NOAA

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NOAA
Where Science Gains Value

• Vice Admiral Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Jr., U.S.
  Navy (Ret.)
• Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and
  Atmosphere NOAA Administrator
• District of Columbia Rotary Club
• August 15, 2007

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Overview

• Introduction to NOAA
• Mission Vision
• NOAA Structure Budget
• Recent Accomplishments
• NOAA in the National Capitol Area
• Our Challenges
• Climate Change
• Extreme Weather
• Coastal Community Resiliency
• Fisheries and Marine Mammals

• Our Opportunities
• Earth Observation Systems
• Protecting Habitats Ecosystems
• Aquaculture
• NOAA Where Science Gains Value
• Saving Lives, Protecting Livelihoods
• Energy
• Commerce Transportation

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NOAAs Vision Mission
Vision An informed society that uses a
comprehensive understanding of the role of the
oceans, coasts, and atmosphere in the global
ecosystem to make the best social and economic
decisions. Mission To understand and predict
changes in the Earths environment and manage
coastal and marine resources to meet the Nations
economic, social, and environmental needs.
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NOAA Workforce
Of NOAAs 12557 employees 8292 have Bachelors
degrees 3638 have Masters degrees 1047 have
Ph.Ds.
58 of NOAAs Workforce are in scientific and
technical occupations
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NOAA Line Offices

• National Marine Fisheries Service
• National Weather Service
• National Ocean Service
• Oceans and Atmospheric Research
• National Environmental Satellite, Data, and
  Information Service
• Program Planning and Integration
• Marine and Aviation Operations

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NOAA Funding Trends
( in Billions)


In FY03, the House did not report or pass an
SJC appropriations bill. The House-Introduced
bill total is used here.
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Recent Accomplishments
Endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal

• Northwestern Hawaiian Islands Marine National
  Monument
• Reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act
• International Whaling Commission
• GOES-N Satellite Launched

GOES-N Launch
Humpback Whale
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NOAA in the National Capital Area

• Silver Spring
• Camp Springs (NCEP)
• Suitland (NSOF)
• Sterling Weather Forecast Office
• Norfolk
• Chesapeake Bay
• Anacostia Potomac Watersheds

Interpretive Buoy in Chesapeake Bay
NOAA Satellite Operations Facility
Anacostia Wetland Mitigation Map
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Our Challenges

• www.noaa.gov

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Challenge Climate Change

• Bottom Line There is general scientific
  agreement that human activities are increasing
  atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations, and
  that anthropogenic (human-induced) emissions are
  a driver of climate change.

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Challenge Extreme Weather

• Hurricanes
• It costs approximately 1 million per mile to
  evacuate an area in advance of a hurricane.
• Hurricane Katrina caused 80 billion in damage,
  and killed more than 1800 people.

• Tornadoes
• Each year, approximately 1000 tornadoes strike
  the U.S., killing an average of 80 people.
• In 2001, a tornado with winds of 158-206 mph
  killed 2 people in College Park, MD.

Path and Intensity Track of Hurricane Katrina
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Challenge Improving Coastal Community
Resiliency

• What planning tools and services will NOAA use to
  improve the resilience of communities and
  businesses to environmental hazards?
• How will NOAA deliver those tools and services?

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ChallengeFisheries Marine Mammal Management

• Salmon, Sea Lions, and Whales in the Pacific
• Chesapeake Oysters and Blue Crab

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Our Opportunities
www.noaa.gov
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OpportunityGlobal Earth Observation System of
Systems (GEOSS)

• 71 Member Countries the European Commission
• 46 International Organizations
• A distributed system of systems
• Improves coordination of observation systems
• Links all platforms in situ, aircraft, and
  satellite networks
• Identifies gaps in our global capacity
• Facilitates exchange of data and information
• Improves decision-makers abilities to address
  pressing policy issues
• GEONetCast
• Worldwide information distribution

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Why Earth Observations?

• Prediction
• Worldwide agricultural benefits of better El Niño
  forecasts are conservatively estimated at
  450-550 million/year.
• Prevention
• More than 90 of natural disaster-related deaths
  occur in developing countries.
• Preparedness
• More than 50 of the worlds population lives
  within 60 km of the shoreline this could rise to
  75 by the year 2020.

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OpportunityInnovative Observing Platforms
Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)Altair
Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (Autonomous Benthic
Explorer shown)
Argos-Linked Tagged Loggerhead Sea Turtles
Tracked by NOAA Polar Satellite
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OpportunityProtecting Ecosystems Habitat

• Ecosystem Approaches to Management
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• Marine Debris

Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem
Ghost Fishing Net
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OpportunityAquaculture

• Fact the United States suffers an annual seafood
  trade deficit of 7 billion. Future increases in
  population will increase the demand for seafood.
• Opportunities satisfy rising demand for seafood,
  reduce trade deficit, enhance food security,
  replenish depleted species, provide coastal jobs
• National Offshore Aquaculture Act
• Grants authority to issue offshore aquaculture
  permits
• Provides environmental and other safeguards
• Supports development of offshore aquaculture

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NOAAWhere Science Gains Value

• www.noaa.gov

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Science Gaining ValueSaving Lives, Protecting
Livelihoods

• Example Hurricane Preparedness and Response
• NOAA Provides
• Forecasts and predictions
• Inundation modeling
• Wetland assessment (satellites)
• Over flights digital imagery
• Navigation Response Teamshydrographic surveys
• Oil spill response
• Marine debris mapping
• Environmental assessment and
  
  fisheries testing

Oil Spill Response
Over Flight of Katrina Damage, MS
Satellite Wetland Assessment
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Science Gaining ValueEnergy
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Science Gaining ValueCommerce and Transportation
Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS)
measures and disseminates observations and
predictions of water levels, currents, salinity,
winds, air pressure, and air and water
temperature data. 13 PORTS systems in place, 6
more this year (including 4 in the Gulf of
Mexico). PORTS realizes economic benefits of
6.8-9.2 million/yr in Tampa Bay
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NOAA Where Science Gains Value

• NOAAs mission is broad and extremely complex.
• Observations on all scales (regional to global)
  are necessary to achieve an understanding of our
  natural environment.
• NOAA products and services are critical for
  saving lives and livelihoods and addressing the
  major environmental challenges that face our
  planet.

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Questions?

• www.noaa.gov

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Backup Slides
www.noaa.gov
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Recent Accomplishments

• GOES-N Satellite Launched
• Fleet Modernization
• FSV HENRY B. BIGELOW
• FSV PISCES
• FSV BELL M. SHIMADA
• Dart II Buoys
• Ocean Research Priorities Plan

GOES-N Launch
DART II Buoy
HENRY B. BIGELOW