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| height="0.9416666666666667in"}    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA In Your State**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Texas**                         |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| *NOAA\'s work touches the daily   |   -------------------             |
| lives of every person in the      | --------------------------------- |
| United States and in much of the  |   ![](media/image2.               |
| world. Our products and services  | png){width="2.6333333333333333in" |
| are the result of the hard work   |   height="1.6888888888888889in"}  |
| of NOAA's dedicated staff and     |                                   |
| partner organizations located in  |   -------------------             |
| program and research offices      | --------------------------------- |
| throughout the country. The       |                                   |
| following is a summary of NOAA    |                                   |
| programs based in, and focused    |                                   |
| on, your state. The entries are   |                                   |
| listed by statewide, region, and  |                                   |
| then by congressional districts   |                                   |
| and cities or towns.*             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ***TX***                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Coastal***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southeast Fisheries Science     |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Fishery Statistics Office**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Field agents serve as the         |                                   |
| principal data collection agent   |                                   |
| for marine fisheries throughout   |                                   |
| the Southeast United States       |                                   |
| (NC-TX). They implement and       |                                   |
| coordinate surveys involving the  |                                   |
| collection of fishery related     |                                   |
| data from the public.             |                                   |
| Responsibilities and functions    |                                   |
| are to develop, implement,        |                                   |
| operate, and manage an integrated |                                   |
| fishery statistical data          |                                   |
| acquisition program for research  |                                   |
| and fishery management. In Texas, |                                   |
| field agents are stationed in     |                                   |
| Beaumont, Galveston, Freeport,    |                                   |
| Aransas Pass, and Brownsville.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Water Level            |                                   |
| Observation Network**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOS operates seven long-term      |                                   |
| continuously operating tide       |                                   |
| stations in the state of Texas    |                                   |
| which provide data and            |                                   |
| information on tidal datum and    |                                   |
| relative sea level trends, and    |                                   |
| are capable of producing          |                                   |
| real-time data for storm surge    |                                   |
| warning. These stations are       |                                   |
| located at Sabine Pass, Galveston |                                   |
| Pleasure Pier, Galveston Pier 21, |                                   |
| Freeport, Rockport, Corpus        |                                   |
| Christi, and Port Isabel. The     |                                   |
| NWLON is supplemented by 25 Texas |                                   |
| Coastal Ocean Observation Network |                                   |
| (TCOON) which provide data and    |                                   |
| information on tidal datum and    |                                   |
| relative sea level trends, and    |                                   |
| are capable of producing          |                                   |
| real-time data for storm surge    |                                   |
| warning.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov](h |                                   |
| ttp://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Benthic Habitat Mapping and     |                                   |
| Classification**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Coastal and Marine Ecological |                                   |
| Classification Standard provides  |                                   |
| a consistent and universally      |                                   |
| applicable coastal habitat        |                                   |
| inventory system. These standards |                                   |
| are being applied to ongoing      |                                   |
| mapping efforts to evaluate their |                                   |
| usefulness as an analytical tool  |                                   |
| in establishing a habitat         |                                   |
| baseline and monitoring ecosystem |                                   |
| changes. Mapping projects in      |                                   |
| Texas and Florida include         |                                   |
| developing a "crosswalk" designed |                                   |
| to demonstrate where specific     |                                   |
| habitat types reside within the   |                                   |
| classification framework.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Elevation Mapping**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Center works with state and   |                                   |
| local officials to collect and    |                                   |
| distribute high-resolution        |                                   |
| topographic and bathymetric data  |                                   |
| sets. The Center worked with the  |                                   |
| private sector to acquire new     |                                   |
| light detection and ranging       |                                   |
| (lidar) and Interferometric       |                                   |
| Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR)  |                                   |
| data for coastal management       |                                   |
| applications such as the analysis |                                   |
| of storm surge and storm          |                                   |
| inundation, erosion, and habitat  |                                   |
| mapping. The Center also worked   |                                   |
| with state and federal partners   |                                   |
| to share costs and find multiple  |                                   |
| uses for coastal lidar and IfSAR  |                                   |
| data sets.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <                                 |                                   |
| http://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/tcm/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Community Resilience            |                                   |
| Coordination**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| To increase the hazard resilience |                                   |
| of coastal communities, the       |                                   |
| Center is implementing several    |                                   |
| initiatives, including            |                                   |
| coordinating resilience panels    |                                   |
| for major conferences with the    |                                   |
| Association of State Floodplain   |                                   |
| Managers, U.S. Chamber of         |                                   |
| Commerce, The Nature Conservancy, |                                   |
| and the American Meteorological   |                                   |
| Society. Activities also include  |                                   |
| the funding and coordination of   |                                   |
| partner efforts, such as the      |                                   |
| Mobile Chamber of Commerce and    |                                   |
| resilience pilot projects in      |                                   |
| Texas and Louisiana. The Center   |                                   |
| is helping these communities      |                                   |
| develop resilience plans and      |                                   |
| resilience indices that will      |                                   |
| allow progress to be measured     |                                   |
| over time.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Inundation Maps for Texas**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Weather Service and  |                                   |
| the Center have added new         |                                   |
| inundation maps to the Advanced   |                                   |
| Hydrologic Prediction Service Web |                                   |
| portal for five locations in the  |                                   |
| Houston and Galveston area of     |                                   |
| Southeast Texas. Inundation maps  |                                   |
| provide information on the        |                                   |
| spatial extent and depth of       |                                   |
| floodwaters in the vicinity of    |                                   |
| river forecast locations. These   |                                   |
| maps, when combined with river    |                                   |
| observations and weather          |                                   |
| forecasts, enhance                |                                   |
| communications, mitigate the      |                                   |
| impacts of flooding, and build    |                                   |
| more resilient communities.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.                      |                                   |
| nws.noaa.gov/ahps/inundation.php> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Journal Article on TX Mapping   |                                   |
| Project**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| A benthic habitat mapping project |                                   |
| along the Texas portion of the    |                                   |
| Gulf Coast was the cover story in |                                   |
| the August 2007 issue of the      |                                   |
| Photogrammetric Engineering &     |                                   |
| Remote Sensing journal. The       |                                   |
| article describes how the Texas   |                                   |
| Seagrass Monitoring Program is    |                                   |
| being used to locate and protect  |                                   |
| seagrass beds. To support this    |                                   |
| program, the Center collaborated  |                                   |
| with the Texas Parks and Wildlife |                                   |
| Department and the Texas A&M      |                                   |
| University Center for Coastal     |                                   |
| Studies.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://                          |                                   |
| www.asprs.org/publications/pers/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Land Cover Mapping**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Nothing provides a big-picture    |                                   |
| view of land cover status better  |                                   |
| than these maps, which are        |                                   |
| developed using remote sensing    |                                   |
| technology. The Center has        |                                   |
| baseline land cover data for most |                                   |
| of the coastal zone. The goal is  |                                   |
| to update the imagery every five  |                                   |
| years to also provide a means of  |                                   |
| detecting change or trends.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <ht                               |                                   |
| tp://www.csc.noaa.gov/landcover/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Social Science Plan for Coastal |                                   |
| TX**                              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Mission-Aransas National      |                                   |
| Estuarine Research Reserve        |                                   |
| (NERR), with assistance from the  |                                   |
| Center and others, developed a    |                                   |
| social science plan of action for |                                   |
| the Texas Coastal Bend region.    |                                   |
| Center staff members facilitated  |                                   |
| discussion during the planning    |                                   |
| process.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Texas Benthic Submerged Aquatic |                                   |
| Vegetation (SAV) Mapping**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Texas benthic mapping project |                                   |
| is a cooperative effort to map    |                                   |
| SAV and other habitats in the     |                                   |
| Coastal Bend region. This project |                                   |
| is the first large-scale effort   |                                   |
| in which digital camera imagery   |                                   |
| and semi-automated image          |                                   |
| processing techniques are used.   |                                   |
| The primary application of the    |                                   |
| project is to support the newly   |                                   |
| adopted Texas Seagrass Monitoring |                                   |
| Plan.                             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Training**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Center provides training to   |                                   |
| the coastal resource managers of  |                                   |
| the nation in three focus areas:  |                                   |
| geospatial technology, coastal    |                                   |
| management, and building process  |                                   |
| skills. Training can take place   |                                   |
| at the Center's training facility |                                   |
| for some courses but most often   |                                   |
| is taken to coastal managers in   |                                   |
| the field.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.csc.noaa.             |                                   |
| gov/bins/resources/training.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **TX Forecasts of Harmful Algal   |                                   |
