NOAA 94-4 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh
                Fred Ostby
                1/11/94
                
             SEVERE WEATHER WARNINGS SAVED LIVES AND PROPERTY IN 1993

         Improved technology and manual sightings of severe weather helped
forecasters at the National Weather Service issue a record 957 severe
weather alerts in 1993, saving lives and property, the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today. 
Severe thunderstorm watches accounted for a majority of the 1993 alerts,
with one-third issued for tornadoes.                             

        "The rise is due mostly to better reporting methods and improved
technology, not any recognizable climatological changes," said Frederick
P. Ostby, director of the weather service's National Severe Storms
Forecast Center in Kansas City.  There were 940 storm watches in 1992.

        A "watch" means it is time to plan for severe weather, and a
"warning" means it is time to act, he said.

        "Approaching the 1,000 mark in severe storm alerts is an indicator
of how people and technology are helping to protect lives and property
from the threat of tornadoes," Ostby said.  The 1993 tornado death toll,
he added, was at 33, well below the 30-year normal toll of 82 deaths.

        "The great strides made in improved weather service forecasts have
brought about a dramatic decrease in the number of tornado deaths over
the years," Ostby said.

        During the 1930s, tornadoes killed 1,947 people in the United
States.  In the 1970s, the total dropped to 998.  The tornado death toll
declined to 520 in the 1980s, when much of the new technology was
brought on line.

        This downward trend of weather-related deaths continues despite
this country's population explosion and greater numbers at risk because
of increased residency in vulnerable areas such as mobile home parks.

        During a tornado, people should stay away from vehicles and seek
underground shelter or move to an interior room or hallway and get under
a sturdy piece of furniture.

        In his recent study of tornado data gathered over the last 40
years, Ostby pointed to a huge rise in reported tornadoes from the 1950s
to the 1980s to support his conviction that the increase has been
affected by factors other than climate.

        The number of tornadoes reported during the 1950s was 4,793.  That
rose to 8,194 in the 1980s, according to statistics compiled by the
Climate Analysis Center in Camp Springs, Md.

        Most of the increase over those years is in the number of "weak"
tornadoes reported, Ostby found.  Tornadoes with wind speeds of less
than 75 miles per hour comprised 50 percent of those reported in 1953,
but accounted for around 85 percent of all reported by 1990.

        Urban sprawl and superhighways built through rural areas put
significantly more people into zones of the country where tornadoes may
previously have gone unnoticed, Ostby said.  At the same time, more and
more volunteer weather observers and tornado spotters have improved the
reach of meteorologists throughout the country.

                                     #

NOAA 94-5 
Contact:  Frank Lepore
          1/11/94
        
                         1993:  THE YEAR OF WATER 

        1993 was the "Year of Water," marked by floods, drought, ozone
depletion, El Nino, and other climatological developments across the
United States and globally, meteorologists at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service said.

        In the western U.S., water was in plentiful supply after some six
years of drought.  Torrential rains and epic flooding affected much of
the Midwest.  On the East Coast, the "Storm of the Century" deposited
snow over one-third of the United States. 
Later in the year, the Southeast was hit with drought conditions.

        NOAA climate researchers reviewed important climate events over
North America in their annual summary of factors including ozone
depletion, global warming, floods and droughts. 

        The ozone layer outside the polar regions registered about 10
percent lower at the end of 1992 and into 1993 than in past years. 
Closer examination revealed that the major portion of the 1992-1993
ozone changes occurred in the mid-latitude region of the Northern
Hemisphere, including much of North America, Europe and Asia.  By the
end of 1993 ozone levels returned to values of the previous year, but a
long-term trend of decreasing ozone continues, the researchers said.

        Ozone measured at an altitude of eight to 12 miles over the
Antarctic region reached record low levels during September and October
of 1993.  On Oct. 12, 1993, total ozone fell in the atmospheric column
to a new low, well below the previous minimum established in 1992.  

        During 1993, there was a continuation of warmer than normal
temperatures worldwide.  The 1993 estimated global surface temperature
average of plus 0.18 degrees Celsius (0.32 degrees Fahrenheit) sustained
the warming trend that began in 1985.  The normal used for comparison
comes from the 30-year average from data gathered between 1951 and 1980.

        However, in the United States, cooler temperatures in 1993 followed
a string of three much-warmer-than-normal years between 1990 and 1992. 
Last year ranked as the 13th coldest year on record for the contiguous
United States since 1895, according to the National Climatic Data
Center. 

        The current extended period of El Nino conditions is the longest
stretch of above-normal sea-surface temperature conditions in half a
century.  But it is not unprecedented, said Vernon Kousky, a
meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Climate Analysis
Center.  El Nino is an effect characterized by warmer waters in the
tropical Pacific Ocean, which researchers have linked to a worldwide
chain of ocean events.  These warm episode conditions, present since
1991, redeveloped in early 1993, and may have contributed to excessive
rainfall that occurred over the Midwest during late spring and summer.  

        The Midwest floods in July and August were the major national
weather-related event of 1993.  The floods accounted for nearly fifty
deaths and caused damages of as much as $15-20 billion over a nine-state
area.  

         Moist soils in flood-stricken areas of the Midwest, coupled with
normal amounts of precipitation in the coming months, could lead to more
flooding in some areas affected in 1993, said Frank Richards, a
hydrometeorologist with the National Weather Service's Office of
Hydrology.

        Excessive rainfall observed during early 1993 over California and
other parts of the Southwest helped end lengthy droughts, but brought
record flooding of the Gila and Salt Rivers from Phoenix to Yuma, Ariz. 
The excessive rain was, in part, attributed to the continued El Nino
effect.      

                                   #
NOAA 94-6
CONTACT:        Tammy Graham
          1/11/94

           MASSACHUSETTS NATIVE APPOINTED NOAA'S NEW DIRECTOR 
                  OF OFFICE OF LEGISLATIVE AFFAIRS

        The Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today that President Clinton has appointed
Sally Yozell of Weston, Mass., as director of NOAA's Office of
Legislative Affairs.

        Sally brings to NOAA nearly a decade of experience working for Sen.
John Kerry, D-Mass.  She was deputy legislative director for Kerry, who
is chairman of the National Ocean Policy Committee, and a senior policy
advisor for domestic and international issues concerning the
environment, marine resources and energy.  Yozell gained expertise on a
range of environmental issues, including air and water pollution, ocean
and coastal protection, natural resource management, global climate
change, international environmental treaties, and other issues in the
forefront of environmental protection and stewardship.

        "Yozell's understanding of issues integral to NOAA's mission of
global environmental stewardship, and her experience working with
Congress, give her the environmental knowledge and political sensitivity
to successfully advance NOAA's interests on Capitol Hill," said D. James
Baker, Commerce's Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere.

        In addition to her work in the Senate, Yozell gained experience in
state government as a policy analyst for the Massachusetts Office of
Federal State Relations and as a local liaison for the Office of
Massachusetts Lieutenant Governor, John Kerry.

        Yozell received her master's degree in public administration in
1993 from Harvard University, John F. Kennedy School of Government, and
her bachelor's degree in political science in 1982 from the University
of Vermont.  She is a native of Massachusetts and Vermont, where her
family resides. 

                                      #

NOAA 94-7
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets          
          Thomas R. Karl
          1/14/94

               DECREASED SPRING SNOW COVER ENHANCING GLOBAL WARMING
        
        Researchers from the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration have shown that reduced spring snow cover
over North America and Asia has significantly contributed to warmer air
temperatures.           

        Dr. Pavel Groisman, a visiting scientist from Russia, and Thomas
Karl and Richard Knight of NOAA's National Climatic Data Center in
Asheville, N.C., report their findings in the Jan. 14 issue of Science
magazine.  The research helps explain why the increase of global surface
air temperatures, almost 1 degree Fahrenheit (or 0.5 degree Centigrade)
since the latter 19th century, has been most evident during the spring. 

        Scientists have long suspected other factors contributed to an
overall increase in temperature, including increases in man-made
atmospheric greenhouse gases due to fossil fuel energy generation,
deforestation, and other human activities.  But scientists were
uncertain why temperatures over land were increasing more steadily and
sharply in the spring than in other seasons.  

        Over the past 20 years, the area covered by snow in the Northern
Hemisphere has been reduced by nearly two million square kilometers, an
area larger than Alaska.  Over North America, the scientists expect that
with continued global warming and increases in greenhouse gases, the
warming trend will be amplified during spring by the reduced snow cover
in the U.S.-Canadian border area, much of southeast Canada and the
mountainous regions of western North America.

                                 #

NOAA 94-8
CONTACT: Frank Lepore or         
         Barry Reichenbaugh                   
         Patricia Viets 
         1/19/94      

                  GOES SATELLITE TO MOVE TO FLORIDA FOR LAUNCH 

        The National Weather Service will pass a milestone in its
modernization program Jan. 18 when a sophisticated GOES satellite is
rolled out by its manufacturer, Space Systems/Loral
at Palo Alto, Calif., for shipment to a launch site at Cape Canaveral,
Fla., the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced.

         The new Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or
GOES-I, is the first of a series of five meteorological satellites that
will assure dual-satellite coverage for the United States into the next
century.  It will be designated as GOES-8 after its launch, scheduled
for mid-April. 

        Normally, two GOES satellites remain in fixed positions over the
Earth at an altitude of 22,300 miles.  They cover the western and
eastern parts of the United States, U.S. coastal waters, the Pacific and
Atlantic breeding grounds for winter storms, and East Coast hurricanes. 
        
        The United States now has only one operational meteorological
satellite in geostationary orbit, GOES-7. A companion satellite was lost
during a launch failure in 1986. 
Since then the United States has been serviced by a single GOES and a
borrowed European satellite.  Another satellite, GOES-J, is set for
launch in 1995.  

        "It's going to be worth the wait," said Robert Landis, deputy
director of the weather service. "The new satellites are quality
hydrometeorological tools that will enable our forecasters to provide
more precise observations, leading to more accurate warnings and
forecasts."

        The nation -- especially the West Coast -- will gain more than
clearer satellite pictures on the 6 o'clock news, Landis said.  The
satellite's ability to gather data over vast expanses of the ocean will
aid West Coast forecasters tracking Santa Ana and other coastal wind and
rain events that come ashore with such devastating effect, and also it
will give the East Coast more accurate hurricane and winter storm
forecasts. 
                                          
                                 #
NOAA 94-009
CONTACT:  Thomas R. Karl
          Patricia W. Viets
          1/25/94

                          GLOBAL WARMING ON HOLD

        Surface temperatures in 1993 remained unchanged from 1992 levels,
says Thomas R. Karl, senior scientist at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's National Climatic Data Center in Asheville,
N.C.       

        In a presentation today at the American Meteorological Society's
annual meeting in Nashville, Tenn., Karl confirmed an earlier NOAA
report that global surface temperatures remain about 0.2 degrees Celsius
above the 30-year average ending in 1980.  He said, however, that the
century-long 0.5 degree Celsius warming trend could resume, now that the
effects of Mt. Pinatubo's 1991 eruption in the Philippines are largely
behind us.  Karl and many scientists believe global warming is caused
primarily by increases of greenhouse gases worldwide.

        In addition to surface temperatures, Karl also reported on
temperatures in the troposphere (4,500 to 31,000 feet above the Earth's
surface) and the stratosphere (50,000 to 80,000 feet above the surface),
using data gathered by James Angell of
NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research.  Tropospheric
temperatures have cooled .05 degrees Celsius per decade and
stratospheric temperatures have decreased dramatically, with the lower
stratosphere experiencing record low levels in 1993, Karl said.

        In the contiguous 48 states, below normal temperatures persisted
throughout the year.  This was due to reduced daytime temperatures, not
nighttime temperatures, Karl said.

        A complete report of climatic variations for 1993 will be presented
by NOAA in the Annual Climate Assessment.

        The National Climatic Data Center and the Office of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Research are both agencies of the Commerce Department's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  

                                        #
NOAA 94-10
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          1/26/94

                   JEFFREY BENOIT TO HEAD NOAA COASTAL DIVISION

        President Clinton has named Jeffrey Benoit director of the Office
of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management of the National Ocean Service,
part of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.  Benoit, who has been serving at NOAA on a consultation
basis for three months, was most recently head of the Massachusetts
Coastal Zone Management Office.

        "I am extremely pleased to have Jeff Benoit head our coastal
program," said Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown.  "The issues we
face in the coastal zone are among the most critical environmental
issues we face in the 1990s, and we are fortunate to have Jeff's
leadership in this critical area."

        As head of NOAA's coastal division, he will assume major
responsibilities for guiding environmental policies affecting the
nation's 90,000 miles of coastline.  These include management of 13
national marine sanctuaries; administration of the federal partnership
with 29 coastal states of the national Coastal Zone Management Program;
administration of 22 national estuarine research reserves; and
implementation of NOAA's ocean minerals and energy programs. 

        Benoit comes to NOAA with a long history of involvement in coastal
issues.  A native of Brockton, Mass., he spent his boyhood summers on
Cape Cod and developed a longstanding respect for the quality of the
coast.  Benoit received a B.S. in marine science from Southampton
College in 1975 and an M.S. in geophysical science from Georgia
Institute of Technology in 1978.  He joined the MCZM program in 1978 as
a coastal geologist and was named director of the program in 1989.

        Benoit has also been active on the national scene as
Massachusetts's representative at the Coastal States Organization and
has testified before Congress several times on coastal issues.  He was
involved in creating NOAA's new Stellwagen Bank National Marine
Sanctuary in Massachusetts Bay, one of the world's prime feeding grounds
for humpback whales and other endangered marine mammals.

        During the transition period, Benoit has been commuting from the
coastal community of Plymouth, Mass., where he lives with his wife,
Barbara Logan Benoit, and their two young sons.

                                     #

NOAA 94-11
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh
          2/4/94

            WEATHER SERVICE DIRECTOR NAMED FEDERAL EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR

        Elbert W. Friday Jr., the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's assistant administrator for weather services, today was
honored as the Federal Executive of the Year, the Commerce Department
agency announced.

        Friday, the man responsible for the nation's weather forecasting
system, received the honor from the Federal Executive Institute Alumni
Association (FEIAA) during its annual Executive Forum in Reston, Va.
        
        The Office of Personnel Management's Federal Executive Institute is
often referred to as the "West Point of the Civil Service."  Located in
Charlottesville, Va., the institute is one of the primary educational
institutions for developing executive leaders in federal, state and
local governments.  

        The award recognizes executive leadership of an organization that
produces substantial, innovative achievements, resulting in high quality
public service.

        Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown, commended Friday saying, "Dr.
Friday's leadership has been an invaluable asset in our continuous
efforts to make NOAA's National Weather Service a crucial and life-
saving tool for all Americans.  I commend and thank him for his
efforts."

        "This award really is a tribute to the ingenuity and cooperative
spirit of the 5,200 men and women of the National Weather Service,"
Friday said.  "We are only half way through our modernization program,
but already our employees are developing exciting breakthroughs in
atmospheric science using Doppler radars and other new technology. 
Managing is much easier when you have employees at all levels
contributing ideas."

        Friday was recognized for his successes in managing and directing
the Commerce Department's National Weather Service during a time of
rapid modernization.  The challenge of leading this transformation has
been likened to converting a steam locomotive to a high-speed train
while educating the engineer -- without ever stopping the train.

        The weather service's multi-year modernization and restructuring
program will create the world's most advanced weather and flood warning
and forecast system.  A variety of new technologies will provide
Americans with more accurate forecasts and earlier warnings of severe
weather, which will save lives, preserve property and boost the national
economy.

        Friday, a native of DeQueen, Ark., retired from the U.S. Air Force
as a colonel after 20 years of service.  He earned his bachelor's,
master's and doctoral degrees from the University of Oklahoma.

        Also honored by the FEIAA was James B. Heidel, director of Economic
Development for the State of Mississippi, who received the award of
State Executive of the Year.

                                        #

NOAA 94-012
CONTACT:        Tim Tomastik
          2/7/94

            NOAA'S FY 1995 BUDGET THEME: ADVANCE ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH
                       AND STEWARDSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

        The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today its FY 1995 budget request of $1.964
billion, which ensures the continuation of weather service modernization
efforts and includes significant programmatic increases for fisheries
management.

        The FY 1995 budget request is reduced slightly from the FY 1994
level.  However, significant increases are proposed in NOAA's operating
programs.  For example, the largest NOAA account, Operations, Research
and Facilities, has requested $1.897 billion, an increase of 8.3 percent
over last year.  

        "This budget promotes economic prosperity in many areas, and has
been restructured to support the Administration's strong environmental
concerns and priorities, such as programs that promote healthy
ecosystems and encourage managing resources through sustainable
development," said D. James Baker, Commerce Department's Under Secretary
for Oceans and Atmosphere.

        The budget request closely follows NOAA's recently developed
Strategic Plan that has charted a course for the agency to reach its
vision for 2005.  The FY 1995 budget request is driven by the Strategic
Plan's focus on world-class research and development to integrate
approaches to environmental management and coastal resource development
and to significantly improve environmental assessments and prediction.

        NOAA will significantly improve short-term warning and forecast
services for the environment, in particular, to maintain ongoing NWS
operation and modernization efforts with the requested amount of $1.1
billion.  

        NOAA's budget request will build sustainable fisheries, recover
protected resources and promote proper habitat management.  Investing in
proper fisheries management will, over  the long run, lead to an
estimated $2.9 billion increase in net revenues to fishermen, an $8
billion increase in the Gross Domestic Product and the creation of about
300,000 new jobs.  A total of $309.4 million is requested for these
efforts in FY 1995, including increases of $62 million over last year in
the National Marine Fisheries Service budget.

        In FY 1995, NOAA will continue to play a major role in advancing
the President's high-priority agenda items by participating in the U.S.
Global Change Research Program, the High Performance Computing and
Communications Program,and by serving as host agency for the Vice
President's Global Learning and Observation to Benefit the Environment
(GLOBE) Program.  NOAA has requested $106.5 million for these efforts in
1995, an increase of $42.4 million from 1994.

        The FY 1995 funding request maintains or increases funding for
legislatively authorized programs, such as the Coastal Zone Management
Act ($41.6), the Marine Mammal Protection Act ($30.1 million), the
Endangered Species Act ($20.4 million), the Magnuson Act ($142.5), the
National Sea Grant College Program ($43.2) and funds for environmental
compliance.  NOAA requested an increase of $3 million for sanctuaries.  

        NOAA is also proposing to increase fee revenues to be deposited
into a special fund in the Treasury Department to help offset the costs
of our programs in several areas:  aeronautical charts, marine
sanctuaries and living marine programs.  The specific details of these
fees are being developed in close consultation with the community and
Congress.

                                   #

NOAA 94-13
CONTACT:  Dr. Lee Larson (Central Region)
          Solomon Summer (Eastern Region)
          Frank Lepore
          2/18/94

              WINTER'S GRIP INCREASES CHANCE OF SPRING FLOODING

        An unusually severe winter has increased the potential for spring
flooding in the eastern United States, the Midwest and the Ohio River
basin, the National Weather Service warned today.  

        Freezing weather, thick river ice, deep snow cover, and many rivers
swollen by a January thaw and rain have contributed to flood potential,
the agency said in an alert issued to emergency agencies across the
country.

        "The Midwest's relatively dry fall and winter helped moderate the
flood threat in a nine-state area," said Lee Larson, regional
hydrologist for the weather service's central region.  "However, in the
eastern Dakotas, western Minnesota and northwestern Iowa, deep snows
represent a significant flood threat."

        The agency, however, tempered its warning with the caution that
future snow, rain and temperature patterns during the remainder of the
winter season will ultimately determine whether flood potential
translates into flooding.

        "Conditions over the next month will greatly influence the level of
flood risk this spring," said Scott Kroczynski, manager of the weather
service's hydrologic information center.

         An unusually cold winter has caused some ice jam flooding in New
York, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, the weather
service's Office of Hydrology reports.  As freezing temperatures choked
rivers in these regions with ice, a late January thaw, accompanied by
rain, raised water levels underneath the ice, forcing the ice to break
up.
   
        Areas east of the Appalachians and roughly north of the Mason-Dixon
line have endured a particularly difficult winter.  Weather service
hydrologists say the potential for flooding in some areas is high due to
accumulated snow and river ice.  

        Within the last 10 days, flooding from rain and melting snows drove
hundreds of people from their homes in Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio,
Tennessee and West Virginia.
        
        While snow is not a problem in the South, continuing moist
conditions indicate some increased flood potential in areas from Georgia
westward to east Texas.  

        This winter has brought much less snow than expected in the West. 
As many western states had relief from long-standing drought only last
year, weather service hydrologists are concerned that this winter's less
than normal snow accumulations may fail to satisfy the region's water
needs through the summer and into next year.
                                                           
        Hydrologists say the following conditions can lead to increased
flood potential:

        * Wet soils - rain and snowmelt cannot be absorbed if the ground is
saturated; it rapidly runs off into rivers and streams;

        * Frozen ground - generally has the same effect as saturated soils;

        * Full reservoirs - they lose their ability to hold/attenuate flood
flows;

        * Already high stream levels - additional runoff can push water
over stream banks;

        * Deep snow cover - snowmelt, combined with rain, can rapidly raise
stream levels;

        * Frozen rivers - as rivers rise due to snowmelt and rainfall, ice
fractures and flows along the river until it reaches a constriction
where it can jam, forming a temporary dam.
The water can rapidly rise behind the ice dam.  If the dam bursts,
torrents can gush downstream, sometimes carrying enormous ice floes that
crush anything in their paths.

        The National Weather Service, an agency of the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, will hold
a press briefing in Washington, D.C., on Monday, March 14, to provide
its detailed National Spring Hydrologic Outlook. 

                                  #

NOAA 94-14
Contact:  Jay Tebeau
          2/23/94

   NOAA EMPLOYEES HELP EAGLE SCOUTS DEVELOP MARINE BIOLOGY CAREERS 

        Four Washington, D.C., area Eagle Scouts have teamed up with
employees from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as
part of a program by the Boy Scouts of America to help young men develop
careers in the marine sciences.

        Each NOAA sponsor provides educational guidance and an opportunity
for a scout to observe the work of a marine biologist.

        NOAA, a Commerce Department agency, conducts research and gathers
data about the oceans, atmosphere, space and sun and applies this
knowledge to science that benefits all Americans.

        William Archambault, a marine biologist with NOAA's Ecology and
Conservation Office, is sponsoring Alex Lorbeske, a resident of Herdon,
Va.  Lorbeske has been an Eagle Scout since January of 1993 and is a
sophomore at Chantilly High School in Chantilly, Va.

        Isobel Sheifer, a program analyst with NOAA's Coastal Ocean
Program, sponsors Eagle Scout Howard Kronthal, a resident of Fairfax,
Va. Kronthal is a senior at W.T. Woodson High School and a member of
several school clubs, the lacrosse team and the National Honor Society. 

        Upper Marlboro, Md., resident Thomas Dail, a senior at Frederick
Douglas High School, is sponsored by Ronald Rinaldo, a Fisheries
Management Analyst for NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service.  Dail
developed an interest in marine biology as a freshman while designing
and implementing a study of nitrate levels in the Patuxent River.      

        Lt. J.G. Michael Weaver, a NOAA Corps Officer with the agency's
Aeronautical Chart Branch, sponsors Eric Lerch, an Eagle Scout since
June of 1993.  Lerch is a junior at W.T. Woodson High School and resides
in Annandale, Va.
                                                
                                 #
NOAA 94-15
CONTACT:        Angela Calos
          3/3/94

              COMMENT PERIOD EXTENDED AND PUBLIC MEETING SCHEDULED
           ON NOAA'S PROPOSED OIL SPILL DAMAGE ASSESSMENT REGULATIONS 

        The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration, under the authority of the Oil Pollution 
Act of 1990, has extended until July 7, 1994, the comment 
period on its recently proposed rule on natural resource damage 
assessments.  NOAA will hold a public meeting to summarize 
the results of the six regional meetings on damage assessments held
across the country in recent weeks.

        The Oil Pollution Act of 1990 prohibits discharge of oil into
navigable waters of the United States and its shorelines and imposes
liability on those responsible for such damage.  The Act requires NOAA
to announce regulations for the assessment of natural resource damages
resulting from the discharge of oil.  NOAA proposed those regulations on
Jan. 7, 1994.  

        NOAA extended the comment period on the proposed rule in response
to requests from industry and trade associations.  Written comments may
be submitted to the NOAA/Damage Assessment Regulations Team, 1305 East-
West Highway, SSMC #4, Workstation #10218, Silver Spring, Md. 20910.

        NOAA will hold a public meeting March 24-25, 1994, at the Main
Commerce Building, Room 4830, 14th and Constitution Ave., Washington,
D.C.  The meeting will be held from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. each day.  Its
purpose is to discuss the proposed rule, respond to questions and report
on the cooperative prespill planning portions of the regional meetings. 
On the second day, the meeting will be divided into three groups to
discuss the legal, economic and scientific aspects of the proposed rule. 

        The meeting is open to the public. Representatives of organizations
that have a direct interest in the assessment process and the proposed
rule are encouraged to attend.  For more information, please call (202)
606-8000.  

                                      #
NOAA-93-16
CONTACT: Frank Richards
         Frank Lepore
         3/14/94

                  CONCERN GROWS FOR SPRING FLOODING IN THE NORTHEAST
                   WHILE FLOOD THREAT MODERATES IN THE UPPER MIDWEST

        Portions of the Northeast and the upper Midwest may experience
heavy flooding this year, warns the National Weather Service in its 1994
spring hydrological outlook for the United States.  The areas hit
hardest by catastrophic flooding last summer are at less risk, however,
because flood potential in those areas is no longer considered extreme. 

        The cold, snowy winter that brought deep snow cover and ice-choked
rivers to the Northeast set the stage for possible significant flooding
this spring in much of Pennsylvania, New York, western New Jersey and
western New England, according to the weather service.  In addition,
snowmelt flooding seems likely in portions of eastern North Dakota,
South Dakota, and western Minnesota.

        "Rapidly melting snow, combined with heavy precipitation, is a
prescription for serious flooding," said Frank Richards, chief of the
weather service's special (hydrologic) studies branch.  "The best way to
avoid it is to have a gradual melt without any heavy rain."   

        In addition to snowmelt flooding, ice jam flooding on northern
rivers covered with as much as three feet of ice could occur.  If the
rivers rise rapidly before the ice softens, the ice may break up and jam
at river constrictions.  This can create a dam, with water backing up
behind it, and lead to rapid upstream flooding.  If the jam suddenly
breaks, water can surge downstream, sometimes carrying large chunks of
ice that can add to flood damage.

        This winter's weather has also left much of the United States east
of the Rockies wet and more vulnerable to flooding than usual.  "The
potential for flooding is above average in many areas.  However, future
weather - particularly rainfall and, in areas with snow cover, melt rate
- will determine whether flooding will occur," Richards said. 

        The best news is in the Midwest.  After record flooding devastated
a nine-state area last summer, there was great anxiety about flooding
this spring.  Though there is still an above average flood potential in
much of this area, with the exception of the eastern Dakotas and western
Minnesota, it is no longer considered extreme. 

        "Unless excessive precipitation amounts like last year's are
repeated, widespread disastrous flooding is unlikely in the  Midwest,"
said Richards.

        The Western region's winter has been unimpressive this season, the
weather service reported.  Snowfall, so critical to the West's water
supply, has once again fallen short of normal so far.  Although
precipitation in the winter of 1992-93 went a long way toward easing a
long-standing drought in the West, another dry year would cause concern
about long-term water supplies.
"There's an awful lot to make up, and only six to eight weeks left in
the snow season," Richards concluded.

        The National Weather Service is an agency of the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

                                       #

NOAA 94-17
Contact:  Dane Konop
          3/17/94

                ATMOSPHERIC CARBON MONOXIDE DECREASES WORLDWIDE

        Measurements of air samples taken between June 1990 and June 1993
show that levels of carbon monoxide in the atmosphere have decreased
dramatically worldwide, according to scientists from the University of
Colorado and the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.

        While the findings are considered good news for the general health
of the global atmosphere, the authors of the NOAA-funded study cannot
fully explain the causes of the decrease or predict the long-term
implications of the findings.  

        Based on samples collected at 27 strategically located sites in the
northern and southern hemispheres, globally averaged levels of carbon
monoxide decreased 6.3 percent (5.9  0.55 parts per billion) per year
over the past two to five years.

        The study shows that in the northern hemisphere, carbon monoxide
decreased at a spatially and temporally averaged rate of 6.1 percent
(7.3  0.9 ppb) per year.  

        In the southern hemisphere, carbon monoxide decreased 7.0 percent
(4.2  0.5 ppb) per year.

        In contrast, previous measurements suggested a one to two percent
per year increase in atmospheric carbon monoxide in the northern
hemisphere and no significant trend in the southern hemisphere. 
Background levels of carbon monoxide in the troposphere range from about
45 to 250 ppb.

        The findings are reported in the March 18 edition of Science by
Paul C. Novelli and Ken A. Masarie of the University of Colorado
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences and Pieter
P. Tans and Patricia M. Lang of the NOAA Climate Monitoring and
Diagnostic Laboratory in Boulder, Colo.

        The current study also shows levels of carbon monoxide tend to
decrease in the atmosphere from north to south, are greatest   
late winter and early spring, and decrease in the summer.  But levels
also vary significantly from season to season.  During the study period,
carbon monoxide decreased at a nearly constant rate in the northern
hemisphere; in the southern hemisphere, carbon monoxide decreased
abruptly beginning at the end of 1991.

        Carbon monoxide (CO), a tasteless, colorless, odorless gas produced
from fossil fuel combustion, industrial emissions, biomass burning and
the oxidation of methane and other hydrocarbons, is not one of those
gases primarily blamed for global warming.  But a decrease in carbon
monoxide levels may significantly boost the atmosphere's capacity to
remove gases which do contribute to global warming, such as methane.

        Carbon monoxide is removed from the atmosphere primarily by
reacting with the hydroxyl radical (OH), which is also the primary sink
(way of removing) for methane and many other gases emitted into the
atmosphere.

        "In the 'clean' background atmosphere, the largest loss of the
hydroxyl radical is attributable to its reaction with carbon monoxide. 
If carbon monoxide levels go down, as the samples show, we would expect
the levels of the hydroxyl radical to go up.  Presumably, this would
increase the atmosphere's capacity to remove other carbon-based gases
believed harmful to the environment," according to principal author Paul
C. Novelli.

        The reported results are based on air samples collected 
weekly at ten land locations between 71 degrees north and 41 degrees
south and about once every three weeks from a ship (M/V Wellington Star,
operated by the Blue Star Line) at 17 locations in the Pacific Ocean
between 45 degrees north and 35 degrees south.  Samples were then
examined by the Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory and the
Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences using gas
chromatography, followed by mercuric oxide reduction.

        The authors note that a decreasing trend in atmospheric carbon
monoxide results from a decrease in the sources of carbon monoxide
relative to sinks.  They speculate that the currently observed decreases
may be due to a combination of factors, including a tightening of
pollution controls by the United States and the European Economic
Community, a decrease in industrial emissions because of economic
contraction in the former Soviet Union, an increase in hydroxyl levels
due to the June 1991 eruption of Mt. Pinatubo, a decrease in biomass
burning, and a decline in naturally emitted methane and other
hydrocarbons.
                                                           
                                       #

                              
NOAA 94-18
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          3/15/94

                    NOAA FINDS TOO MANY BOATS, SUBSIDIES
                     IN STUDY OF WORLD'S FISHING FLEETS

        The first comprehensive analysis of the world's distant-water
fishing fleets, recently completed by the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, finds over-capitalization and
some subsidies in the industry have resulted in huge catches --
challenging both fishermen and fishery administrators around the globe
to maintain what was once thought to be a virtually limitless resource,
NOAA announced today.

        The six-volume study, World Fishing Fleets, examines past, present
and future aspects of distant-water fishing fleets made up of nearly
24,000 vessels from 65 countries that harvest in waters other than their
own.  The study includes catch statistics, details on fishing areas,
vessel construction and imports, reflagging (or registering a vessel in
another country), international agreements and joint fishing ventures.

        The International Affairs Office staff in NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service spent more than a year compiling data from Lloyd's
Register of Shipping, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the
United Nations, U.S. Office of Naval Intelligence, foreign governments
and various U.S. embassies to create the detailed report.

        The study consists of an executive summary and five regional
volumes that contain overviews and individual country reports, including
statistical tables, photos, maps and graphics.

         Information representing the diversity of the world's fisheries
and fleets is contained in the study, such as:

o  The world catch peaked in 1989 and has since declined to about 97
million metric tons in 1991, with little change in 1992.  The marine
catch represents 85 percent, or 82 million metric tons, of the world
catch.

AFRICA -- The European Union of nations had 19 bilateral fishery
agreements with African and Indian Ocean countries in 1993 that allowed
EU vessels to fish in African and Indian Ocean waters in exchange for
$775 million in payments.

o  Asian fishermen, attracted by tuna, billfish, squid and whitefish,
fish in African waters.   East European and former Soviet states also
fish these waters.

ASIA -- Distant-water vessel owners from the developed economies of
Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Taiwan are taking measures to reduce
costs of operation, but there is little evidence to suggest these
efforts will be sufficient to make distant-water fishing a viable source
of long-term revenue.

o  Increased international regulation of high-seas fisheries and
decreased access to coastal fishing grounds have accelerated a process
where developing Asian countries such as China are taking over catch
operations from their industrialized Asian neighbors.

WESTERN EUROPE -- The European Union's fishing fleet totaled nearly
110,000 vessels, including 804 high-seas fishing vessels in 1992.

o  The EU is also seeking access to distant fishing grounds -- primarily
Namibia and Argentina -- as a means of dispersing the vessels crowding
West European fishing grounds.

LATIN AMERICA -- The foreign distant-water catch off Latin America was
about 1 million metric tons in 1992 -- a sharp decline from the record
2.5 million tons in 1989.  Much of the decline is due to the withdrawal
of the Soviet/Russian fleet.

o  Latin American countries have generally restrictive policies toward
licensing foreign fishermen, but some countries have recently
liberalized their policies to some extent.  About 1,000 foreign
fishermen obtained fishing licenses in Latin America during 1992.

COMMONWEALTH OF INDEPENDENT STATES, EASTERN EUROPE & BALTICS

o  Russia, Ukraine and Georgia are undergoing major economic
fluctuations that are negatively affecting their fishing industries. 
Lack of fuel and quota reductions in foreign 200-mile zones have forced
all three countries to radically curtail their high-seas fisheries,
thereby decreasing their catch.

o  The three, now independent, Baltic states have inherited former
Soviet Union fishing fleets and are successfully privatizing them,
thereby reducing the number of high-seas fishing vessels.

                                       --

                  WORLD FISHING FLEETS:  NOAA FINDS TOO MANY BOATS, 
                    SUBSIDIES IN STUDY OF WORLD'S FISHING FLEETS

                               SUMMARY SHEET

        The six-volume set, titled World Fishing Fleets: An Analysis of
Distant-water Fishing Fleet Operations, may be purchased for $95, plus a
$3 handling fee through the U.S. Department of Commerce, National
Technical Information Service.  The order number for the complete set is
PB94-140811/GBA.  Readers may also purchase the individual volumes
separately.

        o  Volume I: Executive Summary -- This 54-page volume presents
        an overview of fleets and summarizes important regional
        trends.  ($20/Order number: PB94-140829/GBA).

        o  Volume II: Africa -- This 51-page book is a compilation of
        information prepared by U.S. Embassies on distant-water fleet
        operations in selected African countries.  ($20/Order number:
        PB94-140837/GBA).

        o  Volume III: Asia -- This 144-page book includes a regional
        overview of major Asian fleets and individual studies of the
        China, Japan, Republic of Korea and Taiwan fleets.  ($20/Order
        number: PB94-140845/GBA).

        o  Volume IV: Latin America -- This 513-page book includes
        regional overviews for the Caribbean, Central America and
        South America, and individual reports on those Latin America
        countries whose fleets engage in distant-water fishing or
        whose coasts foreign fishing occurs.  ($45/Order number: PB94-
        140852/GBA).

        o  Volume V: The Baltic States, The Commonwealth of
        Independent States and Eastern Europe -- This 286-page volume
        contains an overview for each of the three blocs of countries
        and 10 individual countries, including Russia, Poland and
        Ukraine.  ($27/Order number: PB94-140860/GBA).

        o  Volume VI: Western Europe and Canada -- This 362-page book
        contains overviews for the European Community and non-EC
        European countries, and individual studies for all Western
        European distant-water fishing nations and Canada.  ($27/Order
        number: PB94-140878/GBA).

        The reports should be ordered from NTIS at the following address: 
National Technical Information Service, U.S. Department of Commerce,
5285 Port Royal Road, Springfield, VA 22161, or by calling NTIS at (703)
487-4650, or rush orders at (800) 553-NTIS.

                             #

NOAA 94-19
CONTACT: Patricia Viets
         3/21/94

            FIRST MEETING OF THE AMERICAS TO ENHANCE
               SEARCH AND RESCUE DATA DISTRIBUTION

     Satellite search and rescue coordinators from the United States and
South America will meet in Santiago, Chile, March 23 and 24 to discuss
improvement of the effectiveness of search and rescue operations through
better distribution of alert messages.

         Participants will produce a unified alert data distribution
procedure among American nations using emergency beacons that transmit
on a frequency of 121.5, 243.0, and 406.025 MHz.  This unified approach
will benefit those people in the Americas who are in distress and
transmit emergency signals that can be received by the COSPAS and SARSAT
satellites.

     This meeting is vital for coordinating global search and
rescue activities and is a significant event for satellite-aided
search and rescue activities in South America.  Rescue
coordinators want to expand and coordinate ground station
coverage in South America and increase the effectiveness of alert
data distribution throughout the region.

     The program known as COSPAS-SARSAT is an international search and
rescue program established by the United States, Russia, France and
Canada.  The U.S. program is operated by the Commerce Department's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  It uses polar-orbiting
satellites to detect emergency beacons activated by aviation, maritime,
and ground-based users in distress.  COSPAS-SARSAT, using search and
rescue payloads aboard NOAA environmental satellites and Russian
navigation satellites, has helped save nearly 4,000 lives since the
first system rescue in British Columbia on Sept. 9, 1982.

        When an emergency beacon is activated, the signal is
received by the COSPAS and SARSAT polar-orbiting satellites and
relayed to an international network of ground stations.  The
ground station processes the alert data and forwards it to a
national mission control center (MCC), which sends the alert
message to the appropriate land or maritime rescue coordination
center.  There are 13 operational MCCs and 25 operational ground
receiving stations in the international COSPAS-SARSAT system.

     The United States MCC, in Suitland, Md., is managed and
operated by NOAA.  It collects data from seven operational ground
stations.  The Canadian MCC at the Canadian Forces Base in
Trenton collects data from three stations.  Twenty-four countries
are associated with COSPAS-SARSAT as space segment providers,
ground segment providers and user states.  Brazil has an MCC and
one ground station under testing and development in Brasilia. 
Chile's MCC in Santiago is under development and supports an
experimental ground station.  Other South American nations are
considering the development of ground receiving stations and
MCCs.

                               #
NOAA 94-20 
Contact:  Frank Lepore           
          3/22/93

                        NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RELEASES 
                         HURRICANE ANDREW DISASTER REPORT

        Timely, accurate warnings by the National Weather Service resulted
in the relatively low loss of life during Hurricane Andrews's August
1992 rampage across Florida and Louisiana,  according to a report by the
weather service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
Wind, not storm surge (tide and wind-driven water) was the major cause
of direct deaths, the report shows.

        The 183-page report about the nation's most costly disaster focuses
on teamwork between NOAA and emergency managers.  It identifies
strengths and weaknesses in the warning systems and provides a
performance analysis of federal, state and local members of the hazards
community. 

        The disaster survey research team confirmed that Hurricane Andrew
generated winds of 145 mph with gusts over 175 mph, and a storm surge of
more than 16 feet.  It was rated as a category 4 (out of 5) storm on the
Saffir-Simpson scale.  The storm produced $25-billion in physical damage
and crippling economic losses, though human casualties were surprisingly
few.

        About 126,000 houses were destroyed or damaged and 9,000 mobile
homes demolished in Florida.  In Dade County alone, Andrew left at least
160,000 people homeless and 86,000 out of work.  Much of the area's
infrastructure -- airports and electric utilities -- in Homestead and
Florida City was destroyed.  The National Guard provided tent shelters
and other essentials.

        In Florida, 15 deaths were directly attributed to the storm. An
additional 29 fatalities were caused by electrocutions, cleanup
accidents, fires, and other incidents associated with the recovery. 

        In Louisiana, eight direct and nine indirect fatalities occurred. 
Louisiana lost about 3,300 single family, multifamily and mobile homes,
and more than 18,000 units received some damage.  

        The survey report notes that "NOAA performed exceptionally well
prior to and during Hurricane Andrew."  The error rate in predicting the
hurricane's track was 30 percent less than average.  Lead times on
hurricane watches and warnings were three to six hours better than
average.  Hurricane watches were issued with 35 hours of lead time in
South Florida and 43 hours in Louisiana.  Hurricane warnings were issued
with 21 hours lead time in Florida and 36 hours in Louisiana.

        The report says that safe shelters from high winds should be
designated for area residents: evacuation would involve far too many
people to be accomplished effectively. 

        The report also recommends that local weather service forecast
offices issue appropriate warnings and statements for storm-related
events, such as tornadoes that occur within hurricanes, and suggests
that hurricane intensity forecasting be improved. 

NOTE TO EDITORS: A copy of the report may be obtained by contacting the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather
Service, Office of Public Affairs, telephone (301) 713-0622.

