collaborative effort with the states of Connecticut and New York, to gather data that will help guide policy decisions about future uses of the sea floor, as well as to update nautical charts.

The NOAA Ship Fairweather is named after Mt. Fairweather, located in Alaska's Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve along the U.S.-Canada border. Mt. Fairweather was named by Captain Cook in 1778, presumably because of the good weather encountered at the time of his visit. Fairweather conducted a 2012 reconnaissance mission to help NOAA prioritize its efforts to update navigational charts in the Arctic.

NOAA’s newest survey vessel is the Ferninand R. Hassler. Hassler is a state-of-the-art coastal mapping vessel designed to detect and monitor changes to the sea floor. Data collected by the ship will be used to update nautical charts, detect potential hazards to navigation, and further enhance our understanding of the ever-changing marine environment.

Two starfish 'hanging out' on a sponge in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, located off the coast of Georgia.

Aplysina fulva, a type of sponge characterized by long rope-like branches. This specimen lives within Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Georgia.

Sponges in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Georgia. Within this sanctuary, there are rocky ledges with sponge and coral live bottom communities, as well as sandy bottom areas that are more typical of the seafloor off the southeastern U.S. coast.

Marine protected areas provide recreation opportunities (e.g., fishing, swimming, and kayaking) for millions of Americans each year.

Diving and snorkeling continue to be popular recreation activities, including here at Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of Georgia. NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary System includes habitats such as rocky reefs, lush kelp forests, deep-sea canyons, and underwater archaeological sites that offer many recreational opportunities for visitors.

Located north of Monterey, Calif., this site is renowned for outstanding birding opportunities. There are a total of 29 National Estuarine Research Reserves located in 23 states and Puerto Rico. The reserves protect more than 1.3 million coastal and estuarine acres.

Madrepora oculata is one of the deepest reef building stony corals in the world, known to occur as deep as 2020 meters. Colonies are distinguished by the zig-zag appearance of their branches. This colony is home to several squat lobsters at 750 meters depth in Roatan, Honduras. The green laser points in the lower center are 10 cm apart.

Not all sea fans are flexible enough to bend in the currents. This precious coral Corallium species has a rigid calcitic skeleton like stony corals. The sea fans are referred to as precious corals because they are harvested for the jewelry trade in some parts of the world. This particular colony is from 750 meters depth in Roatan, Honduras. The green laser points in the lower center are 10 cm apart.

Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary Naturalist Corps volunteers support a whale watching expedition. (Image courtesy of Bob Perry, Condor Express)

The students of NOAA Planet Stewards participate in a variety of activities, ranging from planting and maintaining a garden in Maryland (shown here), to growing native sea grasses in rural Louisiana, to water quality testing in Hawaii.

NOAA Restoration Day is one of the largest voluntary federal employee-sponsored environmental stewardship events in the Chesapeake Bay watershed region. The event is organized by the National Ocean Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Let NOAA staff inspire you! NOAA employees volunteer in a number of ways, including the Marine Animal Rescue Program at the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Here, volunteers release a rehabilitated harbor seal named Hopper.

Illinois Governor Pat Quinn joins Dr. Jane Lubchenco, NOAA Administrator; David Kennedy, NOS Assistant Administrator; Marc Miller, Illinois Department of Natural Resources Director; and Senator Richard Durbin at signing ceremony on March 9, 2012, to approve the new Illinois Coastal Management Program.

Illinois -- the last eligible state -- joined the national coastal management program on March 9, 2012. The creation of the Illinois Coastal Management Program comes at the 40th anniversary of the passage of the Coastal Zone Management Act by Congress in 1972.

Lewes and Rehoboth Canal, Delaware. Because we rely on coastal areas as places to live (more than half of us live along the coast), visit, get food from, and transport goods through, we need to manage and protect these areas. One mechanism for managing our nation’s diverse coastal regions is the National Coastal Zone Management Program.

A diver enjoys the sights in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Gray's Reef is one of the largest near-shore live-bottom reefs of the southeastern United States. It's just one of the 14 national marine protected areas that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System.

Amberjacks swimming behind an outcropping of sponge coral in Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary.

An arrow crab perched on a sea urchin, Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary. Gray's Reef was designated as a sanctuary on January 16, 1981, and is the only protected natural reef area on the continental shelf off the Georgia coast.

