In July and August, NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries (ONMS) sponsored the 2009 Ocean for Life program, which gathers high school students from Western and Middle Eastern nations to promote cultural understanding through ocean science....

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Coral bleaching is associated with a variety of stresses, especially increased ocean temperatures. This causes the coral to expel symbiotic micro-algae living in their tissues - algae that provide corals with food....

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A community that is more informed and prepared will have a greater opportunity to rebound quickly from weather and climate-related events, including adapting to sea level rise. The ability to rebound more quickly can reduce negative human health, environmental, and economic impacts.

The ability of a community to successfully recover is linked to the strengths and capacities of individuals, families, businesses, schools, hospitals, and other parts of the community. Also, there are more people moving into high-risk areas such as the coast. With these population increases, homes, businesses, and infrastructure are also at great risk of damage from hazards. 

Because all communities are going to face hazards, resilience is important. Resilience is our ability to prevent a short-term hazard event from turning into a long-term community-wide disaster. While most communities effectively prepare themselves to respond to emergency situations, many are not adequately prepared to recover in the aftermath.

For more information:
NOAA Coastal Services Center
NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 10 (June 3, 2009) - What is resilience?
Explore: Natural Hazards Assessment

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MEET: Neil Weston, Physicist with the National Geodetic Survey....

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An environmental sensitivity index (ESI) map compiles information for coastal shoreline sensitivity, biological resources, and human resources. This information is used to create cleanup strategies before an accident occurs so that authorities are prepared to take action in the event of such a spill. Advance planning reduces the harmful consequences of oil spills and cleanup.

ESI maps have many features that make them great tools for spill response teams. The maps use geographic information system techniques in order to combine regional maps with data on biological and human resources in an area, as well as information on sensitive shorelines. The resources are given ranks and color coded based on their sensitivity to oiling. Organizations can use the synthesized data to create efficient and effective cleanup strategies.

Researchers in the Office of Response and Restoration work with state, federal, and industrial agencies to create ESI maps.

For more information:
Environmental Sensitivity Maps, Office of Response and Restoration
Environmental Sensitivity Index Mapping (pdf, 1.6Mb)

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Less oxygen dissolved in the water is often referred to as a “dead zone” because most marine life either dies, or, if they are mobile such as fish, leave the area. Habitats that would normally be teeming with life become, essentially, biological deserts.

Hypoxic zones can occur naturally, but scientists are concerned about the areas created or enhanced by human activity. There are many physical, chemical, and biological factors that combine to create dead zones, but nutrient pollution is the primary cause of those zones created by humans. Excess nutrients that run off land or are piped as wastewater into rivers and coasts can stimulate an overgrowth of algae, which then sinks and decomposes in the water. The decomposition process consumes oxygen and depletes the supply available to healthy marine life.

Dead zones occur in many areas of the country, particularly along the East Coast, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Great Lakes, but there is no part of the country or the world that is immune. The second largest dead zone in the world is located in the U.S., in the northern Gulf of Mexico.

For more information:
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 12 (Jul. 1, 2009) - What is a dead zone?
Hypoxia and Nutrient Pollution Overview
Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

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Local bridge and highway improvements are not the only transportation projects to benefit from stimulus funds. As part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), the Office of Coast Survey is allocating $40 million for mapping the sea floor, collecting data in critical coastal areas, and updating nautical charts....

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MEET: David Elliot, Navigation Manager-Southeast Region with the Office of Coast Survey....

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Within their protected waters, giant humpback whales breed and calve their young, temperate reefs flourish, and shipwrecks tell stories of our maritime history. Similar to national parks on the land, these underwater preserves provide a safe habitat for species close to extinction or protect historically significant shipwrecks.

Ranging in size from less than 2.6 square kilometers to 356,880 square kilometers (one square mile to 137,792 square miles), each sanctuary site is a unique place needing special protections. Marine sanctuaries are natural classrooms, cherished recreational spots, and valuable commercial industries.

Our national marine sanctuaries are part of a larger network called the National Marine Sanctuary System. The Sanctuary System consists of 14 marine protected areas that encompass more than 388,498 square kilometers (150,000 square miles) of marine and Great Lakes waters from Washington State to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to American Samoa. The system includes 13 national marine sanctuaries and the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National Monument.

For more information:
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
Diving Deeper Podcast, Episode 8 (May 6, 2009) - What is a national marine sanctuary?

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NOAA ships and scientists, along with multiple partner organizations, have returned to Kachemak Bay, Alaska, for the second field season of hydrographic data collection. The goal of the project, called ‘Hydropalooza,’ is to develop the most detailed sea floor and coastline maps ever generated for this area....

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