The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded $1,949,217 to the Southern Universities Research Association to finance the SURA Coastal Ocean Observing and Prediction Program. NOAA is an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce.

SCOOP will work toward integrating local systems into one national system for observing and predicting various events that occur in America’s coastal waters. The goal of SCOOP is to build a prototype national laboratory for coastal ocean research and operations. SCOOP will build the computer-based framework that will allow interactions of data and models, and accept input from research. SCOOP will initially focus on the assessment and prediction of extreme events in the coastal zone of the eastern United States.

“An integrated program like SCOOP will save many lives and help people safeguard their property during times of dangerous weather,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “NOAA and the Bush Administration are working to improve the understanding of our environment and strengthen local and regional initiatives like the Southeastern Universities Research Association.”

The grant supports the developing global earth observation system being spearheaded by the U.S. By connecting many thousands of individual technological resources already demonstrating outstanding value in the U.S. and around the globe, the emerging system will, over the next decade, revolutionize our understanding of earth and how it works. Connecting the individual pieces will make 21st century technology as interrelated as the planet it observes, predicts, and protects -- and provide the sound science on which sound decision-making must be built.

Each year, NOAA awards approximately $900 million in grants to members of the academic, scientific and business communities to assist the agency in fulfilling its mission to study the Earth’s natural systems in order to predict environmental change, manage ocean resources, protect life and property, and provide decision makers with reliable scientific information. NOAA’s goals and programs reflect a commitment to these basic responsibilities of science and service to the nation for the past 34 years.

NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and providing environmental stewardship of our nation’s coastal and marine resources. To learn more about NOAA, please visit http://www.noaa.gov.