+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ![](media/image1                  |                                   |
| .png){width="7.527777777777778in" |                                   |
| height="0.9416666666666667in"}    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA In Your State**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mississippi**                   |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| *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.*             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ***MS***                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Bobo, Okolona, Stennis Space   |                                   |
| Center, Vicksburg***              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Coastal***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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/]{.underline}]( |                                   |
| http://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/tcm/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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.       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.csc.noa              |                                   |
| a.gov/landcover/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.csc.noaa.gov/landcover/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Maps Aid Mississippi Recovery   |                                   |
| Effort**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| A series of topographic maps      |                                   |
| helped property owners in         |                                   |
| Mississippi Gulf Coast counties   |                                   |
| rebuild to safer elevations. The  |                                   |
| new flood maps were created       |                                   |
| through a partnership between the |                                   |
| Federal Emergency Management      |                                   |
| Agency and NOAA. NOAA provided    |                                   |
| the digital elevation models      |                                   |
| through lidar data collection.    |                                   |
| The Center partnered with private |                                   |
| industry to acquire               |                                   |
| high-resolution topographic       |                                   |
| elevation data for portions of    |                                   |
| the Gulf Coast region.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http:/                          |                                   |
| /www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/]{.underlin |                                   |
| e}](http://www.csc.noaa.gov/crs/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Resilience Planning in the Gulf |                                   |
| of Mexico**                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| At workshops in Biloxi,           |                                   |
| Mississippi, Mobile, Alabama, and |                                   |
| Panama City Beach and Tampa,      |                                   |
| Florida, the Center led a session |                                   |
| soliciting feedback on potential  |                                   |
| revisions to the community        |                                   |
| resilience portion of the Gulf of |                                   |
| Mexico Alliance (GOMA)            |                                   |
| Governors\' Action Plan. Other    |                                   |
| attendees included local leaders, |                                   |
| planners, engineers, real estate  |                                   |
| professionals, community groups,  |                                   |
| and state and federal partners.   |                                   |
| The workshop is part of an        |                                   |
| ongoing effort to engage          |                                   |
| stakeholders in a unified fashion |                                   |
| as recommended by the NOAA        |                                   |
| Science Advisory Board.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Coastal Services Center (CSC)** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Topographic and Bathymetric     |                                   |
| Applications**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Center provides information   |                                   |
| about the availability of         |                                   |
| topographic and bathymetric data  |                                   |
| sets and assists coastal managers |                                   |
| in working with these             |                                   |
| sets---particularly in relation   |                                   |
| to storm surge and inundation     |                                   |
| modeling. The current focus of    |                                   |
| this project is on developing a   |                                   |
| data inventory for Texas,         |                                   |
| Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama,  |                                   |
| Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North |                                   |
| Carolina, South Carolina, and     |                                   |
| Virginia and guidance documents   |                                   |
| describing the coastal management |                                   |
| applications of topography and    |                                   |
| bathymetry.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.csc.noa              |                                   |
| a.gov/topobathy/]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.csc.noaa.gov/topobathy/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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.g           |                                   |
| ov/bins/resources/training.html]{ |                                   |
| .underline}](http://www.csc.noaa. |                                   |
| gov/bins/resources/training.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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 to 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)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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.  |                                   |
| The center's research goals       |                                   |
| evolve to meet changing national  |                                   |
| and regional needs.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.nurp.noaa.gov and    |                                   |
| http://www.oceane                 |                                   |
| xplorer.noaa.gov]{.underline}](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            |                                   |
| Mississippi. 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.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[h                               |                                   |
| ttp://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov]{.underl |                                   |