                                #
NOAA 94-21 
Contact:  Frank Lepore            
          Barry Reichenbaugh                                     
          3/22/94                                

                NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RELEASES REPORT ON 
                        TORNADO DISASTER OF 1992

        A report issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration assessing the response of the National Weather Service to
the storm that triggered a hundred tornadoes sweeping from Texas to the
Ohio Valley in November 1992, concluded that modernized weather
prediction facilities were a key factor in minimizing human casualties
and property damage in most areas.

                The 135-page report, "The Widespread November 21-23, 1992,
Tornado Outbreak: Houston to Raleigh and Gulf Coast to Ohio Valley," was
prepared by a NOAA disaster survey team following on-site assessments
and interviews as part of NOAA's program to look at the performance of
its people and technology in warning the public of severe weather. 
 
        During 48 hours, the storm system's destructive path left 26 dead,
641 injured and $291-million in property damage.  It was the deadliest
tornado episode since the Plainfield, Ill., tornadoes that killed 29
people in 1990. 

        The storm moved eastward and northward from Texas, spawning a
destructive and deadly outbreak of tornadoes that affected 13 states
before finally dissipating in the mid-Atlantic region.   Ninety-four
tornado tracks were identified during the widespread episode, which was
unusually intense for November.                          

        Rankin County, Miss., suffered the first and largest number of
deaths from the storm.  A tornado with winds of 207 to 260 mph (F4
category, Fujita scale) devastated a mobile home park in Brandon,
killing six.  The tornado then leveled a two-story brick home, claiming
another four lives.

        Tornadoes caused more deaths in Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky and
the Carolinas.          
        
        The last of the fatalities were suffered when a tornado with winds
of 158 to 206 mph (F3 category) touched down in Hillsborough, N.C., in
the early morning of Nov. 23.  Other tornadoes tracked as far north as
Indiana and Ohio in the afternoon and evening of Nov. 22, and four
touched down in Virginia and Maryland during the early morning hours of
Nov. 23.  
        Severe weather first developed over southeastern Texas early in the
afternoon of Nov. 21, 1992, causing great damage, but no deaths, in
eastern Texas.  Clusters of thunderstorms moved through Louisiana,
spawning ten tornadoes that caused damage and injuries during the
evening.

        The report notes that weather service personnel at field offices
and the National Severe Storms Forecast Center recognized the deadly
seriousness of the situation and made effective use of available
guidance and tools. 

        The weather service's new Doppler radar (WSR-88D) at Houston
clearly demonstrated its value.  The Houston office issued warnings for
15 of the 17 tornadoes that occurred in its area of responsibility, with
an average lead time of 25 minutes.

        The report adds that a killer tornado struck Rankin County, Miss.,
without warning, as two thunder-storm systems moved through the central
and southeastern part of the state on parallel tracks during the late
evening of Nov. 21 and early morning of Nov. 22.  Actions of the Weather
Service Forecast Office (WSFO) in Jackson, Miss., were called
"professionally responsible," as these weather systems approached
Jackson's area of responsibility.  Jackson issued a timely tornado
warning well before a tornado associated with the western-most cell
touched down near midnight in Copiah County, Miss.  However, as the
storm moved northward, appearing to weaken, WSFO Jackson did not
continue the warning for Rankin County, lacking ground-truth reports in
the area.  Meteorologists instead focused on a growing storm cell to the
southeast.  

NOTE TO EDITORS:  A copy of the report may be obtained by contacting the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Weather
Service, Office of Public Affairs, telephone (301) 713-0622.             
  

                                #

NOAA 94-22
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          3/24/94                 

                        NOAA REAFFIRMS PROHIBITION ON
                   JADE COLLECTION IN CALIFORNIA SANCTUARY

        In response to a request by jade collectors to change the
regulation to allow removal of jade from the Jade Cove area south of Big
Sur, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today that it will uphold its regulation
prohibiting exploration, development, or removal of oil, gas or minerals
from the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary off California.

        In maintaining the regulation as written, NOAA upholds its
commitment and responsibility to protect sanctuary resources while
allowing full access to the site by divers and other visitors.  NOAA's
position is consistent with the state law that was in effect prior to
the sanctuary designation and with the U.S. Forest Service prohibition
of the removal of jade in the Los Padres National Forest.

        Jade Cove is one in a series of small coves near the town of Gorda,
south of Big Sur, where jade occurs naturally.  Beachcombers and scuba
divers have been finding jade in and around the Jade Cove area for many
years even though the treacherous waters in the cove itself have kept
all but the most determined collectors from attempting underwater
recovery.  Some of the jade samples from the area have been of high
quality, although quality varies extensively.  The largest recorded
piece of jade taken from the sanctuary waters was a 9,000 lb. boulder of
nephrite jade that measured eight and a half feet long and five feet
high.  Before sanctuary designation, it is estimated that up to several
tons of jade had been removed from the area annually.  Samples of Jade
Cove jade are on display statewide, in nearly every natural history
museum and state university system.

        As part of the sanctuary designation, federal regulations were
established to protect this special area by prohibiting exploring for,
developing or producing, oil, gas, or minerals within the Sanctuary, and
alteration of the seabed of the Sanctuary.  Sanctuary regulations were
established through a mandated process that included extensive public
participation and comment.

        NOAA will increase its education efforts for visitors to the area
within the sanctuary, teaching them to enjoy what they see, but not to
remove any sanctuary resources.  This will ensure that future
generations will be able to enjoy the sanctuary.  NOAA is also working
to increase its enforcement presence in the sanctuary.
        
        The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13 designated
national marine sanctuaries administered by the Sanctuaries and Reserves
Division of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  They
include nearshore coral reefs as well as open ocean, and range in size
from less than one to more than 5,300 square miles. 

                              #

NOAA 94-24
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          4/4/94

               NOAA RELEASES REPORT ON EFFORTS TO BALANCE
     PRESERVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALONG NATION'S COASTS  

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's biennial report to Congress on coastal zone management
says that the federal government, coastal states and U.S. island
territories have made considerable progress in balancing conservation
and economic development in the nation's coastal resources. 

     The report is considered an indicator of the nation's progress in
addressing issues on the coastal environment.  Highlighted in the report
are the joint federal-state-territory efforts made to reduce risks to
life and property from coastal storms and erosion, including action by
Florida and Hawaii to mitigate damage from Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki.

     The report, titled "Biennial Report to Congress on Coastal Zone
Management," also focuses on activities of NOAA and coastal states and
island territories in administering the Coastal Zone Management Act,
enacted in 1972 and managed by NOAA.  The federal statute balances
preservation and economic development along the nation's coasts and
promotes the wise use of valuable and declining coastal resources.  

     Under increasing pressure from human activities, the nation's
coastal regions are faced with many challenges.  Nonpoint source
pollution threatens the health of biologically productive estuarine
waters.  Coastal wetlands loss continues, and open public space along
the nation's 95,000 mile shoreline is steadily shrinking.  Natural
hazards, like Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki, the California wild fires and
the 1994 California earthquake, threaten the people who live along the
coast.  The report describes NOAA and state activities designed to
address these problems.
 
     The report also details activities conducted at the nation's 22
estuarine research reserve sites.  Natural processes and human
activities that affect estuaries are studied so knowledge gained can be
applied by the states to minimize stresses on their own highly
productive estuarine areas.

     "The experiences of the past 20 years demonstrate that this
federal-state partnership is working well and is producing measurable,
beneficial changes in the management of coastal resources," the NOAA
report states.

     But, it concludes, the job of sound coastal management is far from
over.  "As coastal populations continue to increase, the demand for
intensive development of the coastal zone will increase, creating
conflicting and competing demands for housing, industrial and urban
development, and recreational facilities on these finite resources."

     The report, entitled "Biennial Report to Congress on Coastal Zone
Management:  Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993," is available from NOAA, Office
of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, Coastal Zone Information
Center, 1305 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Md. 20910; telephone
(301) 713-3094.

                                 #

NOAA 94-25
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets
          Gary Ellrod
          4/11/94

                      NOAA SCIENTIST DEVELOPING INDEX
                 THAT COULD IMPROVE AIRLINE FLIGHT SAFETY

     A research scientist at the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration is developing a climatology of clear air
turbulence at high altitudes that could improve flight safety for
airline passengers.  

     Gary Ellrod of NOAA's Satellite Applications Laboratory is basing
the climatology on an index calculated from upper level winds in a
global forecast model.  He studied turbulence in the Northern Hemisphere
at and above typical airline flight altitudes of 30,000 to 35,000 feet. 
The study was designed to provide guidance to aviation weather
forecasters and to assist in air route planning.

     Ellrod found that areas at risk for high altitude clear air
turbulence are remarkably consistent with respect to location from year
to year based on preliminary data.  He also found that higher altitudes
(above 35,000 feet) tend to be slightly less turbulent, on the average.

     The turbulence index is based on the vertical wind shear between
two altitudes, and horizontal stretching and compaction, both important
factors in producing clear air turbulence.  This index is used daily by
aviation meteorologists in the United States and Canada for short range
forecasts.  For the climatology study, this index is then averaged over
long periods of time (monthly, seasonally and annually) to show regions
where the turbulence is more likely to be found.  This index does not
account for turbulence caused by either thunderstorms or mountain waves,
which are localized phenomena.  The study will likely continue for
several more years, resulting in a global climatology of clear air
turbulence.

                                 --                        
Caption:

The image shows the average clear air turbulence index for both winter
and summer for a two-year period (1992-93) for typical airline flight
altitudes from 30,000 to 35,000 feet.  The yellow, orange, and red show
areas where clear air turbulence is increasingly likely to occur; green
indicates low probability of the turbulence.  

Several extensive east-west zones of high risk for clear air turbulence
are present across the middle latitudes in winter (Dec.-Feb.), as shown
in the top panel.  These zones include the southwestern United States,
the Canadian Maritimes, the north central Pacific, eastern China and
Japan, and North Africa to Southwest Asia.  These are regions where
strong jet streams often converge, and winter cyclones are frequent.

In red areas, it is estimated there is a 1 in 4 chance of encountering
significant clear air turbulence; in green areas, 1 in 10 or less. 
(Significant turbulence is strong enough to force a passenger against
the seat belt and thus poses risk of injury.  In rare cases, damage to
aircraft may occur.)  For air travel, this would mean that for a daily
flight from Atlanta to Los Angeles in winter, one out of every four
flights could expect to encounter significant turbulence.

The extensive green area in the bottom panel shows a dramatic decrease
in clear air turbulence during the Northern Hemisphere summer (Jun.-
Aug.) and a northward shift in occurrence.  This is caused by a
weakening of the jet streams and fewer storm systems.  Another finding
indicates that higher altitudes (above 35,000 feet) tend to be slightly
less turbulent, on the average.

                                        #

NOAA 94-26
Contact:  Pat Viets
          NOAA.NEDIS
          George Diller
          NASA/KSC
          Brian Dunbar
          NASA HQ
          4/13/94

                   GOES-I WEATHER SATELLITE SUCCESSFULLY LAUNCHED

                     
     GOES-I, the first in a series of five advanced weather satellites
to be launched over the next several years, was successfully launched
today from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

     The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, named GOES-8
since achieving orbit, will provide more precise and timely weather
observation and atmospheric measurement data.  Its three-axis stabilized
design allows the satellite sensors to continuously stare at the earth
for 24-hour observation.  Current spin-stabilized satellites view the
earth only five percent of the time.

     The GOES series of satellites is owned and operated by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).  The National Aeronautics
and Space Administration's (NASA) Mission to Planet Earth manages the
design, development, and launch of the spacecraft.  Once the satellite
operationally goes through "check-out," NOAA will assume responsibility
for command and control, data receipt, and product generation and
distribution.

     During check-out, GOES-8 will be positioned at 90 degrees West
longitude.  After 180 days, GOES-8 becomes operational.  Plans call for
GOES-7 to be moved from 112 degrees West to 135 degrees West.  GOES-7,
launched seven years ago, is still operational, but has outlived its
expected lifetime.  GOES-8 will eventually be moved to 75 degrees West.

     The next satellite in the GOES series, GOES-J, is planned for
launch in April 1995.  It will replace GOES-7, which is planned to be
used as a backup.  The next three satellites in the GOES series will be
launched as required to support NOAA's dual-satellite geostationary
observing system.

     The GOES I-M satellites are built by Space Systems/Loral.  NASA's
Lewis Research Center is responsible for launch services, provided on an
Atlas I rocket, under contract with General Dynamics.  The satellites
are operated by NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and
Information Service. 

                                  #

NOAA 94-27
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          4/20/94

                 OCEAN SERVICE ANNOUNCES $1 MILLION IN GRANTS
                                                           
     Nearly $1 million in grants for six innovative coastal management
projects was announced today by the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

     The projects are expected to advance management capabilities in the
coastal environment, and are a concrete example of the Department's
commitment to "reinventing government."  The projects are:

     Gulf of Maine Land-Based Pollutant Inventory - a U.S./Canada multi-
state/province project
                     
         Computer-based "Geographic Information System" for U.S./Mexico
coordinated management in the Tijuana River Watershed                     
                    
         Computer workstation to visualize and manipulate complex
coastal environmental data in central California
                             
         Real-time monitoring in New York/New Jersey Harbor for
maritime commerce safety
                     
         Real-time environmental monitoring in Upper San Francisco Bay
        
         Water quality protection program for the Monterey Bay National
Marine Sanctuary

Each project will each receive between $125,000 and $300,000 for
activities over two years.

     W. Stanley Wilson, head of NOAA's National Ocean Service, said,
"This program demonstrates our commitment to the creative use of federal
funding to directly address the most urgent problems in our coastal
environment."  NOAA initiated the grant program to promote new
approaches to coastal ecosystem management.  The projects are intended
to cut across bureaucratic and international boundaries, and involve
partnership among federal agencies, state and academic institutions. 

     Coastal ecosystems are among the earth's most valuable and
productive resources.  Seventy percent of commercially valuable species
spend all or part of their lives in coastal waters; all shellfish depend
on healthy coastal ecosystems. 

     Coastal wetlands also are important as flood protection zones and
buffers against erosion.  Coastal beach areas provide recreation.  Safe
commerce in coastal zones is an economic necessity.  However, these
complex coastal systems continue to be threatened by increasing
population, accompanying development pressures, pollution, and growing
traffic in petroleum products and other hazardous materials. 
                     
     The National Ocean Service is an agency of the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
                                         

                                            #
NOAA 94-28
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          5/10/94

               ALASKA LEADS NATION'S TOP FISHING PORTS FOR 1993

     Commercial fishermen brought 790 million pounds of fish, worth $161
million, to the port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, Alaska, in 1993 -- making
it the port with both the highest volume and dollar value of fish in the
country, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today. 

     Officials at NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service said the
large volume of groundfish brought to Dutch Harbor-Unalaska was twice
that of the second leading port of Kodiak, Alaska, with just over 374
million pounds.  The port of Dutch Harbor-Unalaska has held the top
landings slot for six years straight.

     Landings at Dutch Harbor-Unalaska were worth $53 million more than
those brought ashore at New Bedford, Mass., the second leading port in
terms of dollar value with $107.5 million.

     The top 10 leading U.S. ports in volume and value of fish and
shellfish landed in 1991, 1992 and the latest statistics of 1993 are:

                                    VOLUME
                      (figures are in millions of pounds)

PORT                                   1991          1992       1993

Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, AK              731.7         736.0      793.9*
Kodiak, AK                             287.3         274.0      374.2
Empire-Venice, LA                      309.4         276.5      335.4
Cameron, LA                            289.1         246.3      323.1
Intercoastal City, LA                  211.4         175.9      202.7
Pascagoula-Moss Point, MS              227.3         177.0      169.7
Morgan City-Berwick, LA                119.5         130.8      147.5
Dulac-Chauvin, LA                      166.8          66.0      142.4
Petersburg, AK                          90.3          81.0      110.2
Ketchikan, AK                           68.5          70.0      100.6

* Record for quantity is 848.2 million pounds landed in Los Angeles,
Calif., in 1960.
                                    VALUE
                      (figures are in millions of dollars)

PORT                                   1991          1992       1993

Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, AK              130.6         194.0*     161.2
New Bedford, MA                        157.7         151.8      107.5
Kodiak, AK                              96.9          90.0       81.5
Empire-Venice, LA                       50.2          58.7       52.3
Portland, ME                            44.1          43.6       49.1
Dulac-Chauvin, LA                       52.1          52.8       48.0
Brownsville-Port Isabel, TX             71.5          54.9       46.6
Cape May-Wildwood, NJ                   40.1          34.9       36.2
Point Judith, RI                        37.5          36.6       35.2
Key West, FL                            35.1          17.4       35.2

* Current record for value

                     A complete list of commercial fishery landings and
value at 60 major U.S. ports for 1991-1993 is available upon request. 

                                     #

NOAA 94-29
Contact:  Tammy Graham
          5/10/94
          
                   Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary
                  Enters Final Phase of Designation Process

     A major milestone in designating the nation's 14th national marine
sanctuary was cleared when the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration approved the designation of Washington
state's Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

     Approval of the designation by NOAA Administrator D. James Baker
initiates the final review process by Congress and by Washington state
Governor Lowry.  Notice of the designation and related regulations will
be published in the Federal Register tomorrow.

     The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the first national
marine sanctuary in the Pacific Northwest, will stretch 135 miles from
Cape Flattery halfway down Washington's undeveloped, rugged coastline,
encompassing 3,310 square miles.  

     In signing the designation document, Baker declared, "This marks
the culmination of coordinated effort at the federal, state, local and
tribal levels to protect Washington state's coastal environment, culture
and history."

     Home to four Native American tribes for more than 2,000 years, the
Olympic Coast has deeply rooted cultural and historical significance. 
The area is important to the continued survival of several ecologically
and commercially important species of fish - including salmon, trout,
halibut, flounder - and more than 20 species of marine mammals that
include California gray whales and northern sea otters.  The sanctuary
will also support one of the largest concentrations of seabird colonies
in the lower 48 states.  

     "Our goal is to complement and extend protection of the area
afforded by the Olympic National Park, other wildlife refuges, biosphere
reserves, tribal wilderness areas, and state and municipal parks," Baker
said. 

     The National Marine Sanctuary Program will extend protection into
Olympic Coast waters and address significant questions concerning
resources, uses and linkages between terrestrial and marine ecosystems. 
NOAA will manage the sanctuary as the agency responsible for stewardship
of national coastal and marine environments.

     A public ceremony to dedicate the Olympic Coast National Marine
Sanctuary will be held July 16, 1994, on Beach 6, Olympic National Park,
Washington.

                                  #

NOAA 94-30
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets
          NOAA/NESDIS                                                
          Mike Phillips
          EUMETSAT
          Franco Bonacina
          ESA
          5/11/94       

             EUROPEAN PARTNERS INVITED TO PARTICIPATE
                    IN POLAR SATELLITE PROGRAM
                     
     The United States' European space Earth observation partners have
been invited to explore participation in the converged, polar-orbiting
environmental satellite program that was announced by the White House in
Washington yesterday.  Participants in the U.S. program are the U.S.
Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA), the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), and the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

     The European METOP (meteorological operational mission) polar
satellite series is an important asset in the global effort to better
understand the environment.  As a result, the United States has invited
its European partners to explore incorporating the European METOP polar
satellite series into the converged system, assuming U.S. mission
requirements can be met.  The METOP series is a joint undertaking of the
European Organisation for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites
(EUMETSAT) and the European Space Agency (ESA).  Building on
longstanding plans for Europe to assume morning polar satellite
coverage, NOAA intends to provide sensors for flight on the initial
satellites in the METOP series.  The invitation for METOP to participate
in the converged program underscores the importance the United States
places on cooperation with Europe.  

     "Cooperation with the METOP series and our EUMETSAT and ESA
partners is critical to our efforts to enhance further development of a
global operational observing system," said Under Secretary for Oceans
and Atmosphere Dr. D. James Baker.  

      EUMETSAT Director John Morgan welcomed the invitation.  He said
EUMETSAT would address the invitation with member delegations and work
closely with ESA to respond.  

     "This new initiative is clearly in the spirit of the Joint Polar
System we are already working with you to develop," Morgan said.  "I see
no reason why it should change the level of cooperation."

     The plan announced in Washington yesterday will converge DOD's
Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP) of the Department of
Defense and the NOAA Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite
(POES) system into a single operational environmental satellite system. 
In addition the converged operational program will incorporate
appropriate aspects of NASA's Earth Observing System technologies.
                     
     Under the directive, NOAA was named lead agency for integrating the
converged system, for satellite operations, and for the interface with
national and international civilian users.  DOD will have responsibility
for the program's acquisitions, command and control, and launch and
systems integration.  NASA will be responsible for facilitating the
development and incorporation of new cost-effective technologies that
will enhance the capabilities of the converged system.

     The new system is expected to reduce duplication of efforts in
meeting common requirements while satisfying the unique requirements of
the civil and national security communities.  The converged system will
continue the open distribution of environmental data and accommodate
international cooperation.  

                                    #

NOAA 94-31
CONTACT: Gene Stallings
         Larry Wenzel                                             
         Frank Lepore
         5/11/94

                 GREAT FLOOD OF '93 IMPACT UNPRECEDENTED, REPORT FINDS

     The National Weather Service forecasts helped minimize the loss of
life and property during the Great Flood of '93, which made an
unprecedented economic and human impact on the midwestern part of the
United States, the weather service said in a report released today.

     The 348-page disaster survey report said the flooding, which began
before March 1993 and continued through November, was unique in
duration, extent and intensity. 

     Disaster survey team leader Diana Josephson, Commerce deputy under
secretary for oceans and atmosphere, said that "in terms of economic and
human impact, the Great Flood of 1993 surpassed all floods in the United
States in modern times."

     The massive build-up of water that ultimately formed what appeared
in satellite imagery to be a sixth Great Lake in the nation's heartland,
set records for river stages, crop and property damage, and flood
duration.  Nine states -- more than 15 percent of the contiguous United
States -- and hundreds of thousands of people were affected. 

     During the event, 95 forecast locations in the Upper Midwest
exceeded the previous floods of record, many by six feet or more. 
Approximately 500 forecast points on major rivers and tributary systems
exceeded flood stage at some time. 

     The extent of social disruption was almost beyond measure,
Josephson observed.  Estimates of economic losses range from $15-20
billion, rivaling costs for Hurricane Andrew.  Experts estimate that
more than 50,000 homes were damaged or destroyed, and approximately
54,000 people evacuated from flooded areas.

     The disaster survey team visited much of the flooded nine-state
region during August and September, 1993.  NOAA routinely conducts a
survey of each major weather disaster to assess thoroughly all aspects
of its forecast and warning system.  The report contains 106 findings
and recommendations.

     "The quality of weather service employees' performance overall was
superb," said Elbert W. (Joe) Friday, Jr., director of the National
Weather Service.  "They performed extraordinarily, under extremely
stressful conditions, for literally months."  More than 30 weather and
river forecast offices supported the wide-spread event.

     "The timely information contained in their forecasts  dramatically
helped minimize the loss of life and property," 
Friday said. 

     The report notes that deficiencies stem from inadequate technology
within the current forecast and warning system.  These deficiencies will
be corrected through the on-going modernization and restructuring of the
NWS, along with a recently announced program called WARFS.  WARFS, for
Water Resources Forecasting System, allows managers to better predict
floods and manage the nation's increasingly valuable fresh water
supplies.  

     The multi-year program to add new weather surveillance radars and
Advanced Weather Interactive Processing Systems (AWIPS) to process and
combine information from multiple radars should be maintained on
schedule or accelerated whenever possible, the report adds.
                      
     The weather service has broad federal responsibility to protect
lives and property and support the nation's economic and environmental
well-being by providing public forecasts and warnings of weather and
river conditions.

                                  --
NOTE TO EDITORS: Copies of the report may be obtained by calling         
          or writing:
                    Office of Hydrology
                    National Weather Service, 
                    1325 East-West Highway, #18444
                    Silver Spring, MD 20910

                    Telephone: (301)713-0006
 
                               #

NOAA 94-32
Contact:  George Murphy                                                     
               (301) 763-8010/8019               
               Bud Littin 
               (301) 713-0622
               5/19/94

                NEW SUPERCOMPUTER WILL SPEED WEATHER FORECASTS

     Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown today dedicated a new generation
of supercomputers that will enable government weather forecasters to
provide faster and more accurate forecasts.

     The new Cray C90 supercomputer was dedicated at a special ceremony
at the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA) central computer facility in Suitland, Md.

     More sophisticated models of the atmosphere, important to
increasing the accuracy of daily weather forecasts, will be possible
with the new supercomputer.

     "This new high speed computer system will greatly boost the
productivity of National Weather Service forecasting and help Americans
in all walks of life make better daily decisions where weather is
concerned," said Elbert W. Friday, NOAA's assistant administrator for
weather services.

     A prime element in the $4.2 billion National Weather Service (NWS)
Modernization Program, the Cray C90 is expected to deliver a five-fold
increase over the NWS' present computing speed, achieved with an earlier
Cray computer, model Y-MP8.  The superior new "number cruncher" is
essential for incorporating into numerical forecasts an ever-increasing
volume of data produced by NWS' new space and earth-based observing
systems.

     Forecasters at NWS' National Meteorological Center will use the new
computer to serve a wide range of weather data needs.  The computer's
superior "brainpower" will be especially helpful to meteorologists
tracking hurricanes.  The C90 also aids in routing planes around
turbulent weather, offering an opportunity to make flights smoother and
reduce fuel consumption.  Precipitation forecasts generated by the new
computer will benefit agricultural and marine activities as well. 

     The powerful Cray C90 operates in excess of 15 gigaflops (15
billion operations per second), compared with 2.5 gigaflops for the Y-
MP8.  One of the first atmospheric models to be implemented will be the
new hurricane simulation program that was developed at NOAA's
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, Princeton, N.J.  Researchers
tested the model during the 1993 hurricane season.  Operating 12 hours
behind real time, the model accurately predicted the track of Hurricane
Emily in August last year as it veered away from the East Coast.

     The five-year, $46 million lease contract for the C90 was awarded
to Cray Research, Inc., of Eagan, Minn., following a competitive
procurement conducted on a full and open basis that allowed all domestic
and foreign companies to participate.  The contract includes support
services.

                              #                    

NOAA 94-33
CONTACTS: Dave Rodenhuis                 
          (301)763-8167                  
          Vernon Kousky
          (301)763-8227
          Frank Lepore
          (301)713-0622
          5/23/94
  
                       GLOBAL CLIMATE ASSESSMENT, 1993

     Global climate in 1993 was dominated by a prolonged 
El Nino effect, which, among other impacts, helped alleviate the severe
drought in California, according to a team of scientists from the
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.  

     The El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) -- the interaction of the
ocean and atmosphere in the eastern central Pacific Ocean -- developed
in 1991 and ended in 1993, making it one of the three most prolonged
warm episodes observed this century.  The other episodes were 1911-1913
and 1939-1941. 
                     
     The Fifth Annual Climate Assessment, issued by NOAA's Climate
Analysis Center, reviewed global climate variations and trends during
the past year.  The report highlights several  significant events:

     --  ENSO's eastward shift in thunderstorm activity contributed to
changes in atmospheric jet streams and weather patterns worldwide.  It
produced anomalous weather patterns in both tropics and extratropics. 
Along the equator monthly rainfall was estimated 150 mm. above normal
(Dec. 92 - Aug. 93), while below-normal rainfall occurred over Indonesia
and northern Brazil.  A slightly weaker than normal monsoon was also
estimated for western India.  

     -- The Great Flood of 1993 devastated a nine-state area in the U.S.
heartland during June-July, posting record flood conditions throughout
the Mississippi-Missouri watershed.  St. Louis had 80 days above flood
stage. Davenport, Iowa was at flood stage for 43 days and Kansas City
for 30 days.  

     -- Global temperature in 1993 paralleled a pattern that dominated
both hemispheres during the 1980s.  Surface temperature (land only)
showed a slight rise of plus 0.2 degrees Celsius (0.35 degrees
Fahrenheit).  The report notes the temperature increase was comparable
to the warm departure observed in 1992, but less than the extreme value
of plus 0.5 degrees Celsius in 1990. 
  
     -- Antarctic springtime ozone values in 1993 were the lowest ever
recorded.  During the 1993-1994 winter, Northern Hemisphere mid-latitude
ozone depletions recovered to near-normal values.

                                   #

NOAA 94-34
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202) 482-6090                                             
          5/24/94

               NOAA RELEASES 1993 MISSISSIPPI RIVER FLOODING REPORT

     A report that documents the causes and impacts of the 
unusually high amounts of freshwater released into the ocean 
during last year's severe Midwest flooding was released today by 
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's  
Coastal Ocean Office and National Weather Service.  

     The 77-page report, entitled Coastal Oceanographic Effects of
Summer 1993 Mississippi River Flooding, is a summary of the meteorology,
hydrology, and oceanographic effects from 31 individual scientists
around the Gulf of Mexico and United States East Coast that contributed
to an effort by NOAA to assess the oceanographic effects of the
flooding.  

     More than 15 million acres across nine states were inundated by the
Great Flood of 1993.  The entire state of Iowa was designated as a
federal disaster area.  Large sections of eight other states--North
Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Missouri, Nebraska
and Kansas--were also declared federal disaster areas.  The number of
fatalities caused by the flood is estimated at 48.  Approximately 54,000
people had to be evacuated from flooded areas at some time during the
flood, and 50,000 homes were estimated to have been destroyed or
damaged.  
Preliminary estimates establish this as the costliest flood event in
United States history.
                                                     
     The flood caused significant changes to the landscape throughout
the Midwest and ultimately to the coastal ocean.  It sent large volumes
of freshwater down the Mississippi River during a time of year
characterized by lower flows in the river, thus the timing of the
flooding was a critical factor in determining the impact on the marine
environment.  The effects of the freshwater inflow were detected not
only in the northern Gulf of Mexico, but also in the Florida Keys and
along the U.S. East Coast.

     The report is comprised of two main sections, "Hydrometeorological
Setting" and "Oceanography."  "Hydrometeorological Setting" covers the
factors that led to the flooding event in the upper basin, an analysis
of the hydrology following the heavy precipitation, upper basin impacts
and future flood potential.  

     The "Oceanography" section focuses on the effects of the unusually
high freshwater outflows from the Mississippi and Atchafalaya rivers on
the marine environment.  The following issues are discussed:  (1)
sediments carried by the floodwater into the northern Gulf of Mexico;
(2) increased loadings of agricultural chemicals into the Gulf of
Mexico; (3) potential effects of certain herbicides on marine
phytoplankton; (4) analysis of the effect of the floodwater on coastal
water temperatures; (5) biological effects of increased nutrient
loadings; (6) hypoxic conditions in bottom waters on the Texas-Louisiana
shelf; and (7) influence of the freshwater along the coast of Florida
and in the Gulf Stream off the U.S. East Coast.
                         --

NOTE TO EDITORS:  A copy of the report may be obtained by contacting the
NOAA Coastal Ocean Office at (301) 713-3338 or the National Weather
Service, Office of Hydrology, at (301) 713-1630. 

                               #

NOAA 94-35
Contact:  Brian Gorman or                 
          Scott Smullen                                              
          (301) 713-2370                                     
          5/27/94

                     TUNA MUST BE "DOLPHIN SAFE" AFTER JUNE 1

     Dolphin-safe tuna, which first appeared on American grocery shelves
in small quantities in the 1980s, will soon be the only tuna you can buy
in the United States, according to the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
                     
      Beginning June 1, it will be illegal under the 1992 amendment to
the Marine Mammal Protection Act to sell, purchase or ship in the United
States any tuna not caught under dolphin-safe conditions.

      Dolphins in the eastern tropical Pacific Ocean frequently swim
with schools of tuna.  For many years, U.S. and foreign fleets in this
region encircled dolphins to catch tuna.  The air-breathing dolphins can
become entangled in the nets and be killed or injured.

     Generally, the fishing method most hazardous to dolphins has been a
method of purse seining in which vessels intentionally encircle tuna and
dolphins with a huge net that is then tightened, like a purse, around
both fish and dolphins.

     In general, tuna caught by purse seine vessels qualifies as dolphin
safe only if it is accompanied by a statement by the captain and in some
cases an official observer attesting that no nets were intentionally set
on dolphins to catch the tuna.  Tuna caught by high-seas driftnet
vessels is also not considered dolphin safe.

     Most canned tuna currently sold in the U.S. is already dolphin
safe.  In 1990 the major U.S. canners announced that they would no
longer buy any tuna caught by methods considered unsafe for dolphins. 
These companies supply over 80 percent of the canned tuna sold in the
U.S.

     Through concerted efforts of fishing fleets of several countries,
the mortality in the eastern tropical Pacific tuna fishery reached a
record low last year of approximately 3,600.  In the late 1960s and
early 1970s, well over 400,000 dolphins were being killed in some years.
                                                           
     NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for
protecting dolphins and certain other marine mammals such as whales,
seals and sea lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

     Violators of the new dolphin-safe requirement are subject to civil
fines of up to $10,000 per violation.

                                   #

NOAA 94-36
Contact:  Brian Gorman                      
          (301) 713-2370 (office) 
          Puerto Vallarta
          52-322-1-11-00 (ext.450)
          5/27/94

                      INTERNATIONAL WHALING COMMISSION VOTES 
                      TO CREATE WHALE SANCTUARY IN ANTARCTIC

     The International Whaling Commission, at its annual meeting in the
Pacific Coast city of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, has voted to create an
11.8 million-square-mile sanctuary for whales in the Southern Ocean,
United States IWC Commissioner D. James Baker announced today.

     The Southern Ocean Sanctuary, as it was first proposed by France in
1992 and co-sponsored by the United States and eight other IWC
countries, would have banned all commercial whaling south of 40 degrees
south latitude in a line skirting southern Africa and Australia and
cutting through southern South America.

     A modified sanctuary proposal, voted on late Thursday, was
sponsored by France, Mexico and Chile, and supported by the United
States and 16 other countries.  It creates a sanctuary somewhat smaller
than the original French proposal, but encompasses the major feeding
grounds of all the great whales in the Antarctic, including the blue,
humpback and minke whales.

     The vote was 23 in favor, with six abstentions.  Only Japan voted
against the proposal.

     "We're very pleased with the outcome of this vote," Baker said. 
"The sanctuary has been a major goal of the U.S. at the IWC and both
President Clinton and Vice President Gore have fought hard for it."

     Baker added that the sanctuary will give an additional layer of
protection to whales by insuring that commercial whaling cannot take
place on any species within the huge sanctuary.

     In 1982, the IWC voted for a moratorium on all commercial whaling. 
The moratorium is still in place, but both Japan and Norway have
conducted limited "research whaling" with IWC approval.  Norway, because
it filed a formal objection to the moratorium, is not bound by it under
IWC rules and resumed small-scale commercial whaling off its coast last
summer.

     The IWC allows Alaskan Eskimos and Siberian, Greenland and St.
Vincent natives small subsistence quotas.

     Baker added that the United States' vote for the sanctuary
"reaffirms the Clinton administration's unflinching support for the
current IWC ban on commercial whaling.  The United States has not
deviated from that position since the moratorium went into effect."

     Baker said the forceful support at the meeting from the NGOs --
non-governmental organizations, mostly representing whale protection
interests -- was crucial to the success of the vote.

     In addition to the United States and the sanctuary's three
sponsors, voting in favor of the sanctuary were Antigua, Argentina,
Australia, Austria, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, Germany, India, Ireland,
Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, the Russian Federation, South Africa,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

     Baker, who heads the U.S. delegation, is Under Secretary for Oceans
and Atmosphere in the U.S. Department of Commerce.

     The 46th meeting of the IWC began May 23 and runs through May 27.

                               #
     
NOAA 94-37
CONTACT:  Robert C. Sheets            
          (305) 666-4612            
          Frank Lepore
          (305) 667-3108
          5/31/94

                      NOAA HURRICANE CONFERENCE OPENS '94 SEASON

     Many Atlantic and Gulf coastal areas continue to be at risk this
hurricane season, June 1 - Nov. 30, but the National Hurricane Center
anticipates a new record in accurate forecasting as it tests a whole
range of new technology, said the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration. 
                     
      Robert C. Sheets, director of the National Hurricane Center told
hurricane specialists, emergency managers and news media gathered for a
seasonal preview that the nation's forecast capability is improving with
the introduction this year of a number of new observing systems.  These
include an expanded network of new Doppler weather surveillance radars
along the coast, a new geostationary weather satellite and an important
boost in super computer hurricane modeling capability.

     According to Sheets, however, the risks remain unchanged with the
possibility of more frequent damaging hurricanes and continued
population growth in highly vulnerable coastal areas, plus public
indifference.
                     
      "Hurricane-prone areas of the nation have received priority in
planning the on-going modernization of the National Weather Service, and
will continue to receive top attention," said 
Robert C. Landis, deputy director of the National Weather Service. 

      "Here in Florida we have worked closely with Governor Chiles and
state planning and emergency services to expedite delivery of new
technology.  In the coming months and years we expect the new radars,
the GOES satellite system, improved hurricane modeling, and big
improvements in public communications to help our forecast experts here
in Miami improve the Hurricane Center's already impressive record for
accuracy," he said.

     Landis said that 23 WSR-88Ds will be located along the Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico coasts to better warn of hurricane landfalls and
generation of tornadoes and flash floods as storms move inland.  During
1994 56% of the coast will be covered compared with 17% in 1993.

     This season, the Center will be drawing assistance in hurricane
tracking from a new numerical model created by NOAA's Geophysical Fluid
Dynamics Laboratory in Princeton, N.J.  This will be run on the weather
service's new Cray Model C-90 super computer delivered last winter;
previous models will perform on an older Cray Model YMP-8.

     In another promising development for better hurricane forecasting,
the Commerce Department has begun the process of procuring NOAA's first
high altitude reconnaissance aircraft through informal exchange of
information with the aircraft industry.  Although no formal bid requests
have been issued yet to the industry, Congress has appropriated funds to
acquire a next generation aircraft.  This season the Center will
continue to rely on propeller-driven U.S. Air Force Reserve and Commerce
P-3 aircraft.
                     
     Current research suggests that the nation may be returning to a
period like the 1940's-60s where major hurricanes strike the coast more
frequently, Sheets said.  The increasing population of seasonal and
permanent residents along the coasts, particularly on the barrier
islands, are at risk from rapidly rising waters known as storm surge. 
It is difficult to evacuate people from these areas because roadways
have not kept pace with population growth.

      The challenge for the National Hurricane Center, federal, state
and local emergency managers, and the media is safeguarding this
sizeable population, Sheets said. "Getting the word to the public is
critical.  The news media, "ham" radio operators and NOAA Weather Radio
are essential links to warning the public." 

     "With the strong support of Vice President Gore, we are working
with the Federal Emergency Management Agency on a cooperative public-
private industry effort.  The ultimate goal is extending coverage of
NOAA Weather Radio to 95% of the nation [the present system covers 75%-
85% of the nation], especially coastal states," Landis said.  This will
be coupled with a campaign for families to invest in weather radio
receivers. 

     The weather service is also moving in a parallel effort with the
Federal Communications Commission and Federal Emergency Management
Agency to improve the Emergency Broadcast Service, a voluntary service
provided by radio, TV and cable networks. 

                                 #

NOAA 94-38

Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          6/6/94

             AMERICANS EATING MORE SEAFOOD; CONSUMPTION RISES IN 1993

     Americans ate more seafood in 1993 than in 1992 - consuming nearly
3.9 billion pounds of domestic and imported seafood in 1993 - or 15
pounds per person.  That is an increase of 150 million pounds over the
3.7 billion pounds Americans consumed in 1992, the Commerce Department's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.
     Officials from NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service said that
the per capita consumption level of 15 pounds per person represents a
moderate increase of 0.2 pounds over the 1992 level of 14.8 pounds.

     Of the 15 pounds of seafood consumed per person, 10.2 pounds were
fresh or frozen fish or shellfish, 4.5 pounds were canned seafood, and
0.3 pounds of seafood was cured.  Compared to the 1992 figures, that
represents a 0.3 pound rise in fresh and frozen product, with a decline
of 0.1 pounds in canned seafood.

     Fisheries service officials say the increase in consumption is
largely due to a decline in seafood exports and a rise in edible fish
and shellfish caught in the U.S.

     Imported fish and shellfish comprised 53 percent of the seafood
consumed in the United States in 1993.

                                     #

NOAA 94-39
Contact:  Dane Konop                        
 Office:  (301) 713-2483                    
          (202) 482-6090
          6/7/94

          COMMERCE SCIENTIST THOMAS N. PYKE, JR., TO HEAD GLOBE PROGRAM 
                     
     Vice President Al Gore today named Thomas N. Pyke, Jr., a Commerce
Department scientist, to head the new GLOBE Program, a vice-presidential
initiative to create a global network of students, teachers and
scientists to monitor the environment and foster environmental awareness
through education.
                     
     Pyke is currently director for High Performance Computing and
Communications at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 
He is also a former head of NOAA's National Environmental Satellite,
Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) and has been a national leader in
the areas of information technology, environmental satellites and
environmental data management. 
                     
     The GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the
Environment) Program , was first proposed by the Vice President in his
book Earth in the Balance.  GLOBE will provide scientists with valuable
information about our natural environment, including information on
weather, air chemistry and quality, geological measurements and ecology. 

     "We are very excited about the GLOBE Program's unique mix of
science and education.  The vice president has laid out his vision for
GLOBE.  Our job now is to turn his vision into reality," Pyke said.  

     "We anticipate that the environmental measurements made by GLOBE
students will complement other observations made by scientists and make
a tremendous contribution to our understanding of the Earth's
environment," he said.  "At the same time, students worldwide will gain
a greater awareness of the environment.  All of us involved in GLOBE
look forward to working with today's student-scientists for a better
tomorrow for all of us."