Northern elephant seals, like all marine mammals, are protected under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

Hawaiian spiny lobster at Necker Island in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

A red-footed booby at the Three Sisters at Pearl and Hermes Atoll in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument. Image credit: Claire Fackler, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

The deep-water sea fan Plumarella pellucida at 150 meter (492 feet) depth in Georgetown Hole, off the coast of Georgia. The genus Plumarella has pharmaceutical properties that may yield new drug discoveries one day. In April 2010, a team of researchers aboard NOAA ship PISCES explored deep coral habitat at a depth of 100-300 meters (361 to 984 feet) off Georgia, east of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary in South Atlantic Bight. The team used a remotely operated vehicle, fisheries acoustics, and a grab sampler to collect corals and sediment. The rugged bottom topography and the coral mounds are attractive features for deep-sea reef fish like wreckfish and blackbelly rosefish. Large barrelfish and red bream also shelter in the rugged bottom.

Several deep-water sea fans (Plumarella pellucida) were photographed with a basket star at 150 meters (492 feet) using a remotely operated vehicle in Georgetown Hole, Ga. In April 2010, a team of researchers aboard NOAA ship PISCES explored deep coral habitat at a depth of 100-300 meters (361 to 984 feet) off Georgia, east of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary in South Atlantic Bight. The team used a remotely operated vehicle, fisheries acoustics, and a grab sampler to collect corals and sediment. The rugged bottom topography and the coral mounds are attractive features for deep-sea reef fish like wreckfish and blackbelly rosefish. Large barrelfish and red bream also shelter in the rugged bottom.

Two species of brightly colored crinoids living upon a deep-sea black coral (Antipathes specie) near 300 meters (984 feet) depth in Roatan, Honduras. Pale yellow featherstars are likely Crinometra brevipinna. The banded white and orange featherstar may be Neocomatella pulchella, per Dr. Charles Messing, Professor of Oceanography, Nova Southeastern University Oceanographic Center. The green laser points visible in the lower right are 10 cm (3.98 inches) apart. In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear.

Large colony of the deep-water coral Madracis myriaster at 150 meters (492 feet) in Roatan, Honduras. The green laser points visible in the lower right are 10 cm (3.98 inches) apart. In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear.

The brightly colored brisingid seastar Novodinia antillensis is fairly common near 500 meters depth in Roatan, Honduras. In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear.

Deepwater grouper in Madracis myriaster coral at 150 meters (492 feet) depth in Roatan. In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear.

Southern sea otter, Enhydra lutris nereis, at South Harbor, Moss Landing, California. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Dr. Steve Lonhart.

A crab builds a home on a beach in the U.S. Virgin Islands. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Malinda Vagasky.

Sunset over Hendry's Beach, Santa Barbara, California. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Chris Seaton.

A red sea fan (Swiftia pacifica) with shrimp on the branches and crabs at the base. This is one of several images of rarely seen deep-sea animals captured on camera in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. During an Aug. 2011 expedition, researchers used a NOAA remotely operated vehicle in waters 328 to 656 feet deep (100 to 200 meters) off the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Research partners included NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research; plus academic partners from Washington State University and crew of Oregon State University's R/V Pacific Storm. The research to study deep-sea corals was funded by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.

A school of canary rockfish (Sebastes pinniger). This is one of several images of rarely seen deep-sea animals captured on camera in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. During an Aug. 2011 expedition, researchers used a NOAA remotely operated vehicle in waters 328 to 656 feet deep (100 to 200 meters) off the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Research partners included NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research; plus academic partners from Washington State University and crew of Oregon State University's R/V Pacific Storm. The research to study deep-sea corals was funded by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.

A white-lobed sponge. This is one of several images of rarely seen deep-sea animals captured on camera in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. During an Aug. 2011 expedition, researchers used a NOAA remotely operated vehicle in waters 328 to 656 feet deep (100 to 200 meters) off the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Research partners included NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research; plus academic partners from Washington State University and crew of Oregon State University's R/V Pacific Storm. The research to study deep-sea corals was funded by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.

A spiny dogfish (Squalis acanthias) patrolling the seafloor. This is one of several images of rarely seen deep-sea animals captured on camera in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary. During an Aug. 2011 expedition, researchers used a NOAA remotely operated vehicle in waters 328 to 656 feet deep (100 to 200 meters) off the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Research partners included NOAA's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, and Center for Coastal Environmental Health & Biomolecular Research; plus academic partners from Washington State University and crew of Oregon State University's R/V Pacific Storm. The research to study deep-sea corals was funded by NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.

The Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services manages the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). NWLON provides basic water-level information to determine U.S. coastal marine boundaries and to create nautical charts. On September 9, 2011, a new water level station on Lake Michigan in Holland, Michigan, was declared officially operational. The new station, a replacement for an older structure, was a joint upgrade effort by NOAA and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Detroit District office. The new station is expected to provide modernized and highly-reliable water level data to the Great Lakes community for the next 50+ years.