| ine}](http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Statewide***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NMFS Restoration Center**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Program**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS Restoration Center works     |                                   |
| with 18 private and public        |                                   |
| partners in Mississippi to        |                                   |
| restore tidal marshes and oyster  |                                   |
| reefs, and to remove marine       |                                   |
| debris, including derelict crab   |                                   |
| traps. Through Community-based    |                                   |
| Restoration Program projects 343  |                                   |
| acres of fisheries habitat have   |                                   |
| been restored and rehabilitated   |                                   |
| since 2000. The local community   |                                   |
| supported these restoration       |                                   |
| efforts through the time and      |                                   |
| effort of almost 200 volunteers.  |                                   |
| Community-based Restoration       |                                   |
| Program has partnered with the    |                                   |
| Mississippi Department of Marine  |                                   |
| Resources on three separate       |                                   |
| projects to restore 15 acres of   |                                   |
| oyster reef habitat. In response  |                                   |
| to the major damage caused by     |                                   |
| Hurricane Katrina in 2005,        |                                   |
| Congress required that            |                                   |
| comprehensive improvements or     |                                   |
| modifications to existing         |                                   |
| improvements in coastal areas of  |                                   |
| Mississippi (including coastal    |                                   |
| fishery habitats) be analyzed and |                                   |
| designed. NMFS Fisheries Service  |                                   |
| is supporting the planning and    |                                   |
| review associated with this       |                                   |
| undertaking and contributed to    |                                   |
| the development of an interim     |                                   |
| report.                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <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]{.underline}](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. These mobile PC--based      |                                   |
| client software packages are used |                                   |
| by NWS forecasters at fires in    |                                   |
| all 50 states. Computer servers   |                                   |
| that communicate with the mobile  |                                   |
| PC clients are located in Hawaii, |                                   |
| Alaska, Utah, Colorado, Texas and |                                   |
| New York. The PC-base clients are |                                   |
| also used by state emergency      |                                   |
| managers in many of the NWS       |                                   |
| regional areas. 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)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Sea Grant College      |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant   |                                   |
| College Program Consortium**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 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 Mississippi-Alabama |                                   |
| Sea Grant Consortium supports     |                                   |
| efforts that foster the           |                                   |
| conservation, sustainable         |                                   |
| development, and use of oceanic   |                                   |
| and coastal resources for the     |                                   |
| benefit of both the economy and   |                                   |
| the environment in Mississippi    |                                   |
| and Alabama. Recent research      |                                   |
| targets critical areas in marine  |                                   |
| natural products, fisheries and   |                                   |
| seafood safety, marine            |                                   |
| aquaculture, coastal ecosystems   |                                   |
| and habitats, coastal communities |                                   |
| and economies, and marine         |                                   |
| education and outreach. Citizens, |                                   |
| industry and policy makers are    |                                   |
| kept informed on issues related   |                                   |
| to these areas of research        |                                   |
| through the Sea Grant extension   |                                   |
| and communication programs in     |                                   |
| both states. The National Sea     |                                   |
| Grant Law Center, located at the  |                                   |
| University of Mississippi,        |                                   |
| provides legal research, outreach |                                   |
| and advisory services, and        |                                   |
| education and training on ocean   |                                   |
| and coastal law and policies      |                                   |
| including fisheries, coastal      |                                   |
| development, marine habitat       |                                   |
| conservation, and other natural   |                                   |
| resource issues. Current          |                                   |
| Mississippi members of MASGC      |                                   |
| include Jackson State University, |                                   |
| Mississippi State University,     |                                   |
| University of Mississippi, and    |                                   |
| University of Southern            |                                   |
| Mississippi.                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.masgc.org]{.u        |                                   |
| nderline}](http://www.masgc.org/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MS-1***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Goodwin Creek***               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Monitoring      |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Surface Radiation Measurement   |                                   |
| Network**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory operates seven         |                                   |
| stations as part of its surface   |                                   |
| radiation measurement network     |                                   |
