Research

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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, giving families more time to seek safety? What are the causes and consequences of climate change?   How can present and future threats to coastal areas be alleviated? How will climate change in general affect specific ecosystems?  What impacts will humans have on biodiversity and how we use our oceans and coasts?

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. Research at NOAA is conducted in federal laboratories and through partnerships with universities and science institutes. NOAA’s research provides solid science and policy-relevant findings to leaders in government and industry worldwide on topics such as climate, ozone-deleting gases, air quality, and ecosystem protection.

Researchers of many disciplines – from oceanography, chemistry, biology, meteorology and mathematics, to physics, computer sciences, and engineering – collaborate to conduct research at remote outposts in the Arctic and Antarctica, aboard research and fishing vessels and in-flight on airplanes, at the depths of the oceans, inside state-of-the-art laboratories and at computers in office settings.

Research at NOAA literally covers topics from A to Z

To read stories about the people and places of NOAA’s research enterprise, follow the Spotlight.