Keeping our marine transportation system moving safely and efficiently through our busy national waterways depends upon hydrography — the science that measures and describes the physical features of bodies of water through a process called surveying. In this episode, hear how and why this work is done from two NOAA experts who talk about ongoing hydrographic survey missions within the Great Lakes.

Tsunamis pose a threat to our nation’s coastal communities and can have devastating impacts to lives and property. These powerful forces of nature can be caused by events like earthquakes, landslides, and even volcanic activity like the January 2022 eruption in the Tonga Islands region. Although they can’t be stopped, detecting and monitoring these waves when they occur can help warn the public of possible danger. In this episode, we speak with Paul Fanelli, Lead Oceanographer for NOAA’s...

Tsunamis pose a threat to our nation’s coastal communities and can have devastating impacts to lives and property. These powerful forces of nature can be caused by events like earthquakes, landslides, and even volcanic activity like the January 2022 eruption in the Tonga Islands region. Although they can’t be stopped, detecting and monitoring these waves when they occur can help warn the public of possible danger. In this episode, we speak with Paul Fanelli, Lead Oceanographer for NOAA’s...

In this episode, we speak with Erica Seiden, manager for NOAA’s Ecosystems Program and the National Estuarine Research Reserve System; and Nelle D'Aversa, a NOAA coastal management specialist, to learn why this site was chosen and what this valuable ecosystem can teach us.

In this episode, we talk with two members of the Federal Sea Level Rise Task Force about the new Sea Level Rise Technical Report, released in 2022. This landmark interagency report provides updated sea level rise projections based upon global warming amounts for the U.S. coastlines by decade to 2150, and provides data to assess current and changes in minor-to-major flood probabilities out to year 2050. The information is intended to inform coastal communities and others about the effects of...

In this podcast, we share a new series from the Alaska Ocean Acidification Network called The Future Ocean. It’s about the effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming on coastal Alaskans and the seafood industry. However, you don’t need to live in our 50th state to listen: the themes featured in this series are global. Hear interviews with a number of experts talking about changing ocean conditions and what it means to put a price on carbon emissions as a tool to accelerate renewable...

When pollution harms our waterways from single events like oil spills or from industrial sites over a span of decades, the cleanup phase is just the beginning. Ultimately, through a process that can take years to decades, settlements are reached with the parties that caused the pollution to fund restoration projects. The goal: to put back what was lost. In this episode, learn how good things like restoration can come from bad things like oil spills and superfund sites.

From protecting kelp forests and corals to inspiring international collaboration with a common goal, Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) play a vital role in conserving our Earth’s special marine places. In this episode, we speak with Lauren Wenzel, director of NOAA’s National Marine Protected Areas Center, about the importance of MPAs, NOAA’s role in managing them, and what the future might look like for these special places.s

What do harmful algal blooms, dust from the Saharan desert, and hurricanes have in common? They are all pieces of the puzzle that modeling puts together to give us the big picture when it comes to studying and understanding our ocean and coasts. In part two of this two-part episode, we continue our conversation with scientist Dr. Tracy Fanara about how modeling supports NOAA mission areas and supports coastal communities. We discuss how modeling helps these communities reduce risks to their...

What do harmful algal blooms, dust from the Saharan desert, and hurricanes have in common? They are all pieces of the puzzle that modeling puts together to give us the big picture when it comes to studying and understanding our ocean and coasts. In part one of this two-part episode, we take a deep dive into why modeling is important, what kind of data is provided and how collaboration with stakeholders strengthens our knowledge base.

NOAA is moving into the digital age by phasing out paper nautical charts over five years. In this episode, we talk with NOAA Corps Capt. EJ Van Den Ameele, chief of Coast Survey's marine chart division, to learn how this transition will affect mariners and why electronic charts offer many advantages over paper. And if you still need paper charts, Coast Survey has you covered. EJ discusses how an online tool called NOAA Custom Chart makes it easy to export printable charts for all maritime areas.

Lidar stands for light detection and ranging. We explore how this popular remote sensing method supports NOAA’s mission and enables scientists and mapping professionals to examine both natural and manmade environments with accuracy, precision, and flexibility.

Let's dive into the ocean! NOAA Ocean Today offers more than three hundred exciting, scientifically vetted short videos on topics ranging from deep sea exploration to climate change to marine life. Visit Ocean Today online, participate in a monthly 'Full Moon' live online show, or visit one of the many Ocean Today interactive kiosks located in museums, aquaria, and zoos around the world. Kurt Mann, Ocean Today Executive Producer, joins us to tell us all about this program.

