NOAA National Ocean Service

NOS is a scientific and technical organization of 1,700 scientists, natural resource managers, and specialists in many different fields. NOS employees work to preserve and enhance the nation's coastal resources and ecosystems along 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.5 million square miles of coastal ocean. Its mission is to provide products, services, and information that promote safe navigation, support coastal communities, sustain marine ecosystems, and mitigate coastal hazards.

NOS's eight program offices and two staff offices manage and preserve our nation's ocean and coasts. Specifically, NOS…

• Provides products, services, and data, such as nautical charts, a framework for consistent geographic reference, and tidal and water-level monitoring.

• Manages 13 national marine sanctuaries and one national monument and provides funding to coastal states to manage 27 national estuarine research reserves.

• Participates in immediate response to hazardous spill events, damage assessment, and restoration activities.

• Supports states in protecting resources and guiding economic development in coastal areas. NOS also supports training for state coastal managers participating in the program.

• Assesses, monitors, and predicts the consequences of natural and human-induced environmental hazards such as hurricanes, erosion, and sea-level rise.

ref: NOS - About NOS