+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ![](media/image1                  |                                   |
| .png){width="7.527777777777778in" |                                   |
| height="0.9416666666666667in"}    |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA In Your State**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Rhode Island**                  |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| *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.*             |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| ***RI***                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Statewide***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Sea Grant College      |                                   |
| Program Office**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Rhode Island Sea Grant College  |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOAA's National Sea Grant College |                                   |
| Program is a federal-university   |                                   |
| partnership that integrates       |                                   |
| research, education, and outreach |                                   |
| (extension and communications).   |                                   |
| Sea Grant forms a network of 32   |                                   |
| programs in all U.S. coastal and  |                                   |
| Great Lakes states, Puerto Rico   |                                   |
| and Guam. The Rhode Island Sea    |                                   |
| Grant Program, based at the       |                                   |
| University of Rhode Island\'s     |                                   |
| Graduate School of Oceanography,  |                                   |
| conducts research in areas such   |                                   |
| as commercial and recreational    |                                   |
| fisheries, seafood safety, marine |                                   |
| aquaculture, habitat restoration, |                                   |
| estuarine ecology and water       |                                   |
| quality, watershed assessment     |                                   |
| management, sustainable coastal   |                                   |
| community development, and        |                                   |
| natural hazard mitigation         |                                   |
| planning and response. In         |                                   |
| addition to research, Rhode       |                                   |
| Island Sea Grant maintains active |                                   |
| education and outreach            |                                   |
| programming in both of Rhode      |                                   |
| Island's Congressional Districts. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/>    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Climate Program Office**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Rhode Island 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                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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. |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Northeast Regional Office**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Northeast Science Center**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Northeast Regional Office     |                                   |
| (located in Gloucester, MA) is    |                                   |
| comprised of five divisions:      |                                   |
| Sustainable Fisheries, Habitat    |                                   |
| Conservation, Protected           |                                   |
| Resources, Fisheries Statistics,  |                                   |
| and State, Federal, and           |                                   |
| Constituent Programs. Key species |                                   |
| managed in the Northeast Region   |                                   |
| include the northeast             |                                   |
| "multispecies complex" (cod,      |                                   |
| haddock, yellowtail flounder      |                                   |
| etc.), Atlantic sea scallops,     |                                   |
| herring, lobster, and summer      |                                   |
| flounder. Key marine endangered   |                                   |
| species in this region are        |                                   |
| Atlantic salmon, northern right   |                                   |
| whales, and Atlantic shortnose    |                                   |
| sturgeon.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Northeast Science Center      |                                   |
| (headquartered in Woods Hole, MA) |                                   |
| focuses on collection, analysis,  |                                   |
| and presentation of scientific    |                                   |
| information about the Northeast   |                                   |
| Shelf ecosystem, its condition,   |                                   |
| and its marine life. In addition  |                                   |
| to its six laboratories, the      |                                   |
| Center uses 6 research vessels to |                                   |
| support its work. They are: the   |                                   |
| NOAA Ships Albatross IV, Delaware |                                   |
| II, and Henry B. Bigelow, and the |                                   |
| small research vessels Gloria     |                                   |
| Michelle, Victor Loosanoff, and   |                                   |
| Nauvoo. The Northeast Regional    |                                   |
| Office and Science Center are     |                                   |
| responsible for the District of   |                                   |
| Columbia and the following        |                                   |
| states: Maine, New Hampshire,     |                                   |
| Massachusetts, Rhode Island,      |                                   |
| Connecticut, New York, New        |                                   |
| Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,   |                                   |
| Maryland, Virginia, and North     |                                   |
| Carolina; and the inland states   |                                   |
| of Vermont, Minnesota, Michigan,  |                                   |
| Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana,     |                                   |
| Ohio, and West Virginia.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.nero.noaa.gov/nero/>  |                                   |
| and <http://www.nefsc.noaa.gov/>  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Program**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Restoration Center**            |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NMFS Restoration Center works     |                                   |
| with 55 private and public        |                                   |
| partners in Rhode Island to       |                                   |
| modify culverts to restore tidal  |                                   |
| flow, restore eel grass and       |                                   |
| native shellfish nurseries, and   |                                   |
| remove fill from wetlands. Twenty |                                   |
| projects have been constructed in |                                   |
| the State since 1998 and roughly  |                                   |
| 1,300 volunteers have contributed |                                   |
| their time and effort to restore  |                                   |
| Rhode Island habitat.             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Habitat Program**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Community-based Restoration     |                                   |
| Program**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| At Narragansett Bay, the          |                                   |
| Community-based Restoration       |                                   |
| Program (CRP) is working to       |                                   |
| restore eelgrass (*Zostera        |                                   |
| marina*), which is vital to the   |                                   |
| Bay's health and the local        |                                   |
| economy. This flowering marine    |                                   |
| plant provides critical habitat   |                                   |
| for many species including more   |                                   |
| than 20 commercially important    |                                   |
| finfish and shellfish (e.g., bay  |                                   |
| scallop, summer and winter        |                                   |
