Hydrographic Services Review Panel (HSRP)

HSRP FAC was established by the NOAA Hydrographic Services Improvement Act to provide advice to the Under Secretary on all authorities related to hydrographic surveys. The HSRP is a federal advisory committee that provides NOAA with independent advice on improving the quality, efficiency, and usefulness of NOAA's navigation, observations, and positioning-related products, data, and services. The HSRP advises the NOAA Administrator about its navigation (i.e. nautical charts and ENCs), physical oceanographic (i.e. tides & water levels), geodetic, geospatial, positioning, and coastal and shoreline programs, products, and services. There are two public meetings each year in different port regions at which public comments from stakeholders and partners are sought. Most of the meetings include a webinar capability for those not in the area. The HSRP focuses on topics related to navigation observations and positioning services portfolio of the National Ocean Service. The meetings often include the following: updates from the three HSRP working groups (WG) including the Planning and Engagement WG, Technology WG, and Arctic Priorities WG; development and finalization of issue papers and recommendations to NOAA; comments and suggestions regarding white papers, regional, state and national priorities; and review and discussion of proposed priorities for the HSRP. The National Ocean Service program offices – National Geodetic Service, the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, the Office of Coast Survey, as well as the University of New Hampshire’s Joint Hydrographic Center and Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping - are actively engaged and provide updates related to navigation services.

National Sea Grant Advisory Board (NSGAB)

The National Sea Grant Advisory Board is the National Sea Grant College Program's Federal Advisory Committee (FAC). The Board advises NOAA and the National Sea Grant College Program on strategies to address the Nation's highest priorities in terms of the understanding, assessment, development, management utilization and conservation of ocean, coastal and Great Lakes resources.

NOAA Science Advisory Board (SAB)

The SAB is the only federal advisory committee that advises the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere (Under Secretary) on strategies for research, education, and application of science to operations and information services. This advice helps the agency to better understand and predict changes in Earth’s environment, and to better conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to meet the Nation’s economic, social, and environmental needs.  The SAB advises the Under Secretary on other scientific matters upon request, submits reports to the Under Secretary, and conducts laboratory, cooperative institute, and program reviews, as requested.

Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB)

Pursuant to 33 U.S. Code § 3405, the Ocean Exploration Advisory Board (OEAB) advises NOAA leadership on: priority areas for survey, discovery, and opportunities for extramural collaboration and partnerships; development of a 5-year strategic plan for the fields of ocean, marine, and Great Lakes science, exploration, and discovery; the quality and effectiveness of the proposal review process; market barriers to development or commercialization of novel ocean mapping, exploration, and characterization products, processes, and tools; best practices to improve data management, processing, storage, and archiving standards; and other matters as requested by the Administrator.

Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP)

The Ocean Research Advisory Panel (ORAP) advises the Ocean Policy Committee (OPC) and provides independent recommendations to the Federal Government on matters of ocean policy. Congress directed the establishment of the ORAP in Section 1055(c) of the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021 (Pub. L. 116-283), 10 U.S.C. 8933.

Space Weather Advisory Group (SWAG) 

Pursuant to the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow (PROSWIFT) Act, 51 U.S.C. § 60601 et seq., the Administrator of NOAA and the National Science and Technology Council’s Space Weather Operations, Research, and Mitigation (SWORM) Subcommittee established the Space Weather Advisory Group (SWAG) on April 21, 2021.  The SWAG is the only Federal Advisory Committee that advises and informs the interest and work of the SWORM.  The SWAG is to receive advice from the academic community, the commercial space weather sector, and nongovernmental space weather end users to carry out the responsibilities of the SWAG set forth in the PROSWIFT Act, 51 U.S.C. § 60601 et seq.

The SWAG is directed to advise the SWORM on the following: 

• Facilitating advances in the space weather enterprise of the United States; 

• Improving the ability of the United States to prepare for, mitigate, respond to, and recover from space weather phenomena; 

• Enabling the coordination and facilitation of research to operations and operations to research, as described in section 60604(d) of title 51, United States Code; and

• Developing and implementing the integrated strategy under 51 U.S.C. 60601(c), including subsequent updates and reevaluations.  

The SWAG shall also conduct a comprehensive survey of the needs of users of space weather products to identify the space weather research, observations, forecasting, prediction, and modeling advances required to improve space weather products, as required by 51 U.S.C. 60601(d)(3). This survey will be updated every 3 years as appropriate.

U. S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Advisory Committee (IOOS)

The U.S. IOOS Advisory Committee is a federal advisory committee that provides advice to the NOAA Administrator and the Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC), in fulfillment of the Integrated Coastal and Ocean Observation System Act, part of the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-11), and the Coordinated Ocean Observations and Research Act of 2020 (Public Law No: 116-271). They advise on the:

• administration, operation, management, and maintenance of the U.S. IOOS, including integration of federal and non-federal assets and data management and communication aspects of U.S. IOOS, in fulfillment of the ICOOS Act;
• expansion and periodic modernization and upgrade of technology components of U.S. IOOS;
• identification of end-user communities, their needs for information provided by U.S. IOOS, and U.S. IOOS’ effectiveness in disseminating information to end-user communities and the general public;
• national surface current network, fleet acquisition and survey programs for uncrewed systems, remote sensing and data assimilation, sediment transport in coastal regions, a multi-region marine sound monitoring system, and any other purpose identified by the Administrator or the IOOC.