What is a Podcast?

A podcast is a an audio file published on the web. The files are usually downloaded onto computers or portable listening devices such as iPods or other players.

Read more about podcasting from webcontent.gov

Find other podcasts from the US government

Making Waves: Episode 5 (Nov. 28, 2008)

(INTRO)
HAPPY THANKSGIVING FROM ALL OF US HERE AT THE NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE! MOST OF US AT N-O-S WILL BE OFF SPENDING TIME WITH OUR FAMILIES AND LOVED ONES OVER THE LONG HOLIDAY WEEKEND – AND WE HOPE YOU ARE TOO.

SO WE’RE GOING TO TAKE A BREAK FROM THE NEWS THIS WEEK TO BRING YOU SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

LET’S SPEND A FEW MINUTES TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING SO BIG THAT IT ADDS OVER A TRILLION DOLLARS TO OUR GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT EACH YEAR. IT’S SO VAST THAT IT SURROUNDS OUR NATION AND CRISS-CROSSES THE CONTINTENT. AND IT DIRECTLY AFFECTS EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.

KNOW WHAT IT IS? I’LL GIVE YOU A HINT: IT HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE OCEAN. IT’S THE THANKSGIVING DAY EDITION OF THE MAKING WAVES ... STAY TUNED

(THE MARITIME TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM)
OK, THE SPECIAL TOPIC OF THE DAY IS THE NATION’S MARITIME TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM. WE’RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE SHIPS AND BARGES THAT CARRY GOODS AND PEOPLE AROUND THE NATION. AND WE’RE TALKING ABOUT A HUGE, COMPLEX WEB OF SHIPPING LANES, RIVERS, CANALS, AND DAMS THAT THOSE SHIPS AND BARGES USE EVERY DAY.

BY WEIGHT, OUR MARINE HIGHWAYS CARRY MORE THAN THREE-QUARTERS OF ALL U.S. GOODS AND SUPPLIES. AND IT’S ESTIMATED THAT THIS SYSTEM GENERATES MORE THAN 13 MILLION JOBS.

SO CHANCES ARE THAT SOME OF YOUR THANKSGIVING MEAL, YOUR CLOTHES, AND THE FUEL FOR YOUR CAR GOT TO YOU IN PART THANKS TO THIS VAST WATERY NETWORK.

IF YOU THINK THIS SYSTEM IS BIG TODAY, IT’S EXPECTED TO DOUBLE OR EVEN TRIPLE BY 2020. THAT’S A LOT OF SHIPS AND BARGES MOVING AROUND THE OCEAN.

AND THOSE SHIPS KEEP GETTING BIGGER – THEY’VE DOUBLED IN LENGTH, WIDTH, AND DEPTH OVER THE PAST 50 YEARS.

SHIPS TODAY DRAW UP TO 60 FEET OF WATER – THAT’S LIKE HAVING A FIVE-STORY BUILDING UNDER THE WAVES. SOMETIMES THESE MASSIVE SHIPS ONLY HAVE INCHES BETWEEN THEIR HULLS AND THE CHANNEL BOTTOMS WHEN THEY COME INTO PORT.

AND DON’T FORGET THAT ALL OF THOSE SHIPS AND BARGES ARE SHARING THE WATERWAYS WITH OVER 78 MILLION RECREATIONAL BOATERS.

(NOS AND THE MARITIME TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM)
WHAT IS ROLE IN THIS THE MARITIME TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM? WELL, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE PROVIDE THE TOOLS AND SERVICES TO HELP ALL OF THESE FLOATING VESSELS GET AROUND SAFELY – AND THE NOS HELPS CLEAN-UP WHEN ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.

YOU’VE HEARD OF GPS – THE GLOBAL POSTIONING SYSTEM. WELL, THE NATIONAL GEODETIC SURVEY, PART OF THE OCEAN SERVICE, MANAGES THE NATIONAL SPATIAL REFERENCE SYSTEM. THIS SYSTEM MAKES GPS MORE ACCURATE – WE’RE TALKING BIG IMPROVEMENTS. IT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A SYSTEM THAT PROVIDES POSITIONING WITHIN MANY METERS OF ACCURACY, TO A SYSTEM THAT IS ACCURATELY PINPOINTS YOUR LOCATION WITHIN CENTIMETERS.

THE OCEAN SERVICE ALSO MAINTAINS OUR NATION’S NAUTICAL CHARTS. THAT’S THROUGH THE OFFICE OF COAST SURVEY. CHARTS TODAY ARE PRETTY HIGH-TECH. YOU CAN GET A CHART PRINTED ON PAPER IF YOU WANT IT, BUT MANY MARINERS TODAY USE DIGITAL CHARTS.

A MARINER TODAY CAN USE A NOAA NAUTICAL CHART TO SHOW EXACTLY WHERE A SHIP IS IN RELATION TO ITS SURROUNDINGS, TO SOUND ALARMS IF THE SHIP STRAYS TO CLOSE TO DANGEROUS AREAS AND TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT WARNINGS AND REGULATIONS IN TRANSIT AREAS. AND OF COURSE THOSE CHARTS HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY UPDATED – BECAUSE THE OCEAN AND THE THINGS IN IT NEVER STAND STILL. THAT JOB FALLS TO COAST SURVEY, TOO.

AND SPEAKING OF NEVER STANDING STILL, THE OCEAN SERVICE IS THE PLACE TO GET TIDES AND CURRENTS INFORMATION THANKS TO THE WORK OF THE CENTER FOR OPERATIONAL AND OCEANOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS AND SERVICES. AND ONE OF THE COOLEST TOOLS DEVELOPED BY THIS OFFICE IS CALLED PORTS – THAT STANDS FOR PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHIC REAL-TIME SYSTEM. WHAT THESE SYSTEMS DO IS PROVIDE REAL-TIME INFORMATION ABOUT OCEAN WATER LEVELS, CURRENTS, SALINITY, WIND, AND BRIDGE CLEARANCES TO HELP GET SHIPS SAFELY GET IN AND OUT OF BUSY PORTS.

BUT OF COURSE, EVEN WITH ALL OF THESE TOOLS AND SERVICES, ACCIDENTS STILL HAPPEN. ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF COMMERCIAL ACCIDENTS ARE CAUSED BY HUMAN ERROR. AND WHEN THOSE ACCIDENTS CAUSE SPILLS OF OIL OR OTHER HAZARDOUS MATERIAL, THE NOS OFFICE OF RESPONSE AND RESTORATION STEPS IN TO LEND A HAND TO CLEAN UP AND TO HELP THE ENVIRONMENT AROUND THE SPILL RECOVER.

SO THERE YOU HAVE IT. KNOW YOU KNOW WHAT THE OCEAN SERVICE HAS TO DO WITH YOUR TURKEY DINNER.

(OUTRO)
NEXT WEEK, WE’LL BE BACK TO OUR REGULAR NEWS FORMAT.

REMEMBER TO EMAIL US WITH QUESTIONS ABOUT THE OCEAN SERIVE, THE OCEAN, OUR WEB SITE, OR JUST DROP US A LINE TO TELL US WHAT YOU THINK OF MAKING WAVES – WE’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU. OUR WEBSITE, BY THE WAY IS AT OCEANSERVICE.NOAA.GOV. AND YOU CAN EMAIL US A NOS.WEB@OCEANSERVICE.GOV

NOW LET’S BRING IN THE OCEAN (ADD SHIP SOUND) ... THIS IS MAKING WAVES FROM NOAA'S NATIONAL OCEAN SERVICE. SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

-END-

Links from current episode:

(top)