     Pyke earned a BSEE as a Westinghouse Scholar from the Carnegie
Institute of Technology and an MSE in Computer Systems as a Ford
Foundation Fellow from the University of Pennsylvania. 

     He has received numerous awards, including the Executive Excellence
Award from the Federal Interagency Committee on Information Resources
Management, the Department of Commerce Silver Medal and the Presidential
Rank Award of Meritorious Executive.  He is listed in Who's Who in
America and is a senior member of the IEEE, a member of the ACM, AAAS,
Sigma Xi, Eta Kappa Nu and Omicron Delta Kappa, and is a fellow of the
Washington Academy of Sciences, from which he received the Engineering
Science Award.

     Pyke chaired the interagency working group on data management for
global change in the creation of a new national data policy for global
change data and the completion of a program plan for a government-wide
global change data and information system. 
 
     He is the author of more than 30 technical papers and reports and
has lectured widely at conferences and symposiums.  He has been active
professionally, including membership on the governing board of the IEEE
Computer Society and the board of directors of the American Federation
of Information Processing Societies.  Pyke also served as chairman of
the IEEE Computer Society Technical Committee on Personal Computing and
as a member of the board of governors of the National Space Club.

     Pyke lives in Arlington, Va., with his wife, Carol, and sons,
Christopher and Alexander.

                                  #

NOAA 94-40
Contact:  Scott Smullen                 
          (301) 713-2370                                  
          6/15/94
                                              
                         CALIFORNIA GRAY WHALE REMOVED
                         FROM ENDANGERED SPECIES LIST

     The California gray whale, long a symbol of both the plight and the
grandeur of the world's great whales, was officially taken off the
endangered species list today, the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced.

     A 1992 review of the California gray whale by NOAA's National
Marine Fisheries Service showed that the population has increased from
less than 10,000 animals in the late 1930's, to about 21,000 animals. 
NOAA's biologists estimate there are at least as many gray whales as in
the pre-whaling days before the California gold rush.

     "This is a great success story and a cause for celebration," said
Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown.  "Two tough federal laws from the
'70s -- the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the Endangered Species Act
-- have helped bring this animal back from a critically low population."

     "Although the gray whale is no longer considered in danger of
extinction, it will remain safeguarded by the Marine Mammal Protection
Act," said NOAA Assistant Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere Douglas K.
Hall.  "NOAA scientists will continue to monitor its status."

     In addition to actions by the United States, both the Mexican
government and the International Whaling Commission have instituted
policies to protect the California gray whale.

     After completing a status review, NOAA asked the Fish and Wildlife
Service to de-list the whale.  While NOAA has authority to list species
under the Endangered Species Act, only the Fish and Wildlife Service can
remove a species from the list.

     Since that time, NOAA has completed and made available to the
public its draft "5-Year Plan for Research and Monitoring of the Eastern
North Pacific Population of Gray Whales."  Two recommended research
projects have recently been concluded by NOAA scientists.  The results
of a survey during the winter of 1993/94 of the gray whales' southbound
migration confirmed earlier estimates of gray whale abundance.

     NOAA scientists presented this information last month at the
International Whaling Commission annual meeting in Puerto Vallarta,
Mexico.  As the survey to estimate gray whale calf production during the
northbound migration was concluded only late last month, analysis of the
data from this research has not been completed.

     Each winter the California gray whale migrates 13,000 miles down
the North American coast from its feeding grounds in the Bering Sea off
Alaska to its breeding and calving grounds off Baja California in
Mexico.  It returns in the spring at a rate of about 50 miles per day.

                                          #

 

NOAA 94-41 
Contact:  Kimberly Comba
          (301) 713-0622
           10/31/94

                     NOAA FORECASTS WEATHER FOR WORLD CUP GAMES

     Soccer fans around the world can now use personal computers to get
the latest weather forecasts for U.S. cities hosting the World Cup
games.  
                     
     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National
Weather Service is making forecasts for each of the nine World Cup
cities available on Internet via the NOAA Network Information Center.
                     
     The NWS has been transmitting forecasts to the international
community since June 1, and will continue to do so until July 17.  The
forecasts have been available in Spanish since June 14.

     "We are fulfilling our duty to provide free and open information to
the world," said Elbert W. Friday Jr., director of the National Weather
Service.

     The service is titled "World Cup USA 94 Weather" and can be
obtained at the following Internet address: 

                     http://hpcc1.hpcc.noaa.gov/worldc/mainworl.html

     The World Cup cities are:  Boston; Detroit; Chicago; Dallas; Los
Angeles; San Francisco; Washington, D.C.; Orlando, Fla.; and East
Rutherford, N.J. (New York City).

                                  #
  
NOAA 94-42 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh           
          Frank Lepore                          
          NOAA               
          (301) 713-0622                                             
          Dave Ryan, (202) 260-2981
          EPA          
          (202) 260-2981
          Kate Egan, 
          CDC
          (404) 488-4751
          6/28/94
  
         NOAA AND EPA LAUNCH EXPERIMENTAL ULTRAVIOLET EXPOSURE INDEX

     An experimental program designed to provide the public with an
important new addition to the daily weather forecast -- prediction of
solar ultraviolet radiation levels -- premiers today in 58 cities
throughout the United States.  
                     
     The program, announced jointly by the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration and the Environmental Protection Agency, will
offer citizens a look at the next day's level of ultraviolet (UV)
radiation and should help them guard against overexposure.

      Prolonged exposure to ultraviolet radiation has been associated
with an increased incidence of skin cancer and cataracts, and inhibits
the immune system.  

     EPA's Office of Research and Development initiated today's action
in 1992 when it approached the National Weather Service to start a
program following the success of a similar service in Canada.  

     "With the UV Index forecast, the public should be better informed
to take simple actions to reduce overexposure to UV radiation," said EPA
assistant administrator Mary Nichols.  "Because scientists have
estimated that people receive about 80 percent of their lifetime
exposure to the sun by the age of 18, we think this is particularly
important information for children and their parents."

     The potential for a daily ultraviolet forecast to result in dollar
savings is evidenced by Medicare's biggest cost line item in 1993 for
1.2 million cataract surgical procedures.

      As the weather service continues to refine the science behind the
daily UV forecasts, it will distribute them to 58 cities during the
experiment.  EPA will work with the Center for

     Disease Control and a coalition of health, medical and
environmental groups to provide information to the public about the UV
Index and risks of overexposure to UV radiation.

     "The weather service will make UV forecasts approximately 30 hours
in advance using satellites, ground-based weather observations and
computer models," said Elbert W. Friday, Jr., director of the National
Weather Service.  "We'll use this existing technology at no additional
cost to taxpayers."

     NWS meteorologists plan to begin issuing the experimental forecasts
for the 58 cities today.  During the course of the experiment, NOAA and
EPA will work with the private sector in a partnership to evaluate the
level of service provided by an ultraviolet index and develop plans for
the future of this service.                           

     The ultraviolet forecasts will account for observed and predicted
changes in stratospheric ozone data for all 58 cities and include the
effects of computer-generated cloudiness for 56 of them.  Clouds
generally decrease the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the
earth's surface.  Forecasts for Honolulu and San Juan, Puerto Rico, will
not include the effects of cloudiness because the computer-generated
cloud forecasts are not yet available for these locations.  

     Forecasts will be centrally issued by the weather service's
National Meteorological Center in Camp Springs, Md., and sent to
forecast offices around the country.  Meteorologists at local forecast
offices will voice the daily index over the NOAA Weather Radio network;
forecasts will also be distributed to public and private meteorologists
over the NOAA Weather Wire Service and other weather service information
dissemination channels. 

     The daily forecast value in the ultraviolet index will be for
approximately 12:30 to 1:30 p.m. Daylight Savings Time in each U.S. time
zone.  The index value is on a scale from 0 to 10, or higher in some
areas, with corresponding exposure levels categorized by EPA extending
from minimal to very high.  

     The daily index, along with educational materials provided by EPA,
will help people make informed personal decisions about the effects of
UV rays on their eyes and skin.  

     Various private companies may produce similar forecasts which have
different numerical values, but retain the same action messages and
descriptions of exposure.

                                 #

NOAA 94-43
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets                 
          (301) 763-2560                 
          7/5/94

                   U.S. AND RUSSIA SIGN STATEMENT
                   ON SATELLITE SEARCH AND RESCUE 
                     
     The United States and Russia have agreed to closer cooperation in
the use of satellites for sea, air and land search and rescue services,
the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today.

      A statement announcing closer cooperation on satellite use for
rescue missions was issued by the U.S.-Russian Joint Commission on
Economic and Technological Cooperation, which was established in 1993 to
enhance bilateral cooperation in a wide range of areas, including space,
energy, trade, technology and defense conversion.  The Commission is co-
chaired by Vice President Gore and Russian Prime Minister Viktor
Chernomyrdin.

     The statement was signed by NOAA Administrator D. James Baker and
Yuri N. Koptev, general director of the Russian Space Agency.  Both
countries were recognized for their past successes in the coordinated
development of a global polar-orbiting satellite system for search and
rescue.  The statement highlights the potential for geostationary
satellites to enhance existing search and rescue efforts.

     For more than a decade, the United States and Russia have used
polar-orbiting satellites to support the search and rescue of maritime,
aviation, and land-based users in distress.  The United States, Russia,
France and Canada provide satellites, instruments and ground receiving
capabilities for Cospas-Sarsat, an international program for search and
rescue.  The program has assisted in the rescue of more than 3,500
individuals throughout the world, on land and at sea. 

     The United States currently has two geostationary environmental
satellites, GOES-7, launched in 1987, and GOES-8, launched in April and
expected to be operational in October.

                                     #

NOAA 94-44
Contact:  Brian Gorman                
          (301) 713-2370 (O)                                 
          7/14/94
                             
                 ALASKA LEADS NATION IN FISH CATCHES;
                    IN NEW ENGLAND, LANDINGS FALL

     Alaska led the nation in commercial fish landings last year, with a
record 5.9 billion pounds, bringing more than $1.4 billion to fishermen
in dock-side prices, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced today.

     Well over half of all the commercial fish landed in the United
States last year was unloaded in Alaska's ports.

     Most of the fish were Alaska pollock, with landings last year of
3.3 billion pounds of the relatively low-value fish.  This figure is
well above the five-year (1988-92) average of 2.5 billion pounds.  The
1993 pollock catch was worth $358 million.

     Other states didn't fare so well, according to statistics compiled
by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service.

     In New England, landings were again down, reflecting continuing
shortages from badly depleted groundfish stocks, especially high-demand
species like cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder.  Total New England
landings for 1993 were 605 million pounds, worth $552 million.  In 1992
landings were 647 million pounds, worth $603 million.

     Haddock was at an all-time low of 1.9 million pounds, worth only
$2.7 million.  Atlantic cod catches fell to 50.5 million pounds (worth
$45 million) and yellowtail flounder landings were a record low, just
eight million pounds (worth $10.4 million).  In 1992 cod catches
totalled 61.3 million pounds (worth $52 million) and yellowtail catches
were 12.4 million pounds (worth $13.9 million).

     Louisiana's commercial fish catch, always relatively high because
much of it consists of a high-volume but low value "industrial" fish
called menhaden, was 1.3 billion pounds, worth $262 million.  However,
the Gulf of Mexico's highest value fishery, shrimp, was down in 1993 to
206 million pounds, worth $335 million.  In 1992 the Gulf states' shrimp
catch was 222 million pounds, worth $389 million.

     Total volume of all fish landed in the United States last year,
including the Great Lakes' states, was 10.5 billion pounds, worth $3.5
billion.
                           --

NOTICE TO EDITORS

A complete listing of commercial fish landings for all coastal and Great
Lakes states, showing volume and value for 1992 and 1993, is available
on request.
   
                                  #

NOAA 94-45
Contact:  Lori Arguelles                  
          (202) 482-6090                    
          7/29/94

                     NOAA SUPPORTS AGREEMENT AMENDING 
                   U.N. CONVENTION ON THE LAW OF THE SEA 

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration said today the Clinton Administration's endorsement of
the Law of the Sea treaty will enhance the agency's ability to conduct
research and protect the marine environment.  
                     
     "The legal framework of the treaty will enhance our nation's
ability to conduct marine research, oversee fishing off U.S. coasts and
protect the marine environment," Commerce Under Secretary for Oceans and
Atmosphere D. James Baker said.

     "The United States will benefit from the treaty's provisions for
coastal state sovereignty in the 12-mile territorial sea, sovereign
rights over fishing and minerals in a 200-mile economic zone and its
strong language against overfishing," Baker added.  
                     
     U.S. government officials and industry leaders have sought to
assure that the mining agreement provides U.S. citizens with assured and
nondiscriminatory access to ocean minerals and the United States with a
voice in future decision-making commensurate with its economic
interests.  Without the amending agreement, the mining agreement portion
of the treaty would create a massive new international bureaucracy that
could limit production and mandate technology transfer.  Its mining arm,
called the Enterprise, would operate in competition with private
operators under more favorable terms.
 
      "Realistic new provisions limit the independent and discriminatory
functioning of the Enterprise, provide for U.S. representation in
decision-making bodies, abolish annual million dollar exploration fees,
eliminate mandatory technology transfer and production controls, and
provide existing U.S. miners with access on terms no less favorable than
those of other existing miners," said Will Martin, NOAA's deputy
assistant secretary for international affairs. 

                                  #

NOAA 94-46
CONTACT:  Jean Fitch                                          
          (301) 713-2370                                             
          8/1/94                     

               LATEST STATISTICS ON U.S. FISHERIES AVAILABLE

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's annual 
report, Fisheries of the United States, 1993, is now available 
from the U.S. Government Printing Office.

     Compiled by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the report
provides statistics related to commercial and recreational fisheries. 
The data provided has proven to be a vital tool for industry and
government management of fisheries.  Covering a wide range of issues
related to the industry, the report includes  statistics on commercial
and recreational landings, world fisheries, processing, import/export,
supply, employment, consumption and prices.

     To obtain a copy of Fisheries of the United States, 1993, send your
request for stock order number 003-020-00164-5, along with a check or
money order for $9.00 per copy, to the Superintendent of Documents, U.S.
Government Printing Office, Washington, DC 20402.  To order by phone
with a credit card, call the GPO at (202) 783-3238.  You may also fax
your order to the Superintendent at (202) 512-2250.  Indicate your
credit card number on your faxed order.

     Last year's edition of the report, Fisheries of the United States,
1992, may also be obtained from the GPO, for $8.50 per copy.  Request
stock order number 003-020-00163-7.

     Since 1949, the Fisheries Statistics Division of the fisheries
service has been compiling data and reporting it annually to assist
government and industry in making sound fishery management and business
decisions.

                                 --

EDITOR'S NOTE:  Single copies of Fisheries of the United States, 1993
are available to reporters upon request.  To obtain a copy, please call 
Jean Fitch of NOAA Public Affairs at (301) 713-2370.

                                   #                                  

NOAA 94-47
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370                                             
          8/1/94

                 IMPROVED MARINE MAMMAL CONSERVATION PROGRAM
                           ENDS COLOMBIA TUNA EMBARGO

     The United States has lifted its two-year ban on yellowfin tuna
imports from Colombia after Colombian fishermen adopted an improved
marine mammal conservation program, the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.
                     
     According to officials of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service,
the Colombian-flagged purse seine vessel fishing operations in the
Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean (ETP) resulted in no dolphin deaths or
injuries during 1993, and are comparable to the conservation standards
of the U.S. tuna vessels fishing in the region.

     The U.S. embargo was lifted May 6.  Imports of dolphin-safe
yellowfin tuna and products from yellowfin tuna harvested in the ETP by
Colombian vessels with more than a 362 metric-ton carrying capacity will
continue through December 31.  The fisheries service will again review
the tuna fishing operations and conservation program for recertification
in November 1994.

     In the case of yellowfin tuna from the ETP, the Marine Mammal
Protection Act requires a ban on the importation of tuna or products
made from tuna that have been caught with commercial fishing technology
resulting in the incidental death or serious injury of ocean mammals.

     Observers assigned by the Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission
accompanied all of the fishing trips made by the Colombian vessels in
the ETP during 1993.
                         
     Dolphins in the ETP frequently swim with schools of tuna.  A
fishing method called purse seining -- in which vessels intentionally
encircle tuna and dolphins with a huge net that is then tightened, like
a purse, around both fish and dolphins -- has been hazardous to
dolphins.  The air-breathing dolphins can become entangled in the nets
and killed or injured.

     Through concerted efforts of fishing fleets of several countries,
the mortality in the ETP tuna fishery reached a record low last year of
about 3,600.  In the mid-1980s, more than 100,000 dolphins were being
killed in some years.

     NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for
protecting dolphins and certain other marine mammals such as whales,
seals and sea lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act.

                                       #                                        

NOAA 94-48

Contact:  Hal Alabaster                                              
          (206) 526-6046                                             
          8/12/94

              NOAA DEVELOPS NEW APPROACH TO ECOSYSTEM MONITORING

     Scientists at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Seattle
have developed a new and integrated approach to evaluating the nature
and extent of contamination in marine systems.  The center is part of
the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
                      
     While initially applied in Washington state's Puget Sound, these
techniques will be useful in the rapid and cost-effective monitoring of
marine environmental quality around the country. 

     "The early identification of contaminants is crucial in reducing
their impact and improving restoration programs," said Usha Varanasi,
director of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center.  "The contamination
of a marine ecosystem generally does not occur in one rapid event, but
slowly over the course of time.  As with the accumulation of
contaminants, the range of effects occurs over time, depending on the
type and level of pollution."

     Effective monitoring, protection and restoration is tied to
an understanding of the various stages of the process that contaminated
the system, Varanasi added.  "The center's Environmental Conservation
Division [ECD] has developed screening methods and biomarkers --
techniques that not only make early detection possible, but are more
rapid, accurate and cost-effective than traditional methods," she said.

     The ECD scientists have developed successful methods to determine
whether aromatic hydrocarbons (ACs) are present in sediments, and to
screen fish tissue samples for exposure to ACs and polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs).

     Certain biomarkers -- such as a fish's ability to metabolize DNA-
damaging chemicals, and response of its immune system to contamination -
- can identify the extent of both chemical contamination and pollution. 
Tests to identify three of these biomarkers are now available through
ECD for large scale field application.

     The Environmental Conservation Division of the Northwest Fisheries
Science Center works with many government agencies and private
organizations to share the methods developed.  Individuals wishing
further information should contact the Northwest Fisheries Science
Center by phone at (206) 860-3200 or by mail at 2725 Montlake Blvd.
East., Seattle, WA 98112-2097

                                #

NOAA 94-49
Contact:  Scott Smullen                                              
          (301) 713-2370                                             
          8/18/94

                     CHILEAN CONSERVATION PROGRAM AVOIDS
                      EMBARGO OF CRAB AND CRAB PRODUCTS

     Chile has taken steps to ensure that marine mammals are not used as
bait by the country's commercial crab fishing industry, thus avoiding a
U.S. embargo of Chilean crab and crab products, the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced
today.
                     
     The action was taken in response to a petition filed by the
Defenders of Wildlife, which has now withdrawn its request for the ban
on the imports of Chilean crab and crab products, the agency said.

     Defenders initially filed the petition with the Department of
Treasury, and the request was referred to NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service for findings and recommendations.  Subsequently, a
series of meetings were held between U.S. and Chilean officials to
address the issue.

     The Chilean government has increased fisheries enforcement efforts
of the Chilean Navy and raised penalties to the highest of any fisheries
violation -- $1,000 for each marine mammal or bird taken.  Additionally,
the Chilean government now provides bait to crab fishermen in the form
of fish waste from area fish processing plants, one of which can produce
up to 2.5 metric tons per day.  It is estimated that the crab fishery
uses 300-600 metric tons of bait annually; the Chilean government has
stockpiled 40 metric tons of frozen fish waste for use in periods when
fish processing is slow.

     "The conservation efforts of the Chilean government will provide
increased protection for marine mammals," said William W. Fox, Jr.,
director of the Protected Resources Division of the National Marine
Fisheries Service.  "I've witnessed the many steps the Chileans have
taken to address the issue, and I'm impressed by their continuing
commitment."

     He added, "After bringing the issue to our attention, Defenders of
Wildlife deserves credit for working cooperatively with both the U.S.
government and the government of Chile to resolve the issue.  The
government of Chile deserves credit for the constructive manner in which
it has responded."

     During 1993, more than 456 metric tons of Chilean crab and crab
products worth $5.6 million were imported into the United States.

                                   #

NOAA 94-50 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh                                 
          (301) 713-0622                                             
          8/22/94

                 SCIENCE GROUP TO EVALUATE WEATHER SERVICE 
                      RADAR COVERAGE PLANS NATIONALLY

     The Commerce Department's National Weather Service today asked the
National Research Council to conduct an independent assessment of the
nation's modernized weather radar coverage.
                     
     "The performance of the new Doppler weather radar has exceeded our
expectations and has already helped save lives and property damage,"
said Elbert W. Friday Jr., NWS director.  "This is a major step forward
in science, technology and our ability to predict the weather.  However,
the public is entitled to an independent assessment to ensure there is
no degradation of service to all geographic areas of the nation."

     Some members of Congress and community leaders have questioned
whether all areas of the nation will be adequately covered.

     The National Research Council will examine two issues: 
1) whether the Doppler radar meets the statutory requirement of no
degradation of service to all geographic areas; 2) how the Doppler
radars have performed to date.

     Doppler weather radar coverage is one of the central technologies
of NWS modernization.  This modernization is designed to replace
outdated equipment and strategically place weather offices to improve
the efficiency of weather services.
  
     To date, the weather service has installed its new Doppler radar
technology at 64 sites around the United States.  Another 53 weather
service radars are set for installation over the next two years.  When
the radar network modernization is complete in July 1996, the NWS will
have overlapping coverage throughout much of the country, and coverage
in areas of the western United States that have never before had weather
radars.  The NWS network will be supplemented by Doppler radars at 45
Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration sites. 

                                   #

NOAA 94-51 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh                                     
          (301) 713-0622                                                
          8/29/94

                    U.S. FORECAST SYSTEM TO HELP RELIEVE 
                    CENTURIES OLD FLOOD PROBLEM IN CHINA 

     U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown today formally announced
an agreement with the People's Republic of China which will eventually
bring new flood prediction capabilities to two of China's major flood-
prone rivers.
                     
     "China's major rivers have a great impact on the country's
economy," said Secretary Brown.  "The river forecast initiative is just
the latest example of how U.S. technology transfer can bring tremendous
economic and social benefits to other parts of the world."

     Over the centuries China has experienced some of the world's most
catastrophic flooding.  A particularly damaging flood in 1935 left
890,000 dead and 12.5 million people homeless; in 1982 flooding damaged
or destroyed more than 400,000 homes.

     Current flooding in China's southern provinces has left more than
1,800 people dead and caused an estimated $8 billion in damages.

     Developed over 20 years by scientists with the Commerce
Department's National Weather Service, the Water Resources Forecast
System (WARFS) will allow China's water resource managers to make
critical decisions to protect lives and property in the flood plain.

     The WARFS technology will be of particular benefit on China's most
complex and unpredictable body of water, the Huai River, said Curtis
Barrett, director of technology transfer for the National Weather
Service's Office of Hydrology.

     "China recognizes that it needs to significantly improve the
collecting and processing of hydrological data to make good flood and
drought management decisions," Barrett said.  Once the system is in
place on the Huai River, the Yangtze River will be next in line.    

     WARFS includes commercial computer workstations and software, and
hydrometeorological software originally developed by the weather service
to forecast floods and droughts along rivers in the United States. 
Sophisticated computer models incorporate past weather and hydrological
data with a system of hydrologic models that accurately predict flows
along the river.

     The U.S. private sector stands to benefit from this relationship
through exporting the computer hardware and software technologies as
well as potentially through the export of data acquisition and
telecommunications systems.  U.S. engineering companies are likely to be
called upon to provide supporting services to China.

     "Many countries, including China, have recognized the value of our
river forecasting system, and we're continually seeking other
opportunities to share this technology in places where it can reduce the
impact of floods and droughts," said Elbert W. Friday Jr., director of
the National Weather Service.  A similar project already exists on the
Nile River in Africa.

     The river forecast project is the latest in a 15-year series of
cooperative efforts between the two nations.  Since 1979, under three
separate science and technology protocols, the Commerce Department's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has actively
collaborated with various Chinese government agencies to address
important issues in oceanography, hydrology, and atmospheric science and
meteorology.  These protocols, two of which are managed by NOAA and one
by the U.S. Geological Survey, include cooperation in aquaculture, water
resource management, air-sea interaction studies, meteorology, and
weather forecasting, among others.  

     The river forecasts generated from the Commerce Department system
will allow for: more effective mitigation of extreme events such as
floods and droughts, improved operations of irrigation, hydropower and
other water resource facilities, and enhanced ecosystem management of
fisheries and wetlands.

     Through exchanges of scientific data, technology and personnel, the
United States and China have made important achievements in the natural
sciences in supporting sustainable development by protecting natural,
economic and human resources.       

                                     #
 
NOAA 94-52
Contact:  Bob Chartuk                      
          (516) 244-0166                   
          9/8/94

                  SUSAN ZEVIN APPOINTED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE'S 
                    DEPUTY ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR FOR OPERATIONS

     Susan F. Zevin, director of the National Weather Service's Eastern
Region, has been appointed Deputy Assistant Administrator for Operations
of the weather service, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration announced today.
                     
     Zevin's new responsibilities will include managing the daily
operations of the National Weather Service.  She will take over the
responsibilities of Robert C. Landis, who has accepted a position with
the World Meteorological Organization (WMO).

     "Dr. Zevin has led the Eastern Region well along the road to
modernization and will now join us at weather service headquarters as
part of a team that will lead us through this critical transition
period," said Elbert W. Friday Jr., NOAA's assistant administrator for
weather services.  "We are pleased to have her aboard."

     In addition to overseeing day-to-day operations, Zevin's work with
the weather service's modernization and restructuring effort in the
Eastern Region had her supervising the installation of almost two dozen
state-of-the-art weather forecast offices and associated Doppler weather
radar facilities. 

     "The modernization program put great demands on our leadership as
we had to continue providing weather services 24 hours a day while
rebuilding our infrastructure from the ground up," Friday said.  "Susan
Zevin performed extremely well in her regional managerial role."
  
     NOAA Administrator D. James Baker approved Friday's recommendation
of Zevin, stating, "We are pleased to see Susan Zevin elevated to a top
leadership position in the National Weather Service.  Dr. Zevin has made
great strides in modernizing the weather service in the Eastern Region
and we are confident that her knowledge and leadership ability will make
her a great asset at weather service headquarters."

     Before her six-year tenure as Eastern Region director and a year as
deputy director, Zevin served as senior hydrologist for Program Plans
and Analysis at weather services headquarters and as services focal
point in the modernization's Transition Program Office.

     Her career has also included service with the WMO's Operational
Multipurpose Subprogramme in the United States, Caribbean Hydrologic
Institute in Barbados, and flood forecasting projects in Jamaica and the
Yellow and Yangtze Rivers in China.  She also served as a U.S. delegate
to the WMO Congress in Geneva, Switzerland; chaired the American
Meteorological Society's Board of Women and Minorities; and is a member
of the American Geophysical Union.

     The Washington, D.C., native's academic credentials include a Ph.D
in hydrology and water resources from the University of Arizona; a
master's in geography from the University of Tel Aviv, Israel; and a
bachelor's in geography from the University of Pittsburgh.

                             #

NOAA 94-53
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets                 
          (301) 763-2560                 
          9/8/94

                         NOAA TESTS AIRBORNE MAPPER
                          OF COASTAL OCEAN SALINITY
                     
     Initial flight tests of a new system for mapping coastal ocean
salinity have been completed, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration announced today.
                     
     The system is designed to be operated from small, single-engine
aircraft.  It is smaller than older systems, which had to be flown on C-
130's because of size.  The new system can produce salinity maps at the
rate of 100 square kilometers per hour, with 100-meter spatial
resolution, said NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and
Information Service (NESDIS), which conducted the testing.

     "The system, called the scanning low-frequency microwave
radiometer, is a unique collection of passive instruments that gather
information about the surface salinity and temperature of coastal waters
by measuring their natural emission in the microwave and far-infrared
bands," said NOAA scientist James Zaitzeff.  

     "Specifically, it consists of an imaging 6-beam, 1.4 GHz microwave
radiometer, a two-channel infrared radiometer, a global positioning
system for geolocation of the measurements, and a computer for data
acquisition, processing, and control," Zaitzeff said.

     The mapper system was fitted to a U6-A DeHavilland Beaver aircraft,
owned by the Virginia Institute of Marine Science and used for flight
tests.  The first flight test was completed over the Chesapeake Bay in
August 1993.  A second test was completed over the Delaware Bay in April
1994.  The most recent test established an accuracy range of 1-1.5 parts
per thousand salinity of the water surface.  This was verified by direct
measurements taken from boats.  Personnel from NESDIS and the contractor
worked closely with scientists and technicians from the Virginia
Institute of Marine Science and Old Dominion University during the
testing.
                     
     NESDIS anticipates collaborating with other NOAA and federal
agencies and academia in coastal ecosystem health, hydrological and
coastal forecasting activities where salinity data are critical.  These
studies include the Florida Bay restoration, Mississippi Delta and Gulf
of Mexico brown shrimp distribution studies.

     The system was developed by Quadrant Engineering, Inc. of Hadley,
Mass, under a Department of Commerce Small Business Innovative Research
contract.    

                                  #

NOAA 94-54 
CONTACT: Patricia Viets
         (301) 763-2560                     
         9/9/94                  
      

                 FIRST COSPAS-SARSAT 406 Mhz EMERGENCY LOCATOR           
    TRANSMITTER REGISTERED AT THE UNITED STATES MISSION CONTROL CENTER

     A new and more powerful emergency locator transmitter that would
enable rescuers to more accurately locate downed aircraft has been
registered with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for
use on private planes, the agency announced.

     Emergency locator transmitters are designed to automatically
activate and transmit via satellite a distress signal when an aircraft
crashes and provide a homing signal rescuers to locate the crash site.

     The emergency locator transmitter that will use the 406 Megahertz
frequency will be able to locate downed aircraft with greater accuracy
of within one to three miles, NOAA said.

     The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) is registered to E.I. du
Pont de Nemours & Co. of Wilmington, Del.  The ELT is one of ten the
company's aviation division is installing aboard its corporate aircraft. 
The company registered with NOAA on 
Aug. 24.               

     Legislation enacted in 1974 requires most U.S. fixed-wing aircraft
to carry an ELT.

     In 1982, the COSPAS-SARSAT satellite system was developed to use
the 406 Mhz frequency for distress beacons.  COSPAS-SARSAT is an
international search and rescue program that uses polar orbiting
satellites to detect emergency beacons activated by aviation, maritime
and terrestrial users in distress.    

     The COSPAS-SARSAT system, together with the 406 MHz ELT, offers the
user the benefits of location accuracy of 2-5 km 
(1-3 miles), global detection, and a unique digital signal that is
associated with a 406 MHz beacon registration database.  

     Registration of 406 MHz ELTs is mandatory in the United States. 
The registration database is kept at the United States Mission Control
Center in Suitland, Md., just outside of Washington, D.C.  The USMCC,
managed and operated by NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data,
and Information Service, collects data from U.S. operational ground
stations at seven locations.  The center is an integral part of the
COSPAS-SARSAT system.

     COSPAS-SARSAT uses search and rescue payloads aboard NOAA
environmental satellites and Russian navigation satellites.  The COSPAS-
SARSAT system has helped save nearly 4,000 lives since the first rescue
in British Columbia, Canada, on Sept. 9, 1982.

     When an emergency beacon is activated, the signal is received by
the COSPAS and SARSAT polar orbiting satellites and relayed to an
international network of ground stations.  The ground station processes
the alert data and forwards it to a national mission control center
(MCC), which sends the alert message to the appropriate land or maritime
rescue coordination center.  There are 13 operational MCCs and 25
operational ground receiving stations in the international COSPAS-SARSAT
System.

     406 MHz ELTs are authorized for voluntary use by the Federal
Aviation Administration.  The Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee,
which represents users, manufacturers, and the search and rescue
community, is currently working on a recommendation to the FAA
concerning mandatory requirements for the 406 ELT.

     NOAA estimates that the mandatory requirement for 406 MHz ELTs
could result in more than 90 additional lives saved annually, greater
reduction in injuries, false alert reduction of at least 95 percent,
reduced risks to search and rescue responders, and annual savings of
$7.1 million to public and private search and rescue providers.  The
first registered 406 MHz ELT opens the door to the probability that all
aircraft will carry the COSPAS-SARSAT 406 MHz ELT in the future.

                               #

NOAA 94-56
Contact: Scott Smullen, NOAA
         (301) 713-2370                                              
         9/27/94
         
            FEDERAL FISH MANAGERS SEEK COMMENT ON SUGGESTIONS
           TO ENSURE SAFE PASSAGE OF FISH AT HYDROPOWER DAMS

     The federal government has suggested streamlining procedures for
establishing fishways that help fish bypass hydropower dams without
injury, the Commerce Department announced.

     The action, called an advanced notice of proposed rulemaking, was
submitted recently by the Commerce and the Interior Department to
solicit public comment on procedures that may affect non-federal
hydropower projects licensed by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
(FERC).

     The goal of the suggested proposal, co-sponsored by the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and the Fish and Wildlife Service
(USFWS), is to provide guidance to agency staff, increase consistency
and predictability in the rules that require fishways, and improve
coordination among federal agencies, hydropower interests and the FERC. 
The federal agencies will collect public comment through October 31.

     "We feel this proposal can strengthen the agencies' ability to
establish fishways that will increase fish survival at hydropower
facilities and help the hydropower industry by adding certainty to the
licensing process," said Rolland A. Schmitten, director of NMFS in
Silver Spring, Md.  "By improving predictability for the hydropower
industry and improving consistency in agency practice, the proposal can
serve as a catalyst for all parties to work together effectively."

     Fishways are mechanisms that help fish travel upstream or
downstream past a hydropower dam, and may include equipment such as fish
ladders, lifts and screens as well as operational 
measures.  The departments' fishway proposal could codify existing
guidance on construction, operation and maintenance necessary to ensure
safe fish passage over the term of a hydropower license.

     If the measure reaches the proposed rulemaking stage, the agencies
will codify fishway processing procedures in a consistent manner
nationally.  The clarified procedure would allow license applicants and
agency employees to better understand the basis for needed studies and
any subsequent fishway prescriptions, thereby improving the complex FERC
licensing process.

     The Commerce and Interior departments have authority to establish
fishways to ensure safe passage of fish at hydropower projects licensed
by FERC under Section 18 of the Federal Power Act.

     A copy of the notice may be obtained from, and written comment
should be sent to, Director, Office of Habitat Protection, National
Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, Md.
20910-3282, or the Chief, Division of Habitat Conservation (400 ARLSQ)
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1849 C St., N.W., Washington, D.C.
20240.

                                   #

NOAA 94-57
Contact: Janet Amber                                         
         (202) 482-6090                                              
         9/30/94
                                                                              
EL NINO AND CLIMATE PREDICTION PUBLICATION RELEASED

     The first publication describing the El Nino weather phenomenon
written for the general public has just been released. El Nino and
Climate Prediction is a collaborative effort of the Department of
Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research.

     Never before has there been such broad input from the scientific
community on the subject of El Nino in a publication designed for the
general public.

     Vividly illustrated with multi-color computer graphics, El Nino and
Climate Prediction contains the latest information available on the El
Nino weather phenomenon.  It describes the characteristics of El Nino,
its effects on human beings, animals and plants, and the past and
present efforts of scientists and governments to understand and predict
it.    

     "El Nino and Climate Prediction is a wonderful tool for educating
the public about this weather phenomenon that has far-reaching economic
implications," said NOAA Administrator D. James Baker.  "Ideally, it
will become an integral part of educational curricula not just
nationwide, but around the world."   
                     
     El Nino is a disruption in the normal interplay of wind and water
in the tropical Pacific that can affect local ecosystems and human lives
all over the globe. It is second only to the change of the seasons in
its impact on world climate and a much greater challenge to predict.  El
Nino forecasts are invaluable, particularly for developing countries of
the tropics, where economies based on food production are highly
sensitive to climate fluctuations.  
                                                             
     Of the 20 or so El Ninos that have occurred in this century thus
far, the 1982-83 event was the strongest.  Floods, coastal erosion,
drought, forest fires and tropical storms were some of its documented
environmental effects.  The resultant loss to the world economy in 1982-
83 amounted to many billions of dollars.

     El Nino and Climate Prediction is the third publication in the
award-winning "Reports to the Nation On Our Changing Planet" series. 
The first publication in the series, The Climate System, won the Society
for Technical Communication 'Best of Show' Award in 1992. 

     A catered reception in celebration of the release of El Nino and
Climate Prediction will be held Sept. 30 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at
NOAA's Auditorium and Science Center at 1301 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, Md. 

     Sponsored by NOAA's Office of Global Programs, the reception will
feature D. James Baker; Office of Global Programs Director J. Michael
Hall; and University of Washington professor of atmospheric sciences
John M. Wallace, the primary author of the publication.

     Reception-goers will receive a copy of the publication and a four-
color, double-sided El Nino poster and will have hands-on access to a
new computer multi-media package describing NOAA called "NOAA View." 
Expected guests include representatives of embassies and private- and
public-sector science and technology organizations, Congressional staff,
and science and technology media.
                               --
                             
Editor's Note: Single copies of El Nino and Climate Prediction may be
obtained by contacting John Kermond, NOAA Office of Global Programs, at
(301) 427-2089 ext. 22.  A "class set" of up to 30 publications will be
available to teachers who make their request on their school letterhead. 
Requests for class sets should be addressed to the University
Corporation for Atmospheric Research, Office for Interdisciplinary Earth
Studies, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, CO 80307-3000; phone (303) 497-2692;
fax (303) 497-2699; internet: oies@ncar.ucar.edu.  Once such a request
has been made, the teacher's name is put on a mailing list, and the
teacher will automatically receive publications upon their release.

                             #

NOAA 94-58
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz                                  
          (301) 713-3066                                 
          10/4/94

                   NOAA ANNOUNCES NEW ACCESS TO OCEAN DATA

     Sailors, fishermen, students, scientists and mariners will now be
able to receive a wide range of oceanographic information and charts
via a new automated fax service, the Commerce Department announced
today. 
                 
     Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has
begun a 24-hour dial-up service -- 
900-288-CHART -- whereby the public can receive 15 different analysis
charts, such as sea surface temperatures and surface current speed and
direction.  The calls will cost $1.50 per minute, with charts taking
two-four minutes to transmit.

     NOAA's Ocean Products Center has established the new service as
part of the administration's directive to make the environmental
information and analyses produced by NOAA more readily available to
the public.  With this new system, NOAA analyses will be available at
both high and low resolution for various regions of the coastal U.S.
and the Atlantic and Pacific ocean areas .  High resolution products
cover small regional areas like the Northeast U.S., whereas low
resolution products cover large geographical areas like the North
Atlantic Ocean.

     The Ocean Products Center will also provide technical assistance
in interpreting any of the fax charts.  A call to  900-288-HELP ($3.00
per minute) between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. (EST), Monday-Friday, will
reach a staff oceanographer.  Although every effort will be made to
guarantee the availability of products and technical assistance, the
OP cannot guarantee that all charts will be available at all times, or
that staff oceanographers will be able to answer all questions.

     To dial into the system, you must have a fax machine with a
telephone handset.  This setup allows requested charts to be sent
immediately.  If you are using a fax/modem in a personal computer, the
Ocean Products Center can also provide instructions to allow for
retrieval this way.

     After calling the 900 number, callers will be given basic
information about the service and then asked to enter a password if
products are desired.  For the public, this password is 1111, followed
by #.  In addition to the oceanographic charts, information about the
fax system and services will also be available, including a complete
17-page package containing detailed instructions, product descriptions
and samples.  You may also obtain this package free of charge by mail
by writing to the NOAA Ocean Products Center, Room 100, 5200 Auth
Road, Camp Springs, MD 20746,  ATTN: Jeanette Bass.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R241 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh                                     
          (301) 713-0622                                         
          9/19/94

              GIANT FOOD MILK CARTONS PROMOTE NOAA WEATHER RADIO 

     Washington, D.C., area residents now can learn all about the
Commerce Department's weather radio's life-saving capabilities as they
munch their favorite breakfast cereals or cook in their kitchens.
                 
     Word of the agency's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's (NOAA's) weather warnings appear on a quarter million
milk cartons being distributed by Giant Food Inc. in the Washington,
D.C., area.

     Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown welcomed the Weather Service
promotion, saying it was an effective way of heightening public
awareness of the existence of NOAA weather broadcasts that provide
citizens with early warning of dangerous weather and advise them on
what action to take to ensure their safety.

     "We are very enthusiastic about this project.  It is a fine
example of the kind of public-private partnerships the Department of
Commerce is fostering," he said.

     The Giant milk carton promotion is part of a government-private
sector initiative begun by Vice President Gore to strengthen the
nation's weather radio network and reduce the risk to lives and
property when severe weather strikes.

     The Vice President's initiative is aimed at expanding the network
of transmitters to reach 95 percent of the population.  The initiative
was launched after 20 worshippers at the Goshen United Methodist
Church in Piedmont, Ala., were killed when a tornado struck the church
on Palm Sunday last March.

     The tragedy may have been averted if the church had been equipped
with an inexpensive weather radio, NOAA said.

     "Our goal is to someday have a NOAA Weather Radio in every home,
just like a smoke detector, in schools, hospitals and other public
places," National Weather Service Director Elbert W. Friday Jr., said.

     The NOAA Weather Radio network has been broadcasting since the
early 1970s.  But the fact was not well known to the public.
    
