Infrastructure Investments

Aircraft for Hurricane and Atmospheric River Research

NOAA’s hurricane hunters are platforms that allow NOAA to gather important data during severe weather events, such as hurricanes and atmospheric rivers. Acquisition of a second Hurricane Hunter will help to ensure continued coverage during these more frequent events.

Charleston, South Carolina Pier Reconstruction

Reconstruction of the pier will allow NOAA ships, both those homeported and working in Charleston, South Carolina, to once again have a designated place to dock. Because the pier has been in disrepair, NOAA ships have been docking at available piers. 

Design and Construction of Research Vessels 

Several ships in NOAA’s fleet are reaching the end of their service-life. Adding two new purpose-built charting and mapping ships to the fleet will allow us to continue to provide critical navigational and environmental data for managing our nation’s waterways and living marine resources. 

Greater Farallones National Marine Sanctuary

Critical repairs and upgrades to the Sanctuary’s Visitor Center at historic Crissy Field will support the increasing tourist economy in the area, serve the needs of visitors, and provide public education programs.  

Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary 

Flooding and sand inundation are constant challenges at the Sanctuary’s Kihei campus, which includes education classrooms and a visitor center. Funding will help determine the best future course of action.

Mallows Bay National Marine Sanctuary

Construction of an office and visitor center for the recently established sanctuary will provide a central location that supports the tourism economy of the area and can also serve as a mini-transportation hub (via hiking, biking, boating, etc) for accessing nearby state parks which have physical or heritage connections to the sanctuary.

Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary 

Construction of a sanctuary office within a new science building at the California State University Monterey Bay campus will enhance collaboration with the university in its applied programs like seafloor mapping, kelp forest restoration, agriculture businesses, and sustainable tourism.

Naval Station Newport, Rhode Island

NOAA is working closely with the U.S. Navy to finalize plans for a new NOAA facility at Naval Station Newport. The new location for NOAA’s Marine Operations Center - Atlantic will include a pier that is large enough to dock four NOAA ships and allow for shoreside support.  

Northwest Fisheries Science Center

NOAA’s lease with the Northwest Fisheries Science Center is critical toward maintaining continuity of NOAA’s fisheries science missions in the Northwest and in direct support of the marine habitat, marine fisheries, and marine mammal programs and assessments affecting coastal communities and coastal resilience.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

Construction of a new Ocean Discovery Visitor Center will be undertaken collaboratively with the Feiro Marine Life Center and will be a central feature of the new Waterfront Center in downtown Port Angeles, WA. This campus also hosts a recently-constructed performing arts center and there are plans for an adjacent tribal interpretive facility. 

Oscar Dyson Service Life Extension  

Proactively planning for an extensive repair period for NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson will minimize any unforeseen repair periods in the future and extend the working life of the vessel. These repairs will allow the ship to continue operating through the 2040s, providing critical data to North Pacific fisheries managers on commercial fisheries, such as pollock.

Sandy Hook Laboratory

Major systems at the Northeast Fisheries Science Center’s Sandy Hook Laboratory are original to the facility’s construction. They are at the end of their lifecycle and in need of replacement. This funding would retire and replace the existing seawater system that is vital to NOAA's science mission. 

Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

Construction of a Visitor Center in Provincetown, MA will feature interactive exhibits describing sanctuary wildlife, historical shipwrecks, and environmental resources to educate visitors about the sanctuary and the regional marine environment. The center will also support businesses that provide access to the marine resources in the sanctuary.