Weekly News

New Director to Make a Mark at the National Geodetic Survey

Juliana P. Blackwell has been named the new director of NOAA’s Office of National Geodetic Survey (NGS). As the first woman to head the nation’s oldest federal science agency, Blackwell will have a big job: overseeing management of the nation’s spatial reference system. More...

clean up crew on Delaware River following Athos I spill

Restoration Plan for Delaware River Announced

NOAA, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the states of Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware are seeking public comment on a restoration plan to repair and improve shoreline and habitats of the Delaware River damaged by a ship oil spill in 2004. More...

Santa Visits NGS Training Site for Orientation

The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) recently hosted a special guest at their Corbin Training Center in Richmond, Virginia. NGS, part of the Ocean Service, manages the National Spatial Reference System. More...

Creating Tomorrow’s Coastal Leaders Today

Projects proposed by six state coastal zone management agencies have been selected for the 2009 Coastal Management Fellowship program. This two-year opportunity offers a competitive salary, medical benefits, and travel and relocation expense reimbursement. Student applications for the fellowship are due January 26, 2009. More...

Lost Lobster Traps Have Big Impact in Florida Keys

In a recent study, NOS scientists found that parts and pieces of lobster traps are the most common form of marine debris in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The tens of thousands of traps lost each year continue to trap, injure, or kill sea life; damage sensitive habitats; and are a hazard to navigation. More...

NOS Team Wins Top Award with Method to Map Underwater Unexploded Ordnance

A team of NOS researchers recently won the Department of Commerce Gold Medal for developing techniques to locate and map underwater unexploded ordnance in shallow water using high-tech sensors. More...

Protecting Our Living Coasts

The Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), a partnership between the National Ocean Service and the University of New Hampshire, recently brought land-use planning researchers and outreach specialists together as part of the Living Coasts Program. More...

Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins Found in Dolphin Diets

A new study by NOS researchers finds that harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins are transferred to dolphins through the fish they eat. The findings point out the need for coastal managers to consider long-term, repeated dietary exposure to harmful algal toxins in their assessments of marine mammal health risks. More...

Corals are Already a Gift. Don't Give Them as Presents

Corals have long been popular as souvenirs, for home decor, and in jewelry, but many consumers are unaware that these beautiful structures are made by living creatures. Fewer still realize that corals are dying off at alarming rates around the world. More...

New Study Leads to Better Understanding of Ocean Acidification

A new study finds significant ocean acidification in the Caribbean, and may lead to a better understanding of how coral reefs will adapt to this harmful process. A quarter of the carbon dioxide that humans place in the atmosphere each year ends up being dissolved into the ocean. More...

New Plan to Protect Marine Natural, Cultural Resources

A blueprint for establishing a national system of marine protected areas (MPAs) was finalized on Nov. 19, establishing a more efficient and effective approach to conservation of the nation's important natural and cultural marine resources. More...

New Plans to Manage, Protect California Sanctuaries

NOAA has released final revised management plans, regulations, and a joint final environmental impact statement for Cordell Bank, Gulf of the Farallones, and Monterey Bay national marine sanctuaries. The result of more than seven years of study, planning and extensive public input. More...

Joining Forces to Halt Marine Pollution in the Caribbean

The NOS International Program Office recently wrapped up meetings with officials from Trinidad and Tobago, the latest in a series of talks aimed at providing technical assistance to Caribbean countries aimed at developing comprehensive plans to reduce land-based sources of pollution to the marine environment. More...

NOS Participates in First Coastal Cities Summit

The head of the National Ocean Service addressed city leaders, scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs this week at the first-ever Coastal Cities Summit in St. Pete Beach, Fla. At the three-day summit, he discussed NOAA coastal management initiatives in the context of sobering challenges. More...

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