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+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA In Your State**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **South Carolina**                |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| *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.*             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ***SC***                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Statewide***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric |                                   |
| Research (OAR)                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| National Sea Grant College        |                                   |
| Program                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| South Carolina Sea Grant College  |                                   |
| Program                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s National Sea Grant        |                                   |
| College Program is a              |                                   |
| federal-university partnership    |                                   |
| that integrates research,         |                                   |
| education, and outreach           |                                   |
| (extension and communications).   |                                   |
| Sea Grant forms a network of 32   |                                   |
| programs in all U.S. coastal and  |                                   |
| Great Lakes states, Puerto Rico   |                                   |
| and Guam. South Carolina Sea      |                                   |
| Grant Consortium is a statewide   |                                   |
| program that generates and        |                                   |
| provides science-based            |                                   |
| information to enhance the        |                                   |
| practical use and conservation of |                                   |
| coastal and marine resources to   |                                   |
| foster a sustainable economy and  |                                   |
| environment. The Consortium       |                                   |
| focuses its research, extension,  |                                   |
| education and communications      |                                   |
| efforts on four primary areas:    |                                   |
| (1) Humans and the Coastal        |                                   |
| Landscape, (2) Humans and the     |                                   |
| Risks of Coastal Natural Hazards, |                                   |
| (3) Coastal-Dependent Economy,    |                                   |
| and (4) Scientific Literacy and   |                                   |
| Workforce Development. Research   |                                   |
| and outreach efforts address      |                                   |
| important marine and coastal      |                                   |
| issues, including population      |                                   |
| growth and land use, ecosystem    |                                   |
| studies, fisheries and            |                                   |
| aquaculture, coastal-dependent    |                                   |
| businesses, climate and weather,  |                                   |
| natural hazards, marine           |                                   |
| education, and public awareness.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.scseagrant.org/>      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Program Office**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **South Carolina Grants**         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Climate Program Office        |                                   |
| coordinates climate activities    |                                   |
| across NOAA. It focuses on        |                                   |
| developing a broader user         |                                   |
| community for climate products    |                                   |
| and services, provides NOAA a     |                                   |
| focal point for climate           |                                   |
| activities within NOAA, leads     |                                   |
| NOAA climate education and        |                                   |
| outreach activities, and          |                                   |
| coordinates international climate |                                   |
| activities. It supports projects  |                                   |
| across the nation conducted by    |                                   |
| investigators outside the federal |                                   |
| government, such as the through   |                                   |
| the academic and private sectors, |                                   |
| within the federal government,    |                                   |
| and in NOAA Cooperative           |                                   |
| Institutes. The Climate Program   |                                   |
| Office provides climate funding   |                                   |
| in this state.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.climate.noaa.g        |                                   |
| ov](http://www.climate.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Carolinas Coastal Ocean         |                                   |
| Observation and Prediction System |                                   |
| (Caro-COOPS)**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOS provides technical guidance   |                                   |
| to Caro-COOPS, a regional         |                                   |
| observing system comprised of sea |                                   |
| buoys and coastal water level     |                                   |
| stations. This observation system |                                   |
| enhances the capability for       |                                   |
| real-time forecasts to mitigate   |                                   |
| natural hazards, support          |                                   |
| management of living resources    |                                   |
| and marine ecosystems, facilitate |                                   |
| safe and efficient marine         |                                   |
| operations, and support national  |                                   |
| security in the region. NOS       |                                   |
| processes and disseminates water  |                                   |
| level and meteorological data     |                                   |
| from three Caro-COOPS sites:      |                                   |
| Sunset Beach, NC; South Capers    |                                   |
| Island, SC; and Fripps Inlet, SC. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [                                 |                                   |
| http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov]( |                                   |
| http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Ground Based GPS Meteorology**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Earth System Research         |                                   |
| Laboratory operates and maintains |                                   |
| the Ground-Based GPS Meteorology  |                                   |
| project, currently consisting of  |                                   |
| more than 300 GPS water vapor     |                                   |
| observing systems that provide    |                                   |
| near real-time integrated         |                                   |
| precipitable water vapor (IPW)    |                                   |
| measurements for weather          |                                   |
| forecasting, climate modeling,    |                                   |
| observing system calibration and  |                                   |
| validation, and research. This    |                                   |
| project provides water vapor data |                                   |
| available to all users.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://                          |                                   |
| www.gpsmet.noaa.gov/jsp/raob.jsp> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southeast Regional Office**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Southeast Fisheries Science     |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 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. Key  |                                   |
| fisheries include the: Gulf of    |                                   |
| Mexico and Caribbean reef fish    |                                   |
| fisheries; South Atlantic snapper |                                   |
| grouper fishery; and Gulf of      |                                   |