Nitrogen is a nutrient that plants need to grow. While helpful in small amounts, too much nitrogen can cause explosive growths of algae that depletes the water of oxygen when the algae die and are eaten by bacteria. This condition is called nutrient pollution. Across the nation, shallow water habitats are increasingly under threat from too many nutrients introduced into our waterways through activities ranging from sewage runoff to over-fertilization of lawns. Recently, scientists sponsored by NOAA's Ecological Effects of Sea Level Rise Program, part of the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science, found that habitats in North Carolina such as submerged aquatic plants and oyster reefs provide about $3,000 per acre per year in nitrogen removal services, while wetlands provide about $2,500 per acre year. Putting a dollar value to the helpful role these types of ecosystems provide in removing excess nutrients from our waterways will help decision makers better protect our shallow water habitats.

An osprey enjoying a nice breakfast in the Potomac River. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Kevin Watkins.

Driftwood on the beach, Atlantic Ocean. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Jacqueline Bedell.

Viewing the Pacific Ocean from Lāwa`i Kai, on the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Dawn Forsythe.

Giant Clams in Palau, Federated States of Micronesia World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Doug Helton.

Did you know that, even though they live in the ocean all of the time, dolphins are mammals, not fish?

Sharks have gotten a bad reputation as "man eaters," but the reality is that less than 100 people are attacked by sharks each year and only a handful of species of sharks are responsible for such attacks. Most of the species out there have never been noted to attack a human.

Three willetts along the beach in Monterey, California. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Paul Jimerson.

Mirror reflection in Whittier, Alaska. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Henry Hauch.

An image of a crab backlit by the setting sun in West Bengal, India. World Ocean Day Photo Contest Submission by Arnab De.

Spectators look on as homemade cardboard boats race across the Thunder Bay River in Michigan during the 1st annual Cardboard Boat Regatta on July 4, 2011. The Regatta is part of Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary Maritime Festival, a celebration of the area's rich maritime heritage and America's birthday!

This yellow sea fan is an octocoral colony in the family Paramuriceidae at 400 meters (1,312 feet) depth in Roatan, Honduras. The white forms in the branches are ophiuroid brittle stars (or "snake stars") in the genus Asteroschema. In 2010 and 2011, NOAA researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear. Image credit: NOAA DeepCAST I Expedition.

The brisingid sea-star Novodinia antillensis perched on a rock next to a primnoid sea fan colony at 610 meters (2,001 feet) depth in Roatan, Honduras. In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear. Image credit: NOAA DeepCAST II Expedition.

An aggregation of the reef building scleractinian coral Lophelia pertusa at 580 meters (1,903 feet) depth in Roatan, Honduras. In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear. Image credit: NOAA DeepCAST I Expedition.

Four crinoids (feather stars) with a squat lobster on top of a sea fan colony with Lophelia pertusa growing at the base. The image is from 400 meters (1,312 feet) depth in Roatan, Honduras. In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear. Image credit: NOAA DeepCAST II Expedition.

A single colony of the black coral Bathypathes sp. forms habitat for two squat lobsters and a fish at 400 meters (1,312 feet) depth in Roatan, Honduras. In 2010 and 2011, a NOAA-led team of researchers explored the deep Meso-American Reef off Roatan, Honduras, as part of a multi-year expedition called 'Deep Coral and Associated Species Taxonomy and Ecology', or DeepCAST. The goal of DeepCAST is to estimate deep-sea coral abundance and diversity; and to discern the nature of the relationship between host corals and their associated species. The primary reasons we study deep-sea corals are because they provide habitat to other species of fish, sea stars, shrimp and crabs; and they grow very slowly, so they are vulnerable to bottom contact fishing gear. Image credit: NOAA DeepCAST I Expedition.

With distinctive reddish and white stripes, gracefully flowing fins, and menacing spines, few fish embody the beauty, mystery, and danger of the ocean quite like the lionfish. Although native to the Indo-Pacific region, lionfish were introduced to the Atlantic and are now found along the U.S. coast from North Carolina to Florida and in the Bahamas and Caribbean. The lionfish's lack of predators, voracious appetite, rapid reproduction, and fast growth spell trouble for the balance of invaded ecosystems and fisheries, as lionfish can out-compete native species for food and space.

Over 50 percent of the nation's population lives in only 17 percent of the U.S. land area (excluding Alaska), which generates a wide range of pressures on sensitive coastal ecosystems. As our nation's coastal county population continues to grow, it is imperative to understand, manage, and protect the bounty and beauty that have drawn so many Americans to our coasts.