| flounder, blue crab). Eelgrass    |                                   |
| also provides valuable storm and  |                                   |
| shoreline protection and cleans   |                                   |
| and filters water. While          |                                   |
| historically abundant, today less |                                   |
| than 100 acres remain in          |                                   |
| Narragansett Bay. Since 2000, the |                                   |
| CRP, working with Save The Bay,   |                                   |
| has transplanted 13.5 acres of    |                                   |
| eelgrass in Narragansett Bay      |                                   |
| using the best method available:  |                                   |
| intensive hand planting by        |                                   |
| volunteers.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <h                                |                                   |
| ttp://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/habitat/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***RI***                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***All Coastal Districts***       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Response and          |                                   |
| Restoration (OR&R)**              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Injury Assessment Coordinator** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| OR&R's Injury Assessment          |                                   |
| Coordinator (IAC) based in        |                                   |
| Narragansett provides scientific  |                                   |
| and technical expertise and       |                                   |
| timely response to oil spills or  |                                   |
| hazardous materials releases to   |                                   |
| collect information, samples, and |                                   |
| evidence that are time dependent  |                                   |
| and critical to support natural   |                                   |
| resource damage assessments       |                                   |
| throughout the coastal US.        |                                   |
| Specifically, IACs work on        |                                   |
| multi-disciplinary scientific,    |                                   |
| economic, and legal teams and are |                                   |
| responsible for determining and   |                                   |
| quantifying injuries to NOAA      |                                   |
| trust natural resources through   |                                   |
| determination of injuries and     |                                   |
| pathway, and demonstration of     |                                   |
| causal mechanisms. IACs document  |                                   |
| the severity, geographic extent,  |                                   |
| and likely duration of the        |                                   |
| injury. The goal of the IACs      |                                   |
| efforts is to determine the       |                                   |
| appropriate amount and type of    |                                   |
| restoration required to restore   |                                   |
| injured NOAA trust resources and  |                                   |
| compensate the public for their   |                                   |
| lost use.                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://res                       |                                   |
| ponse.restoration.noaa.gov](http: |                                   |
| //response.restoration.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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 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)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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 Rhode      |                                   |
| Island. 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 North Atlantic   |                                   |
| and Great Lakes**                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| 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  |                                   |
| North Atlantic and Great Lakes    |                                   |
| (NAGL), one of the six NURP       |                                   |
| regional centers, is housed at    |                                   |
| the University of Connecticut.    |                                   |
| The NALG Center supports undersea |                                   |
| research off the U.S.'s           |                                   |
| northeastern coast (i.e., Gulf of |                                   |
| Maine, Georges Bank and the       |                                   |
| Southern New England Coast        |                                   |
| including Long Island Sound) and  |                                   |
| in the Laurentian Great Lakes.    |                                   |
| The center's research focuses on  |                                   |
| ecosystem response to human       |                                   |
| induced stress such as fishing    |                                   |
| and pollution and the role of     |                                   |
| habitat in sustaining fisheries   |                                   |
| and biological diversity.         |                                   |
| Underwater diving technologies    |                                   |
| available through NAGL include    |                                   |
| occupied submersibles, remotely   |                                   |
| operated vehicles (ROV\'s), and   |                                   |
| Nitrox scuba.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http                             |                                   |
| ://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***RI-1, 2***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Newport***                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Narragansett Bay PORTS**        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| A Physical Oceanographic          |                                   |
| Real-Time System (PORTS®) is      |                                   |
| operated cooperatively with the   |                                   |
| local maritime community in       |                                   |
| Narragansett Bay at which         |                                   |
| real-time data are                |                                   |
| quality-controlled and            |                                   |
| disseminated to local users for   |                                   |
| safe and efficient navigation.    |                                   |
| Real-time data are available for  |                                   |
| water levels from five stations,  |                                   |
| for currents from three stations, |                                   |
| for meteorological data from six  |                                   |
| locations and for conductivity at |                                   |
| four locations.                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [                                 |                                   |
| http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov] |                                   |
| (http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Water Level            |                                   |
| Observation Network**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOS operates two long-term        |                                   |
| continuously operating tide       |                                   |
| stations in the state of Rhode    |                                   |
| Island which 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 Newport and            |                                   |
| Providence.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [                                 |                                   |
| http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov] |                                   |
| (http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Providence***                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Center for Operational          |                                   |
| Oceanographic Products and        |                                   |
| Services**                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Water Level            |                                   |
| Observation Network**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| NOS operates two long-term        |                                   |
| continuously operating tide       |                                   |