| Blooms**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA and partners from the Texas  |                                   |
| Parks and Wildlife Department are |                                   |
| now providing twice-weekly        |                                   |
| forecasts on harmful algal blooms |                                   |
| (HABs) along the coast of Texas.  |                                   |
| The HAB Forecasting System relies |                                   |
| on satellite imagery, real-time   |                                   |
| and forecast winds, and field     |                                   |
| samples of the dinoflagellate     |                                   |
| Karenia brevis to provide         |                                   |
| information on the location,      |                                   |
| extent, and movement of HABs.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <h                                |                                   |
| ttp://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/habf/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **TX Maps Assess Marine Health**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Analyses of submerged aquatic     |                                   |
| vegetation (SAV) provide clues to |                                   |
| the overall health of marine      |                                   |
| habitats. As part of Texas\'      |                                   |
| Seagrass Monitoring Program, SAV  |                                   |
| and other shallow-water benthic   |                                   |
| habitats were recently mapped for |                                   |
| portions of the Coastal Bend      |                                   |
| area. The Center worked with the  |                                   |
| Texas Parks and Wildlife          |                                   |
| Department, the Texas A&M         |                                   |
| University Center for Coastal     |                                   |
| Studies, and private-sector       |                                   |
| vendors to conduct mapping and to |                                   |
| serve the data via the Center\'s  |                                   |
| website.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.csc.noa               |                                   |
| a.gov/benthic/data/gulf/bend.htm> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Integrated Ocean Observing      |                                   |
| System (IOOS) Program**           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **IOOS Regional Association**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Gulf of Mexico Coastal Ocean  |                                   |
| Observing System (GCOOS) is one   |                                   |
| of 11 Regional Associations being |                                   |
| established through IOOS. GCOOS   |                                   |
| seeks to establish a sustained    |                                   |
| observing system for the Gulf of  |                                   |
| Mexico. The system will provide   |                                   |
| observations and products needed  |                                   |
| by users in the region for the    |                                   |
| purposes of detecting and         |                                   |
| predicting climate variability    |                                   |
| and consequences, preserving and  |                                   |
| restoring healthy marine          |                                   |
| ecosystems, ensuring human        |                                   |
| health, managing resources,       |                                   |
| facilitating safe and efficient   |                                   |
| marine transportation, enhancing  |                                   |
| national security, and predicting |                                   |
| and mitigating against coastal    |                                   |
| hazards.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://gcoos.tamu.edu/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Atlantic Oceanographic and      |                                   |
| Meteorological Laboratory**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Hurricane Research**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Atlantic Oceanographic and    |                                   |
| Meteorological Laboratory\'s      |                                   |
| Hurricane Research Division (HRD) |                                   |
| located in Miami, FL, conducts    |                                   |
| research to advance the           |                                   |
| understanding and prediction of   |                                   |
| hurricanes and other tropical     |                                   |
| weather, benefiting the Texas     |                                   |
| coastal region. HRD's research is |                                   |
| based on a combination of models, |                                   |
| theories, and observations, with  |                                   |
| particular emphasis on data       |                                   |
| obtained with research aircraft.  |                                   |
| These observations are primarily  |                                   |
| collected in our annual field     |                                   |
| program using the two NOAA        |                                   |
| turboprop aircraft and jet        |                                   |
| operated by the NOAA Aircraft     |                                   |
| Operations Center. The goals of   |                                   |
| this research are to advance the  |                                   |
| prediction of tropical cyclone    |                                   |
| intensity change, improve the     |                                   |
| prediction of tropical cyclone    |                                   |
| tracks, improve the understanding |                                   |
| of and ability to predict         |                                   |
| tropical cyclone frequency and    |                                   |
| intensity, and enhance the        |                                   |
| ability to diagnose and predict   |                                   |
| the impact of tropical cyclones   |                                   |
| on life and property.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://                          |                                   |
| www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/index.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean Exploration and |                                   |
| Research**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for the South Atlantic   |                                   |
| and Gulf of Mexico**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Office of Ocean           |                                   |
| Exploration and Research focuses  |                                   |
| on exploration, advanced undersea |                                   |
| technology development, research  |                                   |
| of extreme and unique             |                                   |
| environments, continental shelf   |                                   |
| ecosystems, new ocean resources,  |                                   |
| and ocean dynamics, and the       |                                   |
| communication of results to       |                                   |
| various audiences through         |                                   |
| education and outreach. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| Undersea Research Center for the  |                                   |
| South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico |                                   |
| (SEGM), one of the six NURP       |                                   |
| regional centers, is based at the |                                   |
| University of North Carolina,     |                                   |
| Wilmington. The SEGM Center       |                                   |
| focuses on undersea research off  |                                   |
| the coasts of North Carolina,     |                                   |
| South Carolina, Georgia, and      |                                   |
| Florida and in the Florida Keys   |                                   |
| and Gulf of Mexico. Areas of      |                                   |
| research include hydrocarbon      |                                   |
| exploration and development;      |                                   |
| management of fisheries           |                                   |
| resources; anthropogenic and      |                                   |
| natural processes that impact     |                                   |
| coastal resources, including      |                                   |
| beach erosion and the             |                                   |
| introduction of excess nutrients  |                                   |
| to near shore habitats; and       |                                   |
| detection of current global       |                                   |
| climate conditions through        |                                   |
| long-term monitoring and          |                                   |
| assessment of past changes. The   |                                   |
| center's research goals evolve to |                                   |
| meet changing national and        |                                   |
| regional needs.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nurp.noaa.gov and     |                                   |
| http                              |                                   |
| ://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Pacific Marine Environmental    |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA Center for Tsunami         |                                   |
| Research (NCTR)**                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Tsunami Research Program at   |                                   |
| the Pacific Marine Environmental  |                                   |
| Laboratory (PMEL), headquartered  |                                   |
| in Seattle, Washington, seeks to  |                                   |
| mitigate tsunami hazards to all   |                                   |
| U.S. coastal states and           |                                   |
| territories, including Texas. A   |                                   |
| tsunami is a series of very large |                                   |
| ocean waves caused by underwater  |                                   |
| earthquakes, landslides, volcanic |                                   |
| eruptions, explosions, and even   |                                   |
| meteor impacts. Capable of        |                                   |
| flooding hundreds of meters       |                                   |
| inland past the typical           |                                   |
| high-water level, the fast-moving |                                   |
| water associated with an          |                                   |
| inundating tsunami can crush      |                                   |
| homes and other coastal           |                                   |
| structures. More common           |                                   |
| occurrences, and devastating in   |                                   |
| an economic sense, are false      |                                   |
| alarms that lead to expensive     |                                   |
| evacuations of coastal areas. The |                                   |
| PMEL NCTR staff conducts research |                                   |
| and development activities in     |                                   |
| close collaboration with the      |                                   |
| National Weather Service (NWS)    |                                   |
| Tsunami Warning Centers, National |                                   |
| Data Buoy Center (NDBC), and the  |                                   |
| coastal states. Activities focus  |                                   |
| on the development of             |                                   |
| site-specific forecast models for |                                   |
| coastal population centers. These |                                   |
| models are integrated into a      |                                   |
| PMEL-developed operational        |                                   |
| tsunami forecasting system at the |                                   |
| Tsunami Warning Centers. PMEL     |                                   |
| developed the original real-time  |                                   |
| DART tsunami-measuring buoy,      |                                   |
| which has been transitioned to    |                                   |
| NDBC. Engineering development is  |                                   |
| underway at PMEL to improve the   |                                   |
| cost-effectiveness of these       |                                   |
| platforms. Tsunami research at    |                                   |
| PMEL focuses on model             |                                   |
| improvements and tsunami hazard   |                                   |
| mitigation.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://nctr.pmel.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov](http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Dallas / Fort Worth***         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Information Decision    |                                   |
| Aids (WIDA)**                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Weather Information Decision Aids |                                   |
| (WIDA) is a sophisticated         |                                   |
| assessment and prediction tool    |                                   |
| that supports decisions in the    |                                   |
| aviation sector. It improves      |                                   |
| weather forecasting and           |                                   |
| visualization capabilities for    |                                   |
| use by forecasters, air traffic   |                                   |
| controller, air traffic managers, |                                   |
| airline dispatchers, and general  |                                   |
| aviation pilots.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://tmu.noaa.gov              |                                   |
| /asdad/projects/tmu/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Statewide***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Restoration Center**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Damage Assessment Remediation   |                                   |
| and Restoration Program**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS Restoration Center works     |                                   |
| with over 53 private and public   |                                   |
| partners in Texas to create and   |                                   |
| restore marshes for shoreline     |                                   |
| stabilization, restore seagrass   |                                   |
| beds, and rebuild native oyster   |                                   |
| reefs. More than 44 projects have |                                   |
