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The United States Government Manual
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
Department of Commerce, Washington, DC 20230
202-482-2985
http://www.noaa.gov
| ADMINISTRATOR | Richard W. Spinrad |
| Deputy Administrator | Janet Coit |
| Assistant Administrators | Craig N. McLean |
| Stephen Volz, Acting | |
| Chief Operating Officer | Benjamin Friedman |
| Chief Scientist | Craig N. McLean, Acting |
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration seeks to understand and predict changes in climate and weather and changes that affect coasts and oceans; shares its knowledge and information with others; and conserves and manages coastal and marine ecosystems and resources.
Establishment and Organization
On October 3, 1970, Reorganization Plan No. 4 of 1970 (5 U.S.C. app.) formed the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
NOAA posts an organizational chart at the bottom of its "Organization" web page, in Portable Document Format (PDF), for viewing and downloading.
https://www.noaa.gov/about/organizationNOAA published its statement of functions, organization, and delegation of authority in the Federal Register on February 13, 1978 (43 FR 6128).
https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-1978-02-13/pdf/FR-1978-02-13.pdfACTIVITIES
Science, service, and stewardship characterize NOAA's mission. Its researchers, scientists, and technicians study the atmosphere, the ocean, and the ecosystems associated with them; they integrate research and analysis; they observe and monitor; and they use modeling to predict the future state of complex systems. NOAA serves academic institutions, businesses, communities, and ordinary people by communicating and sharing its data, information, knowledge, and research. NOAA also applies its institutional know-how and science assets to the conservation and management of coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. The agency regulates and sustains marine fisheries and ecosystems, protects endangered species, restores habitats and ecosystems, conserves marine sanctuaries, responds to environmental emergencies, and assists with disaster recovery.
https://www.noaa.gov/about-our-agencyMarine and Aviation Operations
The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations manages the aviation safety, the small boat, and the NOAA diving programs. It also operates a fleet of specialized ships and aircraft that collect data and carry out research to support NOAA's mission, the Global Earth Observation System, and the Integrated Ocean Observing System—including flying "hurricane hunter" aircraft into the most turbulent storms to collect data critical for research.
http://www.omao.noaa.gov/about.htmlNational Coastal Resources
The National Ocean Service helps balance the Nation's use of coastal resources through research, management, and policy. The Service monitors the health of U.S. coasts by examining how human use and natural events affect coastal ecosystems. Coastal communities rely on the Service for information on natural hazards so they can reduce or eliminate destructive effects of coastal hazards. The Service assesses the damage caused by hazardous material spills and tries to restore or replace the affected coastal resources. The Service also protects beaches, water quality, wetlands, and wildlife. It provides a wide range of navigational products and data that help vessels move safely through U.S. waters, and it supplies the basic information for establishing the latitude, longitude, and elevation framework necessary for the Nation's mapping, navigation, positioning, and surveying activities.
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information
The National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service operates the Nation's civilian geostationary and polar-orbiting environmental satellites. It also manages the largest collection of atmospheric, climatic, geophysical, and oceanographic data in the world. The Service develops and provides, through various media, environmental data for forecasts, national security, and weather warnings to protect life and property. These data are also used for energy distribution, global food supplies development, natural resources management, and rescuing downed pilots and mariners in distress.
https://www.nesdis.noaa.gov/National Marine Fisheries
The National Marine Fisheries Service supports the management, conservation, and sustainable development of domestic and international living marine resources and the protection and restoration of ecosystems. The Service helps assess the stock of the Nation's multi-billion-dollar marine fisheries, protect marine mammals and threatened species, conserve habitats, assist trade and industry, and conduct fishery enforcement activities.
http://www.nmfs.noaa.govNational Weather
The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate warnings and forecasts and data for the United States, its territories, and adjacent waters and ocean areas. Government agencies, the private sector, the general public, and the global community rely on NWS data and products to protect life and property. Working with partners in Government, academic and research institutions, and private industry, the Service responds to the needs of the American public through its products and services. NWS data and information support aviation, maritime activities, and other sectors of the economy, as well as wildfire suppression. The Service also helps national security efforts with long- and short-range forecasts, air quality and cloud dispersion forecasts, and broadcasts of warnings and critical information over the 800-station NOAA Weather Radio network.