     Part of the educational campaign recommends that homes and public
gathering places be equipped with special tone-alert weather radios,
which sit silently until automatically activated by a special
broadcast tone that precedes emergency announcements and warnings.

     For people in the Washington area, NOAA Weather Radio offers
warnings for potential tornadoes, severe storms and flooding.  This
system also carries broadcasts of man-made hazards such as gas or oil
spills.  Regular forecasts are also broadcast 24 hours a day.

     A toll-free phone number on the cartons -- 800-777-NOAA -- offers
consumers more information on the NOAA Weather Radio network and where
they can go to purchase a weather radio receiver.

                                    #

NOAA 94-R101
Contact:  Brian Gorman                                           
          (301) 713-2370 (W)                                     
          James Desler                   
          (202) 482-4883
           1/3/94
                                                         
       COMMERCE APPROVES NEW ENGLAND GROUNDFISH REBUILDING PLAN

     Commerce Department Secretary Ronald H. Brown today approved a
plan to begin restoring stocks such as cod, haddock and yellowtail
flounder by reducing fishing off New England 50 percent over the next
five to seven years.  The action comes in response to a virtual
collapse of the New England groundfish stocks.

     Brown also announced that he is proposing that $2.5 million be
made available to communities as an initial effort to address the
economic effects of the decline of the northeast fishery. 

     The restrictions will have a major effect on New England fishermen,
National Marine Fisheries Service Director Rolland Schmitten said. 
However, additional measures may be needed because some stocks are in such
poor condition.  He said haddock stocks, for example, are at about six
percent of 1960s levels. 

     "This plan calls for measures that impose significant
restrictions," Schmitten added.  "But if we fail to act now, the
resource will be lost and the future economic base of many New England
communities will be undermined."

     Commerce also announced it will invite affected northeast fishing
communities to submit applications for $1 million made available
through Economic Development Administration (EDA) funds for planning
grants.  The proposal will fund about eight to 10 grants designed to
determine how communities can best respond to changes in the fishing
industry.

     The department is also evaluating proposals to spend $1.5 million
in federal funds appropriated by Congress last year to assist
fishermen during the period of stabilizing and rebuilding the stocks.

     The historic reductions in fishing effort were deemed
 necessary by the New England Fishery Management Council, which
prepared the plan, and by the department because of record low numbers
of fish.  Groundfish landings, according to fisheries service
scientists, fell 30 percent between 1990 and 1992.

     Of particular concern, say the scientists, is the small number of
haddock capable of producing young -- the so-called spawning stock. 
The Georges Bank haddock spawning stock over the past 30 years has
been reduced from about 160,000 metric tons to approximately 10,000
metric tons in 1993.

     In response to fishing industry and community concerns, the
department has asked the council to consider immediate modification of
several management measures, including the size of vessels that are
exempt from effort control measures.  The department will also delay
for at least six months the effective date for installation of vessel
tracking systems on affected vessels to give fishermen time to adjust
to the new regulations.

     Brown also agreed to initiate an experimental fishery in order to
gather more data about the status of the stocks and will authorize up
to 20 fishing trips for this purpose.  The department is also asking
the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to coordinate with the New
England Council to make sure there are no restrictions that might
deter New England fishermen from switching their efforts to healthier
stocks.

     Commerce's Office of Sustainable Development, led by John
Bullard, will hold a series of meetings in the northeast to help
communities plan their future.  Beginning in late January, Bullard
will lead a team of officials to Gloucester, New Bedford, and Chatham
in Massachusetts.  In Maine, the team will go to Portland and
Ellsworth and then on to Point Judith, R.I., Long Island, N.Y. and
Cape May, N.J.

     The principal measures approved in the new plan include:

     o A moratorium on most new entrants into the fishery.

     o A phased-in system to reduce fishing, in which owners of most
vessels more than 45 feet long must choose between (a) taking gradual
reductions in fishing time based on their historical days at sea, or
(b) a combination of reduced fishing time and increased time at the
dock between fishing trips.  The "time outs" would increase over the
next five years.

      o A requirement, to be phased in, that certain vessels install a
vessel tracking unit.  However, vessel owners will have the option of
selecting fishing limitation methods which do not require a tracking
system.

      o A prohibition of pair-trawling, a method whereby two boats
pull a single net between them.
                                                         
      o A requirement that vessel operators and fish dealers obtain
federal permits and report catch data to the National Marine Fisheries
Service.

     The amendment includes a proposal to let the fishery management
council make yearly adjustments of management measures to meet the
plan's goals.

                 
     In addition, the Commerce Department today imposed an emergency
measure aimed at protecting spawning haddock and undersized or
immature fish.  The department has requested that the New England
Fishery Management Council adopt the restrictions on haddock as part
of its groundfish management plan.  The emergency provisions include:

       o A closed area to protect concentrations of spawning haddock.

       o Most boats limited to 500 pounds of haddock per trip.

       o Minimum fish sizes.

       o Minimum mesh sizes for fishing nets that vary by area.

                                --                     

                             FACT SHEET

                                                         
AMENDMENT 5 OBJECTIVES

o                To eliminate the overfished condition of the principal
                 groundfish stocks (haddock, cod and yellowtail flounder) by
                 reducing the harvest rate at which fish are caught by 50
                 percent over the next five years (consistent with the
                 consent decree with the Conservation Law Foundation).

o                To reduce the bycatch of harbor porpoise in the sink gillnet
                 fishery.

ADDITIONAL MANAGEMENT MEASURES

o                A requirement to reduce the take of harbor porpoise by
                 removing all sink gillnets from the water at specified times
                 each month, starting with four days per month in 1994, eight
                 days per month the following two years, 12 days per month in
                 1997, and 16 days per month in 1998.  These effort
                 reductions are subject to adjustments from annual framework
                 measures.

STATUS OF GROUNDFISH STOCK ABUNDANCE

o                Commercial landings of the chief groundfish species were
                 80,000 metric tons in 1992, a 30 percent reduction from
                 1990.

o                The 1992 landings for the chief groundfish species are less
                 than 25 percent of the maximum sustainable yield for this
                 resource (400,000 metric tons) relative to historic
                 landings.

o                Georges Bank cod and haddock abundance for fish capable of
                 spawning are at historically low amounts.

o                Spawning age yellowtail flounder from southern New England
                 are at historically low abundance levels.

o                Harvestable (legal) size haddock, cod, and yellowtail
                 flounder are at or near historically low abundance levels.

                                          #

NOAA-94R102
Contact:  Scott Smullen                                          
          (301) 713-2370                                         
          1/7/94

                 NOAA IMPLEMENTS GULF REEF FISH AMENDMENT;
                     REJECTS TWO SPECIAL FISHING ZONES

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration said today a plan aimed at conserving overfished Gulf
of Mexico reef fish stocks and improving enforcement of key management
measures will go into effect Feb. 7.
                 
     NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service will implement Amendment
5 to the management plan for Gulf of Mexico reef fish. Not approved
was a provision creating two 360-square-mile special management zones
off Alabama for recreational fishing.

     The fisheries service, however, approved creation of a smaller
zone of about 100 square miles off Alabama in which fishing gear will
be restricted to protect reef fish there.  The Gulf of Mexico Fishery
Management Council suggested all three zones as part of the Amendment
5 proposal submitted for secretarial review last September and
approved in December.

     The fisheries service considered more than 100 comments about the
zones during a public review period and concluded that approval of the
larger zones could eliminate an important vermilion snapper fishery in
the proposed areas off Alabama.

     Andrew Kemmerer, director of the fisheries service's southeast
region in St. Petersburg, Fla., said creation of the zones was a
contentious issue in Amendment 5, mainly because of concerns that the
zones favored recreational fisheries.  "Even though the two larger
zones weren't approved, the council may resubmit these measures for
reconsideration with better justification and more public review,"
said Kemmerer.

     The special management zones are offshore ocean tracts where
fishing for reef fish is restricted by gear type and other
restrictions designed to prevent overfishing.

     Principal measures approved in Amendment 5 include:

o                Designation of a special management zone off Alabama (tract
                 A), where fishing with more than three hooks per line is
                 restricted to bag limits for reef fish, or 5 percent by
                 weight of all fish aboard for reef fish without bag limits.

o                A limit on use of fish traps in Gulf of Mexico federal
                 waters to those who landed reef fish from fish traps in that
                 area during 1991 or 1992, as reported to the National Marine
                 Fisheries Service on or before Nov. 19, 1992.  Owners of
                 permitted vessels meeting this criterion will receive
                 revised reef fish permits with fish trap endorsements. 
                 Ineligible owners of permitted vessels will be notified that
                 their current fish trap endorsements will be invalid as of
                 Feb. 7.  

o                A requirement that all fish traps be returned to port at the
                 end of each fishing trip.

o                A requirement that a floating buoy be used for each fish
                 trap, or each end trap in a series connected by a line. 

o                A provision for the review and designation of future special
                 management zones under criteria listed for a regulatory
                 amendment procedure in Amendment 5.

o                An increase in the red snapper minimum size limit to a total
                 length of 14 inches effective Feb. 7, followed by a one-inch
                 increase on Jan. 1, 1996 and 1998. 

o                Closure of a mutton snapper spawning aggregation area
                 (Riley's Hump) in federal waters to all fishing during May
                 and June of each year. 

o                A requirement that all finfish, other than certain bait and
                 oceanic migratory species, be possessed in federal waters
                 with head and fins intact until they are unloaded.

o                Initiation of bag limits to non-permitted fishing vessels
                 that possess reef fish in Gulf federal waters regardless of
                 where they were harvested.

     Copies of the final rule are available from Robert Sadler,
Fishery Operations Branch, NMFS, 9450 Koger Boulevard, St. Petersburg,
Fla. 33702.  Copies of Amendment 5 and supporting documents may be
obtained from the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council, 5401 West
Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 331, Tampa, Fla. 33609.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R103
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          NMFS                   
          (301) 713-2370                                         
          Georgia Parham - USFWS
          (202) 208-5634
          1/21/94

          GOVERNMENT AGENCIES WILL STUDY ATLANTIC SALMON
        FOR POSSIBLE LISTING UNDER ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT

     The National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service today announced they are beginning a joint study to
determine whether populations of anadromous Atlantic salmon in New
England should be listed as threatened or endangered under the
Endangered Species Act.

     The action comes after a 90-day review of a petition submitted to
the Fish and Wildlife Service last October and to the National Marine
Fisheries Service in November.  The petition, filed by the
Biodiversity Legal Foundation, RESTORE: The North Woods, and Jeffrey
Elliott, seeks listing of the species throughout its U.S. range --
from the Connecticut River to the St. Croix River on the New Brunswick
border.

     The petition introduces information on current and historical
Atlantic salmon populations, identifies possible threats, and cites
numerous scientific articles.  Based on the review of the petition and
other available data, the agencies believe listing may be warranted
and will now review all pertinent information.  A decision on whether
to initiate listing procedures will be made by October 1994.
                 
     "We have been working cooperatively with the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife Service in the Northeast for the restoration of self-
sustaining populations of Atlantic salmon for years," said  Rolland
Schmitten, director of the National Marine Fisheries Service.  "Work
on this petition will set precedent for the two agencies to combine
resources, assess progress and plan strategies together."

     "Atlantic salmon are one of the wonders of our northeastern
rivers," said Mollie Beattie, director of the Fish and Wildlife
Service.  "We will seek information from all those who care about the
salmon before we decide whether this species should be proposed for
protection under the Endangered Species Act."

     Anadromous Atlantic salmon spend the early portions of their
lives in fresh water before migrating to salt water.  As adults, they
return to freshwater rivers to spawn.  The species was once considered
abundant in many New England rivers, but by 1870, populations in all
but a few waterways had disappeared.  Construction of hydroelectric
dams, pollution, and overfishing contributed to this decline.

     Cooperative efforts among the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,
National Marine Fisheries Service and the New England states have
partially restored salmon runs in the Penobscot, Connecticut, and
Merrimack rivers during the past two decades.

     To ensure the review of the species status is complete and based
on the best available data, the agencies are asking the public for any
information concerning the status of U.S. populations of anadromous
Atlantic salmon.  The agencies will review the public comments along
with all other available information to determine whether listing
action is warranted.

                                #

 NOAA 94-R104
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          1/26/94

                LOW NUMBERS OF KLAMATH RIVER SALMON RETURN TO SPAWN 

     The 1993 fall run of nearly 21,000 chinook salmon in California's
and Oregon's Klamath River basin, although the strongest since 1989,
did not reach federal pre-season goals, according to the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
                 
     Fisheries scientists from NOAA's National Marine Fisheries
Service point to severe loss of habitat and the recent extended
drought as possible causes of historically low numbers of returning
Klamath chinook salmon.  Tight restrictions on ocean and river fishing
for Klamath salmon have been required so  sufficient numbers of fish
can return to spawn. 

     Only 20,880 naturally spawning fall chinook salmon escaped ocean
fishermen and river fishing last fall to return to the spawning
grounds of the Klamath and Trinity rivers, according to figures
released by the California Department of Fish and Game.

     The spawning escapement fell far short of the goal set by the
Secretary of Commerce and marked the fourth consecutive year that the
run failed to meet the minimum spawning escapement goal of 35,000
naturally spawning adults.  

     The minimum escapement goal, or floor, is specified by the
Pacific Salmon Fishery Management Plan and is regarded as the minimum
number of spawners needed to protect the productive potential of the
natural stock.  The Secretary of Commerce, in an emergency regulation
last April, set the 1993 spawning escapement goal at 38,000 with the
hope of avoiding a fourth year of sub-floor escapement.

     Fisheries scientists had predicted that under the secretary's
fishery management measures, 72,600 salmon would return to the Klamath
River, of which 21,200 were allocated to sport and Indian net fishers.

     The river run of two-year-olds, which predicts the strength of
the next year's ocean three-year-old population, was the fourth lowest
since 1978; only 7,576 returned, compared to the run of 13,688 in
1992.

     The exact cause of the shortfall will not be known until the
coded wire tags recovered from the salmon caught in the fisheries are
analyzed by state and federal scientists this spring.  The tags will
provide information on 1993 ocean harvest levels of Klamath stock so
scientists can estimate the abundance of chinook salmon for the 1994
salmon season.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R105
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370                                         
          2/1/94

                   NOAA TO OBSERVE NAVY SHIP TESTS

      In efforts to protect marine mammals, the U.S. Navy will be
granted a permit under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act that
will for the first time allow independent monitoring of its mandatory
underwater explosives testing of ships off California, the Department
of Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced today.

     "Although the Navy has tested ships this way for many years, this
is the first time it has asked for our help in developing a strategy
to minimize harm to marine mammals," said Rolland Schmitten, director
of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service.  "We are pleased to be of
assistance in providing additional monitoring and checkpoints so that
our obligation to provide environmental protection for marine mammals
is carried out appropriately while balancing our national defense
obligations."

     The permit, valid for five years, stipulates the Navy must
observe strict rules and procedures devised by the fisheries service
to ensure that both maximum protection and minimum harm come to marine
mammals located in the Navy's outer-sea test range of the Pt. Mugu
Naval Air Warfare Center, 65 miles off the coast of Ventura County,
Calif.  As an added safeguard, the permit requires the Navy to renew
the testing authorization each year with the fisheries service.

     The Navy applied to the fisheries service for the five-year
permit in May 1993.  The Marine Mammal Protection Act allows such
permits to be issued for activities that may result in marine mammals
possibly being harmed, provided the "take" will have a negligible
impact on any species or its habitat.

     "Our biologists have conducted research to make certain that the
maximum possible safeguards are in place during testing," Schmitten
added.

     Special protective provisions in the Navy's permit include a two-
nautical-mile safety range that will be surveyed by 10 to 15 fisheries
service biologists located in five aircraft and the test ship itself. 
The aerial and surface monitoring will start more than two hours
before detonation time and continue for more than two hours following
the test.  Testing will be postponed if marine mammals are observed
within the testing zone or if weather and sea conditions prevent
adequate monitoring.

     Fisheries service biologists have spent more than a year
surveying the Navy's test range to pinpoint three detonation sites
where marine mammals are least likely to live.

     Under the National Defense Authorization Act, each new class of
Navy ship must undergo a series of underwater explosive shocks before
the ship can be released to the fleet.  The detonations simulate near
misses from mines, torpedoes and projectiles to determine the
structural integrity of the ship and its vital components, such as
electrical systems.

     This testing helps the Navy identify and correct weaknesses in
ship design early in the construction of a new class of vessel and
thereby improve the chances for the crew's survival.

                                  #

NOAA 94-R106
Contact:  Brian Gorman                  
          (301) 713-2370
          2/7/94
                         
             NOAA TO DELAY VESSEL TRACKING SYSTEM REQUIREMENT 
                     FOR SCALLOPERS, GROUNDFISHERMEN

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has delayed a
requirement that mid-Atlantic scallop fishermen and New England
groundfishermen install on their vessels special automated tracking
systems so their days at sea can be monitored.

     The vessel tracking requirement is part of two comprehensive
fishery management plans that are scheduled to go into effect March 1. 
The plans are aimed at reducing fishing pressure on the stocks by
limiting the days fishing boats can spend at sea.  

     The requirement, which will affect a total of about 1,000 boats in
both fisheries, is being delayed until special on-shore electronic
equipment to record the fishing vessels' transmissions can be installed,
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service said. 

     The requirement will be delayed at least six months for New
England groundfishing vessels. The delay for scallop vessels is likely
to be less, according to the fisheries service, which will administer
the program.  

     Fisheries service officials said fishermen will be given at least
30 days' notice before they will be required to have an operational
monitoring system on board.

     Fisheries service managers said that computer technology for
vessel tracking has never before been applied to fisheries as large as
these.

     The monitoring system uses a special transmitter installed on a
fishing vessel that automatically sends a signal, via satellite, to a
ground station.  The ground station will provide computerized information
daily to the fisheries service. 

     Until the automated system is installed, vessel operators will
call the fisheries service Northeast regional office in Gloucester,
Mass., to let officials know when they are fishing.

      The fisheries service estimates that about 400 scallop vessels will
be affected by the days-at-sea restrictions.  A full-time scalloper could
see his days at sea reduced from the present rate of about 216 days per
year to 204 in 1994, 164 in 1997 and 120 by the year 2000.  About 600
groundfishing vessels will see similar restrictions over the next five to
seven years. 

                                  #
NOAA 94-R107
Contact:  Brian Gorman                  
(301) 713-2370
      2/9/94

           Draft Plan to Protect Northwest Salmon Moves Forward

     The National Marine Fisheries Service, along with four other 
federal agencies, has released a preliminary agreement on a comprehen-
sive five-year plan to provide significant new quantities of water to
improve the survival of threatened and endangered juvenile salmon in
the Snake and Columbia river basins.

     "This multi-agency comprehensive approach at the regional level
is a major step forward as we pursue long-term solutions to recovering
our diverse resources and managing them better in the future," said
Gary Smith, acting northwest regional director for the fisheries
service.  "We are faced with a long-term problem that calls for a
long-term solution.  These endangered and threatened fish cannot be
saved by a single agency acting alone."

     The draft plan calls for increasing water flow in the area and
taking periodic flow management measures to protect the threatened and
endangered salmon, whose numbers have been substantially reduced due
to dams and other causes along the Columbia and Snake rivers.

     The draft plan, the result of consultations under Section 7 of the
Endangered Species Act, now goes to the four states (Washington, Oregon,
Idaho and Montana) and 13 tribal governments in the region for a seven day
technical review.  The fisheries service has reached an understanding with
the three federal agencies responsible for the management and operation of
the river systems, including the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA),
the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation, and with the
other federal agency with resource management responsibilities, the Fish
and Wildlife Service. 

     "I'm especially gratified by the efforts and cooperation exhibited
by the states, tribal governments and the Northwest Power Planning
Council," said Smith.  "It shows a real commitment to exploring creative
ways to meet the needs of all parties involved, from the fisheries
resource managers to the regional electric power customers." 

     "There is no question the agreement the agencies forged provides
biological benefits for the fish, but it also allows us to phase in
changes over a multi-year period," said Randy Hardy, BPA administrator. 
"This gives us the flexibility to seek cost-effective and creative
marketing arrangements so that we can minimize the impacts to Northwest
rate payers." 

     The draft plan recommends that the operation of the hydropower
system in the Columbia River Basin does not jeopardize the future
survival of the salmon, based on a projected increase in survivability
over the base period due to increased water that will be provided
under the opinion.  However, if water conditions deteriorate to such
an extent that the operating agencies will be unable to meet the water
requirements set forth in the opinion, the agencies are to reinitiate
consultation.  

     The draft biological opinion responds to actions proposed by the
BPA, the Army Corps of Engineers and the Bureau of Reclamation -- the
federal agencies operating the Northwest hydropower system.  

     To achieve necessary flow objectives, during each operating year,
beginning in 1994, the responsible agencies have agreed to release up to
10.9 million acre-feet, if necessary, during critical fish migrations. 
(An acre-foot is a volume of water that would cover an acre to a depth of
one foot).  Starting in 1995, BPA and the Bureau of Reclamation will
provide annual, incremental increases totaling one million acre-feet from
the Columbia River.  By the end of 1998, flow augmentation will have
increased in the basins to reach 11.55 million acre feet. 

     Because of current drought-related poor water conditions, the
fisheries service is also calling for additional measures if these initial
water flows are insufficient.  These could include water drawdowns from
the Grand Coulee Reservoir in Washington, Libby Reservoir in Montana and
reservoirs in the upper Snake River. 

     BPA will create a fund that will provide $40 million by 1998 to
address drought-related effects on the affected species.  Other
efforts include a predator control program, stepped-up law enforcement
to curb illegal fishing, fish tagging to monitor young fish and
provide data on downstream migration, and testing to see how well fish
survive the new flow regimens.

                                  #
NOAA 94-R108
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370
          2/17/94

                      New England Fishermen Granted
                       Delay in Permit Application

     Implementation of some new government regulations, aimed at
rebuilding seriously depleted fish stocks off New England, will be
delayed until May 1, giving fishermen an extension to file for vessel
permits, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced today.

     The new regulations, part of a fisheries management plan (known
as Amendment 5) to rebuild overfished stocks of cod, 
yellowtail flounder and haddock off New England, were originally
scheduled to go into effect March 1, with fishermen encouraged to
apply for new permits under the plan before the end of February.  
                 
     Under the extension, the fisheries service must receive a completed
vessel permit application by March 31 to guarantee a fisherman receipt of
a permit by May 1.  The delay will allow the fisheries service enough time
to process an anticipated 5,300 permit applications. 

     The fisheries service's Northeast regional office issued about
15,000 commercial permits in all categories last year.
                 
     The delay will also give fishermen more time to examine which of
several permit categories they should choose.  The choice will have
important implications for the future activities of a vessel, including
how many days at sea it can fish over the next several years. 

     Reduced days at sea is at the heart of Amendment 5's goal of a
50-percent cut in fishing effort off New England over the next five to
seven years.

     "The various category requirements and restrictions the new plan
offers are very complex," said Richard Roe, director of the fisheries
service's Northeast region in Gloucester, Mass.  "A lot of our fishermen
are reluctant to lock themselves into a category until they've discussed
their options with someone knowledgeable here in the regional office." 

     Roe said in the past three weeks, the regional office has received
more than 1,000 calls and requests for assistance from fishermen from
Maine to New Jersey. 

     Until May 1, vessels holding federal "multispecies permits" can
continue to fish using their 1993 permits, according to the fisheries
service.

     Some of the requirements of Amendment 5 will still go into effect
March 1, as originally scheduled.  These include restrictions on sink
gillnets to reduce the accidental capture of harbor porpoises, a ban
on pair trawling (in which two boats tow a single net between them),
and new requirements for use of nets with bigger mesh openings when
fishing in certain areas.  

     The fisheries service recently announced that it is delaying for at
least six months the requirement that vessels carry special automated
tracking systems to monitor their days at sea. That delay, until at least
Sept. 1, is still in effect. 

     Roe said, in addition, that any vessel owner who feels he has
chosen a wrong permit category based on incomplete information can
pick a new category by requesting one in writing within 30 days of
receiving his new permit. 

                              #

NOAA 94-R109
Contact:  Brian Gorman                  
          (301) 713-2370             
          2/26/94
                         
                    Two Fishery Management Plans 
                 Go Into Effect In New England March 1

     Two comprehensive fishery management plans for New England, one
aimed at rebuilding heavily exploited Atlantic sea scallops and the
other at restoring collapsed groundfish stocks, will go into effect
March 1, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today.

     The sea scallop plan, known as Amendment 4, calls for a moratorium on
new federal scallop permits, a seven-year phased-in program to
significantly limit scallop boats' days at sea, and restrictions on crew
size, fishing gear and vessel upgrades. 

     The scallop plan was originally supposed to go into effect Jan. 1,
but was delayed until March 1, to give both fishermen and processors time
to prepare for its requirements, including a key requirement that scallop
dredges be equipped with larger rings to reduce the number of small
scallops being harvested. 

     The groundfish plan, known as Amendment 5, is aimed at rebuilding
such traditionally popular fish stocks as cod, haddock and yellowtail
flounder.  Like the scallop plan, Amendment 5 relies on a reduced
days-at-sea provision that is supposed to cut fishing effort in half
over the next five to seven years.

     Some aspects of the groundfish plan, including the days-at-sea
provision and vessel permits, have been delayed until May 1.  A
provision to protect harbor porpoises that requires sink gillnets to
be removed from the water four days a month (progressing to 16 days a
month by 1998) has been delayed until April 15.

     The days-at-sea provisions of both plans rely on vessels' installing
an automated satellite-linked tracking system so their locations can be
monitored.  However, the fisheries service has announced that requirement,
which will affect a total of about 1,000 vessels in both fisheries, is
being delayed.  The delay will be for at least six months in the case of
groundfishing vessels.  The delay for scallop fishermen may be less, the
fisheries service said. 

      Fisheries service officials said both groups of fishermen will
be given ample notice of when they will be required to install the
vessel tracking system

                                #

NOAA 94-R110
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370 
          3/1/94
                         
                    Six-Inch Mesh Requirement Delayed Until
                       April 1 for New England Fishermen

     New England groundfish fishermen have until March 31 to purchase and
install large-mesh nets required in certain areas of the Gulf of Maine and
Georges Bank, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service. 
                 
     A government fishery management plan known as Amendment 5, which
goes into effect today, originally called for fishermen to use six-
inch mesh in their nets when fishing in the regulated areas of the
Gulf of Maine and Georges Bank and the juvenile fish protection areas
of Stellwagen Bank and Jeffreys Ledge to the north and west of Boston.

     The fisheries service said it was implementing the delay to give
fishermen sufficient time to comply with the new mesh requirement.                                           

     Between March 1 and March 31, groundfishermen must continue to
use 5-1/2 inch mesh in their nets.  Nets with smaller mesh sizes can
catch smaller fish, increasing the likelihood that sexually immature
fish will be harvested.

                                  #

NOAA 93-R111
Contact:  Brian Gorman                  
          (301) 713-2370                 
          3/2/94

        Scallop Fishermen Have Until May 1 to Upgrade Dredges

     Scallop fishermen in New England will have until May 1 to install
larger rings on their dredges, according to the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
                 
     The 3-1/4 inch diameter rings, which were supposed to have been
installed for conservation purposes when a scallop management plan
went into effect March 1, are not available in sufficient quantities
to supply the industry.  They were to replace the three-inch rings
that are now being used in scallop dredges.

     Although scallopers who have the larger rings in their dredges
can continue to use them, those who don't must rely on a standard that
calls for an average of no more than 33 scallop meats per pound.  The
meats-per-pound system, which had been in use for several years before
the new plan, has been criticized by scallopers as being cumbersome
and difficult to enforce.

     Both the meats-per-pound and the large-ring requirement are aimed
at reducing the catch of small, sexually immature scallops that are
caught in dredges off New England and the mid-Atlantic states.

     There is general agreement, confirmed by fisheries service
scientists, that the scallop resource in recent years has been badly
overexploited and is in immediate need of conservation measures.  The
management plan, known as Amendment 4, that went into effect March 1,
calls for a moratorium on new scallop permits, a seven-year phased-in
program to substantially limit boats' days at sea, and restrictions on
crew size and vessel upgrades, in addition to the ring provision.

     The fisheries service had announced the provision of the new plan
last November and had already delayed its implementation until March
to give scallopers time to install the larger rings in their dredges. 
However, the production of needed rings has not caught up with the
demand. 

                                  #

NOAA 94-R112
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          3/15/94

      WETLAND RESTORATION STARTS ON LOUISIANA COASTAL ISLAND

     A joint restoration project that will protect 5,400 acres of
wetlands by reducing salt water encroachment into fresh and brackish
water marshes on Louisiana's Point au Fer Island will begin this
spring, announced the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.

     Administered by the Restoration Center of NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service in cooperation with Louisiana's Department of
Natural Resources, the $1.1 million Point au Fer Island Hydrologic
Restoration Project will reestablish natural sediment and freshwater
delivery patterns across the island.  The project area has been
altered by human activities such as petroleum exploration and produc-
tion. 

     The project will restore two areas of the island where the
hydrology has been most changed by pipeline or oil and gas access
canals dredged in the 1960s.  The canals facilitated salt water
intrusion because they connected the Gulf of Mexico with interior
marshes.  A section of beach separating the canals from the Gulf of
Mexico also was breached during Hurricane Andrew in August 1992 and
will be repaired as part of the effort.

     A series of plugs, reinforced with sediments pumped from the Gulf
of Mexico, will be placed in the canals to halt salt water intrusion
into brackish marshes.  The location of the plugs will reestablish the
natural freshwater flow from the nearby Atchafalaya River, into and
over marshes during flooding periods.

     Point au Fer Island has more than 42,000 acres of marsh, provid-
ing habitat to ecologically and economically important plant and
animal species.  Nearly every commercially harvested fish and shell-
fish species found in the Gulf of Mexico, such as red and black drum,
menhaden, sand and sea trout, shrimp and blue crab, are dependent on
coastal wetlands like those on Point au Fer.  Louisiana waters alone
contributed 44 percent of the total Gulf of Mexico commercial fishery
catch in 1992, generating more than $276 million in dockside value.

     Endangered and threatened animal species such as the Kemp's
ridley sea turtle, the Southern bald eagle, the brown pelican and the
Arctic peregrine falcon feed on fish and crabs of island waters.

     The Point au Fer project is funded by the Coastal Wetlands
Planning, Protection and Restoration Act of 1990, which was enacted to
provide funds to reverse the long-term trend of wetland loss through-
out the country.  The act requires that restoration projects be cost
shared on a 75 percent federal, 25 percent state basis.

                                #

NOAA 94-R113
Contact:  Brian Gorman                 
          (301) 713-2370            
          3/23/94                
          

                SEATTLE'S NORTHWEST FISHERIES SCIENCE
                    CENTER ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR

     Usha Varanasi, head of the National Marine Fisheries Service's
environmental conservation division in Seattle, Wash., 
has been named director of the agency's Northwest Fisheries Science
Center.   NMFS is part of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration.

     Varanasi becomes the first woman to head one of the fisheries
service's nine major field installations.  The northwest center,
adjacent to the University of Washington, also has field stations
along the Columbia River and on Puget Sound.  

     The center provides scientific and technical support to the NMFS
on coastal ecosystem health, the Endangered Species Act, and on the
management, conservation and development of fisheries resources.

     During her six-year tenure as director of the environmental
conservation division at the center, Varanasi led a team of more than
80 researchers examining the nature and extent of coastal pollution in
the United States and its effect on the health of the marine
ecosystem.  

     Her team developed vastly improved technology for petroleum
contamination which was used extensively following the Exxon Valdez
and Persian Gulf oil spills.  

     Varanasi has numerous awards to her credit, including the
Commerce Department's highest honor, the Gold Medal, for exceptional
service.

     "Dr. Varanasi is eminently qualified for this job," said Rolland
Schmitten, NMFS director.  "Usha has already amply demonstrated her
remarkable talents as a scientist and an administrator.  I'm looking
forward to working with her in her new role as center director."

     Varanasi received her bachelor's degree from Bombay University,
India, in 1961, a master's degree in chemistry from the California
Institute of Technology in 1964, and a doctorate in 1968 from the
University of Washington, Seattle. 

     She has published in journals such as Science and Nature, and is
editor of a major book on hydrocarbons.  She and her husband, an
engineer at the Boeing Company, live in Seattle.

                                   #
                                              
NOAA 94-R114
Contact:         Brian Gorman                  
                 (301) 713-2370 
                 3/30/94

                    NOAA DELAYS LARGE-MESH REQUIREMENT
                   UNTIL MAY 1 FOR NEW ENGLAND FISHERMEN

     New England groundfish fishermen have been granted a month-long
delay -- until May 1 -- before they must install larger mesh in their
nets, as part of a comprehensive plan to protect badly depleted stocks
of cod, haddock and yellowtail flounder, according to the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

     The Commerce Department's agency had already delayed from March 1
to April 1 the requirement for the six-inch mesh to give fishermen
more time to purchase the new net.  Rolland Schmitten, director of the
National Marine Fisheries Service, said, "This action responds to
concerns expressed by members of the New England Fishery Management
Council, fishermen and fishing gear suppliers.  All parties agree that
the 30-day delay will have minimal conservation impact."

     In a letter to the fisheries service seeking the delay, Joseph
Brancaleone, chairman of the New England Fishery Management Council,
said he believed "a postponement until the first of May will solve
most of the timing problems, as well as indicate to the industry a
willingness to be considerate of their very real problems."

     The large-mesh requirement is part of a management plan aimed at
rebuilding depleted groundfish stocks by reducing fishing pressure on
the stocks by 50 percent over the next five to seven years.

     Only part of the fish conservation plan -- known as Amendment 5 -
- went into effect March 1, as originally planned.  Several of the
other important conservation provisions of the plan have been delayed
to give fishermen the time they need to adopt their fishing practices
to the new requirements and to obtain required new gear.

     Earlier this month, Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown announced
a $30-million package of emergency assistance to Northeast fishing
communities affected by the collapse of major fish stocks in the
region.

     Commercial landings of the chief groundfish species in New
England were 80,000 metric tons in 1992, a 30 percent drop from the
1990 figure.

                                          #
NOAA 94-R115
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          NOAA Public Affairs                                    
          (202)482-6090
          Darv Johnson
          NFWF Development & Marketing
          (202)857-5695                                                   
          3/30/94

              PARTNERSHIP FORMED TO HELP RESPOND QUICKLY TO 
            ECONOMIC DISTRESS IN NORTHEAST FISHING COMMUNITIES

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation announced today the formation of
a partnership designed to serve as a mechanism to leverage assistance
to the Northeast fishermen and fishing communities affected by the
collapse of major fish stocks in the region. 

     The partnership will distribute $1.5 million in grants to
Northeast fishing communities to deal with the collapse of certain
fish stocks in Northeastern waters and promote a sustainable fishery. 
These grants will help supplement the two-part $30 million emergency
assistance package announced by Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown in
Boston on March 21.  

     "The partnership represents a new level of cooperation and
accomplishes two critical functions:  first, it gets this money out
into the communities quickly; second, it leverages additional dollars
from the private foundation community.  We believe the $1.5 million
will be matched by private donations to perhaps double the original
appropriation," said Douglas Hall, the Commerce Department's assistant
secretary for oceans and atmosphere.

     "It is important that the $1.5 million be used to create
opportunities based on sustainable fisheries development in coastal
New England and for rebuilding the fisheries," said Amos S. Eno,
executive director of the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.  

     "We hope to use this money to lay the groundwork for the
expenditure of the $30 million aid package announced by Secretary
Brown.  Both sources of funding must be wisely managed to help shape a
sustainable future for fisheries in New England so as to 
not make an already bad situation worse.  The challenge facing us
today is to conserve the resources and rebuild the regional economy
based on a sustainable fishery and economic diversification.  This
will be a guiding principle - otherwise, pouring money into New
England's over-capitalized fishery will be a serious mistake," added
Eno. 
                 
     In 1992, in response to the fishery resource trends and 
subsequent impacts on coastal fishing communities, Congress instituted
the Northwest Atlantic Ocean Fisheries Reinvestment Program.  The
program authorized expenditures of up to $5 million annually for five
principal community development activities:   underutilized species
development, fish waste utilization,  aquaculture development, market
enhancement, and support for alternative fishing opportunities.  For
fiscal year 1994, Congress appropriated $1.5 million for the program.

     The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a private, non-
profit organization created by an Act of Congress to award challenge
grants with federally-appropriated funds for innovative and effective
conservation projects.  In addition, the foundation is authorized by
Congress to assist federal agencies, including NOAA, in achieving
their resource conservation objectives.  To date, the foundation has
undertaken 951 projects in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and 16
countries.

     Specific criteria for application to the program will be
announced by April 8, 1994, through notices in local and regional
newspapers and communications to fishermen's organizations and other
pertinent community-based organizations.
                                                         
                                    #

NOAA 94-R117
Contact:  Brian Gorman                  
          (301) 713-2370
          4/8/94

         FISHERIES SERVICE APPROVES NEW SCHEDULE FOR COMBINING 
          FISHING PERMITS, SETS ONSHORE-OFFSHORE ALLOCATIONS

     The National Marine Fisheries Service today announced how Pacific
whiting will be allocated between onshore and offshore processors and
rules on how many limited-entry fishing permits owners of large
fishing vessels will need to buy from those held by smaller vessels to
participate in the Pacific whiting fishery.

     The onshore-offshore allocation, controversial in the past, this
year has the support of the fishing industry and reflects the
allocation recommended by the Pacific Fishery Management Council.  The
allocation rule would be in effect for three years, rather than only
one.

     The framework plan calls for all vessels to compete for the first
60 percent of the whiting harvest guideline, this year set at 260,000
metric tons.  When this amount is taken, further at-sea processing
would stop and the remaining 40 percent would be reserved for catcher
vessels delivering to shoreside processors.

     If the fisheries service determines that the shoreside industry
does not need the remaining harvest guideline, the surplus may be
released to all vessels around August 15 to assure full use of the
whiting resource.

     The formula for combining limited-entry permits stems from the
Pacific groundfish limited entry plan, known as Amendment 6.  Approved
by the Pacific Management Council in late 1992, it required the
fisheries service to produce a consolidation schedule that would show
how many existing permits from smaller fishing vessels a larger vessel
must buy so that it could participate in the fishery.

     The heart of the new rule is a table showing the harvest capacity
ratings for vessels from 20 feet to 400 feet or more.  These so-called
capacity rating points form the standard for combining smaller-vessel
permits in sufficient numbers to allow a larger vessel to fish.  The
schedule was designed so there would be no increase in the "harvest
capacity," or the total volume of fish that all the vessels in the
fishery could theoretically catch.

     The amount of whiting that can be caught is limited by management
measures published every January.

     Since last year, 385 trawlers of the fleet off Oregon, Washington
and California have obtained limited-entry fishing permits based on
their historical fishing practices and landings from 1984 to 1988. 
The permits are part of an effort by the fisheries service and the
management council to limit access to several fisheries that are
already considered overcapitalized.

     However, at least 17 large factory trawlers, which both harvest
and process fish, have entered the whiting fishery since 1988, the
final year for vessels to establish their historical fishing record. 
The new plan allows the transfer of existing limited-entry permits to
larger vessels so that they can continue to participate in the
fishery.

     The schedule developed by the fisheries service is considered
conservative and takes into account the likelihood that less efficient
vessels would most likely be replaced by more efficient vessels, as
permits are sold and combined.
                 
     The harvest-capacity rating was based on scientific studies by
the fisheries service of harvesting of Pacific whiting and Alaska
pollock.

     Even though the fisheries service's schedule was considered
highly conservative, the council recommended an even more conservative
schedule.  The fisheries service said it found no technical
information or fishing history to support the Council's
recommendation.                  

     The regular season for Pacific whiting opens April 15.

                               #

NOAA 94-R118

Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez   
          (202) 482-6090
          4/25/94

                   FOUR FAMILY ASSISTANCE CENTERS OPEN
                   TO HELP FISHERMEN IN THE NORTHEAST

     The Clinton Administration, members of the New England
Congressional delegation, and state and local officials today
announced the opening of four Fishing Family Assistance Centers to
provide aid to economically impacted fishing families in the
Northeast. 
                 
     Officials of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, the Department of Labor and the Small
Business Administration were joined by regional members of Congress,
and state and local officials in two separate events, in Portland,
Maine, and Gloucester, Mass. 

     The Fishing Family Assistance Centers are an important element of
the $30 million federal program announced by Secretary of Commerce
Ronald H. Brown March 2l to help alleviate the Northeast fisheries
crisis. 

     The four permanent Fishing Family Assistance Centers will be
established in Gloucester, New Bedford and Provincetown, Mass., and in
Portland.  In addition, two mobile centers will cover eastern Maine,
New Hampshire, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey.  

     "These one-stop shops will serve as centers where fishermen can
inquire about the range of Commerce, Labor, SBA, and other federal,
state, and local assistance programs available to them," said Doug
Hall, NOAA's assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere.

     Some federal funds identified to date that could be accessed
through the Fishing Family Assistance Centers include NOAA's
Saltonstall-Kennedy grants, NOAA's Fishing Vessel Obligation Guarantee
grants and the Economic Development Administration's revolving loans
and business technical assistance grants.  EDA also will fund programs
that stimulate investment in alternative economic activities such as
aquaculture, increased use of underutilized species, on-shore
facilities investment, and the diversification of fishing-dependent
businesses to other economic sectors.  
                                         
     "The Fishing Family Assistance Centers are an important component
of the strategic plan being developed to address the crisis of the
collapsed Northeast fisheries," said Tom Davis, the Labor Secretary's
representative from region one.  