If you filled out the 2010 Census form from the U.S. Census Bureau, then you had a part in defining the centroid -- the point where the center of the U.S. population falls. Every 10 years, after the Census Bureau crunches the numbers and figures out where the centroid is, NOAA's National Geodetic Survey places a geodetic survey disk (also called a survey marker, monument, or bench mark) in the incorporated community closest to its exact geographic location. For the 2010 Census, the centroid is located in Plato, Missouri.

NOAA's Office of Coast Survey worked with state and federal partners following the March 11, 2011 tsunami. Using a small boat equipped with powerful echo-sounding SONAR equipment, this navigation response team in Crescent City, Calif, searched the seafloor for sunken vessels, debris, and other hazards dangerous to commercial shippers and recreational boaters.

The March 11, 2011 tsunami off the coast of Japan left the port at Crescent City, Calif., in a shambles, with marine debris and wreckage above and below the waterline. To prepare the port for re-opening, a navigation response team from NOAA's Office of Coast Survey used their echo sounders to find underwater debris.

NOAA's Office of Coast Survey responded to requests from the Coast Guard and the Army Corp of Engineers following the March 11, 2011 tsunami. A navigation response team surveyed the federal channel at the port in Santa Cruz, Calif., which experienced extensive damage and destruction to boats, looking for submerged debris. The bathymetric data will also be used to update NOAA's nautical charts of the area.

Seventy-five percent of the world's coral reefs are currently threatened by local and global pressures, according to a 2011 analysis. The most immediate and direct threats arise from local sources, which currently threaten more than 60% of coral reefs. Local threats include impacts from fishing, coastal development, and pollution. Left unchecked, the percent of threatened reefs will increase to more than 90 percent by 2030 and to nearly all reefs by 2050.

DNA testing confirmed that the eggs pictured here were those of a loggerhead turtle, a marine reptile species listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. NOAA's Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research in Charleston, S.C., runs the only laboratory in the country dedicated to the forensic analysis of marine species.

A manatee, also known as a 'seacow.' These air-breathing herbivores are listed as a federally endangered species. Manatees are slow-moving and therefore unable to swim quickly away from boats; this often results in collisions that may cause injury or death to the creatures. In areas that are known manatee habitats, "no-wake" signs are posted requiring boaters to slow down and produce only minimal wake.

Each year, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary hosts the 'Sanctuary Ocean Count.' This a fun volunteer activity for residents and visitors on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, and Kauai—and it helps to provide important population and distribution information on humpback whales around the Hawaiian Islands.

Each year, the Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary hosts the 'Sanctuary Ocean Count.' This a fun volunteer activity for residents and visitors on the islands of Oahu, Hawaii, and Kauai—and it helps to provide important population and distribution information on humpback whales around the Hawaiian Islands.

A view of the new "Gateway to NOAA," a permanent exhibit now open in Silver Spring, Maryland. The exhibit--only steps away from the Silver Spring Metro stop--features breathtaking imagery, multimedia presentations, and amazing artifacts that illustrate how NOAA has, since its earliest history, sought to increase people's understanding of the land, the sea, and the sky.

A map of a seamount in the Arctic Ocean created by NOAA's Office of Coast Survey by gathering data with a multibeam echo sounder.

With NOAA's predicted, real-time, and forecasted currents, people can safely dock and undock ships, maneuver them in confined waterways, and safely navigate through coastal waters. This helps to avoid ship collisions or delay the arrival of goods. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

The balloonfish, also known as a porcupine or spiny puffer fish, swells up like a balloon when attacked.

A blue rockfish in Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, Calif.

A sunset viewed from Kure Atoll, located near Midway Atoll in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. An atoll is an island of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

Pacific white-sided dolphins in California. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

A Hawksbill sea turtle captured on camera during an 'Aquarius 2010' dive. During the 10-day mission, students from around the country participated in live broadcasts with Aquanauts based on NOAA's Aquarius, the world's only undersea research station.

Students from Adelante Elementary School in Santa Barbara, Calif., conducted a point-to-point live broadcast with Aquanauts, scientists, and educators from 60-feet underwater and topside in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary during the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries' 'Aquarius 2010: If Reefs Could Talk' mission in October, 2010. Check out the mission log online.

Aquarius Reef Base, the world's only undersea research station, is located within Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Aquarius is home to scientists for missions up to 10 days long and is made to withstand the pressure of ocean depths to 120 feet deep.

The Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System, or 'PORTS,' operates in 20 ports around the country, including along the lower Mississippi. PORTS provides up-to-the-minute information on tides, currents, salinity, water and air temperature, atmospheric pressure, and wind (speed, gusts, and direction). This information helps mariners time the movement of their vessels -- from the smallest recreational craft to the most massive oil tankers -- through more than 50 U.S. seaports and waterways. Port authorities, local officials, and marine pilot associations also use PORTS to determine if a waterway is open and safe for navigation.

Several NOAA volunteers plant Switch Grass previously grown in 26 NOAA offices on a newly created Living Shoreline during the 2010 NOAA Restoration Day event at the NOAA Cooperative Oxford Lab in Oxford, Maryland.

Close-up image of brain coral in the Dry Tortugas, Florida.

The NOAA Ship Rainier is designed and outfitted primarily for conducting hydrographic surveys in support of nautical charting. The ship operates off the U.S. Pacific Coast, and in Alaskan coastal waters. The Rainier is named for Mount Rainier.

This school of permits contained 60-80 individuals, each over a foot long. The school was observed in the Dry Tortugas, Florida.

While you might not guess it from this photo, located off the coast of southern California, the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary is adjacent to the growing counties of Ventura and Santa Barbara, and not far from the heavily populated Los Angeles metropolitan area. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

There are nearly 3,500,000 square nautical miles of our nation's waters to monitor, understand, and chart. The Office of Coast Survey evaluates the 500,000 square natuical miles that are navigationally significant. Then, each spring, hydrographic field parties set out in vessels to survey sections of the 43,000 square nautical miles deemed to be critical by the Coast Survey's evaluation. Sometimes teams break loose from normal surveying to respond to disasters such as hurricanes.

A lobster pokes out of its hiding spot under a coral head in the Dry Tortugas, Florida.

A unique driftwood structure along the coast at Point Belcher, Alaska. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

A Caribbean spiny lobster on the sea floor. This photo was shot during a 2010 NOAA expedition in the U.S. Virgin Islands to map underwater habitats and the marine life they support.

A sea anemone nestled in plate coral and various types of algae. This photo was shot during a 2010 NOAA expedition in the U.S. Virgin Islands to map underwater habitats and the marine life they support.

Rapture Reef sits within the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument, which was created in 2006. One hundred times larger than Yellowstone National Park, the monument encompasses more than 140,000 square miles of ocean and coral reef habitat. It is the single largest fully protected marine conservation area in the world. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

Employees of the National Geodetic Survey conducted leveling to check the stability of the Washington Monument for the National Park Service in the winter of 2008-2009.

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial is located on Lake Erie in Ohio and was built to commemorate Commodore Oliver Perry's victory over the British in the 1823 Battle of Lake Erie.

Split Rock Lighthouse, located southwest of Silver Bay, Minn., on Lake Superior.

NOAA Ship Bay Hydro docked next to a NOAA tide station in Baltimore, Md.

A sea lion is captured in mid-backflip off the California coast. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, one of the most technologically advanced hydrographic survey vessels in the world, departed its Norfolk, Virginia, homeport on April 6, 2010, to conduct a five-month long effort to map the seafloor and look for hazards to navigation off the Gulf coast.

Coralline algae at Rose Atoll, located off the coast of American Samoa. An atoll is an island of coral that encircles a lagoon partially or completely.

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey established a high-accuracy vertical control network at the Chesapeake Bay Environmental Center to support coastal restoration, research, testing of new geodetic technologies, and monitoring of the effects of local relative sea-level rise. The network includes over a dozen geodetic bench marks distributed throughout the 510-acre wetland reserve near Graysonville, Maryland, with four deep-rod Surface Elevation Table (SET) marks located in the rapidly deteriorating marsh. Here, NOS employees install stainless steel rods into the ground as part of the process to install a SET. The SETs provide data to model the fate of the marsh in the face of rising water levels and ultimately provide insight into its restoration.

Scientists from the Office of Coast Survey and the University of New Hampshire spent three weeks aboard the U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker Healy in the Arctic using a sophisticated echo sounder to create a three-dimensional map of the sea floor in an area north of Alaska known as the Chukchi Cap. Here, the Healy crew lowers echo sounding equipment into the water. The data collected during the expedition will help scientists better understand the underwater landscape in the region and improve climate and ocean current circulation models.

A group of elephant seals sleep in the sun around a sand dune on Active Point, San Miguel Island, of the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, off the coast of California. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

Tools such as Side Scan Sonars are helping NOS understand our marine environment.

Fagatele Bay National Marine Sanctuary comprises a fringing coral reef ecosystem nestled within an eroded volcanic crater on the island of Tutuila, American Samoa. This smallest and most remote of all the National Marine Sanctuaries.