| been constructed in the State     |                                   |
| since 1999. The 11,000-acre       |                                   |
| hydrologic restoration of         |                                   |
| multiple fishery habitat types at |                                   |
| Bahia Grande, between Brownsville |                                   |
| and Port Isabel, Texas, is the    |                                   |
| largest Community-based estuary   |                                   |
| restoration project in the        |                                   |
| country to date. Through the      |                                   |
| Community-based Restoration       |                                   |
| Program, 7,409 volunteers have    |                                   |
| contributed nearly 36,000 hours   |                                   |
| to restore Texas habitat. Through |                                   |
| the Damage Assessment Remediation |                                   |
| and Restoration Program, the      |                                   |
| Restoration Center collaborates   |                                   |
| with other agencies, industry,    |                                   |
| and citizens to protect and       |                                   |
| restore coastal and marine        |                                   |
| resources in Texas threatened or  |                                   |
| injured by oil spills, releases   |                                   |
| of hazardous substances, and      |                                   |
| vessel groundings.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <h                                |                                   |
| ttp://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southeast Region**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southeast Regional Office and   |                                   |
| Fisheries Science Center**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS is responsible for the       |                                   |
| management, conservation and      |                                   |
| protection of living marine       |                                   |
| resources within the United       |                                   |
| States\' Exclusive Economic Zone  |                                   |
| (water to 200 miles off the       |                                   |
| seaward boundaries of coastal     |                                   |
| states). Using the tools provided |                                   |
| by the *Magnuson-Stevens Act*,    |                                   |
| NMFS assesses and predicts the    |                                   |
| status of fish stocks, develops   |                                   |
| and ensures compliance with       |                                   |
| fisheries regulations, restores   |                                   |
| and protects habitat and works to |                                   |
| reduce wasteful fishing           |                                   |
| practices, and promote            |                                   |
| sustainable fisheries. Under the  |                                   |
| *Marine Mammal Protection Act*    |                                   |
| and the *Endangered Species Act*, |                                   |
| NMFS recovers protected marine    |                                   |
| species (i.e. whales, turtles).   |                                   |
| The Southeast Regional Office     |                                   |
| (located in Saint Petersburg, FL) |                                   |
| is composed of four divisions:    |                                   |
| (1) Sustainable Fisheries; (2)    |                                   |
| Habitat Conservation; (3)         |                                   |
| Protected Resources; and (4)      |                                   |
| Operations, Management and        |                                   |
| Information, which houses         |                                   |
| constituent services and grants.  |                                   |
| The region manages 175 fish       |                                   |
| species or multispecies complexes |                                   |
| in the Gulf of Mexico, South      |                                   |
| Atlantic, and Caribbean Sea under |                                   |
| 17 fishery management plans.      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Southeast Fisheries Science   |                                   |
| Center is headquartered on        |                                   |
| Virginia Key, Miami, FL. The      |                                   |
| Center is comprised of five NMFS  |                                   |
| Laboratories (Galveston, TX;      |                                   |
| Pascagoula, MS; Panama City, Fl;  |                                   |
| Miami, Fl; and Beaufort, NC) and  |                                   |
| two satellite facilities          |                                   |
| (Lafayette, LA; Stennis Space     |                                   |
| Center, MS) in the region. The    |                                   |
| Center implements a science and   |                                   |
| research program that provides    |                                   |
| information and technology for    |                                   |
| fishery resource conservation;    |                                   |
| habitat conservation, and; the    |                                   |
| recovery of protected and         |                                   |
| endangered species. The Southeast |                                   |
| Regional Office and Science       |                                   |
| Center are responsible for the    |                                   |
| inland states of Arkansas, Iowa,  |                                   |
| Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri,       |                                   |
| Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma,   |                                   |
| and Tennessee, the coastal states |                                   |
| of North Carolina, South          |                                   |
| Carolina, Georgia, Florida,       |                                   |
| Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana,  |                                   |
| and Texas, the Commonwealth of    |                                   |
| Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin  |                                   |
| Islands.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [htt                              |                                   |
| p://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/index.html |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov](http   |                                   |
| ://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/index.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service (NWS)  |                                   |
| and Office of Oceanic and         |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Incident Meteorologist Program  |                                   |
| and Earth Systems Research        |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Fire Weather Services and       |                                   |
| Support**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Weather Service      |                                   |
| (NWS) fire weather forecasters    |                                   |
| are called Incident               |                                   |
| Meteorologists (IMETS). When a    |                                   |
| fire reaches a large enough size  |                                   |
| the IMETS are called out to the   |                                   |
| fire to provide constant weather  |                                   |
| updates and forecast briefings to |                                   |
| the fire incident commanders at   |                                   |
| the fire. The IMETS are very      |                                   |
| important members of the fire     |                                   |
| fighting team, as changes in the  |                                   |
| fires are largely due to changes  |                                   |
| in the weather. To improve NWS    |                                   |
| fire weather services to the      |                                   |
| public, NOAA's Earth System       |                                   |
| Research Laboratory (ESRL)        |                                   |
| conducts modeling,                |                                   |
| instrumentation and data services |                                   |
| research.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ESRL data dissemination and       |                                   |
| display systems are designed to   |                                   |
| be used by trained                |                                   |
| meteorologists, the US Forest     |                                   |
| Service, and the Bureau of Land   |                                   |
| Management. For example, the      |                                   |
| FX-Net thin client system and the |                                   |
| Gridded FX-Net full function      |                                   |
| system are ESRL-developed         |                                   |
| software systems that are a       |                                   |
| critical part of the equipment    |                                   |
| the IMETS bring with them to the  |                                   |
| fire. NWS forecasters at fires in |                                   |
| all 50 states use these mobile    |                                   |
| PC--based client software         |                                   |
| packages. Computer servers that   |                                   |
| communicate with the mobile PC    |                                   |
| clients are located in Hawaii,    |                                   |
| Alaska, Utah, Colorado, Texas and |                                   |
| New York. State emergency         |                                   |
| managers in many of the NWS       |                                   |
| regional areas also use the       |                                   |
| PC-base clients. Other            |                                   |
| collaborators who work to improve |                                   |
| NWS fire weather services include |                                   |
| the University of Colorado in     |                                   |
| Boulder (CU), NCAR and private    |                                   |
| sector instrumentation companies. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Program Office**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Texas Grants**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA is a leading provider of     |                                   |
| climate, weather, and water       |                                   |
| information and services to the   |                                   |
| nation and the world. NOAA's      |                                   |
| Climate Program Office was        |                                   |
| established in October 2005. The  |                                   |
| Office manages the competitive    |                                   |
| research program by which NOAA    |                                   |
| funds high-priority climate       |                                   |
| science to advance understanding  |                                   |
| of atmospheric, oceanic,          |                                   |
| land-based, and snow and ice      |                                   |
| processes, and how they affect    |                                   |
| climate. It focuses on developing |                                   |
| a broader user community for      |                                   |
| climate products and services,    |                                   |
| provides NOAA a focal point for   |                                   |
| climate activities within NOAA,   |                                   |
| leads NOAA climate education and  |                                   |
| outreach activities, and          |                                   |
| coordinates international climate |                                   |
| activities. It supports projects  |                                   |
| across the nation conducted by    |                                   |
| investigators outside the federal |                                   |
| government, such as the through   |                                   |
| the academic and private sectors, |                                   |
| within the federal government,    |                                   |
| and in NOAA Cooperative           |                                   |
| Institutes. The Climate Program   |                                   |
| Office provides climate funding   |                                   |
| in this state.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http                             |                                   |
| ://www.cpo.noaa.gov/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Ground- Based GPS Meteorology** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory maintains the          |                                   |
| Ground-Based GPS Meteorology      |                                   |
| project, currently consisting of  |                                   |
| 400 GPS water vapor observing     |                                   |
| systems that provide near         |                                   |
| real-time integrated precipitable |                                   |
| water vapor (IPW) measurements    |                                   |
| for weather forecasting, climate  |                                   |
| modeling, calibration and         |                                   |
| validation of satellite and       |                                   |
| radiosonde water vapor            |                                   |
| measurements, and research. This  |                                   |
| project provides water vapor data |                                   |
| available to all users.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.gpsmet.n              |                                   |
| oaa.gov/jsp/raob.jsp]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Physical Sciences      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Wind Profiler Support for the   |                                   |
| Tethered Aerostat Radar System**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) is working with |                                   |
| the Air Force to install a        |                                   |
| network of 915-MHz radar wind     |                                   |
| profilers (RWP) along the         |                                   |
| southern border of the United     |                                   |
| States to support the Tethered    |                                   |
| Aerostat Radar System (TARS).     |                                   |
| TARS is a network of tethered,    |                                   |
| balloon-borne, downward-looking   |                                   |
| radars whose mission is to        |                                   |
| provide surveillance data in      |                                   |