     The locations for the four permanent Fishing Family Assistance
Centers are:

Massachusetts

                 Gloucester
                 11-15 Parker Street
                 (508) 283-2504

                 New Bedford
                 693 Purchase Street
                 (508) 979-1622

                 Provincetown
                 44 Bradford Street
                 (508) 487-1382

Maine

                 Portland
                 Marine Trade Center
                 2 Portland Fish Pier
                 Suite 311
                 (207) 780-3423
                         
                               #

NOAA 94-R119
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          4/25/94

                    NMFS TO HOLD CALIFORNIA HEARING
                   ON PROPOSED OCEAN SOUND EXPERIMENT
                 
     The National Marine Fisheries Service will hold a Santa Cruz,
Calif., hearing May 16, to address public concern and gain additional
scientific information about the effects of a proposed ocean sound
experiment on the marine environment there, the agency announced
today.  The hearing will be co-sponsored with the Monterey Bay
National Marine Sanctuary.

     The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, in La Jolla, Calif., has
applied for two scientific research permits to allow it to harass
several species of marine mammals and sea turtles for two years by low
frequency sound transmissions and assess the effects on these species. 
The ocean sound experiment is aimed at investigating changes in ocean
temperature associated with global warming.  One sound source site is
proposed off Point Sur, Calif., in the Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary, and the second off the north coast of Kauai, Hawaii.

     The Advanced Research Projects Agency, the organization funding
the proposed experiment, has asked the fisheries service for a 60-day
extension of the public comment period for the California experiment
while its researchers gather additional environmental information
there.

     Responding to the request, the fisheries service has extended the
public comment period through May 31, for the experiment in
California.  The comment period for the Hawaii experiment will remain
open through April 29.  The fisheries service held public hearings
April 14 and 15 in Hawaii similar to the upcoming Santa Cruz hearing.

     Under authority of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the
Endangered Species Act, the fisheries service reviews permit
applications based on the best available scientific information to
assess the effects the research would have on marine animals.   

     Public comments may be sent to Permits Division, Office of
Protected Resources, Attn: ATOC, National Marine Fisheries Service,
1315 East-West Highway, Silver Spring, MD 20910.

     The hearing will take place in the following location:

                 o       Monday, May 16
                         5 - 10 p.m.
                         Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium
                         307 Church St.
                         Santa Cruz, Calif.

     All non-government organizations and scientists who wish to
present prepared testimony should contact Aaron King of the Monterey
Bay National Marine Sanctuary at least 48 hours before the hearing by
calling (408) 647-4257, or writing Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary, National Ocean Service, 2560 Garden Road, #101, Monterey,
CA 93940.  Others who are interested in making statements will be
registered at the hearing and should bring a written copy of their
statement.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R120

Contact:  Brian Gorman                  
          (301) 713-2370 
          4/29/94

                  DELAYED PROVISIONS OF GROUNDFISH,
                 SCALLOP PLANS GO INTO EFFECT MAY 1

     Virtually all of the provisions of two comprehensive, government-
approved plans to help restore depleted stocks of scallops and
groundfish off New England, originally scheduled to go into effect
March 1, now will begin May 1, according to the Commerce Department's
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

     The groundfish plan, known as Amendment 5, is aimed at protecting
badly overfished stocks of haddock, cod and yellowtail flounder,
traditionally the backbone of the multi-million-dollar New England
fishing industry.  The scallop plan, known as Amendment 4, has a
similar goal.

     The plan includes a phased-in reduction of days at sea for
vessels, new vessel registration requirements, rules to protect harbor
porpoises and a requirement that fishing nets have larger mesh
openings and scallop dredges have larger rings to help small fish and
scallops escape.
                 
     One provision of both plans that will still be delayed is the
requirement that certain vessels taking part in the reduced-days-at-
sea program have special vessel tracking systems on board.  Groundfish
fishermen will have until at least Sept. 1 to install the so-called
"black boxes" that send a signal via satellite to a ground station so
the location of fishing boats can be monitored.  Scallopers may have
to install their tracking equipment sometime before Sept. 1.

     The principal measures of Amendment 5 that go into effect May 1
include:

             o  A phased-in system to reduce fishing effort for
vessels over 45 feet.  The measure is aimed at reducing days at sea by
50 percent over the next five to seven years, with some vessels
required to spend 233 days a year not fishing by 1999.

              o  A phased-in requirement that vessels using sink
gillnets remove their nets from the water four days a month
(increasing to 16 days a month in later years) to reduce the
accidental capture of harbor porpoises.
 
              o  A requirement that groundfishing vessels switch from
five-and-one-half to six-inch mesh in their nets to further reduce the
capture of smaller, juvenile fish.

     Other provisions of Amendment 5 that have been in place since
March 1 include:

              o  A moratorium on new entrants into the fishery.

              o  A prohibition on pair trawling, a method whereby two
boats pull a single net between them.

               o  A requirement that fish dealers and vessel operators
obtain federal permits and report catch data to NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service.

     In addition, the fisheries service issued an emergency rule in
January that created an enlarged area on the eastern edge of Georges
Bank closed to groundfishing from January through June to protect
concentrations of spawning haddock.  A limit of 500 pounds of haddock
per fishing trip was put into place at the same time.

     Like the groundfish plan, the new scallop plan has a reduced
days-at-sea schedule to diminish pressure on the shellfish stocks. 
Typically, a full-time scallop vessel will be allotted 204 days at sea
this year, but that would drop to 120 days at sea in the year 2000. 
Also, beginning May 1 scallop dredges must be made up of three-and-
one-quarter-inch rings to replace the smaller, three-inch, rings.  The
larger rings will let bigger scallops slip out of the dredge.

                              #
                           
NOAA 94-R121
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez 
          (202) 482-6090
          5/2/94

                COMMERCE DEPARTMENT HOLDS SECOND ROUND 
               OF TOWN MEETINGS IN NORTHEASTERN SEAPORTS

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Administration will sponsor a second round of town 
meetings in northeastern U.S. fishing ports Wednesday, May 4, 
through Tuesday, May 10, 1994, to present a draft needs statement 
describing short-and long-term methods for dealing with the 
Northeast fishing crisis.

     From January through April, 1994, NOAA's Office of Sustainable
Development and Intergovernmental Affairs (SDI) held nine town
meetings designed to develop, in cooperation with the fishing
industry, a local and regional economic recovery plan.  

     "At those meetings we told people we were coming back by May with
a progress report that would address their concerns.  That is what we
will be doing starting on May 4," said John Bullard, SDI's director.  

     The final policy recommendations for a comprehensive Northeast
fisheries response plan will be completed by July 1, 1994.  Like the
first round of meetings, the second round is open to the public for
comments and suggestions.  

     "This entire process has demonstrated a real and productive
partnership between the Clinton Administration and Congress, state and
local governments, foundations, the fishing industry and the
environmental community," said Commerce's Secretary Ronald H. Brown.

     The following list of meetings, including dates, times and
locations, is subject to change. 

                 NORTHEAST FISHERIES SECOND ROUND OF TOWN MEETINGS           
                 
A.               ELLSWORTH, MAINE
                 Date:           Wednesday, May 4, 1994
                 Time:           8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
                 Place:          Holiday Inn, High Street, Ellsworth, ME

B.               PORTLAND, MAINE
                 Date:           Wednesday, May 4, 1994
                 Time:           3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
                 Place:          Sonesta Hotel, 157 Spring Street, Portland, ME

C.               PORTSMOUTH, NEW HAMPSHIRE
                 Date:           Thursday, May 5, 1994
                 Time:           9 a.m. - 11 a.m.
                 Place:          Urban Forestry Center, 45 Elwyn Road
                                 Portsmouth, NH

D.               GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS
                 Date:           Thursday, May 5, 1994
                 Time:           2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
                 Place:          Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Avenue, 
                                 Gloucester, MA 
                                 
E.               NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS
                 Date:           Friday, May 6, 1994
                 Time:           8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
                 Place:          Durant Sail Loft Inn, 1 Merrill's Wharf
                                 New Bedford, MA

F.               CHATHAM, MASSACHUSETTS
                 Date:           Friday, May 6, 1994
                 Time:           2 p.m. - 4 p.m.
                 Place:          Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church
                                 Route 137 adjacent to the corner on Route 28 
                                 South Chatham, MA

G.               POINT JUDITH, RHODE ISLAND
                 Date:           Monday, May 9, 1994
                 Time:           8 a.m. - 10 a.m. 
                 Place:          Dutch Inn, 307 Great Island Rd., 
                                 Narragansett, RI

H.               RIVERHEAD, NEW YORK
                 Date:           Monday, May 9, 1994
                 Time:           3 p.m. - 5 p.m.
                 Place:          Holiday Inn, Route 25 Riverhead, Riverhead, NY

I.               CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
                 Date:           Tuesday, May 10, 1994
                 Time:           8 a.m. - 10 a.m.
                 Place:          The Lobster House Restaurant, Cape May, NJ
                         
                                        #

NOAA 94-R122
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          4/29/94

NOAA IMPLEMENTS FISHERY COUNCIL'S
SALMON MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS

     Strict fishing management measures that will limit West Coast
salmon fishing and eliminate ocean fishing for coho salmon during 1994
will begin Sunday to prevent further depletion of stocks, the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced
today.

     The Pacific Fishery Management Council recommended the
regulations to NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service in April.  The
regulations severely cut back, compared to previous years, the seasons
for ocean fishing off Washington, Oregon and northern California.  The
management measures for the central California salmon season, however,
will be less restrictive due to the relatively healthy Sacramento
River fall chinook salmon runs there.

     The regulations trigger a complete closure of the non-Indian
Ocean salmon season north of Cape Falcon, Ore., to Canada, but allow
restricted commercial and recreational fishing for all salmon except
coho salmon in federal waters south of Cape Falcon.  A limited chinook
salmon harvest that allows tribal trollers to catch a limited number
of chinook salmon off northern Washington will be allowed.

     "There's no doubt that fishermen and coastal communities that
rely on commercial and recreational salmon fishing for their
livelihood will be hit hard this year," said Rolland Schmitten,
director of the National Marine Fisheries Service.  "But the salmon
stocks, especially coho, are in desperate need of intense management
measures to help ensure that salmon remains a long-term economic
resource for the region."

     According to the fisheries service, the natural coho salmon
stocks have declined because of poor ocean survival, recent low stream
flows, and habitat degradation in the region's watersheds. 
Additionally, the stocks are struggling to rebound after the unusually
warm ocean temperatures experienced in the 1993 El Nino weather event. 
Most Pacific Coast coho stocks are expected to be at or near record
low levels in 1994.  The fisheries service is evaluating petitions to
list all West Coast runs of coho salmon as endangered or threatened
under the Endangered Species Act.

     Fisheries service officials say the regulations are expected to
affect about 1,000 commercial fishermen.  Projected revenue from the
West Coast ocean troll fisheries will be $5 million, or 37 percent
below the 1993 value of $7.9 million.  The value of the 1994
recreational salmon fishery is expected to be cut in half, to $11
million from its 1993 value of $22 million. 

     Off the coasts of California and southern Oregon, the commercial
and recreational seasons are designed to limit the harvest of Klamath
River falls chinook salmon and maximize access to abundant Central
Valley chinook stocks.

     Columbia and Snake River chinook salmon stocks are at low levels
as well, including stocks listed under the Endangered Species Act,
prompting extensive federal efforts for the species' recovery.  

     The fisheries service has published a final rule to implement
Amendment 11 to the Fishery Management Plan for West Coast Commercial
and Recreational Salmon Fisheries that will also provide further
protection for Oregon coastal natural coho stocks.

                                    #

NOAA 94-R123
Contact:  Brian Gorman 
          (301) 713-2370 
          5/4/94

                  NEW ENGLAND GROUNDFISHING SEASON ADJUSTED
                      TO ACCOMMODATE MAY 1 START DATE

     The groundfishing season for New England fishermen has been
adjusted to begin May 1 and end April 30, 1995, giving the fishermen a
full 12-month season in 1994, the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

     Previously, the season was set to start Jan. 1 and run to the end
of the year.  But delays, approved by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries
Service to accommodate Northeast fishermen, pushed the starting time
of a days-at-sea program to May 1, leaving an eight-month season in
1994.

     Under a conservation-directed proposal known as Amendment 5,
submitted to NOAA last fall by the New England Management Council to
stem overfishing of certain stocks, most fishing boats have to cut
back their fishing days substantially over the next five to seven
years.

     The adjusted plan would be fairer by putting the days-at-sea
allocation back on a 12-month schedule, NOAA said.

     Boat owners in the individual days-at-sea category reduce their
fishing days by 10 percent annually from a historic baseline,
typically about 250 days.  

     Fishermen with relatively few historic fishing days take part in
a fleet allocation plan.  Under this plan, boats are required to take
a specified number of days out of the fishery and tie up between
trips.  The number of days out of the fishery begins with 80 days this
year and increases to 233 days in 1999.

     Both the individual days-at-sea vessels and the fleet-allocation
vessels have to take a 20-day block out of fishing during a crucial
spawning season from March 1 to May 31.

     With the delayed start-up date, the original days-at-sea program
would have given a great advantage to boats in the individual
category, which, even with their 10 percent reduction, could actually
increase their fishing effort during the eight months left in 1994. 
Fleet-allocation boats would have been forced to take out a full 80
days from a truncated season.  And both categories of vessels would
have been required to stay tied up for 20 continuous days in May, the
only month left in the March-May spawning season this year.

     Under the adjusted plan, the 20-day spawning-season block can be
taken in May or any time during the March-April period.  The 20 days
must be continuous, however, and cannot be split between May of one
year and March of the next.

                                    #

NOAA 94-R124
Contact:  Brian Gorman  
          (301) 713-2370 
          5/9/94
                 

                SNAKE, COLUMBIA DAM SPILLAGE AIMED AT
                  INCREASING SALMON SURVIVAL RATES

     In response to an unprecedented decline of salmon stocks, the
National Marine Fisheries Service has requested of a group of state
and federal agencies that water be spilled over eight dams on the
Snake and Columbia rivers in the Pacific Northwest through June 20 to
increase the survival of a variety of wild salmon, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

     If the spillage, which could occur as early as Monday midnight,
can prevent 80 percent of the fish from being passed through
hydroelectric turbines, it could increase to 10.5 percent from 5.2
percent the survival of juvenile salmon migrating in-river to the
ocean, according to technical experts with NOAA's fisheries service.

     It has been estimated that the loss of hydroelectric power
generation could reach $25-30 million from spills through June 20. 
Further measures could be taken during the summer that could result in
additional costs.  

     The request came after a special meeting of the Northwest Power
Planning Council's Fish Oversight Executive Committee.  The committee
represents regional policy makers from the involved federal agencies,
state fish and wildlife agencies of Washington, Oregon, Idaho and
Montana, Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, Idaho Power Co.,
and Chelan Public Utilities District.  The request affects the
operations of the Bonneville Power Administration and the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers.   

     Gary Smith, acting director of the fisheries service's Northwest
Region, said salmon runs are at historic lows.  Snake River salmon
runs, already listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act,
are being reviewed to determine if they should be reclassified as
"endangered," a more serious category.

     According to fisheries service biologists, only 600 wild adult
Snake River spring-summer chinook are expected this year to return to
their spawning grounds, about 900 miles from the ocean.  This return
is only 10 percent of the 6000 to 8000 fish that have returned in
recent years, according to Smith.
 
     Early forecasts of Snake River fall chinook runs for the fall are
expected to be 230 to 490 fish, well below the 742 adult spawners that
returned last year.  Even this forecast may be optimistic, however,
because the effects of El Nino, believed to be the cause of the
unusually low ocean survival of most salmon, are still being felt.

     Forecasts for 1994 call for water flows about 50 percent below
normal in the Snake River basin.

     Smith said the fisheries service would be closely monitoring the
biology of the salmon to help judge the success of the spillage and
would initiate a protocol to establish a basis for making further
changes.

     In a letter to BPA, COE and BOR, Smith said his agency "sought
the best technical advice available from the Fish and Wildlife
Service, states, tribes, and our staff to formulate a proposal that
would make more efficient use of available water to aid the migration
and survival of these fish."  

     He emphasized, however, that the 1994-1998 biological opinion
issued by the fisheries service contains many significant improvements
in fish survival resulting from commitments made by BPA, COE and BOR
to make more water available in both the Columbia and Snake River
basins, along with other measures to aid fish migration in the future. 

     The deteriorating water conditions so far in 1994, he added, have
not provided sufficient time to have these measures already in place.

                                  #

NOAA 94-R125
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370
           5/11/94

                 NEW LOBSTER AMENDMENT FREEZES MINIMUM LENGTH,
                      ENACTS MORATORIUM ON NEW PERMITS

     Management measures freezing the minimum lobster catch size at 3-
1/4 inches and initiating a five-year moratorium on the issuance of
new federal lobster permits was approved today as part of an amendment
to the American lobster management plan aimed at rebuilding depleted
Northeast lobster stocks, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today.
                 
     If the amendment had not been approved, NOAA fishery managers
said, the minimum size -- measured by the length of the carapace or
shell covering the lobster's back -- would have automatically
increased to 3-9/32 inches on May 18.  The 3-1/4 inch carapace length
in federal waters, from 3 to 200 miles offshore, makes the federal
minimum size consistent with all the major lobster-producing states
from Maine to New York.

     Included in the plan is a new requirement that existing vessel
operators and dealers acquire federal lobster permits.  Fisheries
service officials will delay the permit application process for
vessels and operators until September 1994.  Permits will not be
required until Jan. 1, 1995, to allow sufficient time to develop
appropriate administrative procedures.  With nearly 8,000 vessels
eligible for a federal permit, immediate permitting of vessels is not
possible.

     Other provisions of the management plan include a reduction in
the size of the escape vent (to 5-3/4 inches from 6 inches) that must
be part of all lobster pots and the creation of special effort
management teams.
                 
     The teams, made up of representatives from the lobster industry,
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service and staff members of the New
England Fishery Management Council, will be responsible for developing
lobster stock rebuilding programs for four specific areas of the
fishery and for developing recommendations for reducing overall
efforts there.

     Not approved by NOAA were council recommendations to divide the
fleet into three vessel permit categories, limit lobster landings
according to vessel permit category, limit quota for gear other than
lobster pots, and establish a mandatory reporting requirement.  

                                    #

NOAA 94-R126

Contact:  Brian Gorman                  
          (301) 713-2370 
          5/13/94

           MASSACHUSETTS FIRM BARRED FROM FEDERAL SEAFOOD
              INSPECTION PROGRAM, FOLLOWING VIOLATIONS

     A new Bedford, Mass., scallop processing plant, Mar-Lees Seafood
Co., Inc., has been barred from participating in the Commerce
Department's seafood inspection program for a year, following a series
of alleged violations by the firm of the program's rules and contract
terms, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced.
                 
     According to NOAA's Inspection Service Division, Mar-Lees altered
an inspection certificate and attempted to use it to transact a sale. 
The company also tried to sell a shipment of scallops by misusing an
official inspection document that had been validly issued to another
company.

     In addition, NOAA officials said, Mar-Lees repeatedly advertised
itself as a participant in the federal inspection program, when it was
not.

     "Any one of these events would lead us to conclude that Mar-Lees
has no intention of complying with the inspection program's
regulations," said Richard Cano, chief of NOAA's Inspection Services
Division. 

     "The company's continued inclusion in the program would discredit
the program's credibility and be a disservice to its other
participants," he added.

     NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service runs the federal
voluntary seafood inspection program.  Last year, almost one billion
pounds of seafood were inspected by the fee-for-service program.  In
total, an estimated 22 percent of seafood consumed in the United
States is inspected under the program.

                                  #

NOAA 94-R127
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370
          5/24/94
          

           TIME, AREA CLOSURES TO HELP PROTECT HARBOR PORPOISES

     In an effort to protect harbor porpoises and to ease restrictions
on fishermen affected by a newly implemented management plan for New
England groundfish, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration is putting in place a series of time-and-area closures
for sink gillnet fishermen.

     The new measure replaces one that would have required fishermen
to remove their sink gillnet gear from the water four days a month
beginning May 26.  Officials with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries
Service say the old measure, whose four-day-a-month ban on sink
gillnets would have expanded to 16 days a month by 1999, is less
effective in protecting harbor porpoises from accidental capture in
nets than the new time-and-area closure.

     The new measure closes three areas off Massachusetts and Maine
for about a month each.
                 
     Fisheries service biologists estimate that there are about 47,200
harbor porpoises off the East Coast and that as many as 2,370 of them
were being accidentally caught and drowned in fishing nets each year. 
Biologists are hopeful that the new restrictions will cut that number
at least in half.

     The three areas and their closure times are:  the Northeast area
(from Penobscot Bay to Eastport, Maine) closed from Aug. 15 through
Sept. 13; the Mid-coast area (from Cape Ann to Penobscot Bay) closed
from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30, and the Massachusetts Bay area (from Cape
Cod to Cape Ann) closed from March 1 through 
March 30.

                                      #      
NOAA 94-R128
CONTACT:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202) 482-6090
          5/24/94

           COMMERCE DEPARTMENT WILL HOLD COMMUNITY MEETINGS 
           IN SEAPORTS OF WASHINGTON, OREGON AND CALIFORNIA

     The U.S. Department of Commerce's National Oceanic and 
Atmospheric Administration will hold a series of town meetings in 
eight fishing ports in the Pacific Northwest during the first two 
weeks in June to help develop a response to the economic 
dislocation caused by the closure of much of the salmon fishery 
this year.

       The meetings are designed to provide an opportunity for those
affected to help describe the scope and magnitude of the economic
impact of fishing restrictions that have resulted from unprecedented
declines in salmon runs. 

     "We recognize the severity of the economic situation in the
fishing communities of the Northwest, and we will respond
appropriately," Brown said.  "However, we can only develop the most
effective response with the help and advice of those directly
affected.  These meetings will be crucial to identifying the needs of
fishermen and fishing communities."

     The community meetings will be conducted by officials of the
Commerce Department.  Representatives from other federal agencies,
including the Department of Labor and the Small Business
Administration, also are expected at the meetings. 

     The following is a list of tentative meetings, including time and
locations.

                    NORTHWEST FISHERIES TOWN MEETINGS

A.  FORT BRAGG, CALIFORNIA          B.  CRESCENT CITY, CALIFORNIA
    Date:  June 1, 1994                 Date:  June 2, 1994
    Time:  12:00 noon-4:00 p.m.         Time:  8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
    Place: Town Hall                    Place: Cultural Center
           363 North Maine Street               1001 Front St.

C.  COOS BAY, OREGON                D.NEWPORT, OREGON
    Date:  June 2, 1994               Date:  June 3, 1994
    Time:  6:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m.       Time:  8:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
    Place: Coos Bay City Hall         Place: Church of Nazarene
    500 Central Avenue                227 N.W. 12th St.

E.  PORT ANGELES, WASHINGTON        F.PORTLAND, OREGON
    Date:  June 9, 1994               Date:  June 10, 1994
    Time:  12:00 noon-4:00 p.m.       Time:  10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
    Place: City Council Chambers      Place: TBA
           321 E. 5th Street

G.  ASTORIA, OREGON                 H. WESTPORT, WASHINGTON 
    Date:  June 10, 1994               Date:  June 11, 1994
    Time:  5:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.         Time:  9:00 a.m.-1:00p.m.
    Place: TBA                         Place: Islander Motel           
                                                Restaurant             
                                               421 W. Haven & 
                                               Neddie Rose Dr. 
                                    
                                   #

NOAA 94-R129
Contact:  Hal Alabaster
          (206) 526-6046                                         
          5/27/94

              NATIONAL MARINE FISHERIES SERVICE TO REVIEW
                   WEST COAST STEELHEAD POPULATIONS

     The National Marine Fisheries Service will conduct a status
review of West Coast steelhead trout under the Endangered Species Act. 
The review, expected to last about nine months, will include all
steelhead populations in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and California.  
                 
     According to Gary Smith, acting regional director for the
fisheries service's Northwest region, "Many steelhead populations show
significant declines.  The status review will determine extinction
risk and determine whether Endangered Species Act protection for the
populations is warranted."

     "The status review will broadly address two scientific questions. 
The first is whether various populations of steelhead qualify as
species under the Act, and the second is to determine the size of the
population and whether it is increasing, constant, or decreasing,"
said Smith.

     The announcement to review steelhead populations stems from a
Feb. 16, 1994, petition submitted to the fisheries service from the
Oregon Natural Resources Council and 15 other co-petitioners
requesting that the agency list steelhead trout throughout the four
state area.  In addition, the fisheries service had already begun
status reviews for populations in the Rogue River system in Oregon and
Deer Creek in Washington.  

     "Overreliance on hatchery fish, drought, and habitat destruction
from logging, agriculture and urban development have taken a heavy
toll on steelhead," said Smith.  "The agency's decision to accept the
petition and conduct the status review points to the fact that the
abuse to the regional ecosystem cannot continue without affecting
these fish."

     Officials with the National Marine Fisheries Service are asking
individuals with relevant scientific information concerning steelhead
to write or contact the agency.  Correspondence should be addressed to
National Marine Fisheries Service, Suite 600, 911 N.E. 11th Avenue,
Portland, OR  97232. 

     Within nine months, the fisheries service will publish its
findings in the Federal Register.  If the fisheries service decides to
propose listing, it will again seek comments and possibly hold public
hearings, and make a final decision within a year of a proposal.

                                    #
   
NOAA 94-R130
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          6/14/94

              GULF AND SOUTH ATLANTIC SHRIMPERS ASKED TO ADJUST
                        TEDS TO HELP SAVE SEA TURTLES

     Shrimpers fishing in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, are
being asked to modify turtle excluder devices (TEDs) to help ensure
the release of sea turtles from shrimping nets, the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced
today.

     NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is asking shrimpers
fishing in federal and state waters from North Carolina, south through
Texas, to attach specified floats to all bottom exiting hard TEDs,
except those constructed of aluminum tubing, if not already doing so. 
Additionally, shrimpers are being asked to check the angle of their
TEDs to ensure the device is within the required 30 to 50 degrees from
horizontal position.
                 
     Fisheries service officials believe that by adding the floats and
ensuring the proper grid angle, more turtles will escape from shrimp
trawls unharmed.  Recent observations indicate that some shrimpers are
fishing their nets with TEDs dragging on the sea bottom.  This coupled
with improper grid angles may be contributing to the more than 200 sea
turtles that have washed ashore in the region during the last several
months.

     "There is every indication that shrimpers are trying to use their
excluder devices properly; however, if the TEDs are dragging on the
sea bottom and the angles of the grids are incorrect, then sea turtles
may not be able to pass through and may drown," said Andy Kemmerer,
director of the fisheries service Southwest Region.  "Turtles trapped
in this manner would be released from the TED as the trawl is
retrieved and brought to the surface.  Therefore, a shrimp fisherman
could be unaware a sea turtle was in his net."

     The cost of adding the specified floats to the excluder device is
expected to be minimal.  Fisheries service officials say the request
to add floats to non-aluminum TEDs is likely to become a requirement
within weeks.

     According to fisheries service gear specialists, the single-grid
hard TED with an opening at the bottom next to the turtle deflector
grid, has a flap over the hole that prevents shrimp loss.  Because of
the weight of the non-aluminum devices, the flap may be pressed
against the escape opening, thereby not allowing the turtle to exit. 
Adding the specified floats to the TED should alleviate the problem.

     Of the five species of sea turtles found off the U.S. coast, all
are listed as threatened or endangered and are protected by federal
law.

     More information about floats and placement requirements may be
obtained from Chuck Oravetz at the Southeast Regional Office in St.
Petersburg, Fla., at (813) 893-3366.

                                   #

NOAA 94R-131
Contact:  Dr. Thomas Lipscomb 
          AFIP 
          202-576-2453                       
          Dean Wilkinson
          NMFS 
          301-713-2322
          Elsa Haubold 
          Texas A&M Univ. 
          409-740-4455
          6/16/94

              SCIENTISTS DISCOVER CAUSE OF RECENT DOLPHIN DEATHS
                              IN THE GULF OF MEXICO

        Viral Infection Found in Tissue Samples from Stranded Dolphins

     An outbreak of morbillivirus disease is probably responsible for
the dramatic increase in bottlenose dolphin deaths in the Gulf of
Mexico, according to evidence produced through a collaborative effort
involving the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP), the National
Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Department of Agriculture for
Northern Ireland in Belfast, and the Marine Mammal Stranding Network. 
A novel molecular biology test, developed at AFIP, played a critical
role in detecting the virus.                     
                 
     Morbilliviruses are a group of viruses that cause human measles,
canine distemper and rinderpest in cattle.  Morbillivirus outbreaks
caused the deaths of thousands of harbor seals in Northwest Europe in
1988, and thousands of striped dolphins in the Mediterranean Sea in
1990.  Recently, a morbillivirus was implicated as the cause of the
1987-1988 U.S. Atlantic coast epidemic that resulted in a ten-fold
increase in mortality of bottlenose dolphins.

     The first confirmed case of morbillivirus infection from the Gulf
of Mexico was a stranded dolphin near Panama City, Fla., in June of
1993.  Tissues were collected from an autopsy performed by
veterinarian Byron K. Ford from the Panama City aquarium, Gulf World. 
Ford is a member of the Marine Mammal Stranding Network, a national
volunteer organization that works with the federal National Marine
Fisheries Service to assist and study stranded marine mammals.

     The stranded dolphin tissues were sent to Army Lt. Col. Thomas P.
Lipscomb, the veterinary pathologist who heads AFIP's marine mammal
studies.  After finding microscopic changes characteristic of
morbillivirus infection, Lipscomb sent samples to Seamus Kennedy of
the Department of Agriculture for Northern Ireland, an expert in
morbillivirus infection in marine mammals.  Kennedy detected the
presence of morbillivirus antigen in the dolphin tissues, confirming
the diagnosis.

     NMFS then asked stranding network members to increase their
efforts to search for stranded dolphins and send samples to the AFIP. 
Since then, increased dolphins strandings have been observed in
Alabama and Mississippi, and the AFIP-Belfast team found morbillivirus
infection in several of them.

     The dolphin stranding rate in Texas recently increased
dramatically.  Graham Worthy, coordinator of the Texas Marine Mammal
Stranding Network, reports that over 220 dead bottlenose dolphins have
washed onto Texas beaches since January, though only about 150
dolphins on average strand on the Texas coast in an entire year.  All
of the dolphin carcasses were badly decomposed, making it difficult to
determine the cause of death by conventional methods.

     Since identification of the first case in Florida,
scientists in the AFIP's Department of Cellular Pathology had been
working to develop a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test for the
dolphin morbillivirus.  PCR is a revolutionary new molecular biology
technique that can detect and identify minute amounts of DNA or RNA.

     Doctors Amy Krafft, Jack H. Lichy and Jeffery K. Taubenberger
were ultimately successful and have identified the presence of
morbillivirus RNA in lungs of nine of 15 Texas dolphins, in spite of
the poor condition of the specimens.   Together with the conclusive
demonstration of morbillivirus disease in dolphins from Florida,
Mississippi and Alabama in recent months, detection of the virus in
the Texas dolphins provides strong evidence that morbillivirus is the
primary cause of the Texas dolphin epidemic as well.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R132
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370
          6/23/94

                  HADDOCK PROTECTION BECOMES PERMANENT

     In a continuing effort to protect once-plentiful haddock stocks
off New England, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration will make permanent on June 30 three
temporary measures currently in effect in the groundfish fishery.
                 
     The measures prohibit any vessel with a federal permit from
possessing more than 500 pounds of haddock either from or in federal
waters; prohibit scallop dredge vessels from possessing or landing any
haddock from January through June; and extend closure of the Area II
fishing zone along the eastern edge of Georges Bank from four to six
months.

     The measures, known as Amendment 6, were recommended by the New
England Fishery Management Council to NOAA's National Marine Fisheries
Service because haddock stocks were depleted by heavy overfishing.  

     Statistics from the fisheries service indicate 1993 haddock
landings fell to a record low of 880 metric tons.  As recently as
1992, haddock landings, although low by historic standards, were about
2,300 metric tons.

     Of particular concern, say the scientists, is the small amount of
haddock spawning stock capable of producing young.  Catch statistics
and recent research show that the current spawning stock is about
13,000 metric tons, less than 10 percent of the numbers needed to
produce the 50,000-ton catches common in the past.                     
                                                                     
                                     #

NOAA 94-R133
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370                                         
          6/24/94

      RECREATIONAL FISHERMEN SLOW TO ACQUIRE FEDERAL BLUEFIN PERMIT

     Hundreds of recreational anglers who are expected to chase highly
prized bluefin tuna off the Atlantic coast this season still have not
obtained a federal permit to do so, the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

     This is the first season in which recreational anglers along the
Atlantic seaboard through the Gulf of Mexico are required to hold the
no cost angling category permit.  An angling category permit allows
the retention of bluefin between 26 and less than 70 inches straight
fork length. 

     Officials with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service are
concerned that many recreational anglers haven't yet received word
that the federal permit is required.  The bluefin tuna season opened
January 1, 1994, and permit regulations for private vessels have been
in place since May 15. 

     "Since last August, we've published official notices, notified
fishing groups, and distributed copies of the application to bait and
tackle shops and marinas in 11 states, trying to inform as many of the
recreational folks as possible about this new rule," said Dick Stone,
chief of the Highly Migratory Species Division for the fisheries
service.  

     According to agency officials, many of the permit applications
received by the agency so far have been without the required vessel
registration documentation, forcing the agency to return the
application and thereby lengthen the permit processing time by weeks. 
Currently, a complete application takes about two weeks to process,
but as more anglers apply for the permit and the season peaks,
officials expect processing time to increase to 30 days.

     Since September 1993, charter and party boats have been required
to have an angling category permit for catching bluefins between 26
and less than 70 inches straight fork length. Officials say most of
these permits have been processed.

     No permit is necessary to fish for yellowfin or bigeye tuna, but
it is illegal to retain these two species when they weigh less than
seven pounds live weight.

     To obtain an angling category permit for bluefin tuna or for more
information, please contact the NMFS Permit Office, Attention:
Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, One Blackburn Drive, Gloucester, MA 01930-2298,
or call (508) 281-9305.

                                  #

NOAA 94-R134
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          6/28/94

           SHIMPERS TO MODIFY TEDS TO HELP SAVE SEA TURTLES

     Shimpers fishing in southeastern U.S. waters and Gulf of Mexico
will be required, starting July 9, to modify certain turtle excluder
devices (TEDs) to help ensure the release of sea turtles from
shrimping nets, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration announced today.

     In an interim rule, NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service will
require shrimpers fishing in federal and state waters from North
Carolina south through Texas to attach specified floats to all bottom
opening hard TEDs, if not already doing so.  Additionally, shrimpers
are asked to check the angle of their TEDs to ensure the device is
within the required 30 to 50 degrees from horizontal position.

     Fisheries service officials believe that by adding the floats and
ensuring the proper grid angle, more turtles will escape from shrimp
trawls unharmed.  Recent observations indicate that some shrimpers are
fishing their nets with TEDs dragging on the sea bottom.

     According to fisheries service gear specialists, the single-grid
hard TED with an opening at the bottom next to the turtle deflector
grid has a flap over the hole that prevents shrimp loss.  Because of
the weight of the non-aluminum devices, the flap may be pressed
against the escape opening, thereby not allowing the turtle to exit. 
Adding the specified floats to the TED should alleviate the problem.

     The cost of adding the specified floats to the excluder device is
expected to be minimal.  According to fisheries service gear
specialists, shrimp catches may increase in the net by using the
specified floats combined with an appropriate grid angle.  Many
shrimpers already routinely use floats to minimize chafing of trawl
gear.

     The fisheries service will accept public comment on the float
requirement for 30 days.  The agency will consider comments to
determine whether changes should be made to the float requirements in
the final rule.

     All five species of sea turtles found off the U.S. coast  are
listed as threatened or endangered and protected by federal law.

     To submit comments or obtain more information, contact NMFS
Southeast Regional Office, 9721 Executive Center Drive, St.
Petersburg, FL 33702, or call (813) 893-3366.

                               #

NOAA 94-R135
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          6/28/94

ALGAE GROWTH ENABLES SHRIMPERS TO USE 
TOW TIMES IN AREA OFF NORTH CAROLINA

     Because of high concentrations of algae in a small area off North
Carolina, shrimpers will be allowed to use limited tow times in lieu
of pulling turtle excluder devices (TEDs) there through Nov. 30, the
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced today.
                 
     In effect now, the exemption applies to shrimpers who register
with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service to trawl under specific
tow time limits without TEDs between North Carolina's Rich Inlet and
Brown's Inlet.

     The high accumulation of algae found in the 30-mile-long, one-
mile-wide area frequently clogs the excluder devices and makes
shrimping inefficient.

     According to fisheries service officials, shrimpers will be
allowed a 30-minute tow time limit through Aug. 15; a 55-minute tow
time limit from Aug. 16 through Oct. 30; and a 75-minute tow time
limit from Nov. 1 through Nov. 30.  If requested to do so, shrimpers
must carry a fisheries service-approved observer.

     "Past participation and compliance by shrimpers in the affected
area has been excellent and I expect this will continue during the
five-month period," said Andrew J. Kemmerer, director of the Southeast
Regional Office of the fisheries service.

     The fisheries service may impose more restrictive tow times,
require TED-use in the area, and take any other conservation measure
deemed necessary if the agency finds that threatened and endangered
sea turtles require additional protection.

     Of the five species of sea turtles found off the U.S. coast, all
are listed as threatened or endangered and are protected by federal
law.

     To register for the North Carolina tow time limit, contact Chuck
Oravetz at the Southeast Regional Office in St. Petersburg, Fla., at
(813) 893-3366.
                      
                                  #

NOAA 94-R136

Contact:  Brian Gorman  
          (301) 713-2370
          7/1/94

                   IF YOU LOVE DOLPHINS, DON'T FEED THEM,
                          FEDERAL AGENCY WARNS

     Although commercial dolphin-feeding cruises in the Gulf of Mexico
and Southeast Atlantic were effectively stopped last October following
a federal court ruling, officials with the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration say they are increasingly worried about
recreational boaters and others who feed dolphins.

     "Dolphins are wild animals, in spite of their seemingly friendly
behavior," says Nancy Foster, deputy director of NOAA's National
Marine Fisheries Service.  "Feeding them may be fun for humans, but it
can be very harmful to the dolphins."

     Foster said that feeding these marine mammals can make them less
able -- or willing -- to search for food on their own.  In addition,
she said, food, if it's non-natural or contaminated, can pose a
serious health risk to the dolphins.

     Officials with the fisheries service say people have been seen
feeding dolphins beer, hot dogs and candy bars, items Foster calls
"totally inappropriate."

     Even more threatening to dolphins, says Foster, is the danger
that feeding will cause them to become habituated to humans and make
them lose their natural, wild-animal wariness.

     "The end result of such a lack of wariness," says Foster, "may be
a dolphin that gets entangled in a commercial fishing net or hit by a
boat's propeller because it's become too trusting."

     Fisheries service law enforcement officers have been working with
the Florida Marine Patrol and the U.S. Coast Guard in the
Florida Panhandle to educate recreational boaters and others who may
be unaware of the fact that feeding is both harmful and illegal.

     "Most people don't know that dolphin feeding is a problem. 
They've been very cooperative" once they are informed, said Bob
Spraitz with the fisheries service's regional office in St. Petersburg, Fla.

     "They're more embarrassed than anything else," he added.

     On Oct. 29, 1993, NOAA won a court case that reinstated a federal
regulation prohibiting dolphin-feeding activities anywhere.  

     NOAA officials said that all of the estimated two dozen commercial
dolphin-feeding operators, who worked in the Gulf of Mexico or off Hilton
Head, S.C., were informed of the ruling and have shut down their
operations.  The operators have returned to their original dolphin
observation cruises, a practice "enthusiastically supported" by the
fisheries service, according to Spraitz. 

     Dolphins and other marine mammals such as whales, seals and sea
lions have been protected since 1972 by the Marine Mammal  Protection
Act.  The no-feeding regulations apply to all these animals.

                               --

NOTICE TO EDITORS

Dr. Nancy Foster, a marine biologist and deputy director of the
National Marine Fisheries Service, will be available for telephone
interviews on dolphin feeding Friday afternoon, July 1.  Contact Brian
Gorman or Scott Smullen at 301/713-2370.
 
                              #

NOAA 94-R137
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          7/1/94

              COMMERCE SECRETARY BROWN ANNOUNCES
        REGIONAL FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS

    Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown announced today the
selection of 26 members to eight regional fishery management councils
that work in partnership with the federal government to manage the
nation's fishery resources.

     The councils, established by the Magnuson Fishery Conservation
and Management Act, prepare fishery management plans for marine fish
stocks in their respective geographical areas of responsibility.  The
management plans are submitted for review by NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service, and approved by the Secretary of Commerce.

     Each year about one-third of the 69 voting members appointed to
obligatory and at-large seats complete their terms.  Selections are
made to replace outgoing members from candidates nominated by the
governors of the affected states.  Council members are appointed to
three-year terms and may serve no more than three consecutive terms.

     The councils represent diverse fisheries interests and are
comprised of members whose combined knowledge and experience represent
a balance of commercial and recreational fisheries interests for each
geographical area concerned.

     New England Council -- The New England Council includes members
from the states of Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island
and Connecticut.  The 1994 appointees are:

Obligatory seats
o Benjamin F. Rathbun, Jr.     o Rodney Avil  
  Marine Surveying               Trident Fishing Corp.
  Noank, Conn.                   New Bedford, Mass.

o Barbara Stevenson            o James McCauley
  Portland Fish Pier             President, Point Judith
  Portland, Maine                Fishermen's Cooperative 
                                 Assoc.,Inc.
                                 Narragansett, R.I.

