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NOAA's National Ocean Service

Pop quiz: Name this whale! It's the longest-lived marine mammal on the planet.

What is the longest-lived marine mammal?

OCEAN FACT

The advent of the modern-day shipping container.

FEATURE

Podcast: Hear why marine life counts in our latest expert interview.

PODCAST

NOAA-funded study ties Gulf shrimp prices, hypoxic "dead zones."

NEWS

NEW WEBSITE
Protecting Coastal Communities

Did you know about 40 percent of the nation's total population live in counties that border coastal shores? That's just one example of what you'll find on the new NOAA Office for Coastal Management website. Browse through coastal facts, find details about coastal issues in your state, and see how communities and coastal management programs are tackling the issues of today and tomorrow. See how NOAA is working to protect coastal communities.

research vessel in Southern Ocean in heavy seas.

OCEAN FACT
What are the roaring forties?

During the Age of Sail (circa 15th to 19th centuries), these strong prevailing winds propelled ships across the Pacific, often at breakneck speed. Nevertheless, sailing west into heavy seas and strong headwinds could take weeks, especially around Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America, making it one of the most treacherous sailing passages in the world. The Roaring Forties take shape as warm air near the equator rises and moves toward the poles.

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.

FULL MOON VIDEO SERIES
Shipwrecked!

America's greatest museum of our past as a seafaring nation lies on the bottom of the sea and lakes in the national marine sanctuaries. There may be more than three million shipwrecks on the ocean floor, but only one percent have been discovered. These shipwrecks are often frozen in time, deep beneath the sea, waiting for scientists and archaeologists to explore and study. Curious? Let's get started! Don't miss NOAA Ocean Today's latest 'Full Moon' video series.