National Ocean Service National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration U.S. Department of Commerce

NOAA's National Ocean Service

Ocean Fact: Christmas tree worms? Don't worry, you won't find them in your fir tree.

Christmas tree worms? Don't worry, you won't find them in your fir tree.

OCEAN FACT

Corals are already a gift. Don't give them as presents.

OCEAN FACT

This photograph shows the first powered, controlled, sustained flight. Orville Wright at the controls of the machine, lying prone on the lower wing with hips in the cradle which operated the wing-warping mechanism. Wilbur Wright running alongside to balance the machine, has just released his hold on the forward upright of the right wing. Today, we fly using technological advances that the Wright Brothers only could have imagined. Millions of people board airplanes, confident that pilots will guide them safely to their destinations. But safe navigation begins well before the pilot even touches the plane's controls; it begins with the runway. That's where NOAA comes in.

Are we cleared to land? How the Wright Brothers influenced NOAA's mission.

FEATURE

Humpback whales swimming underwater. Ed Lyman/NOAA, under NOAA permit #14682

Podcast: What is ocean noise? Our interview with a NOAA marine ecologist.

PODCAST

Annapolis, Maryland, pictured here in 2012, saw the greatest increase in nuisance flooding in a recent NOAA study. (Credit: With permission from Amy McGovern.)

WINTER 2016
National High Tide Outlook

Tides are the regular rise and fall of the sea surface caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun and their position relative to the earth. There are some factors we can predict that cause the tides to be higher or lower than what is "normally" seen from day to day. Our bulletin tells you when you may experience higher than normal high tides around the nation for December 2016 through February 2017.

OCEAN FACT
What is marine snow?

As plants and animals near the surface of the ocean die and decay, they fall toward the sea floor, just like leaves and decaying material fall onto a forest floor. In addition to dead animals and plants, marine snow also includes fecal matter, sand, soot, and other inorganic dust. The decaying material is referred to as "marine snow" because it looks a little bit like white fluffy bits. The "snowflakes" grow as they fall, some reaching several centimeters in diameter.

NEW PORTAL
Sustainable Aquaculture Toolbox

The Coastal Aquaculture Planning Portal is a new portal that features over 20 tools that have specific applications for planning and siting of aquaculture operations and industries. Forecast seascape change due to aquaculture, view sea level rise projections to predict effects on farming and management practices, identify sensitive habitats that need to be avoided during aquaculture siting, and more.

FULL MOON VIDEO SERIES
Adventures of a Maritime Archaelogist

Everyone loves to uncover the human stories behind a shipwreck and that is what propelled maritime archaeologist Dr. Jim Delgado to make a career of it. He has traveled the world and explored some of the most famous shipwrecks (yes, like the Titanic) as well as civilizations that have been covered by the changing sea. Are you ready to go deep and travel back in time? Let's get started! Don't miss NOAA Ocean Today's latest 'Full Moon' video series.