Northeast Michigan’s Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary is estimated to contain over 200 shipwrecks. In this episode, we speak with sanctuary superintendent Jeff Gray about the significance of these world-class wrecks, the rich history they contain, and the wealth of scientific research and recreational opportunities that the sanctuary has to offer. We also dive into how NOAA, its partners, and the community of Alpena, Michigan, work together to advance the sanctuary’s mission of...

Healthy coral reefs are amongst the most biologically diverse, culturally significant, and economically valuable ecosystems on Earth. In this episode, we speak with Lisa Vandiver, a Marine Habitat Restoration Specialist with NOAA’s Restoration Center and Rob Ferguson, a watershed management specialist with NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, to learn about how NOAA works alongside local partners on the island of Culebra to protect and restore the coral reef ecosystems and reduce the...

NOAA's Precision Marine Navigation team is creating new online services to enable more efficient access to the NOAA data that powers private-sector marine navigation products. In this episode, Julia Powell and John Kelley from the Office of Coast Survey share how the team is working to foster innovation, improve navigation safety, aid in more efficient coastal route planning, and help mariners make informed decisions as they navigate our nation's waterways.

In this episode, we continue our conversation with two NOAA scientists about a study that looked at using mussels as "biomonitors" to measure microplastic pollution in the Great Lakes. Here, they discuss how their study was set up and how the scientific method works. Amy and Ed also discuss how unexpected results are often part of the scientific process, and how conducting a study in the field with living organisms ist so challenging. This is part two of a two-part episode.

In this episode, we hear about a NOAA-funded study that asked an interesting question: what if mussels could be used to learn more about microplastic pollution in our waterways? NOAA already runs a program that monitors chemical contaminants in our coastal waterways and Great Lakes by sampling mussels and oysters called the Mussel Watch program. So wouldn’t it be great to tap into Mussel Watch to also learn more about plastics in our environment? Spoiler alert: the study didn’t turn out quite...

Coral reefs are among the most valuable ecosystems on Earth. Unfortunately, they are declining due to manmade and natural threats. NOAA’s National Coral Reef Monitoring Program (NCRMP) is a massive, collaborative effort that was developed to collect scientifically sound, geographically comprehensive biological, climate, and socioeconomic data in U.S. coral reef areas. In this episode, we speak with Shay Viehman, a Research Ecologist with NOAA’s National Ocean Service in the National Centers...

D-Day, codenamed Operation Neptune, was the largest amphibious landing not only in World War II, but in history. It marked the start of the liberation of German-occupied France (and later western Europe) and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front. But what most people don't know is that ocean tides played a crucial role in the initial phase of this historic day. In this episode, hear the story of D-Day from the perspective of the science of tides and tide predictions....

D-Day, codenamed Operation Neptune, was the largest amphibious landing not only in World War II, but in history. It marked the start of the liberation of German-occupied France (and later western Europe) and laid the foundations of the Allied victory on the Western Front. But what most people don't know is that ocean tides played a crucial role in the initial phase of this historic day. In this episode, hear the story of D-Day from the perspective of the science of tides and tide predictions....

The ocean is home to millions of different forms of life—yet we know surprisingly little about the creatures that live right along our shores, how they interact with each other, or how they're changing as the ocean environment they live in changes. Hear how the U.S. Marine Biodiversity Observation Network aims to change that. The goal is to ensure that scientists not only notice changes in biodiversity at locations around the nation, but also have the tools in place to better understand what...

Discover the many free lesson plans, tutorials, fun activities, and other educational material offered by the National Ocean Service for educators, for students, for parents — or for anyone who wants to learn about our ocean and coasts.

The National Geodetic survey has been measuring land to determine points on the ground and the angles, distances, and heights between them since the 1800s. To do this accurately, you have to understand the force of gravity. We talk with a NOAA geodesist to understand what gravity is, why and how it changes, and what it means for NOAA.

Money does not grow on trees, but it could be growing in our coastal salt marshes and sea grass beds. A team of researchers is working at Waquoit Bay Research Reserve on Cape Cod in Massachusetts on the Bringing Wetlands to Market project to study the connections between coastal wetlands, carbon dioxide uptake and storage, and the global carbon trading economy. Wetlands have the potential to serve as valuable assets in carbon trading markets – but only if we protect them, and don't dig up the...