| (SURFRAD). The station            |                                   |
| measurements support regional and |                                   |
| global weather and climate        |                                   |
| research with accurate,           |                                   |
| continuous, long-term             |                                   |
| measurements of the surface       |                                   |
| radiation budget over the United  |                                   |
| States. Solar radiation is the    |                                   |
| driving energy for geophysical    |                                   |
| and biological processes that     |                                   |
| control weather and affect        |                                   |
| planetary life; understanding the |                                   |
| global surface energy budget is   |                                   |
| therefore key to understanding    |                                   |
| climate and the environmental     |                                   |
| consequences to agriculture and   |                                   |
| other statewide concerns. Because |                                   |
| it is impractical to cover the    |                                   |
| whole earth with monitoring       |                                   |
| stations, the answer to global    |                                   |
| coverage lies in reliable         |                                   |
| satellite-based observations.     |                                   |
| Accurate and precise ground-based |                                   |
| measurements across a range of    |                                   |
| climate regions are essential to  |                                   |
| refine and verify the satellite   |                                   |
| observations. One of these        |                                   |
| stations is located near Goodwin  |                                   |
| Creek. These ground-based         |                                   |
| measurements also support special |                                   |
| research projects on radiation    |                                   |
| and climate processes in the      |                                   |
| Mississippi region and serve as   |                                   |
| important verification for        |                                   |
| weather forecasts.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.srrb.noaa.go          |                                   |
| v/surfrad/index.html]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Hattiesburg and Ocean          |                                   |
| Springs***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean Exploration and |                                   |
| Research**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Institute for Undersea Science  |                                   |
| and Technology**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 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    |                                   |
| Institute for Undersea Science    |                                   |
| and Technology (NIUST) provides   |                                   |
| innovative technologies to NURP   |                                   |
| and their constituencies to       |                                   |
| further the nation\'s research    |                                   |
| capabilities in near shore, deep  |                                   |
| water, and extreme marine         |                                   |
| environments. Based at the        |                                   |
| University of Mississippi at      |                                   |
| Oxford and at the University of   |                                   |
| Southern Mississippi at Stennis   |                                   |
| Space Center in Ocean Springs,    |                                   |
| NIUST is made up of three         |                                   |
| divisions: the Ocean              |                                   |
| Biotechnology Center and          |                                   |
| Repository (OBCR), the Seabed     |                                   |
| Technology Research Center        |                                   |
| (STRC), and the Undersea Vehicles |                                   |
| Technology Center (UVTC). OBCR is |                                   |
| a national repository of          |                                   |
| biochemical and biomolecular      |                                   |
| products of marine organisms from |                                   |
| U. S. and international waters    |                                   |
| for use by the biotechnology      |                                   |
| research sector. STRC is focused  |                                   |
| on the research and development   |                                   |
| of remote sensor and direct       |                                   |
| sampling technologies for the     |                                   |
| investigation of the deep seabed, |                                   |
| and UTVC develops viable          |                                   |
| technologies involving            |                                   |
| interactive communication, data   |                                   |
| assimilation, and artificial      |                                   |
| intelligence appropriate for the  |                                   |
| deployment and operation of ROVs  |                                   |
| and AUVs.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.nurp.noaa.gov and    |                                   |
| http://www.oceanex                |                                   |
| plorer.noaa.gov.]{.underline}](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MS-2***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Indianola***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Seafood Inspection     |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mississippi Delta 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 fish meal used for animal |                                   |
| foods, are eligible for           |                                   |
| inspection and certification.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://s                        |                                   |
| eafood.nmfs.noaa.gov/]{.underline |                                   |
| }](http://seafood.nmfs.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Jackson***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory/Global Systems         |                                   |
| Division**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather In-situ Deployment      |                                   |
| Optimization (WISDOM)**           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The WISDOM project seeks to       |                                   |
| improve the 3 to 7-day            |                                   |
| predictions of Atlantic hurricane |                                   |
| track and intensity by deploying  |                                   |
| specialized balloons into         |                                   |
