Since NOAA's beginning,
much of its oceanographic, atmospheric, hydrographic, fisheries and
coastal data have been collected on NOAA ships and aircraft. These
flexible, multipurpose platforms support a wide range of activities
related to weather forecasting and prediction, public safety, navigation
and trade, natural resource management and environmental protection.
The NOAA fleet is managed, operated and maintained by NOAA Marine
and Aviation Operations, or NMAO, an office made up of officers of
the NOAA Corps, a uniformed service of the United States, and civilians.
The NOAA Research Fleet
Ships: NMAO is responsible for the largest fleet of research and
survey vessels operated by a Federal agency. The fleet ranges from
oceanographic research ships capable of exploring the world's deepest
oceans and collecting atmospheric data, to smaller ships responsible
for charting the nation's coastal waters. The fleet supports a wide
range of marine activities, including fisheries and coastal research,
nautical charting, and long-range ocean and climate studies. NOAA's
ships are specially equipped and designed to support the agency's
programs, and have capabilities not found in the commercial fleet.
For example, NOAA fisheries vessels can conduct joint operations of
fishery stock assessments and oceanography, giving scientists a complete
picture of a fish species, its habitat and its surrounding environment.
Aircraft: NMAO also manages NOAA's fleet of aircraft. These aircraft
operate throughout the world, providing a wide range of research and
survey capabilities—from hurricane prediction research, to snowpack
surveys for flood prediction and water resource management, to coastline
mapping for erosion studies, to marine mammal surveys. Like the ships,
NOAA aircraft are specially modified to carry instrument packages
appropriate for NOAA's missions and are unique in their ability to
support the agency's atmospheric and hurricane surveillance and research
programs.
NOAA ships and aircraft are cost-effective and have demonstrated a
sterling safety record and successful mission accomplishment while
operating in frequently hazardous environments. Through NMAO's commitment
to diligent maintenance, NOAA ships currently operate well beyond
the normal service life of comparable research and survey ships; similarly,
the life expectancy of its two P-3 "hurricane hunter" aircraft
will extend far beyond their normal range. Such commitment has resulted
in substantial cost savings to taxpayers.
Disaster Response
Because of their special capabilities, NOAA ships and aircraft may
be called upon to provide immediate response to unpredictable events.
NOAA survey ships located the wreckage of EgyptAir Flight 990, TWA
Flight 800 and John F. Kennedy Jr.'s aircraft. NOAA ships, aircraft
and personnel also conducted damage assessments after major spills
from the Exxon Valdez, Persian Gulf War and New Carissa,
and after major hurricanes—most recently Hurricane Isabel in
2003.
Outsourcing
When it is cost- or time-effective to do so, NOAA fulfills ship support
needs by complementing its ships with vessels from the private sector
and university fleet. These charters help meet both short- and long-term
needs for oceanographic and fisheries research projects that don't
require the special capabilities of the NOAA fleet. Where practical,
NOAA also contracts for collection of hydrographic data.
NOAA Commissioned Officer Corps
The NOAA Corps is the smallest of the seven uniformed services of
the United States. It is composed of commissioned officers—who
are also scientists and engineers—who provide NOAA with an important
blend of operational, management and technical skills that support
the agency's science and surveying programs at sea, in the air and
ashore. Corps officers operate and manage NOAA's ships and aircraft
as well as serve in the agency's research laboratories and program
offices throughout the nation and in remote locations around the world.
For example, an officer might serve as a fisheries biologist, a space
weather forecaster, a "hurricane hunter" aircraft pilot,
a ship captain, or a station chief at the South Pole. NOAA Corps officers
serve across all the divisions of NOAA, bringing their diverse experiences
into each new assignment.
For more information contact Jeanne
Kouhestani, NMAO public affairs, at (301) 713-3431, ext. 220,
or visit our Web site.