Multibeam sonar systems emit sound waves from directly beneath a ship's hull to produce fan-shaped coverage of the sea floor. These systems measure and record the time elapsed between the emission of the signal from the transducers to the sea floor or object and back again. Multibeam sonars produce a 'swath' of soundings (i.e., depths) to ensure full coverage of an area.

Staff from the National Geodetic Survey undertakes a GRAV-D flight to collect aerial gravity data over the Gulf Coast in the spring of 2009.

Anacapa Island is located within the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary, off the coast of California.

A NOAA archaeologist uses a towboard to search for shipwrecks in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

The Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) is a nationally standardized database of land cover and land change information, developed using remotely sensed imagery, for the coastal regions of the United States. This image shows Mt. Pleasant (a suburb of Charleston), South Carolina.

Seven current meter platforms arrive by truck for the Miami Current Survey Project. The project originated in 2007 after requests for up-to-date current information were received from multiple navigational community and marine resource users. The current survey project supports navigation and the operation of deep draft vessels in the area and additionally benefits various state and federal agencies.

Divers free a seal from fishing nets. The impacts of marine debris such as floating nets are wide ranging. From being an eyesore on a beach to injuring marine life or stopping a 400-ton vessel at sea, marine debris is a problem that we cannot ignore.

A humpback whale breaching in the Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary, off the coast of California. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

NOAA's air gap technology received the ultimate test on the morning of June 27, 2009. The technology passed with flying colors as the new U.S. Navy LPD ship, the USS New York, sailed down the Mississippi River, clearing the underside of the Huey P. Long Bridge just north of downtown New Orleans by 64 centimeters (2.1 feet). The San Antonio-class $1 billion naval vessel, built in part from steel salvaged from the World Trade Center towers, sailed downriver, heading out for a month of sea trials.

Horse-eye jacks (Caranx latus) swim by an NOS diver during a safety stop.

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey and Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services are collaborating with the National Estuarine Research Reserve System to establish and monitor coastal land elevations in relation to local sea level throughout the reserve system. This marker from the Chesapeake Bay Reserve in Virginia is part of the required spatial framework needed to establish the reserves as 'sentinel' sites for measuring and monitoring the impacts of climate change on estuarine systems. The inscription reads: 'National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; National Estuarine Research Reserve System; National Geodetic Survey.'

Removal of two dams built on the Elwha River, Washington, in the early 20th century will allow spawning salmon to access to pristine reaches of the river that lie within the Olympic National Park.

NOS marine mammal forensic scientist Kathy Moore uses calipers to measure sea turtle eggs.

NOAA nautical charts, such as this chart of Tampa Bay, Florida, are important tools to help mariners navigate safely at sea. A nautical chart is a graphical portrayal of the marine environment, showing the nature and form of the coast, the depths of the water, character and configuration of the sea bottom, locations of hazards and dangers, the rise and fall of the tides, ocean currents, magnetic variation, regulatory boundaries, and the locations of aids to navigation (e.g., lights, buoys, beacons and other important landmarks).

Kelp and sardines, Anacapa Island, Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Image credit: Robert Schwemmer, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

Seventy acres of salt marsh were created in Lavaca Bay, Texas, as a result of a cooperative natural resource damages settlement with NOAA, co-trustees, and Alcoa, using the latest science from the NOAA Galveston Laboratory. As part of Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, this new marsh adds to the foraging area of endangered whooping cranes.

NOAA Ships Fairweather and Rainier in Alaska. Both ships are designed and outfitted primarily for conducting hydrographic surveys in support of nautical charting, but are capable of many other missions in support of NOAA programs.

A sharknose goby (Elacatinus evelynae) propped up on brain coral in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

With the assistance of the United States Embassy, NOAA's National Geodetic Survey provided technical assistance to the Ministry of Water Resources, General Directorate for Surveying and Mapping in Iraq, for the first Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) to be installed by the Iraqi government. CORS is a permanently operating Global Positioning System (GPS) base station, which enables the determination of highly accurate GPS positions. The new Iraqi-installed CORS, part of the Iraqi Geospatial Reference System, will improve the quality, accuracy, and cost of airfield and boundary surveys and other precise positioning activities in Iraq. This CORS looks east over the city of Baghdad and is maintained and operated by the Iraq Ministry of Water Resources.

Marine protected areas, such as Elkhorn Slough in California, are an important tool for managing the nation's natural and cultural marine resources, and are a key component of an ecosystem approach to management.