| important data-sparse regions of  |                                   |
| the atmosphere. An interagency    |                                   |
| effort is underway, sponsored by  |                                   |
| DHS and NOAA, that has been       |                                   |
| testing the concept during the    |                                   |
| 2008 hurricane season.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [htt                              |                                   |
| p://wisdom.noaa.gov/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MS-3***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Jackson***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Jackson WFO**                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at Jackson Municipal      |                                   |
| Airport, this National Weather    |                                   |
| Service Weather Forecast Office   |                                   |
| provides weather and flood        |                                   |
| warnings, daily forecasts and     |                                   |
| meteorologic and hydrologic data  |                                   |
| for most of Mississippi, and      |                                   |
| portions of northeastern          |                                   |
| Louisiana and southeastern        |                                   |
| Arkansas.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http:/                          |                                   |
| /www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/]{.underlin |                                   |
| e}](http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Meridian***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Service Office**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Meridian WFO**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at the Meridian Regional  |                                   |
| Airport, this National Weather    |                                   |
| Service Weather Service Office    |                                   |
| serves as a liaison office to the |                                   |
| local community. Forecasts and    |                                   |
| warnings are provided by the      |                                   |
| Jackson Weather Forecast Office.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http:/                          |                                   |
| /www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/]{.underlin |                                   |
| e}](http://www.srh.noaa.gov/jan/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Newton***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Reference Network**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Newton 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). USCRN is jointly managed  |                                   |
| by NOAA\'s National Environmental |                                   |
| Satellite, Data, and Information  |                                   |
| Service and NOAA\'s Office of     |                                   |
| Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn    |                                   |
| /sites.html]{.underline}](http:// |                                   |
| www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/sites.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***MS-4***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Bakersfield***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Program Office**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate and Global Change       |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 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. Grants Recipients: |                                   |
| Stennis Space Center              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http                             |                                   |
| ://www.cpo.noaa.gov/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Bay St Louis***                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Environmental          |                                   |
| Satellite, Data, and Information  |                                   |
| Service (NESDIS)**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Oceanographic Data     |                                   |
| Center (NODC)**                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Coastal Data           |                                   |
| Development Center (NCDDC)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s National Oceanographic    |                                   |
| Data Center (NODC) manages and    |                                   |
| administers the National Coastal  |                                   |
| Data Development Center (NCDDC).  |                                   |
| NCDDC is dedicated to supporting  |                                   |
| ecosystem management by providing |                                   |
| access to the Nation\'s coastal   |                                   |
| and ocean data resources. NCDDC   |                                   |
| fulfills this mission by bringing |                                   |
| together diverse coastal data     |                                   |
| from a variety of sources and     |                                   |
| creating ways for users to access |                                   |
| data via the Internet. In order   |                                   |
| to make coastal data more         |                                   |
| accessible, NCDDC maintains a     |                                   |
| searchable metadata catalog of    |                                   |
| coastal data, develops gateways   |                                   |
| to data repositories, and uses    |                                   |
| technology that allows users to   |                                   |
| receive data in specific formats  |                                   |
| for their needs. To enhance its   |                                   |
| mission, NCDDC forms partnerships |                                   |
| across NOAA and with agencies in  |                                   |
| federal, state and local          |                                   |
| government, academic              |                                   |
| institutions, and                 |                                   |
| non-governmental organizations    |                                   |
| that collect or provide coastal   |                                   |
| data and information. By          |                                   |
| maintaining these partnerships,   |                                   |
| NCDDC is able to know what        |                                   |
| partner data collections are      |                                   |
| available and produce dynamic     |                                   |
| end-to-end data and information   |                                   |
| products.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[ht                              |                                   |
| tp://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/]{.underl |                                   |
