The National Oceanographic Data Center is responsible for archiving and distributing historical ocean data sets that can be used as background information along with real-time data sets provided by other NOAA line offices. Several NODC data sets such as sea level, ocean currents, ocean profile parameters, and the World Ocean Atlas can be very important to all types of mariners such as those in commerce or in the military.

Other NODC activities supporting marine operations include the maintenance and archival of historical buoy data sets, the NODC Satellite Oceanography Group, and the Global Argo Data Repository. For a complete listing of all NODC data sets, products, and projects please see the NODC "Access Data Page".

NOAA has many data sets and information systems that are crucial to marine operations and commerce. In fact, over 98% of the nation's cargo is carried by waterborne transportation, and must rely on NOAA services for navigation, charting, real-time weather and coastal forecasts, as well as satellite aided search and rescue. Useful NOAA links on marine operations can be found below.

» Links to Marine Operations Information in NOAA

• The Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) - supports safe and cost-efficient navigation by providing ship masters and pilots with accurate real-time information required to avoid groundings and collisions.
• NOAA/Office of Coast Survey produces nautical charts, Coast Pilots and related navigational publications.
• NOAA/National Ocean Service - Data Explorer
• NOAA/National Ocean Service - Tides Online
• NOAA/NOS/Office of Coast Survey - Automated Wreck and Obstruction Information System
• NOAA/SARSAT - Search and Rescue - emergency beacon registration
• National Geodetic Survey (NGS) - Remote Sensing Division
• NOAA/NESDIS/National Geophysical Data Center - bathymetry data
• Hydrographic surveys are conducted to determine the configuration of the bottoms of water bodies, especially as it pertains to navigation. This includes the detection, location and identification of wrecks and obstructions primarily through the use of side scan sonar and multibeam sonar technology. Using this technology, NOAA played a crucial role in finding the wreckage of:
  TWA 800, John F. Kennedy, Jr.'s plane and EgyptAir 990
• National Weather Service - realtime weather data, forecasts, and warnings.
• National Data Buoy Center - meteorlogocal and oceanographic data from coastal buoys.
• National Snow and Ice Data Center (NSIDC) - The National Geophysical Data Center has a cooperative agreement with the University of Colorado to handle data services for NSIDC.

» NODC Resources

- Beach Temperatures
- Coastal Buoy Data
- Data types and products
- Archive of Original Data
- World Ocean Database
- CD-ROMs / DVDs
- Publications