These images represent three distinct visual sensing techniques. The top picture represents a true-color image, the middle an infrared image, and the bottom an elevation image. The images were taken in March 2008 over Hatteras Island, North Carolina.

A NOAA archaeologist photographs a wreck site in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary using specially a constructed sled mounted with a high-resolution camera.

Eyes of a queen conch (Strombus gigas) peaking out from under its shell in La Parguera, Puerto Rico.

Staff from NOAA's Office of Response & Restoration conduct a shoreline shoreline assessment in Dec. 2004, following the M/V Selendang Ayu oil spill.

Nonpoint source pollution, or polluted runoff, is the greatest threat to coastal waters in the United State. Through the Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program, the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management works with states to take action to reduce and prevent polluted runoff, making our coastal waters cleaner for everyone to enjoy.

Staghorn coral, which is currently listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, observed in Carlos Rosaria Reef near Culebra, Puerto Rico.

NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson in New York Harbor. The Thomas Jefferson is one of a fleet of research and survey vessels used by NOAA to improve our understanding of the marine environment. The ship is home ported in Norfolk, Virginia, and primarily operates along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The primary mission of the Thomas Jefferson is to conduct hydrographic surveys for updating NOAA's nautical charts.

The National Coastal Zone Management Program works with coastal states to conserve habitat in the nation's coastal zone, including estuaries, beaches, dunes, and wetlands such as the one pictured here.

NOAA Ship Fairweather in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. The Fairweather is designed and outfitted primarily for conducting hydrographic surveys in support of nautical charting, but the ship is capable of many other missions in support of NOAA programs. The Fairweather is equipped with the latest in hydrographic survey technology — multi-beam survey systems; high-speed, high-resolution side-scan sonar; position and orientation systems; hydrographic survey launches; and an on-board data-processing server. The Fairweather is named for Mt. Fairweather in southeast Alaska, which is the highest peak in the Fairweather Range -- the tallest coastal range on Earth.

NOAA's National Geodetic Survey employees level to a pier as part of a larger island-wide project to provide St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands with a vertical datum.

Separated from the rest of the island by high cliffs, the beach at Kanapou Bay, Hawaii, collects debris from throughout the Pacific. Kanapou Bay is located on the small island of Kaho'olawe offshore of Maui.

Using Geographic Information System tools, scientists and researchers can zoom into to an image like this to reveal fine details about the location, health, and variety of submerged aquatic vegetation in a given area. This image of Redfish Bay, Texas near Corpus Christi--part of the new Texas Coastal Bend map--shows seagrass (green), oyster reefs (pink), sand bottom (yellow), mangroves (magenta), and salt marsh (light blue).

Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services National Current Observation Program conducted several major surveys of tidal currents in response to user requests. Data has been collected in southeast Alaska since 2001 to help update tidal current predictions critical to safe navigation and other applications that are published annually in the U.S. Tidal Current Tables. Here, scientists deploy current meter buoys and anchors used for the surveys.

A breathtaking view of Anacapa Island, part of the Channel Island chain off the coast of California.

Divers from the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries and Eastern Carolina University photograph the German U-boat U-352. U-352 was surveyed off the coast of Morehead City, N.C., during the Battle of the Atlantic Expedition Summer 2008. The wreck site was surveyed using traditional archaeological mapping techniques coupled with video and photographic documentation. The site was discovered in the 1970s and has suffered the effects of storms, time, and looters. NOAA's objective during the survey was to map the site in detail and to assess its historical significance and archaeological integrity. NOAA divers used various technologies to document the sites, including employing underwater cameras and sonar to create a photo-mosaic of the wreck.

For decades, hazardous substances released through storm drains from area industries contaminated Commencement Bay and its waterways and sediments. In October 1991, NOAA and its co-trustees began a damage assessment and restoration planning process to restore injured resources such as wetlands and salmon habitat in this Washington State area.

A U.S. Coast Guard boat approaches the gash in the side of the Cosco Busan, which released 53,000 gallons of bunker oil into San Francisco Bay. Credit: U.S. Coast Guard.

Monthly grass shrimp population monitoring being conducted at a former Environmental Protection Agency Superfund site at Shipyard Creek, Charleston, South Carolina. Grass shrimp are used as a sentinel of salt-marsh ecosystem health.

A crane loads derelict fishing gear in the form of rope and line collected by local fishermen into a designated bin to be taken to a processing plant and turned into energy for homes in New England as part of the Fishing for Energy Project.

A biologist from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary uses a glue gun to reattach a piece of living coral broken loose when a boat went aground on the shallow coral reef.