| Mexico and South Atlantic shrimp  |                                   |
| fisheries. Key marine mammals and |                                   |
| endangered species in this region |                                   |
| are right whales, bottlenose      |                                   |
| dolphins, corals, Johnson's       |                                   |
| seagrass, and a variety of sea    |                                   |
| turtles.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Southeast Fisheries Science   |                                   |
| Center is headquartered on        |                                   |
| Virginia Key, Miami. 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.               |                                   |
| Internationally, SEFSC provides   |                                   |
| scientific support for U.S.       |                                   |
| participation in: the             |                                   |
| International Commission for the  |                                   |
| Conservation of Atlantic Tunas,   |                                   |
| the United Nations' International |                                   |
| Oceanographic Commission for the  |                                   |
| Caribbean; and the International  |                                   |
| Whaling Commission. 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.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http                             |                                   |
| ://sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/index.html> |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| [http://www.sefsc.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov](http://www.sefsc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Program**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Restoration Center**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS Restoration Center works     |                                   |
| with 14 local partners in South   |                                   |
| Carolina to rebuild native oyster |                                   |
| beds, establish wetland buffers,  |                                   |
| and restore tidal wetlands. Nine  |                                   |
| projects, including over 100      |                                   |
| oyster reefs, have been           |                                   |
| constructed since 1999 and        |                                   |
| through the Community-based       |                                   |
| Restoration Program 2,600         |                                   |
| volunteers have contributed their |                                   |
| efforts to restore the State's    |                                   |
| coastal habitat. At Huntington    |                                   |
| State Park tidal flow has been    |                                   |
| restored to a wetland that had    |                                   |
| been blocked for over 10 years.   |                                   |
| This project will benefit more    |                                   |
| than 35 acres of salt marsh       |                                   |
| habitat and provide year-round    |                                   |
| community outreach and education  |                                   |
| opportunities.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Program**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Hydropower Program**   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS National Hydropower Program  |                                   |
| works to provide passage to       |                                   |
| migratory fish past hydropower    |                                   |
| dams and to restore access to     |                                   |
| historic spawning and rearing     |                                   |
| habitats. The Columbia Hydropower |                                   |
| Project Fishway on the Broad      |                                   |
| River, the first fishway          |                                   |
| installed in South Carolina and   |                                   |
| completed in 2006, reopens        |                                   |
| historic upstream river passage   |                                   |
| for sturgeon, shad, striped bass, |                                   |
| and herring to 24 miles of        |                                   |
| habitat for the first time since  |                                   |
| the 1800s.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Program**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Port Authority Mitigation       |                                   |
| Plan**                            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS collaborated with the South  |                                   |
| Carolina State Ports Authority    |                                   |
| and others to develop a           |                                   |
| compensatory mitigation plan for  |                                   |
| the Ports Authority's proposed    |                                   |
| construction of a marine          |                                   |
| container terminal at the former  |                                   |
| Charleston Naval Complex. Adverse |                                   |
| impacts to living marine          |                                   |
| resources will be compensated by  |                                   |
| the restoration of 22 acres of    |                                   |
| salt marsh within Charleston      |                                   |
| Harbor, restoration and           |                                   |
| enhancement of five miles of      |                                   |
| shoreline with oyster reefs, and  |                                   |
| preservation of Morris Island (a  |                                   |
| barrier island at the mouth of    |                                   |
| Charleston Harbor).               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Program**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Santee Cooper Fish Passage**    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS also participated in         |                                   |
| planning and building the fishway |                                   |
| that is helping to restore the    |                                   |
| Santee Basin\'s migratory fish    |                                   |
| populations while maintaining     |                                   |
| hydropower generation. Fish       |                                   |
| passage measures at the Santee    |                                   |
| Cooper Hydropower Project will    |                                   |
| restore access to over 300 miles  |                                   |
| of historic habitat in the Santee |                                   |
| Basin to sturgeon, shad, striped  |                                   |
| bass, and herring.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [**http:                          |                                   |
| //www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/**](h |                                   |
| ttp://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| *SC*                              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| *All Coastal Districts*           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Coast Survey**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Nautical Charts**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Office of Coast Survey is     |                                   |
| responsible for creating and      |                                   |
| maintaining the 1000 nautical     |                                   |
| charts of the U.S. Exclusive      |                                   |
| Economic Zone. A nautical chart   |                                   |
| is a graphic portrayal of the     |                                   |
| marine environment showing the    |                                   |
| nature and form of the coast, the |                                   |
| general configuration of the sea  |                                   |
| bottom including water depths,    |                                   |
| locations of dangers to           |                                   |
| navigation, locations and         |                                   |
| characteristics of man-made aids  |                                   |
| to navigation and other features  |                                   |
| useful to the mariner. Available  |                                   |
| to the mariner in three main      |                                   |
| formats \-- paper, raster, and    |                                   |
