National Ocean Service

Commercial Shipping and Recreational Boating are kept safe and efficient by the Office of the Coast Survey, created by Thomas Jefferson in 1807 as the :"Survey of the Coast," providing hydrographic surveys, nautical charts and other navigational aids: http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov

Preventing and Cleaning up Ocean Pollution by designing computer programs that forecast movement, hazards and impacts of oil and chemical spills: http://www.response.restoration.noaa.gov

Modern Electronic Navigation, Surveying, Utilities, Pipelines, Communications Systems, Highways, Railroads and Air Transportation are safely built and operated thanks to the National Geodetic Survey's National Spatial Reference System – and invisible 3-D grid of precisely measured reference points all around the nation: http://www.ngs.noaa.gov

Coral Reefs, Historic Shipwrecks, Ocean Habitats, Flora and Fauna in the 12 National Marine Sanctuaries and 25 National Estuarine Research Reserves are set aside for researchers, students and the public to learn more about ocean and coastal environments: http://www.sanctuaries.nos.noaa.gov

http://www.ocrm.nos.noaa.gov/nerr/welcome.html

Red Tides, Pfisteria, Damaging Storms, Pollution and Coastal Development are all researched , monitored and assessed by the National Centers for Coastal and Ocean Science, learning to understand and predict the impacts on both human and fish populations: http://www.nccos.noaa.gov

Coastal and Ocean Experts Solving Problems on a Global Scale, the International Programs Office connects NOAA experts with their counterparts in other countries and works on international agreements and treaties promoting training, education and cooperation in marine science management http://www.nos.noaa.gov/Programs/IPO.html