| stations in the state of Rhode    |                                   |
| Island which 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 Newport and            |                                   |
| Providence.                       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov]  |                                   |
| (http://www.co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***RI-2***                        |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Kingston***                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric |                                   |
| Research (OAR)                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Climate Reference Network         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Kingston 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> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Narragansett***                |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean Exploration and |                                   |
| Research (OER)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **NOAA OER Rhode Island Regional  |                                   |
| Office**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The NOAA OER Rhode Island office, |                                   |
| located at the University of      |                                   |
| Rhode Island, was established in  |                                   |
| 2004 through a Joint Project      |                                   |
| Agreement (JPA) between NOAA's    |                                   |
| Office of Ocean Exploration and   |                                   |
| the Sea Research Foundation's     |                                   |
| Institute for Exploration. This   |                                   |
| JPA was established to create a   |                                   |
| focus of National leadership and  |                                   |
| integration in technology         |                                   |
| development, education, field     |                                   |
| operations, and public outreach   |                                   |
| for the fields of ocean           |                                   |
| exploration and archaeological    |                                   |
| oceanography. The focus of the    |                                   |
| joint projects have been on the   |                                   |
| development of telepresence       |                                   |
| technology and it's associated    |                                   |
| shore-based facilities for the    |                                   |
| purpose of ocean exploration and  |                                   |
| research, as well as public       |                                   |
| outreach and education.           |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| elepresence technology uses       |                                   |
| satellite technology and          |                                   |
| Internet2 to transmit data in     |                                   |
| real-time from remotely operated  |                                   |
| vehicles working at depth, to a   |                                   |
| shore-based hub (located at the   |                                   |
| University of Rhode Island),      |                                   |
| which then sends this data to     |                                   |
| Science Command Centers and a     |                                   |
| variety of other receiving        |                                   |
| stations on shore. The work       |                                   |
| conducted through this JPA        |                                   |
| continues, as NOAA is outfitting  |                                   |
| its new dedicated ship of         |                                   |
| Exploration, the *Okeanos         |                                   |
| Explorer*, with the equipment,    |                                   |
| systems, and personnel to fully   |                                   |
| realize this vision of sharing    |                                   |
| the excitement of discovery and   |                                   |
| ocean science with students,      |                                   |
| teachers, scientists, and the     |                                   |
| general public on shore in real   |                                   |
| time.                             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| [http://www.nurp.noa              |                                   |
| a.gov](http://www.nurp.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
| and                               |                                   |
| [http                             |                                   |
| ://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/) |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Northeast Fisheries Science     |                                   |
| Center**                          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Narragansett Laboratory**       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The laboratory is located         |                                   |
| adjacent to the University of     |                                   |
| Rhode Island's Graduate School of |                                   |
| Oceanography and the              |                                   |
| Environmental Protection Agency   |                                   |
| (EPA) Laboratory on Narragansett  |                                   |
| Bay. Research activities focus on |                                   |
| the physical dynamics of the      |                                   |
| ocean circulation, location and   |                                   |
| growth properties of nutrients,   |                                   |
| and ocean temperature             |                                   |
| fluctuations and variations, all  |                                   |
| of which affect the fishing       |                                   |
| industry. It also includes NOAA's |                                   |
| northeast apex predator           |                                   |
| investigation, which maintains    |                                   |
| the world's longest time series   |                                   |
| of catch-and-release tag data for |                                   |
| Atlantic sharks.                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://na.nefsc.noaa.gov/>       |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **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. Rhode     |                                   |
| Island is served by the Northeast |                                   |
| Region Navigation Manager based   |                                   |
| in Narragansett, RI.              |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://naut                      |                                   |
| icalcharts.noaa.gov/nsd/reps.htm> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Oceanic and           |                                   |
| Atmospheric Research (OAR)**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Earth System Research           |                                   |
| Laboratory**                      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Monitoring the Surface          |                                   |
| Atmosphere -- Ozone               |                                   |
| Measurements**                    |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ESRL conducts long-term           |                                   |
| monitoring of ozone at the        |                                   |
| surface, with aircraft, and with  |                                   |
| balloons, through cooperative     |                                   |
| relationships with local          |                                   |
| partners. The ESRL tropospheric   |                                   |
| ozone aircraft measurement        |                                   |
| program is being done in          |                                   |
| conjunction with the Carbon Cycle |                                   |
| and Greenhouse Gas (CCGG)         |                                   |
| group\'s existing aircraft        |                                   |
| sampling network. Aircraft based  |                                   |
| in-situ tropospheric ozone        |                                   |
| measurements provide data         |                                   |
| relevant to: pollution events,    |                                   |
| lower atmosphere mixing dynamics, |                                   |
| boundary layer stability, ozone   |                                   |
| trend studies, and the validity   |                                   |