| vector \-- the nautical chart is  |                                   |
| essential for safe navigation.    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Raster Nautical Charts are        |                                   |
| geo-referenced digital images of  |                                   |
| the paper nautical chart. NOAA\'s |                                   |
| most recent nautical chart        |                                   |
| product, the Electronic           |                                   |
| Navigational Chart (ENC), is a    |                                   |
| vector-based "smart chart" with   |                                   |
| the ability to provide more       |                                   |
| detailed and accurate information |                                   |
| than the traditional paper chart. |                                   |
| NOAA ENCs can be integrated with  |                                   |
| Global Positioning System         |                                   |
| satellite data and other sensor   |                                   |
| information such as radar, water  |                                   |
| levels, winds and weather to      |                                   |
| enhance situational awareness and |                                   |
| help to make informed, safe       |                                   |
| decisions in all weather          |                                   |
| conditions. Available for free on |                                   |
| the Internet, NOAA ENCs are       |                                   |
| designed to meet the increasingly |                                   |
| sophisticated technological       |                                   |
| demands of mariners.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://nautical                  |                                   |
| charts.noaa.gov/staff/charts.htm> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| National Ocean Service (NOS)      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Coast Survey            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Navigation Managers               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Office of Coast Survey        |                                   |
| maintains a regional presence in  |                                   |
| the field to serve its customers  |                                   |
| and act as ambassadors to the     |                                   |
| maritime community. The           |                                   |
| Navigation Managers focus         |                                   |
| primarily on resolving charting   |                                   |
| and navigation questions,         |                                   |
| educating constituents on         |                                   |
| emerging charting technologies    |                                   |
| and their uses, and soliciting    |                                   |
| feedback on NOAA\'s navigation    |                                   |
| products and services from the    |                                   |
| commercial maritime industry.     |                                   |
| They also help to identify the    |                                   |
| challenges facing marine          |                                   |
| transportation. These agents      |                                   |
| assist the Coast Survey in        |                                   |
| overseeing NOAA\'s nautical chart |                                   |
| data collection and information   |                                   |
| programs to meet constituent      |                                   |
| needs for information to navigate |                                   |
| safely and efficiently. South     |                                   |
| Carolina is served by the         |                                   |
| Southeast Region Navigation       |                                   |
| Manager based in Charleston, SC.  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://naut                      |                                   |
| icalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/reps.htm> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Coast Survey**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Navigation Response Teams**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Office of Coast Survey        |                                   |
| maintains 6 Navigation Response   |                                   |
| Teams (NRTs) located regionally   |                                   |
| around the country for            |                                   |
| rapid-response hydrographic       |                                   |
| surveys and nautical chart        |                                   |
| product verifications. NOAA NRTs  |                                   |
| verify Electronic Navigational    |                                   |
| Chart data collection and Coast   |                                   |
| Pilot field examinations to       |                                   |
| promote safe marine navigation,   |                                   |
| but they are also on call 365     |                                   |
| days a year for emergency survey  |                                   |
| requests. This capability is very |                                   |
| useful for port and homeland      |                                   |
| security as the NRTs can provide  |                                   |
| emergency depth surveys for major |                                   |
| ports when disaster has occurred. |                                   |
| For example, in September 2004, a |                                   |
| NOAA NRT responded to a request   |                                   |
| from the Captain of the Port of   |                                   |
| Charleston, SC to survey for new  |                                   |
| shoals created by Hurricane       |                                   |
| JEANNE after the BERMUDA STAR, a  |                                   |
| bulk cargo ship, ran aground near |                                   |
| the port. More recently, an NRT   |                                   |
| assisted in locating the          |                                   |
| submerged pipe responsible for    |                                   |
| the 2004 ATHOS oil spill on the   |                                   |
| Delaware River. Surveying to      |                                   |
| verify clear waters or locate     |                                   |
| obstructions after a natural or   |                                   |
| man-made disaster is critical to  |                                   |
| reopening the port. A port        |                                   |
| closure can impact the economy as |                                   |
| ships and cargo are stalled or    |                                   |
| re-routed, and military           |                                   |
| deployments are delayed.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://nau                       |                                   |
| ticalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/nrb.htm> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric |                                   |
| Research (OAR)                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Atlantic Oceanographic and        |                                   |
| Meteorological Laboratory         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Hurricane Research                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Atlantic Oceanographic and    |                                   |
| Meteorological Laboratory\'s      |                                   |
| Hurricane Research Division       |                                   |
| (HRD), located in Miami, FL,      |                                   |
| conducts research to advance the  |                                   |
| understanding and prediction of   |                                   |
| hurricanes and other tropical     |                                   |
| weather, benefiting the South     |                                   |
| Carolina coastal region. HRD's    |                                   |
| research is based on a            |                                   |
| combination of models, theories,  |                                   |
| and observations, with particular |                                   |
| emphasis on data obtained with    |                                   |
| research aircraft. These          |                                   |
| observations are primarily        |                                   |
| collected in our annual field     |                                   |
| program using the two NOAA        |                                   |
