NOAA Finalizes Plans for 2011 Hydrographic Survey Season

As the new year approaches, NOAA ships and independent contractors are preparing for the nation's 177th hydrographic surveying season, aiming to collect critically needed ocean and coastal mapping data for 2,525 square nautical miles in high-traffic coastal waters of the continental United States and Alaska....

Holiday Travel Weather: Naughty or Nice?

Stay safe during this busy holiday travel season by keeping up-to-date on the latest forecasts and weather advisories or warnings issued by NOAA's National Weather Service. Visit www.weather.gov....

Commerce Secretary Determines Red Tide Disaster in Maine

U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today determined that the economic effects of closing shellfish fisheries in Maine in 2009 due to a harmful algal bloom, commonly referred to as red tide, caused a commercial fishery failure....

NOAA, Partners: Growing Hypoxic Zones Reduce Habitat for Billfish and Tuna

Billfish and tuna, important commercial and recreational fish species, may be more vulnerable to fishing pressure because of shrinking habitat according to a new study published by scientists from NOAA, The Billfish Foundation, and University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science....

Federal Oil Spill Response Transitions to Regional Structure, Releases Scientific Report

As planned and in coordination and consultation with state and local partners, the federal government's response framework for the Deepwater Horizon BP oil spill will transition on Friday, allowing for long-term response operations to be overseen by regional U.S. Coast Guard units rather than surge forces....