http://www.weather.govOceanic and Atmospheric Research
The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research conducts research on air quality and composition, climate variability and change, weather, and coastal, marine, and Great Lakes ecosystems. The Office uses its own laboratories and offices to run research programs in atmospheric, coastal, marine, and space sciences, as well as relying on networks of university-based programs across the country.
http://www.oar.noaa.govSources of Information
Archived Records
The "Guide to Federal Records in the National Archives of the United States" indicates that NOAA records have been assigned to record group 370.
https://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/370.htmlArctic Report Cards
Every year, NOAA publishes an Arctic Report Card as part of its efforts to track recent environmental changes relative to historical records.
https://arctic.noaa.gov/Report-CardAtmospheric Carbon Dioxide
Adding to the data record that C. David Keeling of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography started in 1958, NOAA continues to measure atmospheric carbon at the Mauna Loa Observatory in Hawaii.
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/The Earth System Research Laboratory's Global Monitoring Division has posted a 4-minute video showing 800,000 years of atmospheric carbon dioxide history.
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends/history.htmlAtmospheric Methane
The Earth System Research Laboratory's Global Monitoring Division has been measuring methane since 1983 at a globally distributed network of air sampling sites.
https://esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/trends_ch4A recent NOAA study (APR 2019) concludes that long‐term measurements show little evidence for large increases in total U.S. methane emissions over the past decade.
https://research.noaa.gov/article/ArtMID/587/ArticleID/2453/US-methane-emissions-flat-since-2006-despite-increased-oil-and-gas-activity-studyCareer Opportunities
A career at NOAA is a mission-oriented experience that centers on protecting natural resources, safeguarding the public, and strengthening the economy.
https://www.noaa.gov/work-with-usIn 2020, NOAA ranked 111th among 411 agency subcomponents in the Partnership for Public Service's Best Places To Work Agency Rankings.
https://bestplacestowork.org/rankings/detail/CM54Climate Change
The Carbon Cycle Greenhouse Gases research area operates the global greenhouse gas reference network. Researchers measure the atmospheric distribution and trends of the main causes of climate change: carbon dioxide (CO2); methane (CH4); nitrous oxide (N2O); and carbon monoxide (CO) because it is an indicator of air pollution.
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg"The Power of Greenhouse Gases" web page presents examples of the excess heat that the Earth system is retaining. The amount of excess heat is sufficiently large to force climate change on a regional and global scale.
https://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ccgg/ghgpowerContact Information
The "Contact Us" web page has contact information and other frequently requested resources.
https://www.noaa.gov/contact-usFederal Register
Significant documents and documents that NOAA recently published in the Federal Register are accessible online.
https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/national-oceanic-and-atmospheric-administrationFreedom of Information Act (FOIA)
Any person has a right to obtain access to Federal agency records; however, some records, or portions of them, may be shielded from disclosure by one of nine FOIA exemptions or by one of three special law enforcement exclusions.
https://www.noaa.gov/foia-freedom-of-information-actBefore submitting a FOIA request, an information seeker should search the electronic reading room to determine if the desired information is in the public domain.
https://www.noaa.gov/foia-reading-roomMaritime Archaeology
Visit the "Maritime Archaeology" web page to learn about discovering shipwrecks and safeguarding them.
https://www.noaa.gov/topic-tags/maritime-archaeologyMonthly Climate Report
The report of August 13, 2021, carried the headline "It's official: July was Earth's hottest month on record."
https://www.noaa.gov/topic-tags/monthly-climate-reportNautical Charts
NOAA has posted the entire suite of U.S. coastal and Great Lakes charts on its "Charting" page for download.
https://www.noaa.gov/chartingNOAA Nationwide
NOAA facilities—as well as personnel and the activities and programs they manage—are located throughout the Nation in various States and Territories.
https://www.legislative.noaa.gov/NIYSPodcast
The NOAA Ocean podcast explores topics ranging from coastal science to coral reefs with ocean experts.
https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/podcastSocial Media
NOAA relies on social media to share information and to promote understanding of its science, service, and stewardship-oriented mission.
https://www.noaa.gov/stay-connectedStaff Directory
The NOAA staff directory is available online.
https://nsd.rdc.noaa.govWeather
The NOAA Weather Radio All Hazards network broadcasts continuous weather information nationwide from the nearest National Weather Service office. The network broadcasts official Weather Service forecasts, warnings, watches, and other hazard information around the clock every day.
https://www.weather.gov/nwrNOAA's Sources of Information were updated 8–2021.