An observer stands on a ship, throws the drifter into the water, and then measures the time that it takes that object to move along the side of a ship. As technology improved over time, oceanographers began using mechanical current meters. A ship would deploy a meter and usually some sort of rotor would turn and measure the currents. This is still the basic process today; however there are more accurate and sophisticated instruments....

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NOAA's Coastal Georgia Dolphin Health Assessment examines the beloved bottlenose for clues to the wellness of their underwater world....

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On October 19, 2009, NOAA joined Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and other supporting partners as the states announced an agreement to work together to better manage and protect ocean and coastal resources, ensure regional economic sustainability, and respond to disasters such as hurricanes....

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MEET: Mike Shelby, information technology specialist with the National Ocean Service Communications and Education Division....

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A new ocean observing system on the lower Mississippi River serves up free real-time water and weather conditions for mariners ranging from ship captains to pleasure boaters....

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The Monitor was the first of 14 marine protected areas that make up the National Marine Sanctuary System, which includes more than 388,498 square kilometers (150,000 square miles) of marine and Great Lakes waters. The sanctuary boundaries (2.59 square kilometers or 1 square mile) protect the wreck of the USS Monitor, which lies 25.75 kilometers (16 miles) southeast of Cape Hatteras, NC. Since its sinking in 1862, the Monitor has become a productive artificial reef....

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With the release of a new research strategy, NOAA and partners set the stage for future studies about unique coral ecosystems found in deeper tropical waters around the world....

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Losses from catastrophic events such as hurricanes can be extensive. The economic losses from the 2005 hurricane season, which included Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, were $200 billion, the costliest season ever. For some threats, such as sea level rise, only the projected economic losses are indicated. For example, the vast majority of our nation’s commercial and recreational fisheries are dependent on coastal marshes. Approximately two-thirds of those fisheries spend some stage of their lives in tidal marshes. As sea levels rise, the built-up areas behind these marshes will provide no opportunities for wetlands to migrate. The net result will be billions of dollars in economic impacts affecting the livelihoods and sustainability of many coastal communities....

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According to a new study by NOAA and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), a powerful fish-killing toxin produced by a type of freshwater algae called Euglena sanguinea could also have cancer-killing properties....

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Over the summer, 20 budding biologists, ranging from ages five to 14, joined NOAA Fisheries scientists for a week-long camp to learn about harmful algal blooms....

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