     Mid-Atlantic Council -- The Mid-Atlantic Council includes members
from the states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Pennsylvania,
Maryland, and Virginia.  The 1994 appointees are:

Obligatory seats
Bricktown,N.J.                     President
                                   JW Enterprises
                                   Alexandria, Va.

At-large seats
o Nancy M. Targett               o Robert Hamilton, Jr.
  College of Marine                Owner, Robert
  Studies                          Hamilton, Jr., Inc.                    
  Univ. of Delaware                Greenport, N.Y.
  Lewes, Del.

     South Atlantic Council -- The South Atlantic Council includes
members from the states of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and
Florida.  The 1994 appointees are:

Obligatory seats
o John D. Brownlee                 o Belinda D. Flanigan
Saltwater Sportsman Mag.             Chimney Creek Fishing  
North Palm Beach, Fla.                       Camp
                                     Tybee Island, Ga.
At-large seats
                         
o Obadiah P. Love, Jr.            o James S. Moffitt, Jr.
Love's Seafood Restaurant           CEO, Guilford Packaging
Savannah, Ga.                                 and Fiber, Inc.
                                    High Point, N.C.

     Gulf of Mexico Council -- The Gulf of Mexico Council includes
members from the states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and
Florida.  The 1994 appointees are:

Obligatory seats
o Robert L. Shipp                   o Karl J. Lessard
  Univ. of South Alabama              President, Captain
  Mobile, Ala.                        Bee Fisheries, Inc.
                                      Marathon, Fla.

o Andy A. Martin
  General Manager,
  Florida, Inc.
  Galliano, La.

At-large seats
o Albert L. King, Sr.               o Frank M. Fisher, Jr.
  Gulf Shores, Ala.                   Dept. of Ecology &
                                      Evolutionary Biology
                                      Rice University
                                      Houston

     Caribbean Council -- The Caribbean Council includes members from
the U.S. Virgin Islands and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.  The 1994
appointees are:
                 
Obligatory seat
                         
o Patricia A. Skov 
Skov Fishing Co.
Christiansted, St. Croix
U.S. Virgin Islands

At-large seat
o Miguel A. Sanabria
President,
Dorado Marine Center
Dorado, Puerto Rico

     Pacific Council -- The Pacific Council includes members from the
states of California, Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  The 1994
appointees are:

Obligatory seats
o James G. Caito                          o Frank R. Warrens, Pres.
  Vice President                            Frank Warrens Automotive
  Caito Fisheries, Inc.                     Marine Services, Inc.
  Fort Bragg, Calif.                        Portland, Ore.

At-large seats
o Robert C. Fletcher                      o James E. Harp
  President, Sportfishing                   Fisheries Manager
  Assoc. of California                      Quinault Indian Nation
  San Diego                                 Taholah, Wash.
                                                                            
     North Pacific Council -- The North Pacific Council includes
members from the states of Alaska and Washington.  The 1994 appointees
are:

Obligatory seats
o Richard B. Lauber                         o Clem V. Tillion, Jr.
  Vice President                              Halibut Cove, Alaska
  Pacific Seafood Processors
  Building Assoc.                                  
  Juneau, Alaska

     Western Pacific Council -- The Western Pacific Council includes
members from the state of Hawaii, the American-flagged Pacific islands
of American Samoa and Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern
Marianas Islands.  The 1994 appointees are:

Obligatory seat
o James D. Cook
  Pacific Ocean Producers
  Honolulu
                         
     Pending completion of all processing requirements, appointments
to obligatory seats for Washington on the North Pacific Council, and
for American Samoa and Guam on the Western Pacific Council, will be
announced at a later date.

                                    #

NOAA 94-R138
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370 (O)                                         
          7/1/94

                  FEDERAL AGENCIES AGREE TO PROVIDE
             ADDITIONAL WATER FLOWS FOR THREATENED SALMON

     The Bonneville Power Administration, Bureau of Reclamation and
Army Corps of Engineers have agreed to a request by the National
Marine Fisheries Service to provide additional water  starting July 1
to help save ocean-bound young chinook salmon heading down the Snake
and Columbia rivers this summer, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration said today.

     Scientists with NOAA's fisheries service office in Seattle said
the 742 adult chinook that returned to their home streams last year
are expected to produce the biggest down-stream migration of their
young this summer since 1982.  This year is also one of the lowest
water years on record, causing extremely adverse conditions in the
river which will be alleviated by the additional water.

     "This year's outmigration is the best hope we've had in more than
a decade to stem the alarming declines in abundance of fall chinook,"
said Gary Smith, acting director of NOAA's regional fisheries office
in Seattle.

     "These fish will be the mainstay of the returning population for
several years to come.  And without sufficient returning fall chinook,
the status of this population may change from threatened to
endangered," Smith added.

     Ninety percent of the fall chinook, which have to traverse 900
miles and eight dams, are expected to die on their way to the ocean,
fisheries service scientists said.  But the additional water provided
by federal water agencies will help the fish better negotiate their
trip and reduce the death rate.  Their peak outmigration is expected
to take place from the Snake River between July 1-6 and from the
Clearwater River about two weeks later.

     On June 9, the fisheries service asked the federal water agencies
that Snake River water flows of 40-45 thousand cubic feet per second
(kcfs) be made available for the month of July.  The federal agencies
agreed to that request late yesterday.

     Such water flows, according to the Corps of Engineers, will mean
that the Dworshak Reservoir in Orofino, Idaho, will have to be drawn
down to an elevation of between 1520 and 1490 feet.  That draw down,
technically known as drafting, would increase Snake River flows to 43
kcfs from the current rate of about 38 kcfs and is expected to
increase fall chinook survival as much as 40 percent, according to
fisheries service scientists. 

     The federal water agencies have also agreed to provide additional
water for the Columbia River from Canadian storage and from Banks
Lake.  Officials said this augmentation, when combined with the
increased Snake River flows, will raise the Columbia flow by about 12
kcfs to 152 kcfs.

     More water may have to be drawn from other reservoirs if
forecasts of flow rates deteriorate, these officials said.  

     The relationship between river flow and salmon survival on the
Columbia is less well known, according to fisheries service
scientists.  The fisheries service says it hopes that about half the
fall chinook will be transported by barge or tanker truck below
Bonneville Dam; the mortality for those remaining is expected to be
high without the additional flows.

     Smith said NOAA will work with federal and state agencies to
minimize hardships to the local community created by the drawdown of
Dworshak Reservoir in July.

                                #

NOAA 94-R139
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370
          7/8/94

                 FEDERAL GOVERNMENT PROPOSES LISTING
                OREGON'S CUTTHROAT TROUT AS ENDANGERED

     A population of cutthroat trout found in Oregon's Umpqua River
has been proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act,
according to the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.
                 
     NOAA must make its decision on whether to list the fish as
"endangered" within a year.  

     Today's announcement is in response to a petition received in
1993 by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service from the Oregon
Natural Resources Council, Umpqua Valley Audubon Society and
Wilderness Society.  Together, they had asked the federal fisheries
agency to list the North and South Umpqua River sea-run cutthroat
trout as threatened or endangered and to designate its natural
environment as "critical habitat."

     A listing of "threatened" means a species is likely to become
endangered; a listing of "endangered" means a species is likely to
become extinct.  The fisheries service has already listed several
species of salmon on the Sacramento and Snake rivers as endangered or
threatened.  

     According to fisheries service scientists, the number of adult
cutthroat trout counted at Winchester Dam on the North Umpqua River in
southwestern Oregon has dropped to "extremely low" numbers recently. 
In 1966-67, 2,364 adults passed the dam.  In the 1992-93 season, none
was seen.

     Recreational fishing and degradation of habitat from commercial
logging are believed to be the major causes of the cutthroat's decline
in the river basin.

     If the fisheries service decides to list the cutthroat trout as
endangered, the federal agency would produce a recovery plan outlining
the steps needed to help restore the population.

     In addition to the sea-run population named in the petition, two
other forms of cutthroat trout are believed to live in the Umpqua
River basin:  those that migrate to mainstem rivers or lakes and those
that remain in tributary streams all their lives.  The fisheries
service is proposing to list all three types as endangered, but is
also seeking scientific information to decide whether each should be
considered a separate species under the Endangered Species Act.

     Gary Smith, acting director of the fisheries service's regional
office in Seattle, pointed to the need for more scientific
information, saying "We have to understand the status and genetic
relationship of the sea-run cutthroat trout and the other two life
forms to make a decision whether to list these fish under the
Endangered Species Act."

     "If we consider only the sea-run variety of cutthroat trout," he
added, "the species is virtually extinct."

     For that reason, the fisheries service is soliciting comments
from the public and the scientific community before making its final
decision.

     Persons wanting a copy of the proposed rule that appears today in
the Federal Register can call or write the National Marine Fisheries
Service, Environmental and Technical Services Division, 911 N.E. 11th
Ave., Suite 620, Portland, Ore. 97232. 
The telephone number is (503) 230-5400.

                                #

NOAA 94-R140
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202) 482-6090
          7/15/94
        COMMERCE SECRETARY BROWN ANNOUNCES $9 MILLION TO BE MADE       
           AVAILABLE IN GRANTS FOR NORTHEAST FISHING INDUSTRY 

     Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown today announced $9 million in
grants will be made available to Northeast fishing communities.
    
     This initiative is part of the $30 million federal program
announced by Secretary Brown on March 21. 

     "These grants are a crucial element in restoring economic
stability to distressed fishing communities," Secretary Brown said. 
"They demonstrate the Clinton Administration's commitment to
effectively providing the resources necessary for the fishing
industry's revitalization."

     The grants will be made available in two parts.  Applications may
now be submitted through August 22 for the first part of this program,
for which up to $4.5 million has been allocated to meet the most
pressing needs of fishermen.  Greatest consideration will be given to
proposals that involve, or are expected to benefit, a broad range of
fishermen.

     The second part, for which an additional $4.5 million will be
available, will be announced at a later time through a separate
Federal Register notice.

     Applications may be for demonstrations or pilot projects,
technology development and/or transfer, or other activities in the
general areas of enhancing commercial fisheries and markets for
underexploited finfish and shellfish species; aquaculture or hatchery
programs; and other activities for providing alternative employment or
new business opportunities to other economic sectors.

     "These grants, combined with other forms of financial assistance,
will help ensure the future health of the fishing industry in New
England," said Douglas Hall, Commerce's assistant secretary for oceans
and atmosphere. 
  
     Guidance on preparation of proposals will be presented during
informational meetings (see attached schedule) and by individual
conferences (call 508-281-9267 for appointment and application kits). 

                    INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS 
                    INDUSTRY GRANTS PROGRAM

GLOUCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS              PROVINCETOWN, MASSACHUSETTS
July 18 and July 25                    July 22 and July 28
1:00 p.m.                              1:00 p.m.
Fishing Family Assistance Ctr.         Fishing Family Assistance Ctr
11-15 Parker Street                    City Hall, 260 Commercial Str.
(508) 283-4750                                           (508) 487-7261

NARRAGANSETT, RHODE ISLAND             ROCKLAND, MAINE
July 19 and August 4 (tentative)       July 21 and August 2 (tent.)
1:00 p.m.                              1:00 p.m.
Fishing Family Assistance Ctr.         Fishing Family Assistance Ctr.
Narragansett Lab., 28 Tarzwell Dr.     Federal Building, Room 200
(401) 782-3200                         21 Limerock Street
                                      (207) 594-2267
NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS                               
July 20 and July 27
1:00 p.m.
Fishing Family Assistance Ctr.
693 Purchase Street
(508) 979-1750

PORTLAND, MAINE
July 22 and August 5
1:00 p.m.
Fishing Family Assistance Ctr.
Marine Trade Center, Suite 311
2 Portland Fish Pier
(207) 780-3423

Space is limited.  Please call each Fishing Family Assistance Center
for details on this and other meetings.  This list is subject to
change.

NORTHEAST FISHING INDUSTRY GRANTS

DATE AND ADDRESS:  Applications must be received by August 22, 1994. 
Applicants must submit one signed original and two copies of the
complete application.  Applications should be sent to the Northeast
Regional Office, National Marine Fisheries Service, One Blackburn
Drive, Gloucester, MA  01930.  Generally, the time required to process
applications is 120 days from the closing date of the solicitation.

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS:  Applications for assistance may be made by any
individual who is a citizen or national of the U.S., or any
corporation, partnership, association, or other entity, non-profit or
otherwise.

DURATION AND TERMS OF FUNDING:  Grants are awarded for a period of one
year, but no more than 18 months at a time.  Renewal of an award to
increase funding or extend the period of performance is at the total
discretion of the Commerce Department.

COST-SHARING:  This first part of the grant will require no cost-
sharing by applicants.

FORMAT:  Applications for project funding must be complete.  They must
identify the principal participants and include copies of any
agreements between the participants and the applicant describing the
specific tasks to be performed.  Project applications must respond to
one or more of the following priorities: developing commercial
fisheries and markets to finfish and shellfish species for which there
are harvestable surpluses; helping restore overfished New England
groundfish stocks through aquaculture or hatchery programs; and
developing projects/conducting activities to provide alternate
employment or new business opportunities for fishermen.  Project
applications must be clearly and completely submitted in the following
format: (1) Cover Sheet; (2) Project Summary; (3) Project Budget; (4)
Project Narrative Description -- (a) Identification of Problem(s), (b)
Project Goals and Objectives, (c) Need for Government Financial
Assistance, (d) Participation by Persons or Groups Other than the
Applicant, (e) Federal, State, and Local Government Activities, (f)
Project Statement of Work, (g) Project Management, (h) Project
Impacts, (i) Evaluation of Project; (5) Supporting Documentation.

AVAILABILITY OF FORMS:  Application forms are available, with
instructions for completion, and a detailed description of evaluation
criteria, selection procedures, and administrative and other
requirements, by calling (508) 281-9256 or 281-9267.  

                              #

NOAA 94-R141
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370
          7/19/94

              EAST COAST SCALLOPERS GET CREW RESTRICTIONS,
                 PERMISSION FOR SPARE DREDGE ON BOARD

     Starting Aug. 17, scallop vessels from Massachusetts and
elsewhere on the East Coast will be limited to a seven-person rather
than a nine-person crew, but they will be able to carry a spare dredge
so they won't have to return to port to make major fishing-equipment
repairs, the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today.                          
                 
     The changes are part of a package of refinements to a
comprehensive management plan put into effect last March.  The plan is
designed to rebuild heavily exploited scallop stocks off New England,
according to NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, the federal
agency charged with implementing the plan.  It will affect all East
Coast scallop boats, which are found as far south as North Carolina.
                 
     The crew change is aimed at encouraging scallopers to harvest
larger scallops, more likely to be sexually mature and to have
reproduced at least once.  With smaller crews, scallopers will either
have to fish for larger scallops and try to land as much weight in
scallop meats as with a crew of nine, or continue catching smaller
scallops but, with a reduced crew, be able to harvest fewer of them,
according to fisheries service officials.

     An analysis done in preparation for these changes shows a seven-
person crew can shuck and process on board only about 900 pounds of
medium-size scallop meats daily.  With a crew of nine, however, that
figure jumps to about 1,500 pounds.

     The change in crew size lasts only until the end of this year.
                 
     The new changes also allow dredges, which are constructed of
metal rings held together by small metal links, much like
outsized chain mail, to be built so on the bottom of the dredge there
are three rather than two links joining each pair of rings. 
                 
     Scallop dredges are dragged along the sea floor; tripling the
links on the dredge bottoms makes them more durable.  While adding an
extra link slightly reduces the opening of each ring and makes it less
likely that small scallops will escape from the dredge, the fisheries
service says there is little or no chance that scallops will evade the
bottom of a dredge anyway.  As a result, the change will have
virtually no effect on escapement.

     The new rules also change the beginning of the scallop season
from Jan. 1 to March 1 of each year.

     The original management plan, submitted by the New England
Fishery Management Council to the fisheries service for its approval
last year, called for a moratorium on new federal scallop permits and
a seven-year phased-in program to substantially limit scallop boats'
days at sea, among other things.

     Since 1982, scallopers had been fishing under a plan that relied
on a single measure -- a meats-per-pound standard -- aimed at prevent-
ing the harvest of small scallops.  The plan had no control over how
many fishing boats could harvest scallops or how many scallops they
could catch.

     The new plan's days-at-sea provision restricts full-time scallop
boats to 204 fishing days this season (March 1994-Feb. 1995); that
number is scheduled to be only 120 days a season by the end of the
decade.

                                    #

NOAA 94-R142
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713 2370                     
          7/20/94

                 NMFS STEPS UP TED ENFORCEMENT OFF TEXAS,
                        THREATENS SHRIMP SEIZURES

     Continued high numbers of sea turtle strandings on Texas beaches
have forced the National Marine Fisheries Service to increase enforce-
ment efforts and step up shrimp seizures for violations of regulations
requiring shrimpers to use turtle excluder devices (TEDs), the Nation-
al Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

     Since the opening of the shrimp season July 7, more than 60
endangered or threatened sea turtles have been reported washed up on
Texas beaches.  According to the fisheries service, these numbers are
similar to the highest weekly numbers that were reported in April and
May and that led the fisheries agency to publish a rule requiring the
use of floats to keep bottom-exiting TEDs off the sea floor.

     Fisheries service researchers found that without being modified
with floats, bottom-exiting TEDs can drag along the Gulf floor and
prevent turtles from escaping.
                 
     According to Andrew J. Kemmerer, director of the fisheries
service's Southeast Region, all available enforcement agents will be
moved to the Texas coast, Coast Guard patrols will be increased, and
assistance will be provided by enforcement officers of the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Department.  Enforcement will include at-sea boarding and
dockside inspections of trawls.
   
     Kemmerer warned that failure to have TEDs properly installed will
result in serious penalties, including the seizure of shrimp
catches.  He said his enforcement division will pay special attention
to bottom-shooting TEDs without flotation, Andrews Soft TEDs with a
mesh size greater than five inches, TED angles greater than the 30-50
degree regulatory allowance, and sewn-up escape openings.

     "We are convinced most shrimpers are abiding by the law, but
there are clearly some who are ignoring their legal obligations
without regard to the consequences for the resource," Kemmerer said.  

     He added, "We cannot have large numbers of sea turtles dying
offshore and washing up dead on beaches.  Shrimpers who are
purposefully violating the law will be dealt with accordingly."

     He said violators would have their shrimp catches seized and they
will face stiff fines.

     "It would indeed be unfortunate if a small percentage of non-law
abiding shrimpers cause a closure of areas off Texas to shrimping, but
if sea turtle strandings continue at these high levels, we will have
no other choice." Kemmerer said.

                               #
NOAA 94-R144
Contact:  Hal Alabaster
          (206) 526-6046                                         
          Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          8/3/94

    SEATTLE'S NORTHWEST FISHERIES OFFICE ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR

     William W. Stelle Jr., who has held high-level positions dealing
with natural resource policy in the Executive branch and Congress for
the past 13 years, has been named director of the Northwest regional
office of the National Marine Fisheries Service -- an agency of the
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
-- in Seattle, NOAA announced today.

     Stelle joins the fisheries service from his post as associate
director for natural resources in the environmental policy office in
the White House.  At the White House, he managed a variety of national
marine, clean water and natural resource issues, including those
related to water resources, wetlands, public land management,
forestry, fish and wildlife, and endangered species.

     "While in various legislative and executive positions, Will
Stelle has helped shape a decade of major environmental legislation
and has worked most recently on critical Pacific Northwest issues,
including the recovery of imperiled salmon stocks and the President's
Forest Plan," said D. James Baker, NOAA administrator and Commerce
under secretary for oceans and atmosphere.  "He brings to the
fisheries service a remarkable breadth of knowledge and experience
about natural resource issues involving the Northwest and the nation,"
Baker added.

     The fisheries service's Northwest region is responsible for
managing federal fishery management plans, preparing and issuing
fishing regulations, and managing programs related to marine mammals
and endangered species of the Pacific Northwest, including populations
of threatened and endangered salmon and steelhead trout. 
Additionally, the region has distinct treaty responsibilities
regarding salmon with area Indian tribes.

     The Northwest region of the fisheries service includes 425
employees located in the regional headquarters and the regional
science center in Seattle, as well as five field laboratories in
Washington and Oregon.  The region's budget this year is $38.9
million.

     Stelle served as special assistant to the Secretary of the
Interior, and was formerly chief counsel to Rep. Gerry Studds, D-
Mass., for the Committee on Merchant Marine and Fisheries and general
counsel of its Subcommittee on Fisheries and Wildlife Conservation and
the Environment in the U.S. House of Representatives.  Additionally,
he worked as staff counsel on the U.S. Senate's Select Committee on
Indian Affairs and Committee on Governmental Affairs.  He has also
held attorney-advisor positions with the Environmental Protection
Agency.

     Stelle received his B.A. magna cum laude from Boston University. 
He studied U.S.-Canadian marine policies at Canada's Dalhausie
University Law School, received his J.D. in international marine law
at the University of Maine Law School in Portland, and received his
LL.M. in natural resource law at the University of Washington School
of Law in Seattle.

     He is married to Claudia Widgery Stelle and has four children.
              
                               #

NOAA 94-R145
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370 (O)                                      
          8/4/94

                    TEXAS TURTLE STRANDINGS FALL

     Only eight sea turtles washed up dead on the entire Texas coast
last week -- one-seventh the number just three weeks ago when the
shrimp season re-opened -- following the National Marine Fisheries
Service's stepped-up effort to enforce the federal requirement that
shrimp boats carry turtle excluder devices (TEDs) in their nets, the
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced today.
                 
     In the first full week of the season, from July 10-16, 55
federally protected sea turtles washed up, or stranded, on Texas
beaches.  During the second week, when the fisheries service bolstered
its enforcement effort, that number dropped to 29.

     "I'm proud of the enforcement efforts.  I'm delighted with the
cooperation we've gotten from the majority of shrimpers.  And I'm
very, very relieved that these stranding numbers have fallen so low,"
said Andrew Kemmerer, director of the fisheries service's Southeast
regional office in St. Petersburg, Fla.

     Kemmerer said that at one point more than 104 persons were
involved in enforcement activities, including 14 from the fisheries
service, 10 from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, and 80 from
the U.S. Coast Guard. 

      The fisheries service was helped by the Sea Turtle Stranding and
Salvage Network, comprised of federal, state and volunteer workers who
walk the Texas shore looking for stranded turtles and other marine
animals.  Also involved were numerous federal, state and university
researchers who compiled and analyzed fishery, biological and
oceanographic data to help target enforcement efforts.

     A TED is a special device attached to a shrimp trawl and designed
to shunt turtles safely out of the net, where they would otherwise
drown.

     The shrimping season began July 7, following the opening of the
so-called Texas closure, an annual two-month suspension of shrimping
in Texas waters so that young shrimp can migrate from coastal inlets
to deeper water and grow to market size.

     From July 19-27, enforcement officers boarded 188 shrimp vessels
and found 24 violations, seven of them serious enough to warrant the
seizure of almost $170,000 worth of shrimp and fish.  According to
Kemmerer, the serious violations were such that they would almost
certainly have resulted in a turtle's being killed if it had been
caught in such a net.

     "The fact that fewer than four percent of these boardings
revealed serious violations confirms what we have believed all along,"
said Kemmerer.  "Only a small fraction of shrimpers are ignoring the
law.  The vast majority are trying to use TEDs properly so that
turtles are protected."

     During the height of the shrimp season, more than 4,000 shrimp
vessels may be operating in the western Gulf of Mexico.

     Of the five species of sea turtle found off the U.S. coast, all
are listed as threatened or endangered and are protected by federal
law.  

     Shrimp fishermen who fail to take the required steps to prevent
turtles from being caught or drowned in their nets run the risk of
civil fines up to $12,000 and having their catch seized under the
federal Endangered Species Act.

                                #

NOAA 94-R147
Contact:  Hal Alabaster
          (206) 526-6046   8/5/94
          Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          8/5/94

                 NOAA SEEKS ADDITIONAL PROTECTION
                  FOR ENDANGERED CHINOOK SALMON

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today began a
re-evaluation of the Alaskan salmon fisheries and their impacts on
Snake River fall chinook salmon to prevent a further decline in the
population of the endangered species.

     The move for additional protection for the fish was prompted by
recent findings regarding the dire health of Snake River fall chinook
salmon and the impact of sport fishing in Alaska on the species that
had not been fully considered.

     The National Marine Fisheries Service, a NOAA agency, has asked
the State of Alaska and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council
to consider additional protection for Snake River salmon, including
decreasing the take of listed salmon and requiring the use of barbless
hooks.

     The service said that only 803 Snake River fall chinook salmon
are expected to return to spawning grounds at the mouth of the
Columbia River this season.                      

     "We are extremely concerned about the health of the Snake River
fall chinook and will seek the advice of those involved in managing
Alaskan fisheries on how best to minimize the impacts on threatened
salmon," said J. Gary Smith, acting regional director for the
fisheries service's Northwest region.

     As required under Section 7 of the Endangered Species Act, the
fisheries service will reinitiate consultation because a recent
assessment of the 1993/1994 and 1994/1995 Alaskan salmon fisheries did
not fully consider the effects of the state's sport fishery on Snake
River fall chinook salmon.
  
                                  #
NOAA 94-R149
Contact:  Brian Gorman                     
          (301) 713-2370 
          8/16/94

                   FEDERAL EMERGENCY RULE MODIFIES
               "LIVE ROCK" HARVEST BAN IN GULF OF MEXICO

     An emergency rule restricting the taking of marine organisms
attached to hard substances such as dead coral or rocks -- known
generically as "live rock" -- has been modified by the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration at the request of the Gulf of
Mexico Fishery Management Council, it was announced today.  
                 
     The new rule replaces an existing emergency rule in effect since
May 16 that banned live rock harvesting in federal waters off
northwest Florida.  Today's emergency rule will expire in mid-
November.

     Live rock is collected by scuba divers in the Gulf of Mexico and
along the South Atlantic coast.  It is sold to the marine aquarium
industry, which markets it for hobbyists interested in setting up
"mini-reefs" in their home aquariums.  Last year about one million
pounds of live rock were taken from federal waters off Florida.

     Environmentalists strongly object to the harvesting of live rock. 
The Gulf council, an independent body established under federal
fisheries law to propose management plans for controlling harvests of
living marine resources, is working on a plan that would phase out all
live rock harvesting in federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico by the
end of 1997.  Without such a plan, live rock harvesting could damage
the reef ecosystem and substantially harm fishery resources.  

     The country's eight fishery management councils submit plans to
NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service for its approval and
implementation.

     The new emergency rule prohibits taking live rock in federal
waters off Alabama or taking live rock by chipping existing outcrops
of the material in federal waters from Florida's Pasco-Hernando county
line to the Alabama border.

     In addition, the new rule prohibits the use of power tools to
chip live rock in federal waters south of the Pasco-Hernando county
line, and sets a daily harvest limit of 25 five-gallon buckets of live
rock per vessel throughout the area where harvesting is allowed.

     Both the council and NOAA have concluded that a short-term
harvest of loose or "rubble" live rock with a 25-bucket trip limit
won't threaten the area's reefs or its fishery resources.

     The chipping prohibition essentially means harvesters will have
to confine themselves to rubble rock lying on the bottom, which
experts say is available in sufficient quantity to support the
industry while harvesting is being phased out.

     The industry is expected to develop aquaculture methods to
replace "wild" live rock during the phase-out period. 

                               #

NOAA 94-R150
Contact:  Brian Gorman                   
          (301) 713-2370 (O)             
          8/17/94
          
                    NORTHWEST'S SNAKE RIVER CHINOOK
                     RECLASSIFIED AS "ENDANGERED"

     Two populations of Snake River chinook salmon, which are expected
to return to their home streams in Washington, Oregon and Idaho in
record-low numbers this year, are at risk of extinction and have been
reclassified as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

     The emergency action, taken by NOAA's National Marine Fisheries
Service, will remain in effect until April 17, 1995, during which time
the federal fisheries agency will publish a rule proposing to make the
classification permanent and provide the opportunity for the public to
comment on the proposal.  

     Snake River chinook had been classified as "threatened" since
April 1992.  Since then, stocks have continued to decline, with adult
fish returning from the ocean in some cases in lower numbers than at
the time the species was listed.

     Under the Endangered Species Act, a threatened species is likely
to become endangered; an endangered species is likely to become
extinct.

     One population, known as spring/summer chinook, returns from the
ocean beginning every spring.   Its returning numbers have ranged from
5,000 to 13,000 in recent years.  Scientists with the fisheries
service estimate this year's spring/summer return will be only 600 to
800 fish, divided into as many as 38 local "subpopulations" in
different rivers throughout the Snake River basin.

     The fisheries service estimates that the average number of
spawning chinook for some of these subpopulations could be as low as
15 to 20 fish.
                 
     "Population levels this low drastically reduce the gene pool for
these fish and can pose catastrophic risks that threaten the very
existence of the species," said Rolland A. Schmitten, director of the
fisheries service in Washington, D.C.

     A second population of Snake River chinook salmon, which returns
in the fall, is also at a very low level.  After factoring in
mortality rates from the salmon's perilous upriver journey, the
fisheries service estimates as few as 300 adults will reach Lower
Granite Dam this year.  Lower Granite Dam, near Pomeroy, Wash., is the
uppermost dam on the Snake River with fish passage facilities.  This
fall's returns are expected to be the second lowest on record.

     Although the adult chinook that will return to the Snake River
system beginning in the spring of 1995 are still maturing in the
Pacific Ocean, early indicators of the size of that return look no
better for either the spring/summer population or the fall population.

     "While some improvements have been made since the Snake River
chinook salmon was listed as threatened more than two years ago, they
haven't been enough," Schmitten said.

     He added that the fisheries service must take "immediate action
to reverse the decline of these salmon populations."

     "Federal agencies should adopt a more conservative approach to
protect Snake River chinook salmon from ongoing and future threats,
including hydropower operations, loss of habitat, overfishing and
hatchery practices that can harm returning adults," Schmitten said.

     Salmon populations throughout the Pacific Northwest are at very
low -- sometimes record-low -- levels.  In addition to the Snake River
chinook salmon, the fisheries service has listed Snake River sockeye
salmon and Sacramento River winter-run chinook salmon as endangered. 
The agency recently proposed listing the cutthroat trout from the
Umpqua River in southern Oregon as endangered.

     The fisheries service is also reviewing petitions to list as
endangered or threatened coho salmon and steelhead populations
throughout their West Coast range, and the pink, chinook and chum
salmon populations in Washington's Hood Canal and Puget Sound.

                                 #
NOAA 94-R151
Contact:  Jean Fitch
          301-713-2259
          8/17/94

HONOLULU SIXTH IN NATION'S FISHING PORTS FOR 1993

    Commercial fisherman landed $48.7 million worth of fish and 
shellfish at the port of Honolulu in 1993 -- making it the port with
the sixth highest dollar value of fish landings in the country, the
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced today.

     Using data from the Hawaii Division of Aquatic Resources,
officials at NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service said the value
of landings, primarily for high quality tuna, ranks Honolulu as one of
the top ten ports in value for the second year in a row.  The landings
of 18.9 million pounds ranked Honolulu at the 36th position in volume. 

  The top 10 leading U.S. ports in value of fish and shellfish for
1992 and 1993 are:

                               VALUE
                (figures are in millions of dollars)

PORT                           1992                1993

Dutch Harbor-Unalaska, AK      194.0*              161.2
New Bedford, MA                151.8               107.5
Kodiak, AK                      90.0                81.5
Empire-Venice, LA               58.7                52.3
Portland, ME                    43.6                49.1
Honolulu, HI                    45.8                48.7
Dulac-Chauvin, LA               52.8                48.0
Brownsville-Port Isabel, TX     54.9                46.6
Cape May-Wildwood, NJ           34.9                36.2
Point Judith, RI                36.6                35.2

* Current record for value
                                                           
                                    #

NOAA 94-R152
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-237
          8/26/94

$4.8 MILLION WETLAND PROJECT TO CREATE
3,700 ACRES OF LOUISIANA MARSHLANDS

     The Commerce Department and Louisiana's Department of Natural
Resources recently received $4.79 million to implement two wetland
restoration and creation projects that should produce more than 3,700
acres of marshlands near the mouth of Louisiana's Atchafalaya River,
Commerce's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced
today.
                 
     Administered by the Restoration Center of NOAA's National Marine
Fisheries Service in cooperation with Louisiana's Department of
Natural Resources, the Big Island Mining Restoration Project and the
Atchafalaya Sediment Delivery Project will create emergent wetlands
and improve natural sediment flow in the area during the project's 20-
year span.

     The Big Island Mining Restoration Project involves dredging a
six-foot-deep, 500-foot-wide channel through an 1,100-acre, man-made
island known as Big Island.  The dredged material from the channel
will be used to create 310 acres of emergent wetlands in the shape of
small delta islands, called lobes.  The channel will allow water and
sediment to flow around the delta lobes, creating natural marshes. 
The project site encompasses 2,500 acres of open water and the 1,100-
acre island that is bordered by 300 acres of fresh marsh.

     The creation of Big Island itself and past maintenance dredging
of a navigational channel have prevented natural marsh growth in the
western portion of the Atchafalaya Delta.  The project should
significantly increase delta area by immediately creating the emergent
wetlands and eventually generating 500 acres of mud flats and 1,200
acres of vegetated wetlands.  

     The Atchafalaya Sediment Delivery Project consists of re-opening
the Natal Channel and Radcliffe Pass river branches to establish
natural sediment flow to the eastern portion of the delta. 
Reestablishing sediment flow and creating 300 acres of emergent
wetlands from dredged material should form 1,900 acres of new wetlands
in the shallow waters of the delta.

     Deposits of dredged material have closed Natal Channel and
Radcliffe Pass and cut off the sediment supply to adjacent fresh
marshes and shallow delta areas.  As a result, delta growth slowed and
wetland loss has occurred.

     The entire Atchafalaya Delta provides valuable coastal wetland
habitat for ecologically and economically important plant and animal
species.  Commercially harvested fish and shellfish such as red and
black drum, menhaden, sand and sea trout, shrimp, and blue crab use
the delta as a source of shelter and food.  Louisiana waters
contributed 75 percent of the total Gulf of Mexico fishery catch in
1993, generating more than $262 million in dockside value.

     The projects are funded by the Coastal Wetlands Planning,
Protection and Restoration Act of 1990.  The Act provides funds to
reverse the long-term trend of wetland loss throughout the nation's
coastal zones.  The Act requires that restoration projects in
Louisiana be cost-shared on a 75 percent federal, 25 percent state
basis.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R153
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370                                  
          8/31/94

              BLUEFIN TUNA TEAM TO PRODUCE NEW MANAGEMENT PLAN

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has named a
team of experts to evaluate findings of a National Academy of Sciences
report that reevaluates past assessments of Atlantic bluefin tuna
stocks.
                 
     The team will make recommendations about policy and management
issues raised by the report, which will help establish the U.S.
position on bluefin tuna conservation measures in consultation with
U.S. delegates and the advisory committee to the International
Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tuna (ICCAT).  The NAS
report incorporates data compiled through 1992.

     The NAS review panel found that there is no evidence that bluefin
stocks have declined since 1988.  At the same time, however, the
review panel found that the Atlantic bluefin population is only about
20 percent of 1970s levels.  The review panel updated previous
assessments by revising some input data and including new estimates of
the rate of exchange between fisheries in the western and eastern
Atlantic.

     NAS's National Research Council concludes that there is
significant "interchange" of the highly migratory bluefin between the
Western Atlantic and those in the Eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
Sea.  Previously, fisheries service scientists had analyzed bluefin as
two separate units and had made management recommendations based on
this analysis.

     "We are committed to making management decisions based on the
best available scientific information, and we deeply appreciate the
thoroughness and thoughtfulness of this report," said Rolland A.
Schmitten, director of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service. 
"This report represents a significant step forward in determining the
status of this species and the management decisions we must make.  It
is encouraging that the Academy has found that the stocks appear to
have stabilized recently, but it's clear that bluefin stocks are only
a fraction of what they once were."

     Today's NAS report, while acknowledging that two separate
spawning areas exist, says that cross-migration or "interchange"
between fisheries in the Western and Eastern Atlantic is  significant
and should be taken into account in managing Atlantic bluefin tuna.

     The U.S. manages bluefin tuna under the Atlantic Tunas Convention
Act, and is obligated under ATCA and ICCAT to follow international
recommendations on quota levels, minimum sizes and gear restrictions.

     Schmitten added, "The study reflects our commitment to seek the
very best science for our policy and management decisions -- decisions
that are made in the long-term interest of the fish and fishermen by
allowing bluefin stocks to stabilize and remain available for
harvest."

     The NRC recommendation to include consideration of "mixing" in
the assessment of bluefin tuna implies that ICCAT member countries,
including the United States, should consider the management and
conservation of the species on an Atlantic-wide basis.  The fact that
the NRC's estimated bluefin population hasn't declined since 1988,
NOAA warns, doesn't necessarily mean that strict limits on catch from
the Western Atlantic should be abandoned.  According to Schmitten, the
team will carefully examine the issue of catch limits.

     In response to the NAS report, Schmitten has formed and is
chairing the task force that will immediately review and respond to
the NAS committee's conclusions and recommendations by developing a
plan of action by October 31.  According to Schmitten, the team will
work closely with ICCAT science committees, commissioners and advisory
committees, fishing industry groups, conservation organizations and
members and staff of Congress in producing the action plan.

     Task force members include Will Martin, deputy assistant
secretary of commerce for International Affairs; Nancy Foster, deputy
director of the National Marine Fisheries Service; Michael Sissenwine,
senior scientist of NMFS; Allen Peterson, acting Northeast regional
director of NMFS; Brad Brown, science director for the Southeast
Regional Center of NMFS; and Andy Kemmerer, Southeast regional
director of NMFS.

     NOAA will ask NAS to maintain the NRC review committee for at
least another year to work with the agency to help implement the NRC
recommendations and provide continuing peer review.

     The highly migratory Atlantic bluefin tuna is a long-lived fish
that can survive for more than 30 years.  Adults can grow up to 10
feet long and weigh more than 1,200 pounds.  The bluefin is a highly
prized commercial and recreational fish that typically is sold at
dockside prices that range from $12 to $15 per pound, and have reached
as high as $63 per pound.

                                #

NOAA 94-R154
CONTACT:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          9/1/94

     LONG BEACH'S SOUTHWEST FISHERIES OFFICE ANNOUNCES NEW DIRECTOR

      Diaz-Soltero, a senior official with the Department of
Interior's U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service for nearly six years, has been
named director of the Southwest regional office of the National Marine
Fisheries Service in Long Beach, Calif.  The fisheries service is part
of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration.
                 
     Diaz-Soltero, the first Hispanic to head one of the fisheries
service's nine major field installations, joins the fisheries service
from her post as the Fish and Wildlife Service's assistant deputy
regional director of fisheries and financial aid.  In this post she
was responsible for fishery resources management and control in
Midwest states, which includes management of fish hatcheries, fishery
resource stations, fish disease control, and supervision of the Great
Lakes coordination office.

     "I am very happy about Ms. Diaz-Soltero's joining our team," said
Rolland Schmitten, director of NOAA's fisheries service.  "Not only
has she demonstrated her dedication and management abilities in the
environmental arena, but is a leader in initiating and implementing
workplace diversity programs."

     In her former position with the Fish and Wildlife Service, Diaz-
Soltero oversaw a budget of $20 million and 170 employees.  While in
this position, she actively promoted workforce diversity, preparing a
report called Training, Recruitment, Retention and Development Plan
for Hispanic Minorities in the FWS Midwest Region.

     Previous posts Diaz-Soltero has held at the Fish and Wildlife
Service include deputy assistant regional director of ecological
services to field supervisor of the Caribbean field office. 

     In the private sector, Diaz-Soltero has served as the director of
conservation for Conservation International, as well as the director
of Caribbean, Ecuador and Paraguay country programs for the Nature
Conservancy.  She has also held several posts with the government of
Puerto Rico, including secretary of the Department of Natural
Resources.   
                 
     The Southwest region encompasses more than 1.5 million square
miles of federal waters from California to Hawaii, including waters
off Guam, the Northern Marianas, American Samoa, and U.S. possessions
in the Pacific.  

     The region is responsible for administering federal fishery
management plans and their fishing regulations, and managing programs
related to habitat conservation, marine mammals, and endangered
species, including salmon.  Additionally, the region is responsible
for managing international tuna and swordfish fisheries off the West
Coast and throughout the Pacific ocean. 

                                    #

NOAA 94-R155
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370
          9/6/94

            FEDERAL, STATE AGENCIES BEEF UP ENFORCEMENT; NMFS
            OFFERS REWARD TO STEM TURTLE STRANDINGS OFF TEXAS

     An increase in sea turtle strandings along the north Texas coast
has prompted the National Marine Fisheries Service to boost its
enforcement efforts in the Gulf of Mexico shrimp fishery and to offer
a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of
anyone violating federal regulations that protect sea turtles, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today.

     Both the U.S. Coast Guard and the Texas Parks and Wildlife
Department are contributing to the activity, which Andrew Kemmerer,
director of the fisheries service's Southeast regional office in St.
Petersburg, Fla., calls "the most concentrated enforcement effort in
the history of sea turtle conservation." 
                 
     "I don't know how we can make our intentions any clearer,"
Kemmerer said.  "This agency is not going to stand idly by while
threatened or endangered sea turtles wash up dead on Texas beaches."

     Shrimp fishermen from time to time capture turtles in their nets,
where the turtles can drown.  Turtle excluder devices, or TEDs, are
designed to shunt turtles safely out of shrimp nets.  

     The turtle-saving function of a TED can be defeated if it is
improperly installed, and in some instances, TEDs have been found
intentionally sewn shut.  According to fisheries service enforcement
officials, some fishermen sew their TEDs shut because they believe
TEDs cause them to lose shrimp.  Studies have repeatedly shown,
however, that a properly installed and operated TED will not release
shrimp.

