The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) recently hosted a special guest at their Corbin Training Center in Richmond, Virginia. NGS, part of the Ocean Service, manages the National Spatial Reference System....

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Projects proposed by six state coastal zone management agencies have been selected for the 2009 Coastal Management Fellowship program. This two-year opportunity offers a competitive salary, medical benefits, and travel and relocation expense reimbursement. Student applications for the fellowship are due January 26, 2009....

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In a recent study, NOS scientists found that parts and pieces of lobster traps are the most common form of marine debris in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. The tens of thousands of traps lost each year continue to trap, injure, or kill sea life; damage sensitive habitats; and are a hazard to navigation....

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A team of NOS researchers recently won the Department of Commerce Gold Medal for developing techniques to locate and map underwater unexploded ordnance in shallow water using high-tech sensors....

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The Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET), a partnership between the National Ocean Service and the University of New Hampshire, recently brought land-use planning researchers and outreach specialists together as part of the Living Coasts Program...

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A new study by NOS researchers finds that harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins are transferred to dolphins through the fish they eat. The findings point out the need for coastal managers to consider long-term, repeated dietary exposure to harmful algal toxins in their assessments of marine mammal health risks....

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Eighty percent of pollution to the marine environment comes from the land. One of the biggest sources is called nonpoint source pollution, which occurs as a result of runoff. Nonpoint source pollution includes many small sources, like septic tanks, cars, trucks, and boats, plus larger sources, such as farms, ranches, and forest areas. Millions of motor vehicle engines drop small amounts of oil each day onto roads and parking lots. Much of this, too, makes its way to the sea.

Some water pollution actually starts as air pollution, which settles into waterways and oceans. Dirt can be a pollutant. Top soil or silt from fields or construction sites can run off into waterways, harming fish and wildlife habitats.

Nonpoint source pollution can make river and ocean water unsafe for humans and wildlife. In some areas, this pollution is so bad that it causes beaches to be closed after rainstorms.

More than one-third of the shellfish-growing waters of the United States are adversely affected by coastal pollution.

Correcting the harmful effects of nonpoint source pollution is costly. Each year, millions of dollars are spent to restore and protect areas damaged or endangered by nonpoint source pollutants. NOAA works with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Agriculture, and other federal and state agencies to develop ways to control nonpoint source pollution. These agencies work together to monitor, assess, and limit nonpoint source pollution that may result naturally and by human actions.

NOAA's Coastal Zone Management Program is helping to create special nonpoint source pollution control plans for each coastal state participating in the program. When nonpoint source pollution does cause problems, NOAA scientists help track down the exact causes and find solutions.


For more information:
Nonpoint Source Pollution, NOS Education
Ocean and Coastal Resource Management Office
Coastal Zone Management


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Sunlight entering the water may travel about 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) into the ocean under the right conditions, but there is rarely any significant light beyond 200 meters (656 feet).

The ocean is divided into three zones based on depth and light level. The upper 200 meters (656 feet) of the ocean is called the euphotic, or "sunlight," zone. This zone contains the vast majority of commercial fisheries and is home to many protected marine mammals and sea turtles.

Only a small amount of light penetrates beyond this depth.

The zone between 200 meters (656 feet) and 1,000 meters (3,280 feet) is usually referred to as the “twilight” zone, but is officially the dysphotic zone. In this zone, the intensity of light rapidly dissipates as depth increases. Such a miniscule amount of light penetrates beyond a depth of 200 meters that photosynthesis is no longer possible.

The aphotic, or “midnight,” zone exists in depths below 1,000 meters (3,280 feet). Sunlight does not penetrate to these depths and the zone is bathed in darkness.

‘Photic’ is a derivative of ‘photon,’ the word for a particle of light.

For more information:
Light Penetration in Water, NOAA's Ocean Explorer

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Coastal areas are home to a wealth of natural and economic resources and are the most developed areas in the nation. The narrow fringe comprising 17 percent of the contiguous U.S. land area is home to more than half of the nation's population.

Between the years 1980 and 2003, population in coastal counties increased by 33 million people or by 28 percent. The largest gain was seen in the Pacific region. Additionally, in 2003, 23 of the 25 most densely populated counties were in coastal areas.

By the year 2008, coastal county population was expected to increase by approximately seven million.

For more information:
Population Trends Along the Coastal United States: 1980-2008...

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A new study finds significant ocean acidification in the Caribbean, and may lead to a better understanding of how coral reefs will adapt to this harmful process. A quarter of the carbon dioxide that humans place in the atmosphere each year ends up being dissolved into the ocean....

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