NOAA in your backyard: Gulf of Mexico
NOAA in Your State
State by state listings of NOAA facilities and programs
A summary of NOAA facilities, staff, programs, or activities based in, or focused on, your state or territory.
National Weather Service
School visits • Forecast office tours • Student and educator resources
The National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas.
- To find your local Weather Forecast Office (WFO), visit the National Weather Service local contact page and click on your state. There will be a name, email address, and phone number for the WFO that serves your area.
- Visit weather.gov and enter your zip code to find your local WFO.
National Estuarine Research Reserve System
Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
The National Estuarine Research Reserves System protects more than 1.3 million coastal and estuarine acres in 29 reserves located in 23 states and Puerto Rico for purposes of long-term research, environmental monitoring, education and stewardship.
- Mission-Aransas Reserve (TX)offsite link – Kristin Evans, Education Coordinator: klevans@utexas.edu
- Grand Bay Reserve (MS)offsite link – Avery Sward, Education Coordinator: avery.sward@dmr.ms.gov
- Weeks Bay Reserve (AL)offsite link – Angela Underwood, Education Coordinator: angela.underwood@dcnr.alabama.gov
- Apalachicola Reserve (FL)offsite link – Contact: Gibby Conrad, Education Specialist: gibby.conrad@dep.state.fl.us
- Rookery Bay Reserve (FL)offsite link – Sarah Falkowski, Education Coordinator: sarah.falkowski@dep.state.fl.us
NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries
Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
NOAA’s 14 National Marine Sanctuaries serve as the trustee for the nation’s system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy.
- Flower Garden Banks Sanctuary (TX) – Shelley DuPuy, Education and Outreach Coordinator: shelley.dupuy@noaa.gov
- Florida Keys Sanctuary (FL) – Eric Raslich, Education and Outreach Program Coordinator, eric.raslich@noaa.gov
National Sea Grant Program
Professional development • Curriculum • Student and educator resources
Sea Grant is a nationwide network of 34 university-based programs that conduct scientific research, education, training, and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.
- Louisiana Sea Grantoffsite link – Dianne Lindstedt, Education Coordinator: dlindst@lsu.edu
- Texas Sea Grantoffsite link – Sara Carney, Communications Manager: scarney@tamu.edu
- Mississippi/Alabama Sea Grantoffsite link – Tina Miller-Way, Assistant Director for Education: tmiller-way@disl.org
- Florida Sea Grantoffsite link – Corina Guevara, Student and Education Coordinator: corina@ufl.edu
NOAA Marine Debris Program
Lesson plans and curricula • Stewardship projects • Media library
The NOAA Marine Debris Program envisions the global ocean and its coasts free from the impacts of marine debris.
- Gulf of Mexico Office – Caitlin Wessel, Regional Coordinator: caitlin.wessel@noaa.gov
NOAA Fisheries
Student opportunities • Laboratory facilities • NOAA scientists • Educator resources
The NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management, and the promotion of healthy ecosystems. They have regional offices and several smaller field offices.
- Southeast Regional Office (St. Petersburg, FL) – Amy Clark, Education Coordinator (Stennis Space Center, MS): amy.clark@noaa.gov
- Southeast Fisheries Science Center (Miami, FL)
- Gulf Laboratory Facilities:
- Galveston, TX and Lafayette, LA Laboratories – Jo Anne Williams, Fisheries Management: Jo.Anne.Williams@noaa.gov
- Mississippi Laboratories – Lisa Desfosse, Laboratory Director at Stennis: lisa.desfosse@noaa.gov; Andre Debose, Fisheries Biologist at Pascagoula, MS: Andre.J.Debose@noaa.gov
- Panama City Laboratory (FL) – Michelle Duncan, Fisheries Education Coordinator: michelle.duncan@noaa.gov
Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)
Curriculum • Data • Multimedia
The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national-regional partnership working to provide new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment.
- Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean Observing System (GCOOS) (Education program in St. Petersburg, FL)offsite link – Chris Simoniello, Outreach and Education Coordinator: chris.simoniello@gcoos.org
- GCOOS Data Portaloffsite link
Gulf of Mexico Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET)
Competitive grants for educator watershed training programs
B-WET is an environmental educator program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment.
- Amy Clark, Gulf of Mexico B-WET Program Manager: amy.clark@noaa.gov
NOAA at the John C. Stennis Space Center (MS)
Visitor center • Science on a Sphere • Labs • NOAA scientists • Data
The five NOAA entities at Stennis integrate coastal and oceanographic data, coastal management, and assessment of natural and human impacts on the northern Gulf of Mexico ecosystem and economies.
- Angela Sallis, Outreach Coordinator for National Centers for Environmental Information: angela.sallis@noaa.gov
- Lisa Desfosse, Laboratory Director for Fisheries: lisa.desfosse@noaa.gov
Gulf of Mexico Allianceoffsite link
Educator resources • Stewardship projects • Webinars
The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is a partnership of the five Gulf States, federal agencies, academic organizations, businesses, and other non-profits in the region with the goal of significantly increasing regional collaboration to enhance the environmental and economic health of the Gulf Region.
- Christina Mohrman, Program Coordinator: christina.mohrman@gomxa.org
National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB)offsite link
Regional competitions in ocean sciences
NOSB is a national high school academic competition with regional competitions for student teams to test their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology.
- Dolphin Challenge (Northern TX) and Loggerhead Challenges (Southern TX)offsite link – Julie Massey, Regional Coordinator: jmassey@ag.tamu.edu
- Hurricane Bowl (MS)offsite link – Aaron Lamey, Regional Coordinator: aaron.lamey@usm.edu
- Spoonbill Bowl (FL)offsite link – Teresa Greely, Regional Coordinator: greely@usf.edu
Local NOAA vessels
Follow current science off the Gulf of Mexico coast
- NOAA Teacher at Sea (follow teacher blogs onboard the ships)
- NOAA Ship Pisces (Pascagoula, MS) – Commander Patrick Murphy: co.pisces@noaa.gov
- NOAA Ship Oregon II (Pascagoula, MS) – Master David Nelson: co.oregon@noaa.gov
- NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter (Pascagoula, MS) – Lieutenant Commander Chris Skapin: NOAA.Ship.Gordon.Gunter@noaa.gov
Historical and real-time data
- NOAA Gulf of Mexico Data Atlas
- Gulf of Mexico Hypoxia Watch
- River Forecast Maps (Flooding)
- Deepwater Horizon Project Trackeroffsite link
- Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council
- NOAA Gulf Spill Restoration
- Southern Regional Climate Centeroffsite link
Local historical weather events and data
- Tropical Cyclone Climatology for Southeast Texas
- Hurricane Harvey Impacts
- National Hurricane Center Data Archive
- Historical Hurricane Tracks
- Mississippi River Flood History 1543 to present
NOAA Science On a Sphere® (SOS) locations
Earth systems data projected on a six-foot globe
SOS is a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display data onto a six foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. It was developed by researchers at NOAA to help illustrate complex environmental processes in a captivating way.
- American Airlines C.R. Smith Museum (Fort Worth, TX)offsite link
- Bay Education Center (Rockport, TX)offsite link
- EarthX (Dallas, TX)offsite link
- Houston Museum of Natural Science at Sugarland (Sugarland, TX)offsite link
- International Museum of Art & Science (McAllen, TX)offsite link
- Museum of the Southwest (Midland, TX)offsite link
- Infinity Science Center (Pearlington, MS)offsite link
- Keesler Air Force Base (Biloxi, MS)
- Marine Education Center at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (Ocean Springs, MS)offsite link
- GulfQuest National Maritime Museum of the Gulf of Mexico (Mobile, AL)offsite link
- McWane Science Center (Birmingham, AL)offsite link
- E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center (Freeport, FL)offsite link
- IMAG History and Science Center (Fort Myers, FL)offsite link
- Plantation Key School (Tavernier, FL)offsite link
Updated January 2020