| of other samples collected        |                                   |
| in-flight. Near ground level      |                                   |
| ozone is currently monitored      |                                   |
| using ultraviolet absorption      |                                   |
| photometers at eight sites that   |                                   |
| are generally representative of   |                                   |
| background conditions. These      |                                   |
| sites, four of which have records |                                   |
| exceeding 25 years in length,     |                                   |
| provide information on possible   |                                   |
| long-term changes in tropospheric |                                   |
| ozone near the surface and        |                                   |
| support air quality research.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <ht                               |                                   |
| tp://www.esrl.noaa.gov/gmd/ozwv/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***North Kingstown***             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Protected Resources Gear Team** |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **North Kingstown**               |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| A field office of the Northeast   |                                   |
| Region's Protected Resources      |                                   |
| Division, the gear team is        |                                   |
| responsible for gear              |                                   |
| investigation to identify ways to |                                   |
| minimize interactions between     |                                   |
| commercial fishing gear and       |                                   |
| protected species including sea   |                                   |
| turtles and North Atlantic right  |                                   |
| whales. Other work includes fish  |                                   |
| passage design and evaluation,    |                                   |
| and design and construction of    |                                   |
| gear utilized to sample protected |                                   |
| species, including capturing      |                                   |
| Atlantic salmon smolts in the     |                                   |
| river and at sea.                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Port Judith***                 |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Marine Fisheries       |                                   |
| Service (NMFS)**                  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Northeast Regional Office**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Fisheries Statistics Office**   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Northeast Region Fishery      |                                   |
| Statistics Office (FSO) field     |                                   |
| office responsible for the        |                                   |
| collection, receipt and initial   |                                   |
| processing of fishery dependent   |                                   |
| data describing the commercial    |                                   |
| fisheries\' harvests and landings |                                   |
| in the local area. The fishery    |                                   |
| dependent data includes seafood   |                                   |
| dealer receipts of purchases from |                                   |
| fishing vessels, biological       |                                   |
| samples of these landings and     |                                   |
| other information used by fishery |                                   |
| managers and scientists to        |                                   |
| monitor and assess coast wide     |                                   |
| stocks of finfish and shellfish.  |                                   |
| Staff liaison with the local      |                                   |
| fishing industry, state marine    |                                   |
| fisheries agencies, and other     |                                   |
| constituents.                     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.nero.noaa.gov/fso/>   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Prudence Island***             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Narragansett Bay National       |                                   |
| Estuarine Research Reserve**      |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| The Narragansett Bay Reserve      |                                   |
| includes undisturbed salt         |                                   |
| marshes, tidal flats, rock        |                                   |
| shores, open waters, upland       |                                   |
| fields, forests and an historic   |                                   |
| farm site. The reserve contains   |                                   |
| the major watershed and largest   |                                   |
| stream on Prudence Island. A      |                                   |
| deep-water pier and recreational  |                                   |
| facility are located at South     |                                   |
| Prudence. The reserve provides on |                                   |
| and off-site exhibits and         |                                   |
| educational programs and has      |                                   |
| developed a hiker\'s trail guide. |                                   |
| Bluefish, striped bass, winter    |                                   |
| flounder, osprey, great blue      |                                   |
| heron and whitetail deer are key  |                                   |
| species found in the reserve.     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http:/                           |                                   |
| /nerrs.noaa.gov/NarragansettBay/> |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| ***Wakefield***                   |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **National Ocean Service (NOS)**  |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Office of Ocean and Coastal     |                                   |
| Resource Management**             |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Rhode Island Coastal Management |                                   |
| Program/ Rhode Island Coastal     |                                   |
| Resources Management Office**     |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| Beach erosion, polluted runoff,   |                                   |
| the impact of human use on        |                                   |
| coastal resources, and public     |                                   |
| access are key issues for Rhode   |                                   |
| Island\'s coast. To address these |                                   |
| issues, the coastal program       |                                   |
| created special area management   |                                   |
| plans; instituted a comprehensive |                                   |
| harbor management planning        |                                   |
| program; and encourages           |                                   |
| mitigation for wetlands that are  |                                   |
| permanently lost or altered. The  |                                   |
| Coastal Resources Management      |                                   |
| Council administers the program.  |                                   |
| Four areas \-- salt ponds,        |                                   |
| Providence Harbor, Pawcatuck      |                                   |
| River Estuary, and Narrow River   |                                   |
| \-- have special area management  |                                   |
| plans. Local governments          |                                   |
| participate in the program on a   |                                   |
| voluntary basis, developing local |                                   |
| harbor management plans.          |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| <http://www.ocrm.nos.             |                                   |
| noaa.gov/czm/czmrhodeisland.html> |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| **NOAA's Office of Legislative    |                                   |
| Affairs**                         |                                   |
|                                   |                                   |
| **Tel: 202-482-4981               |                                   |
| [ht                               |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov](ht |                                   |
| tp://www.legislative.noaa.gov/)** |                                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+