| ine}](http://www.ncddc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Biloxi***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mississippi Coastal Management  |                                   |
| Program/ Mississippi Department   |                                   |
| of Marine Resources**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Mississippi Coastal Program   |                                   |
| is administered by the Department |                                   |
| of Marine Resources (DMR), and is |                                   |
| governed by a Commission on       |                                   |
| Marine Resources appointed by the |                                   |
| Governor. The Mississippi coastal |                                   |
| zone includes the three coastal   |                                   |
| counties as well as all adjacent  |                                   |
| coastal waters and the barrier    |                                   |
| islands of the coast. The Coastal |                                   |
| Program is responsible for        |                                   |
| permitting, federal consistency   |                                   |
| review, and the Coastal Nonpoint  |                                   |
| Pollution Control Program.        |                                   |
| Through the Coastal Preserves     |                                   |
| Program, DMR protects and         |                                   |
| restores coastal habitats. The    |                                   |
| Comprehensive Resource Management |                                   |
| Plan is the primary program       |                                   |
| through which DMR provides        |                                   |
| technical assistance for managing |                                   |
| coastal development, with a focus |                                   |
| on stormwater management, smart   |                                   |
| growth, and GIS training.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://coastalm                 |                                   |
| anagement.noaa.gov/mystate/ms.htm |                                   |
| l]{.underline}](http://coastalman |                                   |
| agement.noaa.gov/mystate/ms.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Marine and Aviation   |                                   |
| Operations (OMAO)**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Port Office Pascagoula**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA Ships OREGON II and GORDON |                                   |
| GUNTER**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The NOAA Ships OREGON II and      |                                   |
| GORDON GUNTER are managed by      |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Marine Operations         |                                   |
| Center-Atlantic in Norfolk        |                                   |
| Virginia. The ships support the   |                                   |
| science and research missions of  |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Southeast Fisheries       |                                   |
| Science Center and its allied     |                                   |
| laboratories. The ships are       |                                   |
| homeported at the Gulf Marine     |                                   |
| Support Facility in Pascagoula.   |                                   |
| The Port Captain provides         |                                   |
| operational, administrative and   |                                   |
| logistical support to the ships.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| http                              |                                   |
| ://www.moc.noaa.gov/ot/index.html |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| http                              |                                   |
| ://www.moc.noaa.gov/gu/index.html |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Gulfport***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geodetic Survey**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mississippi Spatial Reference   |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| In a partnership with NOAA, the   |                                   |
| Mississippi Spatial Reference     |                                   |
| Center (MSRC) serves as a new way |                                   |
| of providing a spatial            |                                   |
| referencing liaison between       |                                   |
| Federal and local authorities.    |                                   |
| The Center is a nonprofit         |                                   |
| organization located at the Gulf  |                                   |
| Coast Geospatial Center (GCGC),   |                                   |
| University of Southern            |                                   |
| Mississippi. The mission of the   |                                   |
| GCGC/MSRS is to provide coastal   |                                   |
| geospatial information, research, |                                   |
| and applications that will        |                                   |
| benefit both the public and       |                                   |
| private sector. Current project   |                                   |
| areas include the Mississippi     |                                   |
| Height Modernization Program,     |                                   |
| remote sensing science and        |                                   |
| technology to address topics of   |                                   |
| importance to the ecology and     |                                   |
| economy of the northern Gulf of   |                                   |
| Mexico, and the Mississippi       |                                   |
| Digital Coast Initiative.         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [htt                              |                                   |
| p://www.gcgcusm.org/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Moss Point***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Grand Bay National Estuarine    |                                   |
| Research Reserve**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Grand Bay Reserve in          |                                   |
| southeast Jackson County, was     |                                   |
| designated in 1999. The reserve   |                                   |
| is managed by the Mississippi     |                                   |
| Department of Marine Resources.   |                                   |
| It encompasses                    |                                   |
| approximately18,400 acres of      |                                   |
| estuarine tidal marsh,            |                                   |
| shallow-water open bay, wet pine  |                                   |
| savanna, and coastal swamp        |                                   |
| habitats. The open water          |                                   |
| estuarine areas support extensive |                                   |
| productive oyster reefs and       |                                   |
| seagrass habitats. The open water |                                   |
| and marsh acres are primarily     |                                   |