| support of federal agencies       |                                   |
| involved in the nation\'s drug    |                                   |
| interdiction program. Currently   |                                   |
| there are 11 TARS sites across    |                                   |
| the southern United States, from  |                                   |
| the west to the east coast. These |                                   |
| balloons or aerostats are         |                                   |
| susceptible to hazardous wind     |                                   |
| shear events. ESRL profilers      |                                   |
| support TARS by detecting those   |                                   |
| shear events. The same wind       |                                   |
| profiler technology is also used  |                                   |
| in the NOAA Profiler Network      |                                   |
| (NPN) to provide hourly wind      |                                   |
| profile data to the National      |                                   |
| Weather Service (NWS),            |                                   |
| environmental research groups,    |                                   |
| and Universities.                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.es                    |                                   |
| rl.noaa.gov/psd/technology/tars/> |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| <h                                |                                   |
| ttp://www.profiler.noaa.gov/npn/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Sea Grant College      |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Texas Sea Grant College         |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s National Sea Grant        |                                   |
| College Program is a              |                                   |
| federal-university partnership    |                                   |
| that integrates research,         |                                   |
| education, and outreach           |                                   |
| (extension and communications).   |                                   |
| Sea Grant forms a network of 32   |                                   |
| programs in all U.S. coastal and  |                                   |
| Great Lakes states, Puerto Rico   |                                   |
| and Guam. The Texas Sea Grant     |                                   |
| College Program is housed at      |                                   |
| Texas A&M University in College   |                                   |
| Station, but works with academic  |                                   |
| institutions, agencies and        |                                   |
| industries throughout the state   |                                   |
| to respond to state and national  |                                   |
| concerns about the marine         |                                   |
| environment and ensuring          |                                   |
| responsible conservation of       |                                   |
| marine resources and continued    |                                   |
| economic development. The program |                                   |
| involves marine-related research, |                                   |
| marine advisory service and       |                                   |
| communications.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <                                 |                                   |
| http://texas-sea-grant.tamu.edu/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX- 5***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Palestine***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Palestine Station**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. The USCRN |                                   |
| is managed and operated by        |                                   |
| NOAA\'s National Climatic Data    |                                   |
| Center (NCDC). The USCRN will     |                                   |
| also provide the United States    |                                   |
| with a reference network that     |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.ncdc.noaa             |                                   |
| .gov/crn/sites.html.]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-11***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Bronte***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Bronte Station**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Midland/Odessa***              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Midland/Odessa WFO**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This National Weather Service     |                                   |
| Weather Forecast Office provides  |                                   |
| weather and flood warnings, daily |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for southwestern  |                                   |
| Texas and southeastern New        |                                   |
| Mexico.                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/maf/>    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Monahans***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monahans Station**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***San Angelo***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **San Angelo WFO**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This National Weather Service     |                                   |
| Weather Forecast Office provides  |                                   |
| weather and flood warnings, daily |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for much of       |                                   |
| central Texas.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/sjt>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-12***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Fort Worth***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southern Region Headquarters**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Program Management and          |                                   |
| Administrative Support**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This regional office provides     |                                   |
| direct program management and     |                                   |
| administrative support for        |                                   |
| National Weather Service 32       |                                   |
| Weather Forecast Offices, four    |                                   |
| River Forecast Centers, seven     |                                   |
| Center Weather Service Units and  |                                   |
| three Weather Service Offices in  |                                   |
| ten states, Puerto Rico and the   |                                   |
| US Virgin Islands. SRH manages    |                                   |
| all operations and scientific     |                                   |
| meteorological programs of the    |                                   |
| region and provides technical and |                                   |
| operational support.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.srh.no                |                                   |
| aa.gov](http://www.srh.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **West Gulf River Forecast        |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This National Weather Service     |                                   |
| Weather Forecast Office provides  |                                   |
| weather and flood warnings, daily |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for the area. The |                                   |
| co-located West Gulf River        |                                   |
| Forecast Center provides          |                                   |
| forecasts of river levels and     |                                   |
| flooding potential for hydrologic |                                   |
| basin data for north central and  |                                   |
| northeastern Texas. Also served   |                                   |
| is most of Texas, New Mexico, and |                                   |
| parts of Colorado and Louisiana   |                                   |
| The center also serves 87,000     |                                   |
| square mile area of northern      |                                   |
| Mexico and the West Gulf River    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/fwd> and |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/wgrfc/>  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-13***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Amarillo***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Amarillo WFO**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This National Weather Service     |                                   |
| Weather Forecast Office provides  |                                   |
| weather and flood warnings, daily |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for much of       |                                   |
| central Texas.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ama>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-14***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Galveston***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Conservation Division** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Galveston Field Office**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Galveston Field Office is     |                                   |
| located in the Galveston          |                                   |
| Laboratory of NMFS' Southeast     |                                   |
| Fisheries Science Center. This    |                                   |
| office is responsible for         |                                   |
| implementing NMFS' habitat        |                                   |
| protection programs in Texas and  |                                   |
| for reviewing oil and gas leasing |                                   |
| activities on Outer Continental   |                                   |
| Shelf waters of the Gulf of       |                                   |
| Mexico. In addition to conducting |                                   |
| mandated essential fish habitat   |                                   |
| consultations associated with     |                                   |
| extensive energy and coastal      |                                   |
| development activities, the       |                                   |
| Galveston Field Office            |                                   |
| participates in state and         |                                   |
| regional habitat planning and     |                                   |
| restoration efforts, provides     |                                   |
| assistance during hazardous       |                                   |
| material incidents and hurricane  |                                   |
| events, and participates in the   |                                   |
| planning processes for major      |                                   |
| federal water development         |                                   |
| projects.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http:                            |                                   |
| //sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/hcd/hcd.htm> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Law Enforcement**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Field Office**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Office of Law Enforcement |                                   |
| is dedicated primarily to the     |                                   |
| enforcement of laws that protect  |                                   |
| and regulate our nation's living  |                                   |
| marine resources and their        |                                   |
| natural habitat. Office of Law    |                                   |
| Enforcement special agents and    |                                   |
| enforcement officers have         |                                   |
| specified authority to enforce    |                                   |
| over 37 statutes, as well as      |                                   |
| numerous treaties related to the  |                                   |
| conservation and protection of    |                                   |
| marine resources and other        |                                   |
| matters of concern to NOAA.       |                                   |
| Stretching across the Gulf of     |                                   |
| Mexico, up the eastern seaboard   |                                   |
| from the Florida Keys to the      |                                   |
| northern shore of North Carolina  |                                   |
| and covering United States        |                                   |
| territorial waters in the         |                                   |
| Caribbean, the Southeast          |                                   |
| Enforcement Division\'s           |                                   |
| responsibility is vast beyond     |                                   |
| measure. The Southeast Division   |                                   |
| is home to the nation\'s large    |                                   |
| shrimp trawl fishery, and is      |                                   |
| widely known for its vast coral   |                                   |
| reefs fisheries, turtle beaches,  |                                   |
| and highly prized saltwater game  |                                   |
| fish. Georgian waters also play   |                                   |
| host to the calving grounds for   |                                   |
| the approximately 350 endangered  |                                   |
| Northern Right whales, while      |                                   |
| Floridian waters hold the only    |                                   |
| continental coral reef in the     |                                   |
| United States. The Divisions is   |                                   |
| also responsible for enforcement  |                                   |
| activities within the Florida     |                                   |
| Keys, Flower Garden Bank, the     |                                   |
| Monitor and Gray's Reef National  |                                   |
| Marine Sanctuaries.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.nmf                   |                                   |
| s.noaa.gov/ole/se_southeast.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southeast Fisheries Science     |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Galveston Laboratory**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Galveston laboratory is       |                                   |
| located on the site of the        |                                   |
| Historic Fort Crockett, one block |                                   |
| from the Gulf of Mexico on        |                                   |
| Galveston Island, Texas. Research |                                   |
| focuses on fisheries management   |                                   |
| (shrimp and reef fish fisheries   |                                   |
| data collection and analysis,     |                                   |
| fishery ecology (coastal wetland  |                                   |
| ecology, coral reef ecology, and  |                                   |