| turboprop aircraft and jet        |                                   |
| operated by the NOAA Aircraft     |                                   |
| Operations Center. The goals of   |                                   |
| this research are to: advance the |                                   |
| prediction of tropical cyclone    |                                   |
| intensity change, improve the     |                                   |
| prediction of tropical cyclone    |                                   |
| tracks, improve the understanding |                                   |
| of and ability to predict         |                                   |
| tropical cyclone frequency and    |                                   |
| intensity, and enhance the        |                                   |
| ability to diagnose and predict   |                                   |
| the impact of tropical cyclones   |                                   |
| on life and property.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://                          |                                   |
| www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/index.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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 South      |                                   |
| Carolina. A tsunami is a series   |                                   |
| of very large ocean waves caused  |                                   |
| by underwater earthquakes,        |                                   |
| landslides, volcanic eruptions,   |                                   |
| explosions, and even meteor       |                                   |
| impacts. Capable of flooding      |                                   |
| hundreds of meters inland past    |                                   |
| the typical high-water level, the |                                   |
| fast-moving water associated with |                                   |
| an inundating tsunami can crush   |                                   |
| homes and other coastal           |                                   |
| structures. More common           |                                   |
| occurrences, and devastating in   |                                   |
| an economic sense, are false      |                                   |
| alarms that lead to expensive     |                                   |
| evacuations of coastal areas.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The PMEL NCTR staff conducts      |                                   |
| research and development          |                                   |
| activities in close collaboration |                                   |
| with the National Weather Service |                                   |
| (NWS) Tsunami Warning Centers,    |                                   |
| National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), |                                   |
| and the coastal states.           |                                   |
| Activities focus on the           |                                   |
| development of site-specific      |                                   |
| forecast models for coastal       |                                   |
| population centers. These models  |                                   |
| are integrated into a             |                                   |
| PMEL-developed operational        |                                   |
| tsunami forecasting system at the |                                   |
| Tsunami Warning Centers. PMEL     |                                   |
| developed the original real-time  |                                   |
| DART tsunami-measuring buoy which |                                   |
| has been transitioned to NDBC.    |                                   |
| Engineering development is        |                                   |
| underway at PMEL to improve the   |                                   |
| cost-effectiveness of these       |                                   |
| platforms. Tsunami research at    |                                   |
| PMEL focuses on model             |                                   |
| improvements and tsunami hazard   |                                   |
| mitigation.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://nctr.pmel.noaa            |                                   |
| .gov](http://nctr.pmel.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric |                                   |
| Research (OAR)                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Ocean Exploration and   |                                   |
| Research (OER)                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 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    |                                   |
| operates the world's only         |                                   |
| undersea research laboratory,     |                                   |
| Aquarius, located 8 miles off the |                                   |
| coast of Florida and capable of   |                                   |
| housing scientists for 10 day     |                                   |
| missions. Center facilities are   |                                   |
| located in Wilmington, NC, and    |                                   |
| Key Largo, FL, near the site of   |                                   |
| Aquarius. Areas of research       |                                   |
| include hydrocarbon exploration   |                                   |
| and development; management of    |                                   |
| fisheries resources; conservation |                                   |
| of the Florida Keys\' coral       |                                   |
| reefs; anthropogenic and natural  |                                   |
| processes that impact coastal     |                                   |
| resources, including beach        |                                   |
| erosion and the introduction of   |                                   |
| excess nutrients to near shore    |                                   |
| habitats; and detection of        |                                   |
| current global climate conditions |                                   |
| through long-term monitoring and  |                                   |
| assessment of past changes. The   |                                   |
| center's research goals evolve to |                                   |
| meet changing national and        |                                   |
| regional needs.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nurp.noa              |                                   |
| a.gov](http://www.nurp.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| [http                             |                                   |
| ://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***SC-1***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Charleston***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Water Level            |                                   |
| Observation Network**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Ocean Service (NOS)  |                                   |
| operates two long-term            |                                   |
| continuously operating tide       |                                   |
| stations in the state of South    |                                   |
| Carolina that provide data and    |                                   |
| information on tidal datums and   |                                   |
| relative sea level trends, and    |                                   |
| are capable of producing          |                                   |
| real-time data for storm surge    |                                   |
| warning. These stations are       |                                   |
| located at Springmaid Pier and    |                                   |
| Charleston. NOS also operates a   |                                   |
| long-term station at North Inlet  |                                   |
| in cooperation with the Baruch    |                                   |
| Institute, University of South    |                                   |
| Carolina.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov]  |                                   |
| (http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Centers for Coastal    |                                   |
| Ocean Science**                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Environmental Health |                                   |
| and Biomolecular Research**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Center for Coastal            |                                   |
| Environmental Health and          |                                   |
| Biomolecular Research (CCEHBR),   |                                   |
| part of the National Centers for  |                                   |
| Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), is |                                   |
| located on the grounds of the     |                                   |
| South Carolina Wildlife and       |                                   |
| Marine Resources Department,      |                                   |
| adjacent to Charleston Harbor.    |                                   |
| CCEHBR conducts interdisciplinary |                                   |
| research to resolve issues        |                                   |
| related to coastal ecosystems     |                                   |
| health and environmental quality, |                                   |
| including public health impacts.  |                                   |
| Chemical, biomolecular,           |                                   |
| microbiological, and histological |                                   |
| methods are used in both          |                                   |
| laboratory and field studies to   |                                   |
| describe, evaluate, and predict   |                                   |
| the controlling factors and       |                                   |
| outcomes of natural and           |                                   |
| anthropogenic influences in       |                                   |
| marine and estuarine habitats.    |                                   |
| High priority issues addressed by |                                   |
| CCEHBR include harmful algal      |                                   |
| blooms and their consequences,    |                                   |
| marine mammal health, land use    |                                   |
| impacts on coastal ecology,       |                                   |
| diagnosis and mitigation of fish, |                                   |
| oyster and shrimp diseases, and   |                                   |
| assessment of risk in these       |                                   |
| subject areas.                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.chbr.noa              |                                   |
| a.gov](http://www.chbr.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Centers for Coastal    |                                   |
| Ocean Science**                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Hollings Marine Laboratory**    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Hollings Marine Laboratory (HML), |                                   |
| named after Senator E. Fritz      |                                   |
| Hollings, is a recent addition to |                                   |
| the National Centers for Coastal  |                                   |
| Ocean Science (NCCOS). The        |                                   |
| laboratory is a                   |                                   |
| multi-institutional,              |                                   |
| multi-disciplinary institution    |                                   |
| located in Charleston, South      |                                   |
| Carolina and was recently named a |                                   |
| NOAA Center of Excellence in      |                                   |
| Oceans and Human Health. Partner  |                                   |
| institutions include NCCOS, South |                                   |
| Carolina Department of Natural    |                                   |
| Resources, University of          |                                   |
| Charleston, National Institute of |                                   |
| Standards and Technology, and the |                                   |
| Medical University of South       |                                   |
| Carolina. HML\'s mission is to    |                                   |
| provide science and biotechnology |                                   |
| applications to sustain, protect, |                                   |
| and restore coastal ecosystems,   |                                   |
| emphasizing the linkages between  |                                   |
| environmental conditions and the  |                                   |
| health of marine organisms and    |                                   |
| humans. HML consists of           |                                   |
| approximately 32,830 square feet  |                                   |
| of state-of-the-art laboratory    |                                   |
| space for                         |                                   |
| analytical/environmental          |                                   |
| chemistry, aquaculture, scanning  |                                   |
| and transmission electron         |                                   |
| microscopes, cryogenic sample     |                                   |
| preparation and long-term         |                                   |
| storage, and two BSL3 (Biological |                                   |
| Safety Level 3) laboratories.     |                                   |
| HML, although owned and operated  |                                   |
| by NCCOS, is governed by a NOAA   |                                   |
| laboratory director, an Executive |                                   |
| Board, a Science Board, and       |                                   |
| several operational committees.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.hml.no                |                                   |
| aa.gov](http://www.hml.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA Coastal Services Center**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Regional Efforts**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Since 1994, the NOAA Coastal      |                                   |
| Services Center has served the    |                                   |
| coastal resource managers of the  |                                   |
| nation (local, state, and         |                                   |
| federal) by providing             |                                   |
| information, services, and        |                                   |
| technology. The Center\'s area of |                                   |
| expertise is broad, but the       |                                   |
| primary focus is on geographic    |                                   |
| information systems, coastal      |                                   |
| remote sensing, and training. The |                                   |
| Center works with states and      |                                   |
| other partners on over 100        |                                   |
| projects annually; each project   |                                   |
| is geared to resolve a            |                                   |
| site-specific coastal resource    |                                   |
| management issue. The lessons     |                                   |
| learned from each project are     |                                   |
| then transferred to the rest of   |                                   |
| the nation\'s coastal managers.   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.csc.no                |                                   |
| aa.gov](http://www.csc.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Law Enforcement**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Charleston Field Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS Office for 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 U.S. territorial     |                                   |
| waters in the Caribbean, the      |                                   |
| Southeast Enforcement Division\'s |                                   |
| responsibility is vast beyond     |                                   |
| measure. The Southeast 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://www.nmf                   |                                   |
| s.noaa.gov/ole/se_southeast.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **South Carolina Coastal          |                                   |
| Management Program/ South         |                                   |
| Carolina Department of Health and |                                   |
| Environmental Control**           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| South Carolina\'s coastal program |                                   |
| protects marine resources from    |                                   |
| declining water quality, protects |                                   |
| fish habitats such as wetlands,   |                                   |
| and reduces the risk to coastal   |                                   |
| property from storms and other    |                                   |
| hazards. To meet these            |                                   |
| challenges, the program oversees  |                                   |
| wetlands filling and commercial   |                                   |