     Weekly turtle strandings, which had risen to 55 the week the
shrimp season opened July 7, fell to the single digits the second and
third week of August.  But during the week ending Aug. 27, more than
20 turtles washed up dead on the Texas coast, most between Freeport
and Sabine Pass.  Since Aug. 28, more than a dozen additional sea
turtles have stranded, most of them in the same area.

     The fisheries service says its beefed-up enforcement effort with
the Coast Guard and Texas Parks and Wildlife began shortly after the
opening of the shrimp season and accounted for the initial fall in
turtle strandings.  Enforcement, however, returned to what Kemmerer
called a "normal complement" in mid-August.
                 
     "It seems to us there is a direct relationship between how tough
we get with enforcement and how low the number of stranded turtles
is," said Kemmerer.

     Kemmerer said the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department fully
supports the fisheries service's enforcement efforts and has made
three of its boats and several of its agents available.  In addition,
Kemmerer said, the department and the fisheries service will begin
immediately to develop an enforcement agreement and will cooperate in
developing a longer-term solution to the stranding problem.

     The U.S. Coast Guard, which has already made a substantial
commitment of boats, aircraft and personnel from its stations in
Sabine, Freeport, Galveston, Houston and Corpus Christi, said it was
prepared to augment fisheries service efforts with its own special
criminal investigative agents, if needed.

     Kemmerer said the agency was bringing in extra enforcement agents
from as far away as Alaska and that the effort would continue through-
out September, and longer if necessary.

     The shrimping season began July 7, following the opening of the
so-called Texas closure, an annual two-month suspension of shrimping
in Texas waters so that young shrimp can migrate from coastal inlets
to deeper water and grow to market size.

     During the height of the shrimp season, as many as 4,000 shrimp
vessels may be operating in the western Gulf of Mexico.

     All five species of sea turtles found off the U.S. coast are
listed as threatened or endangered and are protected by federal law.  

     Shrimp fishermen who fail to take the required steps to prevent
turtles from being caught or drowned in their nets run the risk of
civil fines up to $12,000 and having their catch seized under the
federal Endangered Species Act.
                 
     Fisheries service enforcement officials said that anyone who
furnishes information leading to an arrest, conviction, or forfeiture
of property of anyone who violates federal law protecting marine
turtles would be eligible for the reward of up to $10,000.  

                             #

NOAA 94-R156
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          9/9/94

            NMFS ESTABLISHES SEA TURTLE PROTECTION HOTLINE

     A toll-free hotline to report violations of federal laws
protecting endangered sea turtles is currently operating for the
entire Gulf of Mexico region and may lead to a reward of up to
$10,000, the National Marine Fisheries Service announced today.
                 
     Fisheries service officials created the 24-hour hotline as part
of an unprecedented effort to stem recent sea turtle deaths, known as
strandings, along the north Texas coast.  Four badly mutilated sea
turtles washed up in the area recently with flippers severed and
hatchet marks.  Officials said the hotline will complement a recent
boost in enforcement efforts there and should serve as a fisheries
enforcement tool throughout the entire Gulf region.

     Fisheries service enforcement officials said that anyone who
furnishes information leading to an arrest, conviction, or forfeiture
of property of anyone who violates federal law protecting marine sea
turtles would be eligible for a reward of up to $10,000.

     To furnish information concerning sea turtle protection
violations, dial 1-800-286-1116, and leave a telephone number for a
representative of the fisheries service enforcement office to return
the call.  If callers wish to remain anonymous, information will be
held in confidence. 

     Fisheries service officials request that those wanting more
information about sea turtle protection regulations or details
concerning fisheries regulations call the agency's southeast regional
office at (813) 570-5344.

                               #

NOAA 94-R157
Contact:  Brian Gorman 
          (301) 713-2370  
          9/12/94

            FEDERAL FISHERIES AGENCY TO UNDERTAKE EXHAUSTIVE
               REVIEW OF PACIFIC NORTHWEST SALMON STOCKS

     The most far-reaching study of fish stocks ever undertaken by a
federal agency begins this week as the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service starts
comprehensive status reviews of populations of pink, chum, sockeye and
chinook salmon and sea-run cutthroat trout in Washington, Oregon,
Idaho and California.

     Two other reviews -- of coho salmon and steelhead trout -- are
already underway.  The five reviews announced today are scheduled for
completion between June 1995 and April 1996.

     Initiation of these comprehensive status reviews reflects the
growing concern about Pacific Coast salmon and sea-going trout, whose
numbers have been dwindling over the past century -- the result of a
wide variety of human-caused factors and, more recently, a years-long
drought in the usually wet Pacific Northwest.

     "These status reviews reflect a new way of doing business," said
William Stelle, director of the fisheries service's Northwest regional
office in Seattle.  "A one-stock-at-a-time, piecemeal approach will
never paint an accurate picture of the 
condition of these fish."

     Stelle said the "big-picture" approach stems in part from the
several petitions the fisheries service has received, mostly from
environmental groups, asking the agency to list stocks under the
Endangered Species Act.  Reviewing the status of petitioned stocks on
an individual basis, according to Stelle, invariably requires the
agency to look at adjacent populations as well to obtain an accurate
portrayal of the condition or "health" of the petitioned stocks.

     The reviews will focus on two key questions:  does a particular
fish population constitute a separate species under the Endangered
Species Act and, if so, is the population so fragile that it should be
listed as "threatened" or "endangered?"

     The Endangered Species Act, a federal law passed in 1973 to
conserve various species of fish, wildlife and plants facing
extinction, defines species to include subspecies and distinct
populations.  If a stock of fish qualifies as a distinct population,
it may be listed, even if the species is abundant elsewhere.

     The overall decline in West Coast salmon and trout stocks makes
it likely the fisheries service will be petitioned to examine most, if
not all, of the stocks announced today within the next year or two.

     When salmon species are listed under the Endangered Species Act,
other federal agencies have to consult with the fisheries service to
ensure their actions will neither jeopardize the species' continued
existence nor destroy or adversely modify its habitat.

     The two reviews already in progress grew out of petitions filed
for coho salmon in 1993 and for steelhead in 1992.  The fisheries
agency is expected to make an announcement about whether it will
propose listing coastal Oregon coho salmon north of Cape Blanco to the
Columbia River and steelhead from Cape Blanco south to California's
Klamath River by the end of the month.  Results of the comprehensive
reviews for both species will be announced in the next five months.

     Earlier this year, the fisheries service reclassified two
populations of Snake River chinook from threatened to the more fragile
endangered.

     The schedule for completion of the reviews, both those in
progress and those announced today, is as follows:  coho salmon (Oct.
20, 1994), steelhead (Feb. 16, 1995), pink salmon (June 1, 1995), chum
salmon (July 15, 1995), sockeye salmon (Sept. 1, 1995), chinook salmon
(Dec. 15, 1995) and sea-run cutthroat trout (Apr. 1, 1996).  

     The fisheries service is soliciting comments about these reviews. 
Comments and any related information can be submitted up to 60 days
before the date the review is scheduled to be completed.  Comments can
be sent to the National Marine Fisheries Service Northwest Region,
Environmental and Technical Services Division, 525 N. Oregon Street,
Suite 500, Portland OR 97232.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R159
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          9/22/94

             NOAA REMOVES CONTROL DATE ON ATLANTIC MACKEREL;
               MAKES FISHERY MORE ATTRACTIVE TO FISHERMEN

     Due to the abundance of Atlantic mackerel in the Northeast and
Mid-Atlantic coastal waters, the Commerce Department's National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will lift a management
condition Tuesday, called a control date, that could have discouraged
vessels from entering the fishery that were not historic participants
before August 13, 1992.
     
     Lifting the control date may encourage many fishermen who have
been hit hard by the collapse of groundfish and other East Coast high
value stocks to re-rig their vessels to catch Atlantic mackerel.

     "This is an example of how we're trying to address the fishing
crisis in the Northeast," said Rollie Schmitten, head of the National
Marine Fisheries Service.  "We are working with fishermen to identify
ways in which they can sustain their livelihood, but not contribute to
further depletion of overfished stocks.  By encouraging
diversification into Atlantic mackerel, we are helping to reach this
goal in a positive manner."

     During 1992, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council
recommended to the fisheries service that measures to control possible
overfishing and overcapitalization in the Atlantic mackerel fishery
might be necessary in the future.  The council, through the fisheries
service, established a control date -- or cutoff date -- that could
have been used to exclude fishermen not in the fishery before that
date.  A limited access measure using the control date had not been
triggered in the Atlantic mackerel fishery.

     The council and fisheries service officials were presented data
recently that indicate that Atlantic mackerel catch and fishing effort
decreased in 1993 and 1994, while stock levels remained constant, and
that mackerel stocks look healthy into the near future.

     Fisheries service officials believe that many vessels from the
New England and Mid-Atlantic areas may enter the Atlantic mackerel
fishery if viable markets can be developed.

     According to fisheries service statistics, 10.3 million pounds of
Atlantic mackerel valued at $1.3 million were landed at East Coast
ports during 1993.  Those figures are down from the 1992 catch of 26
million pounds, valued at $3.7 million.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R160
CONTACT:  Hal Alabaster 
          (206) 526-6046
          Brian Gorman 
          (301) 713-2370
          (202) 667-2324 (H)
          9/23/94

                   MID-COLUMBIA SUMMER CHINOOK DON'T
                 NEED ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT PROTECTION
 
     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said today it
will not list mid-Columbia River summer chinook salmon as threatened
or endangered under the Endangered Species Act.
However, mid-Columbia chinook should benefit from actions taken to
protect listed Snake River salmon in the same area, through increased
water flows and ocean harvest restrictions.

     NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service has concluded that the
fish is part of a larger group that includes all late-run (summer and
fall) Columbia River chinook from the main stem Columbia River, which
is not currently listed under the Endangered Species Act.
                 
     The fisheries service was asked last year by environmental groups
to list the mid-Columbia River summer chinook salmon and to designate
critical habitat for the fish under the Endangered Species Act.

     Will Stelle, director of the fisheries service's Northwest
regional office in Seattle, cautioned, however, that the late-run
chinook stocks are far from robust.

     "Even though the mid-Columbia late-run is not at significant risk
of extinction or endangerment, the run sizes are not as strong as they
were in the mid 1970's," Stelle said.  "This may indicate problems
with habitat, dam passage, harvest rates or hatchery practices."

     He added that the fisheries service will continue to work with
the Tribes, state managers and other federal agencies to protect all
stocks in the region.

     The fisheries service has previously listed Snake River
spring/summer chinook, Snake River fall chinook, Snake River sockeye
and Sacramento River winter-run chinook.  The agency recently proposed
listing cutthroat trout from the Umpqua River in southern Oregon as
endangered.

     Earlier this year, the fisheries service reclassified two
populations of Snake River chinook from threatened to the more fragile
endangered.  

     Last week the fisheries service announced it was beginning the
most far-reaching study of fish stocks ever undertaken by a federal
agency with comprehensive status reviews of populations of pink, chum,
sockeye and chinook salmon and sea-run cutthroat trout in Washington,
Oregon, Idaho and California.

     There has been growing concern recently about Pacific Coast
salmon and sea-going trout, whose numbers have been dwindling over the
past century -- the result of a wide variety of human-caused factors
and, more recently, a many-year drought and the effects of El Nino
ocean conditions in the region.

     The Endangered Species Act, a federal law passed in 1973 to
conserve various species of fish, wildlife and plants facing
extinction, defines species to include subspecies and distinct
populations.  If a stock of fish qualifies as a distinct population,
it may be listed, even if the species is abundant elsewhere.

     When a salmon species is listed under the Endangered Species Act,
other federal agencies have to consult with the fisheries service to
ensure their actions will neither jeopardize the species' continued
existence nor destroy or adversely modify its habitat.

                               #

NOAA 94-R161
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370
          Hal Alabaster (Seattle)
          (206) 526-6046
          9/26/94

       FEDERAL TASK FORCE NAMED TO DEAL WITH SEA LION-STEELHEAD
                CONFLICT AT WASHINGTON'S BALLARD LOCKS 

     A task force has been named to make recommendations for removing
sea lions -- including the possibility of humanely killing a small
number of them -- that have for almost 10 years been preying on
steelhead at Seattle's Ballard Locks on Lake Washington, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today.

     The 21-person task force is made up of scientists knowledgeable
about sea lions, and representatives of conservation organizations,
the fishing community, the state, Indian tribes and NOAA.
  
     The first public meeting of the task force will be Sept. 30 at
10:00 a.m. in the auditorium, Building 9, at NOAA's Western Regional
Center, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E. in Seattle.

     All meetings will be open to the public, although the public will
not be allowed to discuss or debate issues with the task force.  At
the first meeting, however, the fisheries service intends to allow the
public a limited amount of time to provide relevant information that
may assist the task force in its deliberations.  Future meetings of
the task force will be announced by NOAA after the Sept. 30 meeting.

     Last July, Washington state's Department of Fish and Wildlife
asked NOAA to look into setting up such a task force, a move made
possible by changes to the Marine Mammal Protection Act earlier this
year.

     Washington state's request for action from NOAA came after years
of attempts by NOAA and the state to deal with the sea lions through a
variety of methods, including relocating them, attempting to divert
them with nets, and trying to frighten them away with firecrackers,
rubber-tipped arrows and underwater noises.

     The Lake Washington steelhead population has been steadily
dwindling in recent years, primarily because of sea lion predation. 
The Department of Fish and Wildlife estimates that sea lions are
eating over half the returning steelhead.  Wild returns of steelhead
have gone from about 2,500 fish in the mid-1980s to only 70 last
season.

     Because of federal protection, the California sea lion
population, in contrast to the steelhead trout's, is robust, with more
than 100,000 individuals along the West Coast.  Scientists with NOAA's
National Marine Fisheries Service believe the marine mammal's popula-
tion has been growing at a rate of about 10 percent per year since the
early 1970's.

     Every year, starting around mid-December, about 30-50 sea lions
gather in the area of the locks, which facilitate ship passage from
Puget Sound into Lake Washington, and begin to prey on returning
steelhead.  The state says that most of the predation can be
attributed to only three to six animals.

     The task force will meet over the next 60 days to review
information and public comments, and make its recommendation to NOAA's
National Marine Fisheries Service on whether or not to approve the
state's request to kill the offending sea lions.  The task force must
also suggest non-lethal alternatives, if it believes they are
practical.

     The fisheries service will have 30 days after it gets the task
force's recommendations to make a final decision on Washington's July
request. 

     The fisheries service is responsible for the protection of sea
lions under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, and the agency has been
asked to list the steelhead trout as "threatened" under the Endangered
Species Act.

                               #

NOAA 94-R162
CONTACT:  Brian Gorman  
          (301) 713-2370
          9/29/94

                     NOAA SEEKS GUIDANCE ON TUNA,
                 SHARK MANAGEMENT AT PUBLIC MEETINGS

     The public will have an opportunity to comment on Atlantic tuna
and shark resource management issues at a series of meetings the
National Marine Fisheries Service will hold in October, the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today. 
                 
     The meetings will be held in ll states along the East Coast and
Gulf of Mexico.  Each will combine a public hearing on a draft
environmental impact statement for Atlantic bluefin tuna with a
scoping meeting to receive public comments on management issues and
options for Atlantic sharks and the skipjack, bluefin, yellowfin and
bigeye tuna species.
  
     Officials from the fisheries service said they will collect and
consider all public comments when drafting proposed rules on these
issues.

     An Atlantic shark management plan, put in place by the fisheries
service last year, calls for quotas for Atlantic large coastal sharks
to increase in 1995.  However, according to fisheries service
scientists, recent stock assessments of Atlantic sharks show little
evidence that the populations of the fish are improving and the agency
is proposing to maintain current quotas for large coastal sharks
rather than raise them as initially planned.

      Also proposed for new management measures are yellowfin, bigeye
and skipjack tunas, including how catches are reported, minimum fish
size, and limits on overall catch.

     Issues for bluefin tuna include how a harpoon vessel is defined,
a moratorium on new permits for commercial gear, and other related
topics. 
                 
     The public will also be given the opportunity to comment on a
draft environmental impact statement for bluefin tuna.  The draft
examines various quota alternatives and will serve as background
information for proposed 1995 rule discussions.  Copies of the draft
can be requested from John D. Kelly at (301) 713-2347 or by fax at
(301) 713-0596.

     Each meeting is scheduled from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., with the
first hour for discussion on the Atlantic shark fishery and the second
hour for non-bluefin tuna management.  The remainder of each evening
will be devoted to bluefin tuna issues.

     To submit comments in writing, send them to Richard H. Schaefer,
Director, Office of Fisheries Conservation and Management (F/CM),
National Marine Fisheries Service, 1315 East-West Highway, Silver
Spring, MD 20910.  Envelopes need to be clearly marked "Atlantic Tuna
Comments" or "Shark Comments," or both.

     The public meetings are scheduled as follows:

October 3, 1994                                  October 4, 1994

Jordan Seafood Restaurant                        Plymouth High School
700 Main Street                                  Obery Street
South Portland, Me.                              Plymouth, Mass.

San Luis Hotel and                               World Trade Center Building
  Conference Center                              Suite 1830, Crescent City Room
5222 Seawall Blvd.                               2 Canal Street
Galveston, Texas                                 New Orleans, La.

Palm Beach Community College                     North Carolina State Aquarium
Allied Health Lecture Hall                       Airport Road
Room 101                                         Manteo, N.C.
4200 Congress Ave.
Lake Worth, Fla.

October 5, 1994                                  October 6, 1994

Suffolk Community College                        Holiday Inn
533 College Road                                 290 Rt. 37 East
Selden, N.Y.                                     Tom's River, N.J.

October 5, 1994                                  October 6, 1994

NMFS Panama City Lab                             Madeira Beach City Hall
3500 Delwood Beach Rd.                           300 Municipal Dr.
Panama City, Fla.                                Madeira Beach, Fla.

South Carolina Wildlife and                      Lake Wright Resort and 
  Marine Resources Dept.                         Convention Center
217 Fort Johnson Rd.                             6280 Northampton Blvd.
Charleston, S.C.                                 Norfolk, Va.

October 12, 1994                                 October 13, 1994

Administration                                   Auditorium
1305 East-West Highway                           900 Boyleston St.
Building 4 Auditorium                            Boston, Mass.
Silver Spring, Md.
                 
                                       #

NOAA 94R-163
Contact:  Scott Smullen
          (301) 713-2370
          10/2/94

                DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ANNOUNCES 
             NEW FISHERIES LAB FOR SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.
   AND $2 MILLION PROGRAM FOR NEWPORT, ORE., MARINE SCIENCE CENTER

     Deputy Secretary of Commerce David J. Barram today announced that
the Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will
move its federal fisheries laboratory from Tiburon, Calif., to Santa
Cruz, and will allocate $2 million for an expansion of federal
fisheries research at the Marine Science Center in Newport, Ore. 
Barram made the announcement at the second anniversary celebration of
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.  Barram was joined in the
celebration ceremony by Rep. Sam Farr and other dignitaries.
     NOAA will spend $1.5 million for the planning and design of a new
NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service laboratory to be co-located
with the Long Marine Laboratory at the University of California at
Santa Cruz.  NMFS scientists currently conduct research on Pacific
coast groundfish and salmon stocks in a pre-World War II facility in
Tiburon that has become increasingly expensive to maintain and repair.

     "Moving the agency's research activities and staff to Santa Cruz
will provide an important and integral part in a center of marine
science excellence there," Barram said.  "We believe that
collaborative efforts between the federal laboratory and the Long
Marine Laboratory could lead to expanded research activities in the
Monterey Bay area and the Pacific coast."

     The laboratory relocation follows a research group's finding that
moving the Tiburon laboratory would cost taxpayers less than
renovating the late 1930's facility and maintaining operations there.

     When complete, the Santa Cruz facility will have a staff of more
than two dozen biologists and other scientists.  Officials expect the
facility to be completed in 1997 at an anticipated cost of nearly $15
million.

     The expanded operation at the Marine Science Center in Newport
will focus on the study and management of Pacific coast groundfish. 
The program will be developed and implemented by the NMFS Northwest
Science Center to provide additional support to the Pacific Fishery
Management Council.

     The Tiburon laboratory staff conduct studies of environmental
factors that affect the health, growth and reproduction of Pacific
coast groundfish stocks and Klamath and Sacramento river salmon, and
perform stock assessments of these fisheries to help manage West Coast
fishery resources.

                                  #

NOAA 94-R202  
Contact: Barry Reichenbaugh 
         (301) 713-0622                  
         1/13/94

       MCLEAN RESIDENT RECEIVES NOAA GENERAL COUNSEL AWARD

     John A. Milholland, a resident of McLean, Va., received the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's General Counsel
Award for Outstanding Achievements for his legal efforts supporting
the National Weather Service's $4.2 billion modernization program.  
                  
     Milholland is legal counsel for the weather service and two other
divisions of the Commerce Department's National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration.  The award was presented at a recent
ceremony at the Department of Commerce in Washington, D.C. 

     Milholland was commended for managing legal issues involved in
relocating several National Weather Service forecast offices.  His
legal expertise contributed to the opening of new weather forecast
facilities in Boston, New York and Los Angeles.  State-of-the-art
radar equipment in these new offices is demonstrating significant
improvements in detecting severe weather, and protecting lives and
property in some of the most populous areas of the country.            
                                 
     Milholland received his bachelor's degree from Williams College,
Mass., in 1963.  He earned his law degree from the Columbia University
School of Law in 1966.  In 1974 he received a master's degree from the
University of Washington.
                                                
     NOAA's General Counsel Award for Outstanding Achievements
recognizes employees who have made significant contributions to
NOAA/GC programs and demonstrated exceptional and sustained effort
toward accomplishment of NOAA/GC goals.

                                  #

NOAA 94-R205
CONTACT: Frank Lepore
         301-713-0622                      
         Larry E. Burch                     
         801-524-4000
         2/10/94

          FEDERAL COURT CLEARS WEATHER RADAR AT OJAI, CALIF.

     The National Weather Service has won a major legal victory in its
continuing effort to bring the latest weather forecasting technology
to southern California.

     Judge Terry Hatter, of the U.S. District Court for the Central
District of California, has denied an injunction requested by
residents of Ojai, Calif., to stop activation of the WSR-88D Doppler
weather radar forecasting system atop Sulphur Mountain.

     "The recent mud slides in Malibu and the southern California
brush fires last year are perilous reminders of the need for the
weather service to have every available tool at our disposal to aid in
saving lives and property," said Thomas Potter, director of the
weather service's western region.

     A group of residents had filed suit alleging they were not
adequately notified by the weather service of plans to erect the radar
and claimed the federal government had not fully complied with
National Environmental Policy Act requirements.  Residents have also
raised concerns about safety regarding the new weather service radar. 

     "There is some confusion in the community about the health
effects of the radar's emission," said Potter.  "Independent experts
have confirmed that signals emitted from the radar will not have any
detrimental effects on the health of the population."

     The weather service developed an environmental impact statement
in 1984 which concluded that the energy transmitted by the WSR-88D
would not cause adverse effects on even the most susceptible
populations -- the elderly, the very young, and pregnant women.  This
was confirmed in 1993 after an exhaustive search of scientific
literature published between 1984 and 1993.

     Safety standards for human exposure to radio frequency radiation
have been adapted by two independent professional organizations, the
American National Standards Institute and the Institute of Electrical
and Electronics Engineers.  These standards set maximum exposure
limits fifty fold below levels that could cause biological harm. 
Based upon measurements conducted by the weather service at other WSR-
88D sites, a person standing at an operating WSR-88D radar tower would
receive 2,000 times less radiation than the maximum safe level in the
standard of the two groups. 

     Potter noted that the Sulphur Mountain radar has been the subject
of extensive public attention and research, beginning with the
preliminary survey of the site in 1986. 

     After the weather service consulted with the California Fish and
Game Department, a site-specific Finding of No Significant Impact was
issued for construction of the radar on Sulphur Mountain.  The finding
was sent to two California state clearinghouses for review by
departments within the state.  No comments were received, Potter said.

     Potter added that the Ventura County Board of Supervisors was
briefed in April 1992.  A ground breaking ceremony for the Weather
Forecast Office in Oxnard, Calif., Sept. 11, 1993, was attended by
U.S. Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Calif., drawing media attention.  A public
hearing was also held in Oxnard, Calif., on 
Dec. 16, 1993. 

     The radars are a major part of the NWS Modernization and
Associated Restructuring.  Potter noted that 65 of the weather service
radars there have been installed around the country to date.  

     The National Weather Service, Defense Department and the Federal
Aviation Administration will operate 150 of the radars to provide
mutual coverage over the country.  The radars acquire, process and
distribute high resolution data needed to warn the public about flash
flood conditions, heavy rains that produce mud slides, Santa Ana wind
storms that spread wild fires, severe thunderstorms, and
meteorological phenomena used in water management.

                                    #

NOAA 94-R206
     1/10/94, 5:15 p.m.

           PRESS ADVISORY FROM THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE

                WINTER WEATHER TO GRIP THE UNITED STATES

     The National Weather Service announces that snow, sleet and ice
are expected to blanket one-third of the country in the next two days.

                 ROCKIES:  Major snow accumulations are forecasted for the
                 next 24-36 hours.

                 MIDWEST:  A developing snow event in the Great Plains could
                 affect the Midwest in the next 24-48 hours.

                 TEXAS THROUGH THE NORTHEAST:  A major winter storm is
                 expected to produce snow, sleet and freezing rain from Texas
                 through the Northeast from now through the next 48 hours. 
                 This comes on the heels of the storm just clearing through
                 the Northeast.

     Meteorologists from the National Weather Service's National
Meteorological Center in Camp Springs, Md., will be available for more
background information, interview or photo op.  

Contacts at the National Meteorological Center:  

Senior Duty Meteorologist                        (301) 763-8298
Senior Branch Forecaster                         (301) 763-8201

     The National Meteorological Center is located at 5200 Auth Road
in Camp Springs, Md. (I-495 exit 7B at Branch Ave., North)

                               #

NOAA 94-R207 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh 
          (301) 713-0622                                 
          Curtis Barrett
          (301) 713-0130
          2/17/94

             NOAA'S RIVER FORECAST SYSTEM OFFERS HELP 
                   TO WATER MANAGERS IN EGYPT 

     New technology used by the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration to more accurately forecast the flow of
rivers will be a boon to drought and flood prone countries that need
to better manage their water resources, the agency said today.

     The technology has already had measurable success, with the
accurate prediction of the flow of Egypt's Nile River, NOAA scientists
said.

     The first three-month forecast of the Nile River flow issued in
July 1993 was near perfect, said Curtis Barrett, manager of
international technology transfer for the NOAA National Weather
Service's Office of Hydrology.  

     "The Nile Project is proving that we can offer countries the
opportunity to better manage their water resources by forecasting
river flow months in advance," said Barrett.  "This new technology
could help many countries facing frequent shortages of water to
support their populations." 

     Water scarcity is increasing rapidly with a growing world
population, urbanization and economic growth.  According to the World
Bank, 26 countries in Asia and Africa, with 232 million people, are
categorized as "water scarce."  Many more suffer periodic droughts.

     The water resources forecasting system at work on the Nile
combines weather data gathered by a European Space Agency satellite,
with records of past rainfall and flooding, into complex formulas that
calculate long-range prospects for levels of river flow.

     The Nile Project is funded by the U.S. Agency for International
Development in partnership with the United Nations
Food and Agriculture Organization and the Egyptian Ministry of Public
Works and Water Resources.  Managing the project is the NOAA/NWS
Hydrology Office, which operates 13 river basin forecast centers in
the United States.  NOAA is the contractor responsible for developing
the technology and training the Egyptian engineers who operate the
forecast center in Cairo.

                                  #

NOAA 94-R213
CONTACT:  Bob Chartuk
          (516) 244-0166                  
          3/24/94
         
      NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ACCEPTS NEW DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR

     A new Doppler weather radar that will help protect eastern
North Carolina residents and business by providing accurate and
timely information on hurricanes, tornadoes and other severe weather
has been officially accepted by the National Weather Service from its
radar contractor, Paramax. 

     The milestone announcement comes at the 10th anniversary of
the March 28, 1984, outbreak of the most destructive tornadoes to
ever hit the Carolinas.  In a three-hour period that day, violent
thunderstorms swept into the coastal plain and spawned 12 tornadoes
that claimed 42 lives and caused massive property damage.

     "With the new Doppler radar, forecasters will be able to
generate specific information about these types of violent
thunderstorms, such as their size, speed, and direction of travel,"
explained Steve Harned, meteorologist in charge of the Raleigh weather
office.  "With this type of information from the new radar, we can
issue severe storm and tornado warnings with much more lead time and
accuracy than ever before."
 
    The Doppler radar, located near Clayton, and a new weather
forecast office on the campus of North Carolina State University
are part of a network of 116 similar facilities being constructed
nationwide through the weather service's $4.4 billion
modernization and restructuring program.  A new Doppler radar at
Columbia, S.C., has also been recently accepted from Paramax, and will
become a key part of the coverage network for the Carolinas.

     "As we move toward the 21st century, forecasters are being
armed with state-of-the-art radars, automated observing systems,
and high-tech computer and communications equipment," Harned said. 
"We are taking advantage of the latest technology to provide the best
possible weather services to the public."

     The Raleigh office, which employs two dozen scientists and
will contribute about $1.5 million into the local economy each
year, will serve almost three million people in North Carolina's
Piedmont and coastal plains.  The office, located in Research
Building #3 on the NCSU's Centennial Campus, will also provide
excellent collaborative research opportunities with the university,
Harned said.

     Ten years ago, violent tornadoes in eastern North Carolina
were spawned by intense, long-lived thunderstorms possessing a
rotating updraft of air called a mesocyclone.  Meteorologists now
classify such storms as "supercells," the most organized and
dangerous kind of thunderstorm.  It is the supercell thunderstorm
that generates the largest and most violent tornadoes.

     The internal workings of a supercell thunderstorm are often
hidden from conventional radar detection, especially in the
southeast, by heavy amounts of rain and hail.  This was the case
with the March 1984 outbreak.  With the new Doppler radar,
however, the internal workings of such storms are revealed and usually
detected in the initial phases of the storm.  This enables
forecasters, for the first time ever, to issue tornado watches and
warnings before the tornadoes have even formed.
    
     Along with researchers at NCSU, the National Weather Service is
studying supercells in the southeast to find ways to better protect
the public.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R214
CONTACT:  Bernie Palmer
          803-765-5501                     
          3/24/94
         
  NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ACCEPTS NEW DOPPLER WEATHER RADAR

     A new Doppler weather radar that will help protect South
Carolina residents and businesses by providing accurate and timely
information on hurricanes, tornadoes and other severe weather has been
officially accepted by the National Weather Service from its radar
contractor, Paramax. 

     The milestone announcement comes at the 10th anniversary of
the March 28, 1984, outbreak of the most destructive tornadoes to
ever hit the Carolinas.  That day, violent thunderstorms swept
northeast through South Carolina, spawning 10 tornadoes that
claimed 17 lives and caused massive property damage.

     Bernie Palmer, meteorologist in charge of the weather
service's Columbia office, explained, "The new Doppler radar will
enable forecasters to generate specific information about these
types of violent thunderstorms such as their size, speed, and
direction of travel.  With this type of information from the new
radar, we can issue severe storm and tornado warnings with much
more lead time and accuracy than ever before."

     The Doppler radar and a newly renovated forecast office, both
located at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, are part of a network of
116 similar facilities being constructed nationwide
through the weather service's $4.4 billion modernization and
restructuring program.  A new Doppler radar in Raleigh, N.C., has also
been recently accepted from Paramax, and will become a key part of the
coverage network for the Carolinas.

     "As we move toward the 21st century, forecasters are being
armed with state-of-the-art radars, automated observing systems,
and high-tech computer and communications equipment," Palmer said. 
"We are taking advantage of the latest technology to provide the best
possible weather services to the public."

     The Columbia office, which employs two dozen weather
specialists and will contribute about $1.5 million into the local
economy each year, will serve much of central South Carolina and a
part of east-central Georgia, including Augusta.

     Ten years ago, violent tornadoes in South Carolina were
spawned by intense, long-lived thunderstorms possessing a rotating
updraft of air called a mesocyclone.  Meteorologists now classify such
storms as "supercells," the most organized and dangerous kind of
thunderstorm.  It is the supercell thunderstorm that generates the
largest and most violent tornadoes.

     The internal workings of a supercell thunderstorm are often
hidden from conventional radar detection, especially in the
southeast, by heavy amounts of rain and hail.  This was the case
with the March 1984 outbreak.  With the new Doppler radar,
however, the internal workings of such storms are revealed and usually
detected in the initial phases of the storm.  This enables
forecasters, for the first time ever, to issue tornado watches and
warnings before the tornadoes have even formed.  Map backgrounds on
the radar screen and pre-written computer language enable forecasters
to automatically issue warnings for specific areas.  

                               #

NOAA 94-R216
Contact:  Tony Haffer
          (602) 379-4607     
          4/27/94

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COMMISSIONS NEXT GENERATION RADAR IN PHOENIX

     As part of the National Weather Service's continuing effort to
upgrade the quality of weather forecasts, the Phoenix Weather
Surveillance Radar, a 1988 Doppler (WSR-88D), will be commissioned
today.  

     Commissioning marks the final acceptance of the radar by the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the weather service's
parent agency, and denotes the time at which it becomes the official
network radar for a given area.  The Phoenix WSR-88D is the first to
be commissioned in the Western Region of the National Weather Service,
and the seventh to be commissioned nationwide.

     "This new radar allows us to better predict the timing and
intensity of severe weather by actually looking inside the clouds,"
said Jim Campbell, deputy director of the NWS Western Region.  "This
is a huge step forward for the Western Region, much of which has not
been covered by any kind of weather radar detection system in the
past."

     The Phoenix radar has been in operation since March 25, 1993,
providing invaluable data to local forecasters at the Phoenix Weather
Service Forecast Office and at Luke Air Force Base.  "The new Doppler
radar has allowed us to pinpoint areas of heavy rain and track
developing windstorms," said Anton Haffer, National Weather Service
area manager for Arizona.  "We're particularly pleased with the
radar's abilities to help us be more specific regarding sites that
might be affected by flash floods and strong winds."

     In addition to providing more detailed information than
conventional NWS radars on the strength of storms, Doppler technology
allows the WSR-88D to detect wind patterns within the storms.  This
combination allows forecasters to completely examine thunderstorms to
determine their ability to produce heavy rain, strong winds, large
hail, or tornadoes.

     By late 1996, the entire network of approximately 160 WSR-88Ds
will be installed and commissioned.  Once installed, this network will
constitute the cornerstone of National Weather Service  modernization. 
The weather service will operate 117 WSR-88Ds, four of which will be
located in Arizona (Yuma, Flagstaff and Tucson are scheduled to
receive radars during 1995).  The other WSR-88Ds will be operated by
the Department of Defense or the Federal Aviation Administration.

                                     #

NOAA 94-R-217
Contact:  Richard H. Elder
          Meteorologist in Charge    
          316-269-6399
          5/14/94

        WICHITA WEATHER SERVICE HOSTS RADAR COMMISSIONING CEREMONY

     WICHITA, Ks. - Representatives of city, county, state, and
federal government will gather at the Wichita National Weather Service
Office today to celebrate a new age of weather technology and improved
safety for Kansas residents.  Congratulatory speeches and a public
open house will mark the April 20 commissioning of the Weather
Service's new WSR-88D weather radar, located next door to Wichita's
Mid-Continent Airport.

     Kansas' 4th District Representative Dan Glickman will be the
keynote speaker among an entourage of officials representing Wichita-
Sedgwick County Emergency Management, Kansas Aviation, and the Weather
Service.  Richard H. Elder, meteorologist in charge of the Wichita
Weather Service Office, said Glickman and other supporters of the
multi-billion dollar Weather Service modernization program deserved
much of the credit for his office being able to take a step into the
21st Century.

     "The National Weather Service has been involved in this
modernization for a number of years," Elder said. "We've encountered
our share of critics and naysayers, but we've also had tremendous
Congressional support from people like Dan Glickman that has enabled
us to proceed.

     "The modernization program is something we have to complete to
keep providing protection for the public from severe weather. When we
commissioned our WSR-88D on April 20, we took a giant step toward
accomplishing that goal. The forecast staff here has been using the
88D in a test and experimental mode since September 1992, and it has
worked extremely well. The staff has become proficient in its
operation and in interpreting data from it and we are proud that the
88D will let us do an even better job than we have in the past."

     Elder said Weather Service offices in Kansas have played a major
role in the agency's modernization program for obvious reasons. "As
residents of Wichita, Andover, and Hesston are well aware, Kansas is
known for its unpredictable and destructive weather," Elder said. "The
staff at this office has always maintained an excellent record of
providing early warning of tornadoes and other severe weather. With
the WSR-88D, warnings can come much earlier than in the past and storm
locations can be pinpointed with much greater accuracy.

     "The first WSR-88D commissionings are occurring in Kansas and
other states in the heart of tornado alley. The radars -- and also the
people operating them -- have performed nearly flawlessly in providing
better protection from severe weather. And they have improved lead
times for severe weather and tornado warnings at all offices where
they are in operation, providing critical minutes for people to
protect themselves and their property. Implementation of the new
technology allows us to do an even better job of accomplishing our
agency's mission:  to better protect the public from the ravages of
weather."

     Elder noted that the Dodge City WSR-88D was commissioned in early
April and that Topeka and Goodland NWS offices would commission their
WSR-88Ds by the end of the year. The Weather Service continues to
install WSR-88Ds at designated locations around the country and we now
has more than 50 in operation. By the end of the decade, according to
Elder, 150 WSR-88Ds will have been installed under a nationwide effort
by the U.S. Departments of Commerce, the Department of Defense, and
the Department of Transportation.

     The WSR-88D radar uses the Doppler principal to allow National
Weather Service forecasters to "see inside" storm systems to detect
the early stages of tornado formation, gust fronts, and downbursts,
the deadly bane of aviation. The radar also provides accurate
estimates of rainfall during a storm and allows for greatly improved
prediction of a storm's path.

     "We have been very fortunate in this area that the massive
tornadoes that hit Hesston and Andover caused no more loss of life
than they did," Elder said. "With this radar, we will be able to
provide warnings faster and improve the margin of safety. Our goal is
to reduce the severe weather casualty total to zero. The WSR-88D will
help us in that quest."

     The National Weather Service is an agency of the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration, which operates under the aegis of the
U.S. Department of Commerce.

                                    #

NOAA 94-R236 
Contact:  Kimberly Comba
          (301) 713-0622
          6/1/94

            NOAA FORECASTS WEATHER FOR WORLD CUP GAMES

     As the World Cup games head into the final round of play, more
than 7,000 soccer fans around the world are using computers linked to
the Internet to get the latest weather forecasts for the U.S. cities
hosting the quadrennial tournament.  
                 
     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National
Weather Service is making forecasts for the remaining World Cup cities
available on Internet via the NOAA Network Information Center.
                 
     The NWS has been transmitting forecasts to the international
community since June 1, and will continue to do so until the final
game on July 17.  The forecasts have been available in Spanish since
June 14.

     "We are fulfilling our duty to provide free and open information
to the world," said Elbert W. Friday Jr., director of the National
Weather Service.

     The service is titled "World Cup USA 94 Weather" and can be
obtained at the following Internet address: 

                 http://hpcc1.hpcc.noaa.gov/worldc/mainworl.html

     The World Cup quarterfinals are set for stadiums in Pasadena,
Calif. (San Francisco), and East Rutherford, N.J. (New York City).

                                  #

NOAA 94-R237
CONTACT: Susan Hubbard
         301-763-8181                
         Frank Lepore
         301-713-0622
         7/21/94                 
                                                         
           DR. JOHN B. HOVERMALE, WEATHER FORECASTER, DIES 

     Dr. John B. Hovermale, 55, leader in development of numerical
weather prediction at the National Meteorological Center in Camp
Springs, Md., died Friday, July 8, at Community Hospital of the
Monterey Peninsula in California.
                 
     Hovermale was born in Martinsburg, W.Va., on Dec. 7, 1938.  After
attending Oxon Hill High School in Fort Washington, Md., he earned his
bachelor's, master's, and doctoral degrees in meteorology from
Pennsylvania State University, where he later served as a tenured
professor.
 
     For the two decades preceding 1985, he specialized in
numerical weather prediction at the National Weather Service's
National Meteorological Center.  Early in his professional career, he
was a principal collaborator in developing the world's first primitive
equation numerical weather prediction model.  That computer
representation of atmospheric circulation provided worldwide weather
forecasts from 1966 until it was replaced in 1980.  A version of his
computer model is still used today.
 
     Hovermale later developed the National Meteorological Center's
first weather prediction model for forecasting the path of hurricanes
and tropical storms.  For that effort he received the Department of
Commerce's highest award, a Gold Medal.
 
     In 1985 he moved to Monterey, Calif., where he was
superintendent of the Marine Meteorology Division of the
Naval Research Laboratory and director of the Navy's Monterey-based
research in oceanic and atmospheric sciences.  He was recently awarded
the Navy's Meritorious Civilian Service Award.
 
     At the time of his death, Hovermale represented the Department of
Defense as a member of the National Weather Service Modernization
Transition Committee.  He was also a fellow of the American
Meteorological Society and served on the Board of Atmospheric Sciences
for the National Academy of Sciences.

     Hovermale, a Carmel, Calif., resident, is survived by his wife of
33 years, Susan; three sons, Michael, Christopher and Benjamin, all of
Carmel; his mother, Orpha Hovermale of Fort Washington, Md; and a
brother, Carl, also of Fort Washington.
                 