| restoration science),             |                                   |
| mathematical forecasts of the     |                                   |
| Texas shrimp fishery, and         |                                   |
| evaluation of shrimp fishery      |                                   |
| impacts on other fisheries and    |                                   |
| protected species. Sea Turtle     |                                   |
| ecology and recovery research is  |                                   |
| also conducted at Galveston. The  |                                   |
| lab has been working on the       |                                   |
| endangered Kemp\'s Ridley sea     |                                   |
| turtle since 1978 and is the only |                                   |
| federal facility in the United    |                                   |
| States dedicated to captive       |                                   |
| rearing of sea turtles. The       |                                   |
| fishery observer program,         |                                   |
| originally developed to provide   |                                   |
| an economic evaluation of turtle  |                                   |
| reduction devices in shrimp       |                                   |
| trawls, currently encompasses     |                                   |
| shrimp trawl and reef fish trap   |                                   |
| and long-line vessel observer     |                                   |
| monitoring. A port agent data     |                                   |
| collection system, established in |                                   |
| 1960, provides the fishery        |                                   |
| dependent data needed for the     |                                   |
| stock assessments done at         |                                   |
| Galveston.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://g                         |                                   |
| alveston.ssp.nmfs.gov/index.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Sanctuary       |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Flower Garden Banks National    |                                   |
| Marine Sanctuary**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Flower Garden Banks National  |                                   |
| Marine Sanctuary, the             |                                   |
| northernmost coral reefs on the   |                                   |
| continental shelf of North        |                                   |
| America, lies 160 kilometers off  |                                   |
| the coast of Texas and Louisiana  |                                   |
| in the Gulf of Mexico. The reefs  |                                   |
| at Flower Garden Banks sit atop   |                                   |
| huge seabed outcroppings 17       |                                   |
| meters below the surface. Unique  |                                   |
| to the Gulf, the multi-colored    |                                   |
| corals, plants and sponges at     |                                   |
| Flower Garden Banks resemble reef |                                   |
| development typically found 960   |                                   |
| kilometers southeast in the       |                                   |
| Florida Keys, or over 640 km due  |                                   |
| south in Mexico\'s Gulf of        |                                   |
| Campeche. A popular area for      |                                   |
| commercial and sport fishermen,   |                                   |
| the reefs serve as a regional     |                                   |
| reservoir of shallow-water        |                                   |
| Caribbean reef fishes and         |                                   |
| invertebrates. At least 80        |                                   |
| species of algae, 253             |                                   |
| macroinvertebrate species, and    |                                   |
| more than 175 fish species reside |                                   |
| in or near the sanctuary. The     |                                   |
| Gardens also are significant      |                                   |
| habitat for lobster, snapper,     |                                   |
| grouper, manta rays, loggerhead   |                                   |
| turtles, whale sharks and spotted |                                   |
| dolphins.                         |                                   |
| <http://flowergarden.noaa.gov/>   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-14,18***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Galveston/Houston***           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Houston/Galveston PORTS**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| A Physical Oceanographic          |                                   |
| Real-Time System (PORTS®) is      |                                   |
| operated cooperatively with the   |                                   |
| local maritime community in       |                                   |
| Houston/Galveston Bay at which    |                                   |
| real-time data are                |                                   |
| quality-controlled and            |                                   |
| disseminated to local users for   |                                   |
| safe and efficient navigation.    |                                   |
| Real-time data are available for  |                                   |
| water level from five stations,   |                                   |
| for currents from two stations,   |                                   |
| for meteorological data from four |                                   |
| locations and for conductivity at |                                   |
| three locations.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov](h |                                   |
| ttp://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Houston/Galveston WFO**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This National Weather Service     |                                   |
| Weather Forecast Office provides  |                                   |
| weather and flood warnings, daily |                                   |
| forecasts meteorologic and        |                                   |
| hydrologic data for most of       |                                   |
| southeastern Texas. This office   |                                   |
| also provides marine warnings and |                                   |
| forecasts for portions of the     |                                   |
| Texas Gulf Coast.                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/hgx>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-15***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Edinburgh***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Edinburgh Station**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Harlingen***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Law Enforcement**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Field Office**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Office of Law Enforcement |                                   |
| is dedicated primarily to the     |                                   |
| enforcement of laws that protect  |                                   |
| and regulate our nation's living  |                                   |
| marine resources and their        |                                   |
| natural habitat. Office of Law    |                                   |
| Enforcement special agents and    |                                   |
| enforcement officers have         |                                   |
| specified authority to enforce    |                                   |
| over 37 statutes, as well as      |                                   |
| numerous treaties related to the  |                                   |
| conservation and protection of    |                                   |
| marine resources and other        |                                   |
| matters of concern to NOAA.       |                                   |
| Stretching across the Gulf of     |                                   |
| Mexico, up the eastern seaboard   |                                   |
| from the Florida Keys to the      |                                   |
| northern shore of North Carolina  |                                   |
| and covering United States        |                                   |
| territorial waters in the         |                                   |
| Caribbean, the Southeast          |                                   |
| Enforcement Division\'s           |                                   |
| responsibility is vast beyond     |                                   |
| measure. The Southeast Division   |                                   |
| is home to the nation\'s large    |                                   |
| shrimp trawl fishery, and is      |                                   |
| widely known for its vast coral   |                                   |
| reefs fisheries, turtle beaches,  |                                   |
| and highly prized saltwater game  |                                   |
| fish. Georgian waters also play   |                                   |
| host to the calving grounds for   |                                   |
| the approximately 350 endangered  |                                   |
| Northern Right whales, while      |                                   |
| Floridian waters hold the only    |                                   |
| continental coral reef in the     |                                   |
| United States. The Divisions is   |                                   |
| also responsible for enforcement  |                                   |
| activities within the Florida     |                                   |
| Keys, Flower Garden Bank, the     |                                   |
| Monitor and Gray's Reef National  |                                   |
| Marine Sanctuaries.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.nmf                   |                                   |
| s.noaa.gov/ole/se_southeast.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***McAllen***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Science On a Sphere®**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Science On a Sphere (SOS) is a    |                                   |
| room-sized global display system  |                                   |
| that uses computers and video     |                                   |
| projectors to display planetary   |                                   |
| data onto a six-foot diameter     |                                   |
| sphere, analogous to a giant      |                                   |
| animated globe. Researchers at    |                                   |
| NOAA developed Science On a       |                                   |
| Sphere® as an educational tool to |                                   |
| help illustrate Earth System      |                                   |
| science to people of all ages.    |                                   |
| Animated images of atmospheric    |                                   |
| storms, climate change, and ocean |                                   |
| temperature can be shown on the   |                                   |
| sphere, which is used to explain  |                                   |
| what are sometimes complex        |                                   |
| environmental processes, in a way |                                   |
| that is simultaneously intuitive  |                                   |
| and captivating.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.sos.noaa.gov/ and     |                                   |
| http://sos.noaa.gov               |                                   |
| /news/sos_sites.html]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Port Aransas***                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Port Aransas Station**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Sinton***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Atmosphere       |                                   |
| Aloft - Carbon Cycle Gases and    |                                   |
| Halocarbons**                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a new  |                                   |
| and growing small aircraft-based  |                                   |
| North American network of         |                                   |
| sampling sites to measure         |                                   |
| vertical profiles of important    |                                   |
| greenhouse gas concentrations.    |                                   |
| Air is sampled above the surface  |                                   |
| up to approximately 25,000 feet   |                                   |
| above sea level using a           |                                   |
| relatively small, light, and      |                                   |
| economical automated system       |                                   |
| developed by ESRL researchers.    |                                   |
| These air samples are delivered   |                                   |
| to the ESRL laboratory in         |                                   |
| Boulder, Colorado for             |                                   |
| measurements of CO2, CH4, and     |                                   |
| other greenhouse gasses. This     |                                   |
| data will improve understanding   |                                   |
| and models of the global carbon   |                                   |
| cycle. Sampling is conducted      |                                   |
| bi-weekly. Some air samples from  |                                   |
| the small aircraft program are    |                                   |
| also analyzed for halocarbon      |                                   |
| gases that can destroy the        |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone layer.        |                                   |
| Halocarbon measurements help      |                                   |
| determine the effectiveness of    |                                   |
| efforts to protect and restore    |                                   |
| the ozone layer so it can protect |                                   |
| us from the sun's ultraviolet     |                                   |
| radiation.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/abo |                                   |
| ut/climate.html.](http://www.esrl |                                   |
| .noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-17***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***College Station***             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Severe Storms          |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mobile Radars and Storm         |                                   |
| Detection**                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| SMART-R - NSSL partners with the  |                                   |
| University of Oklahoma, Texas A&M |                                   |
| and Texas Tech University to      |                                   |
| develop, maintain, and use Shared |                                   |
| Mobile Atmospheric Research and   |                                   |
| Teaching Radars (SMART-R\'s).     |                                   |
| SMART-R\'s are mobile Doppler     |                                   |
| radars that can be placed in      |                                   |
| position as a storm is developing |                                   |
| to rapidly scan the atmosphere at |                                   |
| low levels, below the beam of     |                                   |
| NEXRAD radars.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nssl.n                |                                   |
| oaa.gov/smartradars/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Moody***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Atmosphere -     |                                   |
| Tall Tower Carbon Measurements**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates trace  |                                   |
| gas monitoring sites at tall      |                                   |
| television transmitter towers in  |                                   |
| six states, including Texas. The  |                                   |
| sites were established to extend  |                                   |
| ESRL\'s monitoring network into   |                                   |
| the interior of North America in  |                                   |
| order to provide data to aid      |                                   |
| estimation of the net carbon      |                                   |
| balance of the continent.         |                                   |
| Variations of trace gases,        |                                   |
| especially carbon dioxide (CO2),  |                                   |
| are largest near the ground, so   |                                   |
| existing tall (\> 400 meters)     |                                   |
| transmitter towers are utilized   |                                   |
| as platforms for in situ and      |                                   |
| flask sampling for atmospheric    |                                   |
| trace gases. The tower site in    |                                   |
| Texas is located near the town of |                                   |
| Moody, 20 miles south of Waco.    |                                   |
| Pinnacle Towers Inc. owns the     |                                   |
| tower, which charges a nominal    |                                   |
| fee for use of the facility. ESRL |                                   |
| monitors CO2 concentrations on    |                                   |
| the tower at several heights, up  |                                   |
| to 500 meters above the ground,   |                                   |
| and measures wind speed and       |                                   |
| direction, temperature, humidity, |                                   |
| rainfall, solar radiation and     |                                   |
| barometric pressure. The          |                                   |
| Blackland Research and Extension  |                                   |
| Center of Texas A&M University,   |                                   |
| located in Temple, has helped     |                                   |
| maintain the site and collect     |                                   |
| flask samples since early 2001.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.esrl.noaa.            |                                   |
| gov/gmd/ccgg/towers/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere - Cooperative Global   |                                   |
| Air Sampling Network**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's Earth System Research      |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a      |                                   |
| Cooperative Global Air Sampling   |                                   |
| Network to measure the            |                                   |
| distribution and trends of carbon |                                   |
| dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4),  |                                   |
| the two gases most responsible    |                                   |
| for human-caused climate change,  |                                   |
| as well as other greenhouse gases |                                   |
| and volatile organic compounds.   |                                   |
| Samples are collected weekly at   |                                   |
| fixed locations and on several    |                                   |
| commercial ships. The air samples |                                   |
| are delivered to the ESRL         |                                   |
| laboratory, located in Boulder,   |                                   |
| CO. The observed geographical     |                                   |
| patterns and small but persistent |                                   |
| spatial gradients are used to     |                                   |
| better understand the processes,  |                                   |
| both natural and human induced,   |                                   |
| that underlie the trends. These   |                                   |
| measurements help determine the   |                                   |
| magnitude of carbon sources and   |                                   |
| sinks in North America.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/abo |                                   |
| ut/climate.html.](http://www.esrl |                                   |
| .noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Halocarbon          |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's Earth System Research      |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a      |                                   |
| sampling network to measure the   |                                   |
| distribution and trends of the    |                                   |
| gases most responsible for        |                                   |
| human-caused depletion of the     |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone layer. Weekly |                                   |
| samples are collected in high     |                                   |
| pressure flasks at fixed          |                                   |
| locations. The air sample flasks  |                                   |
| are delivered to the ESRL         |                                   |
| laboratory, located in Boulder,   |                                   |
| CO for analysis. Some locations   |                                   |
| conduct continuous surface        |                                   |
| measurements on site. Halocarbon  |                                   |
| measurements help determine the   |                                   |
| effectiveness of efforts to       |                                   |
| protect and restore the ozone     |                                   |
| layer - so it can protect us from |                                   |
| the sun's ultraviolet radiation.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.esr                   |                                   |
| l.noaa.gov/gmd/hats/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Ozone               |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ESRL conducts long-term           |                                   |
| monitoring of ozone at the        |                                   |
| surface, with aircraft, and with  |                                   |
| balloons, through cooperative     |                                   |
| relationships with local          |                                   |
| partners. The ESRL tropospheric   |                                   |
| ozone aircraft measurement        |                                   |
| program is being done in          |                                   |
| conjunction with the Carbon Cycle |                                   |
| and Greenhouse Gas (CCGG)         |                                   |
| group\'s existing aircraft        |                                   |
| sampling network. Aircraft based  |                                   |
| in-situ tropospheric ozone        |                                   |
| measurements provide data         |                                   |
| relevant to: pollution events,    |                                   |
| lower atmosphere mixing dynamics, |                                   |
| boundary layer stability, ozone   |                                   |
| trend studies, and the validity   |                                   |
| of other samples collected        |                                   |
| in-flight. Near ground level      |                                   |
| ozone is currently monitored      |                                   |
| using ultraviolet absorption      |                                   |
| photometers at eight sites that   |                                   |
| are generally representative of   |                                   |
| background conditions. These      |                                   |
| sites, four of which have records |                                   |
| exceeding 25 years in length,     |                                   |
| provide information on possible   |                                   |
| long-term changes in tropospheric |                                   |
| ozone near the surface and        |                                   |
| support air quality research.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.esr                   |                                   |
| l.noaa.gov/gmd/ozwv/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-18***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Houston***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Total Column Ozone              |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) makes           |                                   |
| measurements of the column        |                                   |
| amounts of ozone between the      |                                   |
| earth\'s surface and the top of   |                                   |
| the atmosphere at a number of     |                                   |
| locations around the United       |                                   |
| States, including Boulder, CO.    |                                   |
| The observations are obtained     |                                   |
| with ground-based spectrometers   |                                   |
| that measure the attenuation by   |                                   |
| ozone of ultraviolet light. This  |                                   |
| integrated ozone amount is        |                                   |
| critical in determining the       |                                   |
| amount of ultraviolet radiation   |                                   |
| reaching the earth\'s surface.    |                                   |
| Excess ultraviolet radiation is   |                                   |
| responsible for human skin cancer |                                   |
| and is also harmful to other      |                                   |
| biogenic organisms. Column ozone  |                                   |
| measurements monitor changes in   |                                   |
| the stratospheric ozone layer     |                                   |
| resulting from human-produced     |                                   |
| chlorine and bromine compounds    |                                   |
| that destroy ozone. With controls |                                   |
| now in place on the manufacture   |                                   |
| and use of these ozone destroying |                                   |
| compounds, it will be important   |                                   |
| to monitor the ozone layer for    |                                   |
| the expected recovery and         |                                   |
| determine whether other factors   |                                   |
| such as long-term climate change  |                                   |
| are influencing this recovery.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.esrl.noaa.gov/        |                                   |
| gmd/about/ozone.html]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Ultraviolet Radiation (UV)      |                                   |
| Monitoring Network**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates an     |                                   |
| ultraviolet radiation (UV)        |                                   |
| monitoring network site in        |                                   |
| Houston. These measurements are   |                                   |
| done as part of ESRL's research   |                                   |
| on the Earth\'s surface radiation |                                   |
| budget. Research efforts are      |                                   |
| devoted to the extent and cause   |                                   |
| of observed variations in         |                                   |
| long-term radiation and           |                                   |
| meteorological measurements,      |                                   |
| using satellite observations and  |                                   |
| climate model calculations. In    |                                   |
| addition, observations of         |                                   |
| spectral solar radiation are made |                                   |
| for remote sensing of certain     |                                   |
| atmospheric constituents and      |                                   |
| spectral solar UV is measured for |                                   |
| the investigation of the          |                                   |
| interaction of ozone and solar    |                                   |
| radiation. ESRL also provides     |                                   |
| essential instrument calibration  |                                   |
| services for national and         |                                   |
| worldwide partner UV monitoring   |                                   |
| networks.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.esr                   |                                   |
| l.noaa.gov/gmd/grad/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-19***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Lubbock***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Lubbock WFO**                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| This National Weather Service     |                                   |
| Weather Forecast Office provides  |                                   |
| weather and flood warnings, daily |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for much of       |                                   |
| northwestern Texas.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lub>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Severe Storms          |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mobile Radars and Storm         |                                   |
| Detection**                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| SMART-R - NSSL partners with the  |                                   |
| University of Oklahoma, Texas A&M |                                   |
| and Texas Tech University to      |                                   |
| develop, maintain, and use Shared |                                   |
| Mobile Atmospheric Research and   |                                   |
| Teaching Radars (SMART-R\'s).     |                                   |
| SMART-R\'s are mobile Doppler     |                                   |
| radars that can be placed in      |                                   |
| position as a storm is developing |                                   |
| to rapidly scan the atmosphere at |                                   |
| low levels, below the beam of     |                                   |
| NEXRAD radars.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nssl.n                |                                   |
| oaa.gov/smartradars/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Muleshoe***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Muleshoe Station**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-21***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Austin/San Antonio at New      |                                   |
| Braunfels***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Austin/San Antonio WFO**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at the New Braunfels      |                                   |
| Municipal Airport, this National  |                                   |
| Weather Service Weather Forecast  |                                   |
| Office provides weather and flood |                                   |
| warnings, daily forecasts and     |                                   |
| meteorologic and hydrologic data  |                                   |
| for much of south central Texas.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ewx>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-22***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Houston***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geodetic Survey**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Harris-Galveston Coastal        |                                   |
| Subsidence District**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Harris-Galveston Coastal      |                                   |
| Subsidence District (HGCSD) and   |                                   |
| the National Geodetic Survey are  |                                   |
| renewing their cooperative        |                                   |
| agreement to jointly pursue       |                                   |
| improved methods of monitoring    |                                   |
| land subsidence in the Houston    |                                   |
| Metropolitan area. The plan       |                                   |
| details the use of modern         |                                   |
| technology such as Global         |                                   |
| Position System (GPS), high-speed |                                   |
| computers, sophisticated          |                                   |
| software, and electronic          |                                   |
| communications. HGCSD is a local  |                                   |
| -government agency created in     |                                   |
| 1975 to regulate the withdrawal   |                                   |
| of groundwater within Harris and  |                                   |
| Galveston Counties and to end     |                                   |
| flooding in the area caused by    |                                   |
| storms or hurricanes.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.hgsubsidence.o        |                                   |
| rg](http://www.hgsubsidence.org/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-23***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Panther Junction***            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Panther Junction Station**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-24***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Fort Worth***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center Weather Service Unit**   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Dallas/Fort Worth Air Route     |                                   |
| Traffic Control Center**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Housed in the Federal Aviation    |                                   |
| Administration\'s Dallas/Fort     |                                   |
| Worth Air Route Traffic Control   |                                   |
| Center (ARTCC), the Center        |                                   |
| Weather Service Unit (CWSU)       |                                   |
| Dallas/Fort Worth staff provide   |                                   |
| forecasts and other weather       |                                   |
| information to ARTCC personnel    |                                   |
| for use in directing the safe,    |                                   |
| smooth flow of aviation traffic   |                                   |
| in north and west Texas and the   |                                   |
| entire state of Oklahoma.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/zfw>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-25***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Austin***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Law Enforcement**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Field Office**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Office of Law Enforcement |                                   |
| is dedicated primarily to the     |                                   |
| enforcement of laws that protect  |                                   |
| and regulate our nation's living  |                                   |
| marine resources and their        |                                   |
| natural habitat. Office of Law    |                                   |
| Enforcement special agents and    |                                   |
| enforcement officers have         |                                   |
| specified authority to enforce    |                                   |
| over 37 statutes, as well as      |                                   |
| numerous treaties related to the  |                                   |
| conservation and protection of    |                                   |
| marine resources and other        |                                   |
| matters of concern to NOAA.       |                                   |
| Stretching across the Gulf of     |                                   |
| Mexico, up the eastern seaboard   |                                   |
| from the Florida Keys to the      |                                   |
| northern shore of North Carolina  |                                   |
| and covering United States        |                                   |
| territorial waters in the         |                                   |
| Caribbean, the Southeast          |                                   |
| Enforcement Division\'s           |                                   |
| responsibility is vast beyond     |                                   |
| measure.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Southeast Division is home to |                                   |
| the nation\'s large shrimp trawl  |                                   |
| fishery, and is widely known for  |                                   |
| its vast coral reefs fisheries,   |                                   |
| turtle beaches, and highly prized |                                   |
| saltwater game fish. Georgian     |                                   |
| waters also play host to the      |                                   |
| calving grounds for the           |                                   |
| approximately 350 endangered      |                                   |
| Northern Right whales, while      |                                   |
| Floridian waters hold the only    |                                   |
| continental coral reef in the     |                                   |
| United States. The Divisions is   |                                   |
| also responsible for enforcement  |                                   |
| activities within the Florida     |                                   |
| Keys, Flower Garden Bank, the     |                                   |
| Monitor and Gray's Reef National  |                                   |
| Marine Sanctuaries.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.nmf                   |                                   |
| s.noaa.gov/ole/se_southeast.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Texas Coastal Management        |                                   |
| Program/ Texas General Land       |                                   |
| Office**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Texas General Land Office and |                                   |
| the Coastal Coordination Council  |                                   |
| administer the Texas Coastal      |                                   |
| Program. The Council is chaired   |                                   |
| by the Commissioner of the        |                                   |
| General Land Office and is        |                                   |
| composed of 12 members; seven     |                                   |
| agency heads, four citizen        |                                   |
| members from the coast and a      |                                   |
| representative of the Texas Sea   |                                   |
| Grant College Program as a        |                                   |
| non-voting member. The Texas      |                                   |
| coastal zone is generally the     |                                   |
| area seaward of the Texas coastal |                                   |
| facility designation line, up to  |                                   |
| three marine leagues into the     |                                   |
| Gulf of Mexico. The Texas coastal |                                   |
| facility designation line roughly |                                   |
| follows roads that are parallel   |                                   |
| to coastal waters and wetlands    |                                   |
| generally within one mile of      |                                   |
| tidal rivers. The boundary        |                                   |
| encompasses all or portions of 18 |                                   |
| coastal counties. To address      |                                   |
| national energy needs, reduce     |                                   |
| coastal use conflicts, and        |                                   |
| preserve coastal resources, the   |                                   |
| Texas Coastal Program has         |                                   |
| policies and planning processes   |                                   |
| to address energy and government  |                                   |
| facility siting. The Coastal      |                                   |
| Program provides coastal          |                                   |
| enhancement grants to state and   |                                   |
| local entities to increase and    |                                   |
| improve public access, protect    |                                   |
| and restore critical areas, such  |                                   |
| as wetlands, improve water        |                                   |
| quality, improve natural hazards  |                                   |
| response, improve information and |                                   |
| data availability, and to conduct |                                   |
| public education and outreach     |                                   |
| activities. The Coastal Program   |                                   |
| also operates a Permit Service    |                                   |
| Center for individuals, small     |                                   |
| businesses and local governments  |                                   |
| to provide technical guidance for |                                   |
| permits within the coastal        |                                   |
| boundary.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://coastalman                |                                   |
| agement.noaa.gov/mystate/tx.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Austin Station**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The U.S. Climate Reference        |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) is an operational |                                   |
| network of climate stations. Data |                                   |
| from the USCRN will be used in    |                                   |
| operational climate monitoring    |                                   |
| activities and for placing        |                                   |
| current climate anomalies into an |                                   |
| historical perspective. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| National Climatic Data Center     |                                   |
| (NCDC) manages and operates the   |                                   |
| USCRN. The USCRN will also        |                                   |
| provide the United States with a  |                                   |
| reference network that            |                                   |
| contributes to an International   |                                   |
| network under the auspices of the |                                   |
| Global Climate Observing System   |                                   |
| (GCOS). NOAA's National           |                                   |
| Environmental Satellite, Data,    |                                   |
| and Information Service and       |                                   |
| NOAA's Office of Oceanic and      |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research jointly      |                                   |
| manage USCRN.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov/crn/hourly]{.underline}](htt |                                   |
| p://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/hourly) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-27***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Brownsville***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Seafood Inspection     |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **South Texas Lot Inspection      |                                   |
| Office**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Seafood Inspection   |                                   |
| Program conducts a voluntary      |                                   |
| inspection program for fishery    |                                   |
| products on a fee-for-service     |                                   |
| basis. The office offers a wide   |                                   |
| range of services to the area\'s  |                                   |
| fishermen and fish processors     |                                   |
| including process and product     |                                   |
| inspection, product grading, lot  |                                   |
| inspection, laboratory analysis,  |                                   |
| and training. All edible          |                                   |
| foodstuffs, ranging from whole    |                                   |
| fish to formulated products, as   |                                   |
| well as fishmeal used for animal  |                                   |
| foods, are eligible for           |                                   |
| inspection and certification.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov/>   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Brownsville/Lower Rio Grande   |                                   |
| Valley***                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Brownsville/ Lower Rio Grand    |                                   |
| Valley WFO**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at the Brownsville/ South |                                   |
| Padre Island International        |                                   |
| Airport, this National Weather    |                                   |
| Service Weather Forecast Office   |                                   |
| provides weather and flood        |                                   |
| warnings, daily forecasts and     |                                   |
| meteorologic and hydrologic data  |                                   |
| for the lower Rio Grande Valley.  |                                   |
| This office also provides marine  |                                   |
| warnings and forecasts for        |                                   |
| portions of the Texas Gulf Coast. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/bro>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-27***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Corpus Christi***              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geodetic Survey**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Texas Spatial Reference         |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| In a partnership with NOAA, the   |                                   |
| Texas Spatial Reference Center    |                                   |
| (TSRC) serves as a new way of     |                                   |
| providing a spatial referencing   |                                   |
| liaison between Federal and local |                                   |
| authorities. The Center is a      |                                   |
| non-profit organization           |                                   |
| affiliated with the Conrad        |                                   |
| Blucher Institute at Texas A&M    |                                   |
| University-Corpus Christi. The    |                                   |
| mission of the Center is to       |                                   |
| provide the necessary geodetic    |                                   |
| services to ensure the            |                                   |
| availability of accurate,         |                                   |
| consistent, and timely spatial    |                                   |
| referencing data for Texas. TSRC  |                                   |
| is working with NOAA on Height    |                                   |
| Modernization efforts to          |                                   |
| re-determine the elevation        |                                   |
| monumentation for the state.      |                                   |
| Other activities include linking  |                                   |
| to the NOAA database of selected, |                                   |
| modern geodetic data and related  |                                   |
| metadata; developing              |                                   |
| specifications and guidelines for |                                   |
| GPS surveys not otherwise         |                                   |
| provided at the national level;   |                                   |
| and, educating users about        |                                   |
| spatial referencing issues,       |                                   |
| availabilities, and applications. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Corpus Christi WFO**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at the Corpus Christi     |                                   |
| International Airport, this       |                                   |
| National Weather Service Weather  |                                   |
| Forecast Office provides weather  |                                   |
| and flood warnings, daily         |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for Texas\'       |                                   |
| coastal bend area. This office    |                                   |
| also provides marine warnings and |                                   |
| forecasts for portions of the     |                                   |
| Texas Gulf Coast.                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/crp>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Friendswood***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geodetic Survey**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Geodetic Advisor**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Geodetic Advisor is a jointly |                                   |
| funded National Ocean Service     |                                   |
| (NOS) employee that resides in    |                                   |
| the state to provide liaison      |                                   |
| between NOS and the host state.   |                                   |
| The Geodetic Advisor guides and   |                                   |
| assists the state\'s charting,    |                                   |
| geodetic and surveying programs   |                                   |
| through technical expertise. This |                                   |
| program also provides technical   |                                   |
| assistance in planning and        |                                   |
| implementing Geographic/Land      |                                   |
| Information System: (GIS/LIS)     |                                   |
| projects.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://http://w                  |                                   |
| ww.ngs.noaa.gov/ADVISORS/Advisors |                                   |
| Index.shtml](http://www.ngs.noaa. |                                   |
| gov/ADVISORS/AdvisorsIndex.shtml) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Port Aransas***                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mission Aransas National        |                                   |
| Estuarine Research Reserve**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Mission-Aransas Reserve in    |                                   |
| Refugio, Aransas, and Nueces      |                                   |
| counties was designated in May    |                                   |
| 2006. It encompasses              |                                   |
| approximately185,708 acres of     |                                   |
| estuarine tidal marsh,            |                                   |
| shallow-water open bay, mangrove, |                                   |
| coastal prairie, freshwater       |                                   |
| riparian and oak motte habitats.  |                                   |
| The 115,138 acres of state-owned  |                                   |
| acres of estuarine marsh and      |                                   |
| shallow-bay bottoms are           |                                   |
| supplemented by 66,216 acres of   |                                   |
| the Aransas National Wildlife     |                                   |
| Refuge and other smaller parcels  |                                   |
| including the 3,324 acre          |                                   |
| Fennessey Ranch containing high   |                                   |
| quality wetland habitats. The     |                                   |
| University of Texas Marine        |                                   |
| Science Institute located in Port |                                   |
| Aransas, TX, operates the         |                                   |
| reserve.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://nerrs.noaa.go             |                                   |
| v/Texas/welcome.html]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-29***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Houston***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center Weather Service Unit**   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Houston Air Route Traffic       |                                   |
| Control Center**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Housed in the Federal Aviation    |                                   |
| Administration\'s Houston Air     |                                   |
| Route Traffic Control Center      |                                   |
| (ARTCC), the Center Weather       |                                   |
| Service Unit (CWSU) Houston staff |                                   |
| provides forecasts and other      |                                   |
| weather information to ARTCC      |                                   |
| personnel for use in directing    |                                   |
| the safe, smooth flow of aviation |                                   |
| traffic in southern Texas,        |                                   |
| Louisiana, and southern           |                                   |
| Mississippi.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.srh.noaa.gov/zhu>     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean Exploration and |                                   |
| Research**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for the South Atlantic   |                                   |
| and Gulf of Mexico**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Office of Ocean           |                                   |
| Exploration and Research focuses  |                                   |
| on exploration, advanced undersea |                                   |
| technology development, research  |                                   |
| of extreme and unique             |                                   |
| environments, continental shelf   |                                   |
| ecosystems, new ocean resources,  |                                   |
| and ocean dynamics, and the       |                                   |
| communication of results to       |                                   |
| various audiences through         |                                   |
| education and outreach. NOAA\'s   |                                   |
| Undersea Research Center for the  |                                   |
| South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico |                                   |
| (SEGM), one of the six NURP       |                                   |
| regional centers, is based at the |                                   |
| University of North Carolina,     |                                   |
| Wilmington.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The SEGM Center focuses on        |                                   |
| undersea research off the coasts  |                                   |
| of North Carolina, South          |                                   |
| Carolina, Georgia, and Florida    |                                   |
| and in the Florida Keys and Gulf  |                                   |
| of Mexico. Areas of research      |                                   |
| include hydrocarbon exploration   |                                   |
| and development; management of    |                                   |
| fisheries resources;              |                                   |
| anthropogenic and natural         |                                   |
| processes that impact coastal     |                                   |
| resources, including beach        |                                   |
| erosion and the introduction of   |                                   |
| excess nutrients to near shore    |                                   |
| habitats; and detection of        |                                   |
| current global climate conditions |                                   |
| through long-term monitoring and  |                                   |
| assessment of past changes.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nurp.noaa.gov and     |                                   |
| http                              |                                   |
| ://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***TX-30***                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Dallas***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Response and          |                                   |
| Restoration (OR&R)**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Regional Resource Coordinator** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA acts on behalf of the        |                                   |
| Secretary of Commerce as a        |                                   |
| Federal trustee, under CERCLA and |                                   |
| other laws, for natural resources |                                   |
| in coastal and marine areas.      |                                   |
| NOAA\'s mandate is to protect and |                                   |
| restore trust resources that are  |                                   |
| injured by Superfund site         |                                   |
| contaminants. NOAA fulfills its   |                                   |
| responsibilities through an       |                                   |
| effective network of Regional     |                                   |
| Resource Coordinators (RRCs)      |                                   |
| placed in eight EPA regional      |                                   |
| offices, as well as an            |                                   |
| interdisciplinary technical       |                                   |
| support group located in Seattle. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The RRC based in Dallas responds  |                                   |
| to local technical requirements   |                                   |
| by identifying risks to natural   |                                   |
| resources, recommending           |                                   |
| protective remedial measures, and |                                   |
| designing projects to restore     |                                   |
| injured resources and habitats in |                                   |
| cooperation with U.S. EPA         |                                   |
| Superfund program managers, the   |                                   |
| State of Texas, and other trustee |                                   |
| agencies. RRCs work with lead     |                                   |
| cleanup agencies to achieve       |                                   |
| remedies that protect both human  |                                   |
| health and natural resources by   |                                   |
| fostering cooperative,            |                                   |
| cost-effective problem solving    |                                   |
| strategies; developing            |                                   |
| environmentally protective        |                                   |
| remedies; and minimizing costly   |                                   |
| litigation. Additionally, RRCs    |                                   |
| improve coordination among        |                                   |
| trustee agencies and protect      |                                   |
| natural resources through         |                                   |
| participation in settlement       |                                   |
| negotiations with responsible     |                                   |
| parties.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://res                       |                                   |
| ponse.restoration.noaa.gov](http: |                                   |
| //response.restoration.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA's Office of Legislative    |                                   |
| Affairs**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Tel: 202-482-4981               |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov/)** |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+