| and residential construction,     |                                   |
| including docks and piers. The    |                                   |
| program also sets construction    |                                   |
| back a safe distance from the     |                                   |
| ocean. Tourism, forestry,         |                                   |
| agriculture, and fishing are some |                                   |
| of the state\'s largest coastal   |                                   |
| industries. The Office of Ocean   |                                   |
| and Coastal Resource Management   |                                   |
| in the state Department of Health |                                   |
| and Environmental Control         |                                   |
| oversees activities in eight      |                                   |
| counties, particularly events in  |                                   |
| \"critical areas\" \-- tidelands, |                                   |
| coastal waters, beaches, and      |                                   |
| dunes. The program oversees       |                                   |
| activities through direct         |                                   |
| permitting and by reviewing       |                                   |
| permits issued within the eight   |                                   |
| coastal counties for consistency  |                                   |
| with the state program.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.ocrm.nos.no           |                                   |
| aa.gov/czm/czmsouthcarolina.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Charleston WFO**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located in Charleston, this       |                                   |
| National Weather Service Weather  |                                   |
| Forecast office provides weather  |                                   |
| and flood warnings, daily         |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for 20 counties   |                                   |
| (eight in South Carolina and 12   |                                   |
| in Georgia), with a population of |                                   |
| 1.1 million residents.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.erh.noaa.gov/chs/>    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Marine and Aviation     |                                   |
| Operations (OMAO)                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Port Office -- Charleston         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA Ships \"Ronald H. Brown\"    |                                   |
| and \"Nancy Foster\"              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The NOAA Ships \"Ronald H.        |                                   |
| Brown\" and \"Nancy Foster\" are  |                                   |
| managed by the Marine Operations  |                                   |
| Center-Atlantic in Norfolk,       |                                   |
| Virginia. The NOAA Ship \"Ronald  |                                   |
| H. Brown\" primarily supports the |                                   |
| science and research missions of  |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Office of Oceanic and     |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research and a wide   |                                   |
| range of academic research        |                                   |
| institutions. The NOAA Ship       |                                   |
| \"Nancy Foster\" operates in      |                                   |
| support of NOAA\'s Office of      |                                   |
| Ocean and Coastal Resource        |                                   |
| Management and the National Sea   |                                   |
| Grant College Program. These      |                                   |
| ships are homeported in           |                                   |
| Charleston. An on-site Port       |                                   |
| Captain provides operational,     |                                   |
| administrative and logistical     |                                   |
| support to the ships.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http:                            |                                   |
| //www.moc.noaa.gov/rb/index.html> |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| <http:                            |                                   |
| //www.moc.noaa.gov/nf/index.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Atmosphere       |                                   |
| Aloft - Carbon Cycle Gases and    |                                   |
| Halocarbons**                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA\'s Earth System Research     |                                   |
| Laboratory (ESRL) operates a new  |                                   |
| and growing small aircraft-based  |                                   |
| North American network of         |                                   |
| sampling sites to measure         |                                   |
| vertical profiles of important    |                                   |
| greenhouse gas concentrations.    |                                   |
| Air is sampled above the surface  |                                   |
| up to approximately 25,000 feet   |                                   |
| above sea level using a           |                                   |
| relatively small, light, and      |                                   |
| economical automated system       |                                   |
| developed by ESRL researchers.    |                                   |
| These air samples are delivered   |                                   |
| to the ESRL laboratory in         |                                   |
| Boulder, Colorado for             |                                   |
| measurements of CO2, CH4, and     |                                   |
| other greenhouse gasses. This     |                                   |
| data will improve understanding   |                                   |
| and models of the global carbon   |                                   |
| cycle. Sampling is conducted      |                                   |
| bi-weekly. Some air samples from  |                                   |
| the small aircraft program are    |                                   |
| also analyzed for halocarbon      |                                   |
| gases that can destroy the        |                                   |
| stratospheric ozone layer.        |                                   |
| Halocarbon measurements help      |                                   |
| determine the effectiveness of    |                                   |
| efforts to protect and restore    |                                   |
| the ozone layer so it can protect |                                   |
| us from the sun's ultraviolet     |                                   |
| radiation.                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.esrl                  |                                   |
| .noaa.gov/gmd/about/climate.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Conservation Division** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Charleston Field Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Charleston Field Office is    |                                   |
| co-located with other NOAA        |                                   |
| facilities on the grounds of the  |                                   |
| South Carolina Department of      |                                   |
| Natural Resources campus near     |                                   |
| Charleston Harbor. This office    |                                   |
| oversees NMFS' habitat protection |                                   |
| programs in the South Atlantic,   |                                   |
| and implements NMFS' habitat      |                                   |
| protection programs in South      |                                   |
| Carolina and Georgia. In addition |                                   |
| to conducting mandated essential  |                                   |
| fish habitat consultations        |                                   |
| associated with extensive energy  |                                   |
| and coastal development           |                                   |
| activities, the Charleston Field  |                                   |
| Office participates in state and  |                                   |
| regional habitat planning and     |                                   |
| restoration efforts and in the    |                                   |
| planning processes for major      |                                   |
| federal water development         |                                   |
| projects. This office also is     |                                   |