An employee from the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services installs an air gap sensor which measures bridge clearance on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, New York. The sensors take readings every six minutes to account for changes in water level, volume of traffic crossing the bridges, and air temperature, all of which cause bridge clearance to fluctuate. As ships become taller, some are passing under bridges with just inches to spare. This new capability is available through NOAA's Physical Oceanographic Real-time System, which provides quality-controlled oceanographic and weather data at U.S. seaports to aid navigation.

A Manta Ray passes over a reef, inviting a host of small fish to clean parasites and other debris off of the giant animal. Manta Rays are the largest rays in the ocean.

Scientists from the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research begin necropsy of two pygmy killer whales. Samples were collected from these two rarely seen animals for biotoxin analysis, contaminant analysis, and histopathology to determine the causes of death.

On June 2, 2008, hundreds of NOAA employees and partners participated in the 5th annual NOAA Restoration Day in two separate events -- one in Maryland and the other in Virginia. This event has grown every year as NOAA employees in Maryland and Virginia work to restore habitat at two important sites in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

The Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services manages the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). NWLON provides basic water-level information to determine U.S. coastal marine boundaries and to create nautical charts. It also supports climate monitoring activities, tsunami and storm surge warning systems, coastal processes, and tectonic research. This NWLON station supports the Sabine-Neches, Texas, Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System.

A biologist from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary photographs the damage done to a coral reef from a boat that grounded on the reef. An elkhorn coral branch broken in the incident appears in the foreground.

The RV Sam Gray, a vessel operated by Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary, assisting in the Battle of the Atlantic Expedition Summer 2008. NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, in collaboration with the National Park Service, Minerals Management Service, East Carolina University, the University of North Carolina Coastal Studies Institute, and the State of North Carolina, conducted this archaeological expedition to survey ships sunk off the coast of North Carolina during World War II.

A sea lion poses for the camera in the waters off of California. Image credit: Claire Fackler, NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

A scientist from the Minerals Management Service surveys the German U-boat U-701 during the Battle of the Atlantic Expedition Summer 2008 off the coast of North Carolina. The 2008 summer expedition was the first part of a larger multi-year project to research and document a number of historically significant shipwrecks tragically lost during WWII. The project is dedicated to raising awareness of the war that was fought so close to the American coastline and to preserving our nation's maritime history.

A scientist from the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR) conducts a bottlenose dolphin necropsy demonstration for Coastal Carolina University (Conway, South Carolina) students. CCEHBR has provided necropsy demonstrations to the Coastal Carolina University Marine Mammal class since 1996 to provide students information on anatomy and the causes of natural and human-induced mortality.

A Global Positioning System setup on a benchmark on the top of the NOAA Sentinel at Shell Beach, Louisiana. NOAA Sentinels are water-level observing stations which have been strengthened to deliver real-time storm tide data during severe coastal events. Built to withstand category four hurricanes, these structures maintain an incredible presence, given their size and stature, along the Gulf coast.

A scientist from the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary participates in a site visit to the 1887 shipwreck Slobodna in the Upper Region of the Sanctuary.

At the request of Congress, the Office of Response and Restoration investigated environmental contaminants in and around the National Reserve Fleet (NRF) in Suisun Bay, California. The request was an attempt to circumvent a political stalemate between the United States Maritime Administration and the State of California concerning the ultimate disposition of ships in the NRF. Potential environmental concerns include heavy metals and antifouling agents in paint that is peeling off of the vessels, as well as polychlorinated biphenyl (PCBs) and other hazardous materials that may have been released. In fiscal year 2008, NOAA evaluated existing data from the area to determine gaps and developed a data collection strategy.

An employee from the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services installs an air gap sensor which measures bridge clearance on the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge, New York. The sensor is part of the New York/New Jersey Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System. Information from the sensor is critical for under-bridge clearance, as ships continue to maximize channel depths and widths while, at the same time, push the bounds of bridge heights.

The Hi'ialakai is one of seven former Navy T-AGOS class ships transferred to NOAA. T-AGOS ships are monohull ocean surveillance ships originally designed to gather underwater acoustical data. Hi'ialakai was converted to conduct coral reef and related research in the Hawaiian Islands, primarily in support of NOAA's National Ocean Service.

A hurricane-hardened 'NOAA Sentinel' water level observing station.

Scientists at the Center for Coastal Environmental Health and Biomolecular Research in Charleston, South Carolina, draw up a water sample for chemical analysis. The sample is being drawn from a simulated salt-marsh ecosystem that has been exposed to an herbicide to study its fate and effects in a coastal environment.

A sea turtle swimming off of the Hawaiian islands.

Sponges and corals in Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico.