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NOAA forecasts very large ‘dead zone’ for Gulf of Mexico

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nutrient pollution and hypoxia

The Mississippi River watershed drains 1.245 million square miles, including all or parts of 31 U.S. states and 2 Canadian provinces. The map generally illustrates how runoff from farms (green areas) and cities (red areas) drains into the Mississippi, delivering nutrients into the Gulf of Mexico and fueling the annual hypoxic zone.

June is National Ocean Month: So, how many oceans are there?

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World Ocean Day

Aerial view of the Pacific Ocean.

New online tool helps communities prepare for coastal flooding

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High tide flooding often occurs during so-called "supermoons," when the Moon comes closest to the Earth in its elliptic orbit. The supermoon of Dec. 14, 2016 caused moderate flooding on the streets of Charleston, S.C.

Celebrate our world ocean in June

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Bluefin tuna.

Podcast: Autonomous technology helps predict hurricane intensity

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technology & innovation

Glider.

Sunscreen chemicals, marine life and you: A handy visual guide

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Two free divers gaze at a large grouping of corals.

Small bloom predicted for Gulf of Maine red tide in 2019

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harmful algal blooms (HABs)

Researchers collect bottom sediment samples from the Gulf of Maine.

NOAA science helps restore coastal places

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coastal restoration

Studying damage to the coast after an oil spill.

15+ great reads for your Earth Day week

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It's not easy being green, but NOAA scientists are working hard on innovative, sustainable solutions for Earth's biggest environmental challenges.

Video: What is the carbon cycle?

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The ocean is a carbon sink.

New OceanReports tool brings ocean data to your fingertips

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Using OceanReports, you can tap more than 100 NOAA datasets at once for any part of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Here, you can see data for the siting of offshore wind power farms.

NOAA seeks public comment on proposed Lake Ontario National Marine Sanctuary

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We are scientists, engineers, researchers, technicians, and more who remain united in our common mission: science, service, stewardship.

6 ways you can be a citizen scientist for NOAA

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citizen science

Volunteers measure juvenile oysters to restore them to the Great Bay Estuary.

You might not have noticed, but about 25 meteotsunamis hit the East Coast each year

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Stormy weather over the ocean can sometimes fuel the development of meteotsunamis, a series of waves typically much smaller and less destructive than those associated with seismically generated tsunamis.

Protecting our ocean — and our bottom line

Ocean sunset.

Ocean Facts: What is a sponge?

Diving with sponges.

U.S. Coral Reef Task Force to meet in Washington, DC

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National Marine Sanctuary of American Samoa is home to the only true tropical reef in the National Marine Sanctuary System! Here in the reefs surrounding Aunu'u Island, a few pink anemonefish nestle into an anemone.

Making waves: Notable women in ocean science

Women ocean scientists have been making waves at NOAA for more than 150 years.

NOAA provides scientific expertise to aid oil and chemical spill response

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An oiled rock along the shoreline near New Orleans.

How does marine pollution affect you?

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Oil spill.

What is a tide pool?

February 27, 2019

Point Pinos tide pools in Monterey County.

Do your part: Please help protect our estuaries

February 20, 2019

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Winyah Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Advisory panel to focus on sea level rise, coastal inundation

February 20, 2019

We are scientists, engineers, researchers, technicians, and more who remain united in our common mission: science, service, stewardship.

Whale Week: What is the longest-lived marine mammal?

February 14, 2019

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Bowhead Whale.

What is the cryosphere?

February 7, 2019

The Arctic.

What are Christmas tree worms?

December 14, 2018

Christmas tree worms.

Remote coral reefs in better condition than those near human populations in U.S. Pacific

December 13, 2018

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Corals at Pagan Island, an uninhabited volcanic island in the Mariana Islands archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, seem to have fared much better than other areas. Here is a close-up of an Acropora coral, typically more susceptible to bleaching events, which appears to be doing just fine.

Podcast: Get to know your American Samoa and the 'Fa'a Samoa'

December 6, 2018

Hideyo Hattori, Site Liaison, NOAA Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) and NOAA Coastal Zone Management Program (CZMP).

It's #CoralsWeek at NOAA

December 3, 2018

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View of a coral reef just below the waterline in Midway Atoll, Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument.

Uncovering the mystery of harmful algal blooms

November 15, 2018

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harmful algal blooms (HABs)

Harmful algal bloom.

NFWF, NOAA announce $28.9 million in grants for the 2018 National Coastal Resilience Fund

November 9, 2018

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coastal restoration

The He‘eia National Estuarine Research Reserve was the 29th in the NERR system. The He'eia wetlands will see a new natural constructed wetlands system to protect and enhance the ecosystem and community of Kane'ohe Bay, Hawaii. The project will minimize flood events, reduce sediment and nutrient run-off, and create habitat and fish passage for marine and estuarine species.

NOAA team sees Florence and Michael storm surge devastation first-hand

November 9, 2018

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GOES-East satellite image of Hurricane Florence making landfall at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina on Sept. 14, 2018

Veterans benefit from nature’s power to heal and teach

November 7, 2018

Veterans retrained as firefighters.

NOAA awards over $8.3 million to advance coral reef conservation science and management

November 8, 2018

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Pillar coral (Dendrogyra cylindrus) is rare in the Florida Keys. One of the grants announced today will aid restoration of Pillar coral in Florida.

What causes seasickness?

November 1, 2018

Large swell and wind waves.