| responsible for implementing      |                                   |
| fishway prescriptions for         |                                   |
| hydropower re-licensing           |                                   |
| activities in the Southeast       |                                   |
| Region.                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://sero.                     |                                   |
| nmfs.noaa.gov/hcd/hcd.htm](http:/ |                                   |
| /sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/hcd/hcd.htm ) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **South Atlantic Fishery          |                                   |
| Management Council**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Fish Conservation and           |                                   |
| Management**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The South Atlantic Fishery        |                                   |
| Management Council (South         |                                   |
| Atlantic Council) is one of eight |                                   |
| regional fishery management       |                                   |
| councils established by the       |                                   |
| Magnuson-Stevens Fishery          |                                   |
| Conservation and Management Act   |                                   |
| to advise the Secretary of        |                                   |
| Commerce on the conservation and  |                                   |
| management of U.S. marine         |                                   |
| fisheries. The South Atlantic     |                                   |
| Council is responsible for        |                                   |
| fisheries in federal waters off   |                                   |
| the coasts of North Carolina,     |                                   |
| South Carolina, Georgia, and east |                                   |
| Florida.                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.safmc.net/>           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Georgetown***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **North Inlet\-- Winyah Bay       |                                   |
| National Estuarine Research       |                                   |
| Reserve**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| North Inlet\-- Winyah Bay         |                                   |
| features high-quality,            |                                   |
| ocean-dominated waters and salt   |                                   |
| marshes in the Inlet contrasting  |                                   |
| with brackish waters and marshes  |                                   |
| in the Bay. The Bay\'s estuary is |                                   |
| dominated by riverine discharges  |                                   |
| from a watershed impacted by      |                                   |
| agricultural, municipal, and      |                                   |
| industrial development. Former    |                                   |
| rice fields and canals provide    |                                   |
| another system for study within   |                                   |
| the reserve. The reserve provides |                                   |
| year-round educational programs   |                                   |
| for adults and children, as well  |                                   |
| as public forums and seminars on  |                                   |
| coastal issues. Long-term         |                                   |
| monitoring of environmental       |                                   |
| conditions\\ and computer         |                                   |
| modeling of the changing          |                                   |
| ecosystem are on-going research   |                                   |
| efforts. The reserve is home to   |                                   |
| cordgrass, fiddler crab, the      |                                   |
| American oyster, spot, alligator  |                                   |
| and the white ibis.               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <h                                |                                   |
| ttp://nerrs.noaa.gov/NorthInlet/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***McClellanville***              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric |                                   |
| Research (OAR)                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Climate Reference Network         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| McClellanville Station            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Each U.S. Climate Reference       |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) station provides  |                                   |
| benchmark measurements of surface |                                   |
| air temperature and               |                                   |
| precipitation. Collectively the   |                                   |
| USCRN measurements monitor and    |                                   |
| document the National annual      |                                   |
| average temperature and           |                                   |
| precipitation trends across the   |                                   |
| lower 48 contiguous states over   |                                   |
| long periods of time. Deploying   |                                   |
| USCRN stations in Alaska will     |                                   |
| provide similar monitoring and    |                                   |
| documentation across Alaska. The  |                                   |
| modernization of the U.S.         |                                   |
| Historical Climatology Network    |                                   |
| (USHCN-M) will increase the       |                                   |
| reference observational network   |                                   |
| making it possible to track U.S.  |                                   |
| regional annual average           |                                   |
| temperature and precipitation     |                                   |
| trends over long periods of time. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| http:/                            |                                   |
| /www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/sites.html |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Springmaid Pier***             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Water Level            |                                   |
| Observation Network**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The National Ocean Service (NOS)  |                                   |
| operates two long-term            |                                   |
| continuously operating tide       |                                   |
| stations in the state of South    |                                   |
| Carolina that provide data and    |                                   |
| information on tidal datums and   |                                   |
| relative sea level trends, and    |                                   |
| are capable of producing          |                                   |
| real-time data for storm surge    |                                   |
| warning. These stations are       |                                   |
| located at Springmaid Pier and    |                                   |
| Charleston. NOS also operates a   |                                   |
| long-term station at North Inlet  |                                   |
| in cooperation with the Baruch    |                                   |
| Institute, University of South    |                                   |
| Carolina.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [                                 |                                   |
| http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov] |                                   |
| (http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***SC-2***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Blackville***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric |                                   |
| Research (OAR)                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Climate Reference Network         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Blackville Station                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Each U.S. Climate Reference       |                                   |
| Network (USCRN) station provides  |                                   |
| benchmark measurements of surface |                                   |
| air temperature and               |                                   |
| precipitation. Collectively the   |                                   |
