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Oceans & Coasts

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Listening to the ocean

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A hydrophone in Gray's Reef National Sanctuary.

What is ecoforecasting?

Satellite image of a harmful algal bloom.

Infographic: Hands-on learning fosters human connection to estuaries

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National Estuarine Research Reserves

National Estuarine Research Reserve Education: Change on the ground in 2017.

New NOAA report looks at national coastal flood vulnerability

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Flooded coasts, such as this one in Florida, are becoming increasingly common.

NOAA joins with PortMiami to let larger cargo ships safely enter seaport

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marine commerce

Cargo ship enters PortMiami.

Science and shipwrecks: Preserving America’s maritime history

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maritime heritage

maritime archaeology

USS Conestoga (AT 54), the last known broadside photograph taken likely during WWI when the tugboat was equipped with a 3-inch 50 caliber naval gun and two machine guns. The tugboat was later equipped with only a single 3-inch 50 caliber gun when it disappeared while en route from Mare Island to America Samoa, by way of Pearl Harbor in 1921.

Hydrographic Services Review Panel to focus on Florida, Gulf Coast

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A view of the downtown Miami coastline.

Infographic: How does climate change affect coral reefs?

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Coral bleaching at Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef, March 2016.

Podcast: What is an ocean garbage patch?

In this photo, the Pacific ocean is shown with mountains in the distance. The most famous example of an ocean gyre’s tendency to "take out our trash" is the Great Pacific garbage patch located within the North Pacific Gyre.

NOAA and UN Environment co-host the Sixth International Marine Debris Conference in San Diego, California

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In an earlier NOAA-funded project, derelict fishing gear and other large marine debris were removed from remote Alaskan shorelines by the Gulf of Alaska Keeper.

NOAA appoints new members to Hydrographic Services federal advisory committee

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The Hydrographic Services Review Panel advises NOAA on improving services for navigation and coastal resilience.

These veterans have a mission: This time, it’s fighting for coral

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Divers perform coral restoration in Puerto Rico at the end of February 2018. In just one day of the mission, 110 corals were reattached — mostly Orbicella annularis and some brain corals, ranging from 20-50 centimeters in size.

International Year of the Reef shines spotlight on value, health of planet's coral ecosystems

February 22, 2018

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Coral reef colonies near Jarvis Island.

Podcast: Dealing with hypoxic "dead zones" in the ocean

February 23, 2018

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The largest hypoxic zone in the U.S. forms in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Podcast: Geodesy, the invisible backbone of navigation

January 19, 2018

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Geodesy is the science of accurately measuring and understanding the Earth's geometric shape, orientation in space, and gravity field.

New operational forecast system for the Gulf of Maine

January 18, 2018

NOAA Fisheries research vessel Gloria Michelle begins a transit of the Cape Cod Canal at Sandwich.

Video: Scientists study "twilight zone" corals in Florida

January 18, 2018

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A giant barrel sponge on Pulley Ridge provides habitat for many creatures, including a squat lobster (right) and a brittle star (left).

Shipwreck in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands makes history – again

December 19, 2017

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Dr. Kelly Gleason investigates a ginger jar at the Two Brothers shipwreck site at French Frigate Shoals.

Operation: Coral Rescue is under way

December 7, 2017

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response and restoration

Force Blue divers underwater lifting coral heads.

How coral savvy are you? Build your knowledge during #CoralsWeek

December 4, 2017

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Healthy coral found in the waters of American Samoa.

NOAA mitigates the impact of killer waves

November 29, 2017

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Tsunamai Hazard Zone.

Video: Why scientists are studying deep-sea coral genetics in the Gulf of Mexico

November 6, 2017

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This image from 2011 shows a gorgonian sea fan and symbiotic brittle stars from a site at approximately 350 meters depth in the Green Canyon area of the Gulf of Mexico.

Remembering the Cosco Busan oil spill

November 2, 2017

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Damage to port side of the Cosco Busan.

Five years after Sandy: What we've learned

October 30, 2017

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Man walking on beach surveying the damage to Rockaway Beach, Queens, New York, from Post-tropical Cyclone Sandy in 2012. The Climate Resilience Toolkit provides information that can help people prepare for future extreme events and climate change.

Every Full Moon video series: Watch 'Creep into the deep sea'

October 30, 2017

A 70-cm scraggly toothed bathysaurus fish.

BOO? You won't find any trick-or-treaters in a ghost forest

October 30, 2017

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A "ghost forest" on Capers Island, South Carolina.

Eutrophication: A big word for a big problem in our nation’s estuaries

October 10, 2017

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This NASA Earth Observatory image shows the region where the Mississippi River meets the Gulf of Mexico. It illustrates how sediment is moved from the land to the sea. The Mississippi River carries millions of tons of nutrient-rich sediment into the Gulf each year.

Video: The coral reef economy is bigger than you think

October 2, 2017

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Corals are home to millions of species. Humbug dascyllus (Dascyllus aruanus) and multibar goatfish (Parupeneus multifasciatus) are commonly seen in the shallow reefs and lagoons of American Samoa.

Assessing Maria's destruction from the air: Aerial photos are available

September 23, 2017

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Online images of areas affected by Hurricane Maria will appear as dark ribbons overlaid on the map. To view the photos simply zoom in on the location of interest.

Fall high tide 2017 outlook now available

September 21, 2017

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tides and currents

Flooding in Annapolis, Maryland.

Assessing Irma’s destruction from the air: Aerial images available

September 12, 2017

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This is what the online images of coastline affected by Hurricane Irma looks like after zooming into a photographed location, as indicated by a dark ribbon overlaid onto the map.

NOAA awards $1.7 million for harmful algal bloom research

September 19, 2017

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harmful algal blooms (HABs)

A satellite view of Lake Erie in 2014, showing that year's algal bloom in the western basin. 2017's bloom is expected to resemble 2014's.

NOAA hydrographic panel to meet in Portsmouth, New Hampshire

September 6, 2017

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View NOAA's before-and-after aerial images of Harvey damage

September 5, 2017

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Overhead views of area near Lynchburg, Texas, before (on left) and after Harvey (on right, taken August 31, 2017).

NOAA aerial images of Harvey damage now available online

September 1, 2017

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A NOAA aerial image from a NOAA overlight of damage from Harvey in the Rio Villa area of Houston, Texas. August 31, 2017 photo.

Science in service to the planet we call home

See this roundup of Earth Day-inspired stories, video you don’t want to miss

AROUND NOAA //

NOAA shares first new view of the North Pole for Earth Day [EXT]

Globe had its 5th warmest March on record

Video: Hurricane Hunter in search of a different kind of storm

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