NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) is the authoritative source for accurate, reliable, and timely tides, water levels, currents, and other coastal oceanographic and meteorological information. Our services support safe and efficient maritime commerce and transportation, help protect public health and safety, and promote robust, resilient coastal communities. CO-OPS maintains ocean observing infrastructure, including more than 200 permanent water level stations on the U.S. coasts and Great Lakes, an integrated system of real-time sensors concentrated in busy seaports, and temporary meters that collect observations for tidal current predictions. Through these systems, we provide the nation with historic and real-time data, forecasts, predictions, and scientific analyses that protect life, the economy, and the environment on the coast.
Ensure our data are accurate and creating useful decision support tools for the nation.
Install and maintains observing systems up to rigorous scientific standards.
Build more advanced oceanographic observing systems that can operate in the most challenging conditions.
Develop high performing systems that manage and disseminate large amounts of data.
We provide the maritime transportation industry with timely, accurate, and reliable observations they need to navigate swafely and efficiently through waterways and ports.
We provide coastal communities with data and tools to prepare for flooding as a result of storms, tsunamis, and sea level change.
Harmful algal blooms threaten human health and safety. We provide operational forecasts for the Gulf of Mexico and Lake Erie so communities can make decisions that avoid impacts.
We produce and maintain datums that provide a foundation for hydrographic surveys, nautical charting, marine boundary determination, coastal engineering, and more.