| USCRN measurements monitor and    |                                   |
| document the National annual      |                                   |
| average temperature and           |                                   |
| precipitation trends across the   |                                   |
| lower 48 contiguous states over   |                                   |
| long periods of time. Deploying   |                                   |
| USCRN stations in Alaska will     |                                   |
| provide similar monitoring and    |                                   |
| documentation across Alaska. The  |                                   |
| modernization of the U.S.         |                                   |
| Historical Climatology Network    |                                   |
| (USHCN-M) will increase the       |                                   |
| reference observational network   |                                   |
| making it possible to track U.S.  |                                   |
| regional annual average           |                                   |
| temperature and precipitation     |                                   |
| trends over long periods of time. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://                          |                                   |
| www.ncdc.noaa.gov/crn/sites.html> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***South Capers Island, Fripps    |                                   |
| Inlet***                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Carolinas Coastal Ocean         |                                   |
| Observation and Prediction System |                                   |
| (Caro-COOPS)**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOS provides technical guidance   |                                   |
| to Caro-COOPS, a regional         |                                   |
| observing system comprised of sea |                                   |
| buoys and coastal water level     |                                   |
| stations. This observation system |                                   |
| enhances the capability for       |                                   |
| real-time forecasts to mitigate   |                                   |
| natural hazards, support          |                                   |
| management of living resources    |                                   |
| and marine ecosystems, facilitate |                                   |
| safe and efficient marine         |                                   |
| operations, and support national  |                                   |
| security in the region. NOS       |                                   |
| processes and disseminates water  |                                   |
| level and meteorological data     |                                   |
| from three Caro-COOPS sites:      |                                   |
| Sunset Beach, NC; South Capers    |                                   |
| Island, SC; and Fripps Inlet, SC. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://tidesonline.              |                                   |
| nos.noaa.gov](                    |                                   |
| http://tidesonline.nos.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***SC-2,6***                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Columbia***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Geodetic Survey**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Geodetic Coordinator**          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Through a cooperative agreement   |                                   |
| and part of the National Ocean    |                                   |
| Service (NOS) State Advisor       |                                   |
| Program, the State Geodetic       |                                   |
| Coordinator is a State employee   |                                   |
| that serves as liaison between    |                                   |
| NOS and the host state. In this   |                                   |
| method, NOS helps guide and       |                                   |
| assist the State\'s charting,     |                                   |
| geodetic and surveying programs   |                                   |
| through technical transfer. This  |                                   |
| program also provides assistance  |                                   |
| in planning and implementing      |                                   |
| Geographic/Land Information       |                                   |
| System (GIS/LIS) projects.        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.ngs.noaa.             |                                   |
| gov/ADVISORS/AdvisorsIndex.shtml> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Columbia WFO**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at the Columbia           |                                   |
| Metropolitan Airport complex,     |                                   |
| this National Weather Service     |                                   |
| Weather Forecast Office provides  |                                   |
| weather and flood warnings, daily |                                   |
| forecasts and meteorologic and    |                                   |
| hydrologic data for 23 counties   |                                   |
| (18 in South Carolina and five in |                                   |
| Georgia), with a population of    |                                   |
| 1.6 million residents.            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.erh.noaa.gov/cae/>    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Walterboro***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **ACE Basin National Estuarine    |                                   |
| Research Reserve**                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The ACE Basin features outer      |                                   |
| coastal plain communities         |                                   |
| typically associated with barrier |                                   |
| islands, marsh islands, and       |                                   |
| estuarine rivers. It is           |                                   |
| especially rich in its diversity  |                                   |
| of endangered and threatened      |                                   |
| species. The reserve provides     |                                   |
| tours and interpretive programs   |                                   |
| for school groups, civic          |                                   |
| organizations and the general     |                                   |
| public. American alligator,       |                                   |
| Atlantic loggerhead turtle,       |                                   |
| shortnose sturgeon, bald eagle    |                                   |
| and wood stork are among the many |                                   |
| species found within reserve      |                                   |
| boundaries.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://nerrs.noaa.gov/ACEBasin/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***SC-4***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Greenville/Spartanburg***      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Weather Service        |                                   |
| (NWS)**                           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Weather Forecast Office**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Greenville/Spartanburg WFO**    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Located at the Greenville/        |                                   |
| Spartanburg International         |                                   |
| Airport, this National Weather    |                                   |
| Service Weather Forecast Office   |                                   |
| provides weather and flood        |                                   |
| warnings, daily forecasts and     |                                   |
| meteorologic and hydrologic data  |                                   |
| for 46 counties, with a           |                                   |
| population of 2.4 million         |                                   |
| residents, in upstate South       |                                   |
| Carolina, western and central     |                                   |
| North Carolina, and extreme       |                                   |
| northeast Georgia.                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.erh.noaa.gov/gsp>     |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA's Office of Legislative    |                                   |
| Affairs**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Tel: 202-482-4981               |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov/)** |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+