| state owned lands and are         |                                   |
| combined with largely wet pine    |                                   |
| savanna that is part of the U.S.  |                                   |
| Fish and Wildlife Grand Bay       |                                   |
| Savanna National Wildlife Refuge. |                                   |
| Ongoing research and monitoring   |                                   |
| include climate change and mecury |                                   |
| deposition.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://nerr                      |                                   |
| s.noaa.gov/GrandBay/]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Air Resources Laboratory**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Mercury Measurement Site**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA maintains a specialized      |                                   |
| ambient air mercury measurement   |                                   |
| site at the Grand Bay Reserve in  |                                   |
| Moss Point, Mississippi. The site |                                   |
| is operated in collaboration with |                                   |
| the Grand Bay National Estuarine  |                                   |
| Research Reserve. The             |                                   |
| state-of-the-art site is one of   |                                   |
| only a handful of stations        |                                   |
| nationwide providing              |                                   |
| semi-continuous measurements of   |                                   |
| reactive gaseous mercury,         |                                   |
| elemental mercury, and            |                                   |
| particulate mercury in air.       |                                   |
| Additional data are collected for |                                   |
| ambient air concentrations of     |                                   |
| trace gases (e.g., sulfur         |                                   |
| dioxide, nitrogen oxides, carbon  |                                   |
| monoxide, ozone), as well as      |                                   |
| meteorological parameters such as |                                   |
| temperature, humidity,            |                                   |
| precipitation, wind speed and     |                                   |
| direction. The site has been in   |                                   |
| operation since September 2006    |                                   |
| and provides high quality data to |                                   |
| air quality and mercury transport |                                   |
| models.                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.arl.noaa.             |                                   |
| gov/Mercury_meas.php]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Oxford***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean Exploration and |                                   |
| Research**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA's Institute for Undersea   |                                   |
| Science and Technology**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Based at the University of        |                                   |
| Mississippi at Oxford and at the  |                                   |
| University of Southern            |                                   |
| Mississippi at Stennis Space      |                                   |
| Center in Ocean Springs, NOAA\'s  |                                   |
| Institute for Undersea Science    |                                   |
| and Technology (NIUST) provides   |                                   |
| cutting edge technologies to NURP |                                   |
| and their constituencies to       |                                   |
| further the nation\'s research    |                                   |
| capabilities in near shore, deep  |                                   |
| water, and extreme marine         |                                   |
| environments.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NIUST is made up of three         |                                   |
| divisions: the Ocean              |                                   |
| Biotechnology Center and          |                                   |
| Repository (OBCR), the Seabed     |                                   |
| Technology Research Center        |                                   |
| (STRC), and the Undersea Vehicles |                                   |
| Technology Center (UVTC). OBCR is |                                   |
| a national repository of          |                                   |
| biochemical and biomolecular      |                                   |
| products of marine organisms from |                                   |
| U. S. and international waters    |                                   |
| for use by the biotechnology      |                                   |
| research sector. STRC is focused  |                                   |
| on the research and development   |                                   |
| of remote sensor and direct       |                                   |
| sampling technologies for the     |                                   |
| investigation of the deep seabed  |                                   |
| and UTVC develops viable          |                                   |
| technologies involving            |                                   |
| interactive communication, data   |                                   |
| assimilation, and artificial      |                                   |
| intelligence appropriate for the  |                                   |
| deployment and operation of ROVs  |                                   |
| and AUVs.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nurp.noaa.gov and     |                                   |
| http://www.oc                     |                                   |
| eanexplorer.noaa.gov]{.underline} |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Pascagoula***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Sustainable           |                                   |
| Fisheries**                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Seafood Inspection     |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Seafood Inspection   |                                   |
| Laboratory, located in            |                                   |
| Pascagoula, MS, is part of NOAA   |                                   |
| Fisheries Office of Sustainable   |                                   |
| Fisheries. The Lab is one of the  |                                   |
| leading seafood chemical and      |                                   |
| microbiological testing and       |                                   |
| information transfer facilities   |                                   |
| in the United States, providing   |                                   |
| leading edge analytical           |                                   |
| laboratory services data          |                                   |
| management, regulatory risk       |                                   |
| analysis and policy development,  |                                   |
| and support for national and      |                                   |
| international seafood safety and  |                                   |
| aquatic animal health activities. |                                   |
| The Lab conducts a wide variety   |                                   |
| of analyses on imported and       |                                   |
| domestic seafood products         |                                   |
| including. Data from the analyses |                                   |
| are used to develop new           |                                   |
| regulatory techniques, consumer   |                                   |
| consumption advisories, and       |                                   |
| training materials. The Lab also  |                                   |
| manages the processing and        |                                   |
| reporting of data collected for   |                                   |
| the Patagonian Toothfish and      |                                   |
| Swordfish Import Control Program. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://www.nmfs                 |                                   |
| .noaa.gov/sfa/sfweb/nsil/index.ht |                                   |
| m]{.underline}](http://www.nmfs.n |                                   |
| oaa.gov/sfa/sfweb/nsil/index.htm) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southeast Fisheries Science     |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Pascagoula Laboratory**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Pascagoula lab monitors the   |                                   |
| number, distribution, and health  |                                   |
| of marine resources and their     |                                   |
| habitats in the Gulf of Mexico.   |                                   |
| The Pascagoula Laboratory is      |                                   |
| NOAA's only fishing gear          |                                   |
| development, testing, and         |                                   |
| engineering facility in the       |                                   |
| southeast. Engineers and          |                                   |
| scientists design, test, develop  |                                   |
| and evaluate new fishing gears    |                                   |
| and harvesting strategies to      |                                   |
| reduce bycatch of non-target      |                                   |
| species and increase harvest      |                                   |
| efficiencies. Two research        |                                   |
| vessels are based at Pascagoula:  |                                   |
| the NOAA ship R/V GORDON GUNTER   |                                   |
| and the NOAA ship R/V OREGON II.  |                                   |
| A third vessel, to be shared with |                                   |
| the Northeast Fisheries Science   |                                   |
| Center, will be housed at the     |                                   |
| Pascagoula lab in Spring 2009     |                                   |
| (R/V PISCES). The Southeast Area  |                                   |
| Monitoring and Assessment Program |                                   |
| for southeastern states and the   |                                   |
| Marine Resources Monitoring,      |                                   |
| Assessment, and Prediction        |                                   |
| Project in the Atlantic are       |                                   |
| coordinated/managed in            |                                   |
| Pascagoula. Southeast Fisheries   |                                   |
| Science Center has port agents    |                                   |
| stationed in Pascagoula, charged  |                                   |
| with collecting marine fisheries  |                                   |
| data used in research and fishery |                                   |
| management.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[ht                              |                                   |
| tp://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/]{.underl |                                   |
| ine}](http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Stennis Space Center***        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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       |                                   |
| gamefish. 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://ww                       |                                   |
| w.nmfs.noaa.gov/ole/se_southeast. |                                   |
| html]{.underline}](http://www.nmf |                                   |
| s.noaa.gov/ole/se_southeast.html) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southeast Fisheries Science     |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Stennis Research Facility**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Stennis Research Facility is  |                                   |
| located at the Stennis Space      |                                   |
| Center, near Bay St. Louis.       |                                   |
| Research activities include       |                                   |
| engineering, data management and  |                                   |
| remote sensing such as satellite  |                                   |
| remote sensing of ocean           |                                   |
| parameters, satellite tracking of |                                   |
| endangered species, and satellite |                                   |
| linked forecast models for        |                                   |
| several species. Engineering      |                                   |
| activities (basic support and     |                                   |
| R&D) provide day-to-day repair,   |                                   |
| maintenance and modification of   |                                   |
| oceanographic instruments and     |                                   |
| systems, develop and demonstrate  |                                   |
| prototype equipment and advance   |                                   |
| technology in both general and    |                                   |
| specific engineering              |                                   |
| applications.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[ht                              |                                   |
| tp://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/]{.underl |                                   |
| ine}](http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Data Buoy Center**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center of Excellence in Marine  |                                   |
| Technology**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The center currently manages,     |                                   |
| operates, and maintains a network |                                   |
| of 175 moored and drifting        |                                   |
| weather buoys and land stations   |                                   |
| located primarily around the      |                                   |
| coastline of the United States.   |                                   |
| The National Data Buoy Center     |                                   |
| (NDBC), located at NASA\'s        |                                   |
| Stennis Space Center, supports    |                                   |
| warning and forecast services in  |                                   |
| real time by providing deep ocean |                                   |
| and coastal meteorological and    |                                   |
| oceanographic observations        |                                   |
| through the NOAA ground satellite |                                   |
| station at Wallops Island,        |                                   |
| Virginia. Drifting buoys provide  |                                   |
| data for computer climate models. |                                   |
| Additionally, NDBC assesses new   |                                   |
| buoy sensors, payloads, and       |                                   |
| platforms.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://se                       |                                   |
| aboard.ndbc.noaa.gov]{.underline} |                                   |
| ](http://seaboard.ndbc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Cooperative Institute**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Northern Gulf Institute (NGI),  |                                   |
| Mississippi State University**    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NGI was established at Stennis    |                                   |
| Space Center, Mississippi, in     |                                   |
| October 2006. NGI is a consortium |                                   |
| of universities led by            |                                   |
| [Mississippi State                |                                   |
| University]{.underline}, in       |                                   |
| partnership with the University   |                                   |
| of Southern Mississippi,          |                                   |
| Louisiana State University,       |                                   |
| Florida State University, and     |                                   |
| Dauphin Island Sea Lab. The       |                                   |
| fundamental philosophy of NGI is  |                                   |
| integration: integration of the   |                                   |
| land-coast-ocean-atmosphere       |                                   |
| continuum; integration of         |                                   |
| research to operations; and       |                                   |
| integration of individual         |                                   |
| academic institutional strengths  |                                   |
| into a holistic research and      |                                   |
| educational program specifically  |                                   |
| geared to the needs of Northern   |                                   |
| Gulf of Mexico users. Among NGI's |                                   |
| major NOAA research collaborators |                                   |
| are the National Weather Service, |                                   |
| the Coastal Services Center, the  |                                   |
| Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric |                                   |
| Research, the Atlantic            |                                   |
| Oceanographic and Meteorological  |                                   |
| Laboratory, the National Ocean    |                                   |
| Service (NOS), the National       |                                   |
| Coastal Data Development Center,  |                                   |
| the National Data Buoy Center,    |                                   |
| the National Marine Fisheries     |                                   |
| Service, and the National Sea     |                                   |
| Grant Office. NGI conducts        |                                   |
| research under four scientific    |                                   |
| themes, focusing on the northern  |                                   |
| Gulf of Mexico: (1) ecosystem     |                                   |
| management; (2) geospatial data   |                                   |
| integration and visualization in  |                                   |
| environmental science; (3)        |                                   |
| climate change and climate        |                                   |
| variability effects on regional   |                                   |
| ecosystems; and (4) coastal       |                                   |
| hazards.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[htt                             |                                   |
| p://www.ngi.msstate.edu]{.underli |                                   |
| ne}](http://www.ngi.msstate.edu/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Waveland***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Water Level            |                                   |
| Observation Network**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Ocean Service (NOS)  |                                   |
| operates one long-term            |                                   |
| continuously operating tide       |                                   |
| station in the state of           |                                   |
| Mississippi that provides data    |                                   |
| and information on tidal datums   |                                   |
| and relative sea level trends.    |                                   |
| This station is located at        |                                   |
| Waveland. This station has been   |                                   |
| been strengthened to deliver      |                                   |
| real-time storm tide data during  |                                   |
| severe coastal events. Elevated   |                                   |
| atop substantial single pile      |                                   |
| platforms, this station is        |                                   |
| specifi cally designed to         |                                   |
| withstand category four           |                                   |
| hurricanes.This NOAA Sentinel     |                                   |
| measures and disseminates         |                                   |
| real-time water level and         |                                   |
| meteorological observations. All  |                                   |
| of this information helps coastal |                                   |
| authorities prepare for,          |                                   |
| mitigate, and respond to storm    |                                   |
| tides generated by severe coastal |                                   |
| storms                            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [[http://tidesand                 |                                   |
| currents.noaa.gov]{.underline}](h |                                   |
| ttp://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA's Office of Legislative    |                                   |
| Affairs**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Tel: 202-482-4981               |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov/)** |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+