     The family requests that memorial contributions be sent to
the Dr. John B. Hovermale Memorial Educational Assistance
Fund, care of the University Corporation for Atmospheric
Research, P.O. Box 3000, Boulder, Colo. 80307.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R240
CONTACTS:  Barry Reichenbaugh
           National Weather Service         9/7/94
           301-713-0622   
           Mike Rucker
           Fla. Div. of Emergency Mgt.
           904-487-4918
           9/7/94

      FLORIDA-FEDERAL AGREEMENT TURNS ON WEATHER RADIO TO ALL HAZARDS

     Under terms of a recently signed state-federal agreement, Florida
will become a national model for broadcasting emergency warning
messages of natural and man-made disasters on the federal government's
existing state-wide NOAA Weather Radio and Weatherwire network. 

     A Memorandum of Understanding, signed Sept. 7, 1994, between
Florida's Division of Emergency Management and the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) National Weather Service,
expands the scope in Florida of the NOAA Weather Radio and
Weatherwire, normally used to send continuous broadcasts of only the
latest weather forecasts and warnings. 

     The new "all-hazards" system will now include Florida's emergency
messages that help minimize the potential loss of life or property. 
Such dangers as the release of hazardous substances or radioactive
materials, or the threatened or actual detonation of explosives
requiring immediate evacuation, will be broadcast on a priority basis.
                 
     "It's a natural merger," said Elbert W. (Joe) Friday Jr.,
director of the National Weather Service.  "It is just common sense to
use the NOAA Weather Radio and Weatherwire service to help emergency
managers, broadening use of NOAA communications to include information
like pre- and post-emergency advisories, evacuation routes, shelter
availability, toxic spills, hazardous materials and other threats."
                 
     The agreement, the first of its kind, "signifies a new and
important state-federal relationship designed to save lives and
property in Florida and adjacent states," said Florida Governor Lawton
Chiles. "We know that the lessons learned from this demonstration
project will help spur other states to develop similar capabilities."  

     Florida learned its lessons from Hurricane Andrew and the March
Super Storm of '93. "All available means of communication
were needed to get pre- and post-event information to the public," 
notes Joseph Myers, Florida's director of emergency management. "State
government pushed for becoming a demonstration project for this 'all
hazards' broadcast capability," he said.  

     The agreement also provides that as Florida's NOAA Weather Radio
coverage expands, the state will tie in the modernized weather service
offices to its 67-county, two-way satellite communications network. 

     The National Weather Service currently operates 16 NOAA Weather
Radio transmitters to broadcast weather warnings over much of Florida. 
"The next challenge is to add new weather radio transmitters and
increase their coverage to reach at least 95 percent of the state," 
Friday said.

     Two new transmitters have been installed in Citrus and Highlands
counties.  Six more transmitter sites have been selected for future
installation, Myers said.

     Nationwide, NOAA Weather Radio covers about 80 percent of the
country, but only 25 percent of the population receives the high-band
FM radio warnings.  Population shifts since the mid-1970's are blamed
for the spotty coverage.
   
     As if foreshadowing the need for a state-federal agreement, the
Palm Sunday March 27, 1994, tornadoes claimed 43 lives in Alabama and
Georgia, although the weather service had issued warning lead times of
15 minutes.  According to Vice President Al Gore, "The weak link in
the chain was the inability to get the warning information to all of
the people in the threatened area."

     As a result, an inter-agency initiative involving NOAA, the
Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Department of Agriculture
began looking into upgrading the NOAA Weather Radio into an "all-
hazards" radio warning network. 
                 
     "The Vice President's goal was to aggressively pursue public and
private participation in the placement of NOAA radios where people
gather and ultimately in homes, so they will soon be as common as
smoke detectors," Friday said.  Florida's initiative precedes this by
about a year.

     The "all hazards" broadcasts are made on one of seven high band
FM frequencies ranging from 162.40 to 162.55 megahertz.  These
frequencies are not found on the average home radio now in use. 
However, a number of manufacturers sell NOAA Weather Radios or offer
standard AM/FM radios with the so-called "weather band" as an added
feature.

                                #                    

NOAA 94-R241 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh 
          (301) 713-0622
          9/19/94

            GIANT FOOD MILK CARTONS PROMOTE NOAA WEATHER RADIO 

     Washington, D.C., area residents now can learn all about NOAA
Weather Radio's life-saving capabilities as they munch their favorite
breakfast cereals or cook in their kitchens.
                 
     Word of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
(NOAA's) weather warnings appear on a quarter million milk cartons
being distributed by Giant Food Inc. in the Washington, D.C., area.

     Department of Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown welcomed the
Weather Service promotion, saying it was an effective way of
heightening public awareness of the existence of NOAA weather
broadcasts that provide citizens with early warning of dangerous
weather and advise them on what action to take to ensure their safety.

     "We are very enthusiastic about this project.  It is a fine
example both of the kind of public-private partnerships the Department
of Commerce is fostering and of our efforts to effectively serve our
customers," he said.

     The Giant milk carton promotion is part of a government-private
sector initiative begun by Vice President Al Gore to strengthen the
nation's weather radio network and reduce the risk to lives and
property when severe weather strikes.

     The Vice President's initiative is aimed at expanding the network
of transmitters to reach 95 percent of the population.  The initiative
was launched after 20 worshippers at the Goshen United Methodist
Church in Piedmont, Ala., were killed when a tornado struck the church
on Palm Sunday last March.

     The tragedy may have been averted if the church had been equipped
with an inexpensive weather radio, NOAA officials said.

     "Our goal is to someday have a NOAA Weather Radio in every home,
just like a smoke detector, in schools, hospitals and other public
places," said National Weather Service Director Elbert W. Friday Jr.

     The NOAA Weather Radio network has been broadcasting since the
early 1970s.  But the fact was not well known to the public.
    
     Part of the educational campaign recommends that homes and public
gathering places be equipped with special tone-alert weather radios,
which sit silently until automatically activated by a special
broadcast tone that precedes emergency announcements and warnings.

     For people in the Washington area, NOAA Weather Radio offers
warnings for potential tornadoes, severe storms and flooding.  This
system also carries broadcasts of man-made hazards such as gas or oil
spills.  Regular forecasts are also broadcast 24 hours a day.

     A toll-free phone number on the cartons -- 800-777-NOAA -- offers
consumers more information on the NOAA Weather Radio network and where
they can go to purchase a weather radio receiver.

                                  #

NOAA 94-244 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh 
          (301) 713-0622
          10/31/94

       NOAA AWARDS COMPANIES MULTIMILLION DOLLAR CONTRACTS 
 
     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration has awarded a $3 million contract to VIZ Manufacturing
Company of Philadelphia, Pa., and a contract with potential value of
$1 million to Vaisala Incorporated of Woburn, Mass., to provide
radiosonde instruments for weather balloons.  
                 
     The contracts are for one year, with a follow-on, one-year
option.

     VIZ Manufacturing Company, a small business, is scheduled to
begin delivering radiosondes from this contract award in early January
1995. 

     Vaisala Incorporated is a multinational company headquartered in
Helsinki, Finland, with Vaisala Incorporated as its company in the
United States.  Delivery of radiosondes from Vaisala are anticipated
to begin in the spring of 1995.

     NOAA's National Weather Service operates 95 upper-air stations in
the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii,  Pacific and Caribbean. 
These upper-air stations use radiosondes -- sent aloft twice daily --
to produce atmospheric profiles of the temperature, moisture and
winds. 

     Radiosonde observations form the backbone of weather forecasts
and upper-air analyses.  Forecasts from these data are used in
domestic and international aviation, and in the preparation of
national and local weather warnings.  They also serve as the "ground
truth" from which satellite temperature and moisture retrievals are
derived.

     The upper-air radiosonde observing system at each station tracks
the flight of the balloon with ground equipment (antenna, receiver and
control units).  The ground equipment also translates the data and
interfaces to a computer system for processing.  

     Wind measurements are determined from changes in flights as the
balloon is tracked, based on the strength of signals relative to the
antenna orientation.  Temperature, pressure and humidity values are
derived from the content of the signal transmitted by the radiosonde.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R245 
Contact:  Barry Reichenbaugh 
          (301) 713-0622
          10/5/94

        BURTONSVILLE, MD., RESIDENT EARNS ACCESSIBLE TECHNOLOGY AWARD

      Michael Yekta of Burtonsville, Md., received the U.S. Department
of Commerce's Accessible Technology Award today in Washington, D.C. 
He was recognized not only for the use he has made of enabling
technology, but for his outstanding performance in computer
programming and database management with the National Weather Service. 

     The award was presented at the Commerce building during an
exhibit of technologies geared toward enabling people with vision,
hearing and mobility impairments in the workplace to overcome
disabilities.

     In keeping with the goals of the National Performance Review, the
Accessible Computer Technology (ACT) initiative promotes making
computer technology accessible to the entire federal workforce.  Past
ACT exhibits have introduced government employees and managers to
innovative methods that have in turn opened up more employment
opportunities for the disabled.

     Yekta, who lost his eyesight several years ago, is employed as a
computer specialist by the National Weather Service's Office of
Hydrology.  In his job, he uses an optical character scanner and
software along with a speech synthesizer linked to his computer.  He
uses his computer programming and database management skills to
support numerous research studies for the Office of Hydrology.  The
special computer equipment also lets him communicate and access an
almost limitless supply of information and resources through the
world's Internet system.

     "This award reflects Michael's `can-do' attitude, and the
positive attitude of managers within the weather service," said
Yekta's supervisor, Frank Richards, chief of the special studies
branch in the NWS Water Management Information Division.

     Costs of the "enabling" equipment have been shared between the
weather service and the Maryland Department of Vocational
Rehabilitation. 

     Yekta, a native of India, holds bachelors degrees from Long
Island University of Brooklyn, N.Y., and from Bentley College in
Waltham, Mass.  He is currently taking classes at the University of
Maryland, College Park.

                                  #
 
 NOAA 94-R301a
CONTACT:   Patricia Viets 
           (301)763-2560                 
           1/13/94
 
                  NEW NOAA SATELLITE GROUND STATIONS OPEN

     Two new ground stations have been added to the U.S. network of
satellite search and rescue facilities designed to help bring
emergency assistance to mariners and pilots in distress, the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced
today.  

     Located in Guam and Puerto Rico, they are the final of six new
fully automated installations designed to upgrade the satellite search
and rescue system.  Over the past year and a half, new ground stations
have been installed at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.; Fairbanks,
Alaska; Houston, Texas; and Honolulu, Hawaii. 
                 
     The stations are part of an international satellite search and
rescue system known as COSPAS-SARSAT.  They enable distress signals
from ships or airplanes to be received and processed more quickly than
before.  

     "The fully automated ground stations are providing better
coverage than before possible," said James T. Bailey, chief of NOAA's
SARSAT operations division.  "They operate 24 hours per day, capturing
distress alert data from the satellites as they pass.  Any pilot or
mariner in distress who activates a 121.5/243.0 MHz or 406 MHz beacon
will be detected and located much sooner than in the past."

     "Typically, one or more of the six search and rescue satellites
will be in view of each ground station for 10-15 minutes of every
hour," Bailey said.  "This means that help could be on its way to the
distress location within an hour, depending on the position of the
satellites when the distress beacon is activated."

     COSPAS-SARSAT uses NOAA environmental satellites, Russian 
satellites and a network of ground stations to pick up radio 
beacon signals from pilots and mariners in distress.  The distress
location is determined using a Doppler radar technique and sent to the
NOAA U.S. Mission Control Center in Suitland, Md.  After further
processing, the center sends messages to rescue coordination centers
operated by the Coast Guard and the Air Force, which dispatch rescue
teams to the distress location.
 
     Since its inception 10 years ago, the COSPAS-SARSAT system has
saved some 3,500 lives, with about 700 just during the past year. 
NOAA, in cooperation with NASA, the Coast Guard and the Air Force,
operates the U.S. portion of COSPAS-SARSAT.  

                                       #

NOAA 94-R301b
PARA MAS INFORMACION: 
         PATRICIA VIETS 
         (301) 763-2560         
         1/13/94

 SE INSTALA ESTACION TERRESTRE DE SATELITES EN PUERTO RICO

     La Administracion de los Oceanos y la Atmosfera (NOAA) del 
Departamento de Comercio anuncio hoy que dos estaciones 
terrestres nuevas han sido anadidas a la red estadounidense de 
facilidades de satelite para busquedas y rescates.  Las mismas 
son disenadas para ayudar a llevar asistencia de emergencia a 
marineros y pilotos.

     Las estaciones, localizadas en Puerto Rico y Guam, son las
ultimas dos de un total de seis instalaciones nuevas totalmente
automaticas disenadas para modernizar los sistemas de satelite de
busquedas y rescates.  Durante el ultimo ano y medio, nuevas
instalaciones terrestres han sido establecidas en la Base de la Fuerza
Aerea de Vandenberg en California; en Fairbanks, Alaska; en Houston,
Texas; y en Honolulu, Hawaii.

     Las estaciones son parte de un sistema internacional de satelites
de busquedas y rescates conocido como "COSPAS-SARSAT."  Estas
estaciones permiten que senales de auxilio enviadas por barcos o
aviones sean recibidas y procesadas mas rapidamente que en el pasado.

     "Las estaciones terrestres totalmente automaticas estan
proveyendo una mejor cobertura de la que era posible antes," expreso
James T. Bailey, el jefe de la division de operaciones de SARSAT de
NOAA.  "Operan 24 horas al dia recibiendo senales de alerta e
informacion sobre emergencias de los satelites cada vez que estos
pasan. Cuaquier piloto o marinero que necesita ayuda y activa su senal
de 121.5/243.0 MHz o 406 MHz, sera detectada y localizada mucho mas
rapido que en el pasado."

     "Por lo general, uno o mas de los seis satelites de busquedas y
rescates es visto desde cada una de las estaciones terrestres durante
10 o 15 minutos cada hora," Bailey dijo.  "Esto significa que un
equipo de rescate puede estar de camino al lugar del accidente dentro
del periodo de una hora, dependiendo de la posicion de los satelites
cuando se activa la senal de auxilio."

     COSPAS-SARSAT usa satelites ambientales de NOAA, satelites rusos
y una red de estaciones terrestres para recibir senales de pilotos o
marineros que necesitan ayuda.  La localizacion del accidente se
determina usando una tecnica de radar "Doppler" y enviandola al Centro
de Control de Misiones de NOAA en Suitland, Maryland.  Despues de ser
procesada, el centro envia los mensajes a centros de coordinacion de
rescates operados por la Guardia Costanera y la Fuerza Aerea, los
cuales envian equipos de rescate al area del accidente.

     Desde su creacion 10 anos atras, el sistema COSPAS-SARSAT ha
salvado mas de 3,500 vidas, 700 de estas durante el ano pasado.  NOAA,
en cooperacion con NASA, la Guardia Costanera y la Fuerza Aerea, opera
la porcion de los  Estados Unidos de COSPAS-SARSAT.

                                    #

NOAA 93-R302
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets
          (301) 763-2560                 
          3/7/94

NOAA SATELLITE SYSTEM
SAVES 30 PEOPLE IN DISTRESS

     The lives of 30 people were saved in five separate incidents last
week when the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's search
and rescue system went into action after picking up distress signals
from a crashed helicopter in Hawaii, skiers stranded on an ice floe
off Alaska, a disabled boat in the Gulf of Mexico, and mariners
drifting in lifeboats in the Bering Sea and Pacific Ocean.

     Those in distress activated their Emergency Position Indicating
Radio Beacon (EPIRB)s.  Their signals were picked up by the COSPAS-
SARSAT search and rescue satellite system and relayed to rescue
forces.  The COSPAS-SARSAT program is an international search and
rescue satellite system operated by NOAA, an agency of the Commerce
Department.  

     The five incidents are:

     A helicopter carrying sight-seers crash-landed on the slope of
the Mauna Kea volcano in Hawaii.  All seven aboard were rescued on
Feb. 24 by the local fire department and military personnel when their
121.5MHz beacon was detected. 

     Two Lithuanian skiers, attempting to ski from Wales, Alaska, to
Russia, became stranded on a free floating ice floe and activated
their EPIRB.  The skiers were rescued on Feb. 26 by an Alaska state
trooper chartered helicopter when their COSPAS-SARSAT alert was
detected five nautical miles south of Wales, Alaska, in the Bering
Strait.
  
The crew members of the Toni E manually activated their EPIRB when the
vessel lost power and was disabled for two days.  Their 406 MHz beacon
was detected off Galveston, Texas, on Feb. 26; a small boat from Base
Galveston towed the vessel with its crew of two into port. 

     The Jody Ann began to sink in the Bering Sea after the reservoir pump
for its fish hole broke and began pumping water into the vessel.  The crew
of five abandoned the sinking vessel and boarded a life raft.  A nearby
vessel, the Scandi Rose, rescued the five mariners on Feb. 26 when their
406 MHz beacon was detected. 
 
     The merchant vessel Yusin Busan activated its EPIRB when the
vessel had a fire in the engine room and started taking on water.  The
14 crew members abandoned ship and boarded a life raft.  The Coast
Guard detected their 406 MHz beacon 800 nautical miles southeast of
Guam on Feb. 27, and arranged for the crew to be picked up by the Yu
Wen 101 and later transferred to the Danah. 

     The COSPAS-SARSAT program uses NOAA environmental satellites
equipped with Canadian and French search and rescue instruments,
Russian satellites, and a network of earth stations to pick up
distress signals from pilots or mariners who have crashed or become
shipwrecked.  Since the inception of the program 10 years ago, nearly
4,000 lives have been saved.

     The COSPAS-SARSAT program was formed as a joint effort by the
United States, Canada, France, and the former Soviet Union.  The first
satellite was launched by the Soviet Union in 1982, followed by
additional Soviet and U.S. satellites.  Today there are six
operational satellites involved in the program:  NOAA-9, -10 and -11,
and COSPAS-4, -5 and -6.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R303
MEDIA ADVISORY
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets                
          (301) 763-2560                 
          4/22/94

               NOAA'S SATELLITE SERVICES DIVISION
                TO RECEIVE AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Satellite
Services Division in Camp Springs, Md., will be recognized for
excellence by the Public Employees Roundtable on April 27.
                 
     The division, part of NOAA's National Environmental Satellite,
Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), provides environmental
satellite information for use in severe weather forecasts and
environmental monitoring.  It provides data to: other NOAA agencies
such as the National Weather Service, National Ocean Service, and
National Marine Fisheries Service;  academic institutions; other
government agencies such as the Department of Defense's Joint Typhoon
Warning Center; and to the private sector.  It also issues volcanic
hazards alert messages used by the Federal Aviation Administration.
                 
     The division will receive a Certificate of Special Recognition
from the Public Employees Roundtable's 1994 Public Service Excellence
Award program.  The Public Employees Roundtable is a non-profit, non-
partisan coalition of 37 management and professional associations
representing about one million public employees.  The award will be
presented during National Science and Technology Week, the last week
in April.  Students from Anne Beers Elementary School, Washington,
D.C., will be on hand to meet division members and tour the facility
                           --

***    Note to Editors and Producers:  The ceremony will be held on      
       Wednesday, April 27, at 1:00 p.m. at the NOAA Science Center,     
       Room 707, 5200 Auth Road, Camp Springs, Md.  If you plan to       
       cover the event, please call Pat Viets at 301-763-2560.
                  
                                 #
                    

NOAA 94-R304
Contact:  Pat Viets
          NOAA/NESDIS 
          301-763-2560                      
          Helen Martin
          Unionville 
          610-347-1600
          4/28/94

             PENNSYLVANIA STUDENTS TRAVEL TO CAPE CANAVERAL
                 FOR LAUNCH OF GOES-I WEATHER SATELLITE

     When GOES-I, the first in a series of five advanced weather
satellites, was launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla., on
April 13, a group of students from Unionville High School, Unionville,
Pa., was there.

     The students, from Helen Martin's Earth and Space Science classes,
have been tracking weather satellites and studying data directly from
the satellites in their classroom.  Robert S. Winokur, assistant
administrator for Satellite and Information Services of the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), had invited the students. 

     Although the students had to pay their own travel and hotel
expenses, they said it was well worth it.  "I'm incredibly excited that
I will be able to share in NOAA's latest accomplishment," said senior
Chris Wood.  "Our satellite tracking system will be using the data GOES-
I has to offer.  Congratulations to NOAA's leadership team for a job
well done."

     "I feel extremely honored to have been invited to share in NOAA's
triumph during the launch of GOES-I," said junior Katherine Powell.  "It
was a wonderful experience for me and all the more enjoyable because I
know that I will be using the information sent back."

     The Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, or GOES,
will provide more precise and timely weather observation and atmospheric
measurement data.  Its three-axis stabilized design allows the satellite
sensors to continuously stare at the earth for 24-hour observation. 
Current spin-stabilized satellites view the earth only five percent of
the time.

     The GOES series of satellites is owned and operated by NOAA's
National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service.  The
National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Mission to Planet Earth
manages the design, development, and launch of the spacecraft.  Once the
satellite operationally goes through checkout, NOAA will assume
responsibility for command and control, data receipt, and product
generation and distribution.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R305
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets
          (301) 763-2560                 
          7/29/94

             LOCAL STUDENTS FOCUS ON SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING
                  AT NOAA'S SATELLITE AND DATA FACILITY
                
     Six local students interested in science and engineering are
developing their computer skills in an eight-week program at the
Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
                
     The students are assigned to NOAA's National Environmental
Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) in Suitland, Md.  This
agency operates two environmental satellites that orbit the earth and
two geostationary weather satellites that look at both coasts of the
United States.  NESDIS also manages and disseminates national
environmental data bases about the earth, atmosphere, oceans and solar
environment.

     The six students have identified their interests and goals, and
have been assigned to areas that will enable them to further explore
these interests.  Three students are working with the Office of
Satellite Data Processing and Distribution; three are with the Office of
Research and Applications.

     The students working with the Office of Satellite Data Processing
and Distribution are:

     Sherice Shields, a senior from Largo High School, whose goal is to
be an engineer.  Sherice is working with the Satellite Services
Division, creating computer data bases.

     Jack Davis, a senior from Ballou High School, who plans to become
an electrical or mechanical engineer.  Jack is programming computers,
using his skills in Basic.  He is also learning and using his skills in
Fortran and Harvard Graphics in the Ingest Systems Branch of the
Information Processing Division.

     Ihsan Beezer, a junior from Bishop McNamara High School, whose
plans include chemical engineering and computer science.  Ihsan is
taking inventory of equipment and commercial software in the Satellite
Services Division.

     The students working with the Office of Research and Applications
are:

     James Herndon, a senior from St. John's College High School, whose
future will include computer engineering and aeronautical engineering. 
James is using his programming skills in Pascal, Fortran and Basic for
satellite data retrieval in the Satellite Applications Laboratory.

     Anthony Martin, a junior from Woodrow Wilson High School,
who is interested in biomedical engineering.  Anthony is working with
the Satellite Research Laboratory using Lotus to generate statistical
parameters.

     Marion Garrison, a senior from Largo High School, who plans to
become a computer engineer.  Marion is working on a PC-oriented project
that involves digital and video image processing in the Satellite
Applications Laboratory.                        

     The eight-week program, titled the Metropolitan Consortium for
Minorities in Engineering, is administered by Howard University's School
of Engineering in cooperation with NOAA's Office of Civil Rights.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R306
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets
          (301) 763-2560                 
          8/8/94

                   NOAA'S SATELLITE AGENCY 
             RECEIVES PARTNER OF THE YEAR AWARD
          FROM DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PUBLIC SCHOOLS

     A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration agency has been
honored by the District of Columbia Public Schools for the volunteer
efforts of its employees during the 1993-94 school year.
     NOAA's National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information
Service (NESDIS), based in Suitland, Md., has been recognized as Partner
of the Year for the District's southern cluster of schools, one of six
in the District.  The award recognizes the volunteer efforts of more
than 40 NESDIS employees who collectively volunteered more than 200
hours with students or teachers.  The volunteers judged science fairs,
made classroom visits, gave weather briefings, conducted field trips,
and presented a seminar on interpreting satellite imagery.

     Most of the volunteer time was spent in judging science fairs
sponsored by the District's Anne Beers Elementary School, NESDIS'
partner in education.  NESDIS employees have become increasingly
involved in volunteer efforts to enrich the program of instruction.  

     "The Anne Beers family of staff, teachers, and students has
expressed much gratitude for our involvement," said Larason Lambert, of
NESDIS' Training and Information Services Branch.  "We are very proud of
our volunteers."

     The volunteers also performed a mentoring role in the operation of
a weather station supplied by WRC-TV's Four Winds Program.  NESDIS
meteorologists conducted weather briefings based on weather data from
the station and visual observations from the classroom.  They also
showed videos of satellite imagery to relate local conditions and
changes to the broader perspective.  

                                   #

NOAA 94-R307
CONTACT:  Patricia Viets
          (301) 763-2560                 
          8/30/94

NOAA LIBRARY:  GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE WITH CUSTOMIZED SERVICE 

     With a perspective that ranges from outer space to the ocean floor,
a team of experts stands with their feet firmly on the ground -- ready
to respond to requests from around the world.
 
     The staff at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
Central Library maintain a collection of more than one million books,
journals, technical reports, and other sources that support research in
disciplines such as the atmospheric sciences, fisheries, space sciences,
marine biology, meteorology, oceanography and related disciplines of
interest to NOAA.

     The library, in Silver Spring Metro Center Building 3, is a
tremendous resource for NOAA staff, and is also open to the public. 
While NOAA staffers have priority, the library welcomes researchers from
all walks of life to use the facility.  If people outside of NOAA wish
to borrow materials, they may request them through their own library
through interlibrary loan.

     "The library is here to serve," said Carol B. Watts, who heads the
Library and Information Services Division.  "Anyone who needs assistance
in locating research materials, getting an answer to a question, or
learning just where to call should check with us first."

     The reference staff maintains a directory of resources on subjects
ranging from astronomy to zoology at the reference desk.  When staff
members receive a request for information beyond the scope of the
library's materials, they determine where the requestor can get the
information.  They log this information into the directory, thus keeping
an accurate referral source for all kinds of subjects.

     Library staff members will find answers to brief reference
questions or more complex research questions.  "Quick reference"
questions include determining if an item is present in the library, book
verification, local climatological data retrieval, and referrals.

     For in-depth information retrieval, the library provides a
computerized literature service, including CD-ROM and on-line retrieval
from more than 500 databases of environmental and other information.  

     Information on the centralized, automated NOAA Library and
Information Catalog (NOAALINC) can also be accessed from a personal
computer via modem.  NOAALINC includes information on the availability
of materials in NOAA libraries throughout the country.

     The library collection incorporates the holdings of NOAA's
predecessor agencies:  Coast and Geodetic Survey, U.S. Weather Bureau,
U.S. Fisheries Commission, and Environmental Data Service.  Most of the
collection dates from 1820.  Recently, the NOAA Central Library was
designated a Government Printing Office (GPO) Depository, so a
considerable number of GPO publications are also available. 

     NOAA's library is operated by the National Environmental Satellite,
Data, and Information Service's National Oceanographic Data Center.  For
more information, call 301-713-2607.  For reference materials or
literature searches, call 301-713-2600.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R406
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz          
          (301) 713-3078                   
          2/4/94

            FEDERAL OFFICIALS TO EVALUATE HAWAII COASTAL PROGRAM

     An evaluation team from the Commerce Department's National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration will visit Hawaii 
Feb. 7-11 to assess the progress of the Hawaii Coastal Zone Management
Program and gather local views on the program's operation and
management.
                
     NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management provides
approximately $700,000 annually in federal funds to Hawaii for its
coastal management programs.  The NOAA team visit is part of a routine
evaluation process that will include interviews with local, state and
federal agency officials and other interested parties.

     The federal grant program was established under the Coastal Zone
Management Act of 1972, which sets forth specific national guidelines
and objectives for program participation.  The evaluation will assess
Hawaii's success in addressing these national coastal management
objectives, implementing and enforcing the Hawaii Coastal Zone
Management Program, and adhering to the terms and conditions of the
grants received during the review period (Jan. 1991 - Jan. 1994).  The
team will also assess the program's implementation of beach management
practices, the efforts made in public education and outreach, and the
effects that budget reductions have on the ability of the Office of
State Planning to implement the program.

     The evaluation team plans to visit Hawaii, Oahu and Kauai islands. 
A public meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Feb. 8,
at 7:00 p.m., Kealakehe Intermediate School, 74-5062 Onipa'a Street,
Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

     For more information or to schedule a meeting with the evaluation
team, contact Patmarie S. Maher, evaluation team leader, at (301) 713-
3090.

                                 #

NOAA 94-R407
CONTACT:  Steve Gittings
          (409) 847-9296
          Eliot Hurwitz
          (301) 713-3078
          2/18/94

           2ND ANNUAL FLOWER GARDEN BANKS SANCTUARY 
                   CELEBRATION TO BE HELD

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced today
that the 2nd Annual Night on the Flower Gardens celebration honoring the
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, will be held on Tuesday,
Feb. 22, at the planetarium of the Houston Museum of Natural Science.
                
     The evening celebrates the sanctuary  site of the northernmost
coral reefs on the continental shelf of North America  and the many
individuals and groups responsible for its continued protection. 

     Houston area dive clubs will sponsor the evening's activities,
which include a slide show from professional photographer Jesse
Cancelmo, video highlights from the dramatic 1993 mass coral spawning,
an update on the activities of the Flower Garden Fund and the Gulf Reef
Environmental Action Team (GREAT), and an awards presentation. 

     Each year, the sanctuary recognizes an individual or group for
outstanding environmental stewardship.  This year at the celebration,
the Interior Department's Minerals Management Service will be presented
the award for its efforts over 20 years in providing protection for the
Flower Garden Banks Sanctuary and for its exemplary commitment to
funding research and monitoring on the banks.  Tom Fry, MMS director,
will be presented the award by Captain Francesca Cava, chief of NOAA's
Sanctuaries and Reserves Division and by Sanctuary Manager Steve
Gittings. 

     Quenton Dokken, executive director of the Gulf of Mexico
Foundation, and representatives from Mobil and Texaco, co-sponsors of
the Flower Garden Bank's long-term monitoring program, will also
participate in the evening's celebration.

     The Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary is one of 13
national marine sanctuaries located in coastal and ocean waters
throughout the nation.  These sanctuaries protect marine areas with
nationally significant environmental, cultural, historical or research
value.  The national marine sanctuaries program is administered by the
Sanctuaries and Reserves Division of NOAA as part of its trusteeship
responsibilities for the nation's coastal and ocean resources.

     The evening is co-hosted by the museum, the Flower Garden Fund,
GREAT, and NOAA's Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary.  Space
is limited for this popular event, so please call the museum for
reservations at (713) 639-4651.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R408
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          (301) 713-3078
          Tammy Graham
          (202) 482-6090
          2/22/94

                   TODD JACOBS TO MANAGE THE
            OLYMPIC COAST NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has named Todd
Jacobs as manager of Washington state's Olympic Coast National Marine
Sanctuary, which is expected to be officially designated by NOAA by
early summer 1994.
                
     The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the first sanctuary in
the Pacific Northwest, will stretch 135 miles from Cape Flattery halfway
down Washington's undeveloped, rugged coastline, encompassing 3,310
square miles.  The nation's 14th national marine sanctuary will be
officially designated after state and Congressional review of the
proposal.

     Jacobs, who previously served as research and education coordinator
at the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary off the coast of
California, will manage all aspects of the new sanctuary.  In his recent
position, Jacobs developed numerous education and interpretation
programs, including a series of public education boat trips to the
Channel Islands sanctuary, incorporating underwater wireless audio and
video technology.  

     He has represented the sanctuary as liaison to industry, trade,
non-profit and government groups, and has helped promote public
understanding of marine resources through feature stories on CNN and
PBS.  Jacobs has published and presented papers for the National Marine
Educator's Association and the bi-annual Coastal Zone Management
Conference, Coastal Zone '91. 

     Jacobs, certified as a NOAA advanced working diver, oversees NOAA
divers in the Pacific region of the National Marine Sanctuary Program. 
From 1984 to 1986, he worked as a research diver for the University of
Southern California and the University of California at Santa Barbara in
the kelp beds offshore the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station. 
Jacobs has also worked as project manager for Dynamac Corp., an
environmental consulting firm.

     Jacobs and his wife,  Katie, a fundraiser for the Santa Barbara
Museum of Natural History, currently reside in Santa Barbara, Calif.,
and will relocate to Washington state when an office site has been
selected.

                                  #

NOAA 94-R409
Contact:  Aaron King (Monterey) 
          (408) 647-4257                 
          Eliot Hurwitz (Washington, D.C.)
          (301) 713-3078
          3/16/94

               MONTEREY BAY NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY'S 
                      ADVISORY COUNCIL TO MEET

     The Sanctuary Advisory Council for the Monterey Bay National Marine
Sanctuary will have its first meeting on March 30, the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced
today.  The meeting will provide an opportunity for the public,
representatives of local user groups, conservation organizations, and
scientific and educational institutions to have a voice in the
protection and multiple use management of the sanctuary and its
resources.  
                
     Of the 20-member council selected in January, 12 are non-government
voting members chosen from private interests ranging from research to
tourism, and eight voting members are from governmental
entities with sanctuary-related responsibilities.  The council functions
solely as an advisory body to NOAA.
                                                           
     The managers of the Cordell Bank/Gulf of the Farallones Sanctuary,
Elkhorn Slough Estuarine Research Reserve, and Channel Islands Sanctuary
have non-voting seats on the Council.  The manager of the Monterey Bay
sanctuary also serves as a non-voting member.

      "I am looking forward to this first meeting of the council," said
Terry Jackson, manager of the Monterey Bay sanctuary.  "Because there
are so many important and complex issues that we deal with on a day-by-
day basis, it will be great to have a recognized entity that we can call
upon for advice and counsel."

     The meeting will be held March 30, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the
Monterey Bay Aquarium.  The public may contact Aaron King at the
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary office, (408) 647-4257, for more
information.

                               #

NOAA 94-R422

Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz 
          (301) 713-3078
          4/12/94

        NOAA REPORT SPOTLIGHTS MAINE'S EFFORTS TO BALANCE
    PRESERVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALONG NATION'S COASTS  

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's biennial report to Congress on coastal zone management
says that the federal government, coastal states and U.S. island
territories have made considerable progress in balancing conservation
and economic development in the nation's coastal resources.  
                    
     The report spotlights efforts by Maine to reduce the impact of
development on the environment, including training local code
enforcement officers from coastal communities in coastal laws and
regulations.

     The report is considered an indicator of the nation's progress in
addressing issues on the coastal environment.  Highlighted in the report
are the joint federal-state-territory efforts made to reduce risks to
life and property from coastal storms and erosion, including action by
Florida and Hawaii to mitigate damage from Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki.

     The report, titled Biennial Report to Congress on Coastal Zone
Management:  Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993, also focuses on activities of
NOAA and coastal states and island territories in administering the
Coastal Zone Management Act, enacted in 1972 and managed by NOAA.  The
federal statute balances preservation and economic development along the
nation's coasts and promotes the wise use of valuable and declining
coastal resources.  

     Under increasing pressure from human activities, the nation's
coastal regions are faced with many challenges.  Nonpoint source
pollution threatens the health of biologically productive estuarine
waters.  Coastal wetlands loss continues, and open public space along
the nation's 95,000 mile shoreline is steadily shrinking.  Natural
hazards, such as the Nor'easters that rocked New England over the past
two years, threaten people who live along the coast.  The report
describes NOAA and state activities designed to address these problems.

     The report also details activities conducted at the nation's 22
estuarine research reserve sites, including the Wells Reserve in Maine. 
Natural processes and human activities that affect estuaries are studied
so knowledge gained can be applied by the states to minimize stresses on
their own highly productive estuarine areas.

     "The experiences of the past 20 years demonstrate that this
federal-state partnership is working well and is producing measurable,
beneficial changes in the management of coastal resources," the NOAA
report states.

     But, it concludes, the job of sound coastal management is far from
over.  "As coastal populations continue to increase, the demand for
intensive development of the coastal zone will increase, creating
conflicting and competing demands for housing, industrial and urban
development, and recreational facilities on these finite resources."

     The report is available from NOAA, Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management, Coastal Zone Information Center, 1305 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, Md. 20910; telephone (301) 713-3094.

                          #

NOAA 94-R436
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz 
          (301) 713-3078                                            
          4/14/94

     NOAA REPORT SPOTLIGHTS RHODE ISLAND'S EFFORTS TO BALANCE
    PRESERVATION AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALONG NATION'S COASTS  

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's biennial report to Congress on coastal zone management
says that the federal government, coastal states and U.S. island
territories have made considerable progress in balancing conservation
and economic development in the nation's coastal resources.  

     The report spotlights efforts by Rhode Island to increase wetlands
protection by adopting wetlands mitigation regulations.  The regulations
allow no net loss of wetlands acreage or function as a result of coastal
development and require mitigation for all unavoidable impacts to
wetlands.
                    
     The report is considered an indicator of the nation's progress in
addressing issues on the coastal environment.  Highlighted in the report
are the joint federal-state-territory efforts made to reduce risks to
life and property from coastal storms and erosion, including action by
Florida and Hawaii to mitigate damage from Hurricanes Andrew and Iniki.

     The report, titled Biennial Report to Congress on Coastal Zone
Management:  Fiscal Years 1992 and 1993, also focuses on activities of
NOAA and coastal states and island territories in administering the
Coastal Zone Management Act, enacted in 1972 and managed by NOAA.  The
federal statute balances preservation and economic development along the
nation's coasts and promotes the wise use of valuable and declining
coastal resources.  
                    
     Under increasing pressure from human activities, the nation's
coastal regions are faced with many challenges.  Nonpoint source
pollution threatens the health of biologically productive estuarine
waters.  Coastal wetlands loss continues, and open public space along
the nation's 95,000 mile shoreline is steadily shrinking.  Natural
hazards, such as the Nor'easter that rocked New England in 1992,
continue to threaten the people who live along the coast.  The report
describes NOAA and state activities designed to address these problems.

     The report also details activities conducted at the nation's 22
estuarine research reserve sites, including the Narragansett Bay Reserve
covering Prudence, Patience and Hope Islands.  Natural processes and
human activities that affect estuaries are studied so knowledge gained
can be applied by the states to minimize stresses on their own highly
productive estuarine areas.

     "The experiences of the past 20 years demonstrate that this
federal-state partnership is working well and is producing measurable,
beneficial changes in the management of coastal resources," the NOAA
report states.

     But, it concludes, the job of sound coastal management is far from
over.  "As coastal populations continue to increase, the demand for
intensive development of the coastal zone will increase, creating
conflicting and competing demands for housing, industrial and urban
development, and recreational facilities on these finite resources."

     The report is available from NOAA, Office of Ocean and Coastal
Resource Management, Coastal Zone Information Center, 1305 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, Md. 20910; telephone (301) 713-3094.

                            #
NOAA 94-R444
Contact:  Justin Kenney
          (301) 713-3145                    
          Ginger Hinchcliff
          (813) 775-8845
          4/27/94

                GOVERNOR CHILES RECOGNIZES ROOKERY BAY 
                 NATIONAL ESTUARINE RESEARCH RESERVE

     The Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve received
Florida's 1994 Environmental Education Award for its outstanding
environmental education program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced.  Governor Chiles, Lt. Governor MacKay and the
Environmental Education Foundation of Florida, Inc. recognized the
reserve at Florida's Earth Day celebration at Disney World this past
weekend.  

     The Rookery Bay NERR program targets high school and college
students, teachers, adults and environmental professionals with hands-
on, issue-oriented programs.  The goal is to educate the public on
current research findings and resource management techniques so they can
make informed decisions concerning coastal issues; and to help them
understand the economic and sociologic value of the resources by showing
the connection between the resources and their own lives.  

     Rookery Bay NERR is one of 22 sites within a national system of
research reserves established by Congress through the Coastal Zone
Management Act of 1972 to be protected as natural laboratories for
research and education.  National Estuarine Research Reserves are
jointly administered by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and individual states and territories.

                            #

NOAA 94-R445
Contact:  Adam Rogers
          (809) 230-8974                  
          Eliot Hurwitz
          (301) 713-3078
          5/2/94

        TOGETHERNET AND NOAA BRING U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL DATA 
                  TO DESKTOPS AROUND THE WORLD

     The Together Foundation for Global Unity announced today that
representatives of the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration have agreed to make a broad array of scientific,
technical and policy documents available on the acclaimed TogetherNet
desktop information system.

     The announcement was made in Barbados in the midst of the ongoing
United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development for Small Island
Developing States.  One of the prime areas of debate and discussion at
the conference has been the level of assistance provided by developed to
developing nations, with many small island developing states pressing
for "new and additional" resource commitments from developed countries. 
In response, the developed countries, including the United States,
dealing with the difficult financial constraints within their own
systems, have been working to find creative ways to tap the wealth of
existing programs, experience and useful information that may be of
benefit to developing nations.  Today's actions by NOAA will mean that
users of the TogetherNet system will have a powerful tool, easily
affordable by developing nations, to access one of the most extensive
reservoirs of environmental information in the world.

     The initial documents to be loaded by NOAA onto the togetherNet
system will focus on materials dealing with the issue of coral reefs. 
Featured will be project descriptions of 26 ongoing NOAA programs
dealing with coral reef issues.  NOAA is the lead U.S. agency with
responsibility for environmental stewardship, assessment and prediction
in the marine and coastal environments.  NOAA is also home to the U.S.
National Weather Service and U.S. National Environmental Satellite and
Data Information Service which provide vital environmental, weather 
and climate data covering a wide area including the Pacific and
Caribbean regions.  Future additions to the NOAA databank on TogetherNet
will include a wide range of environmental, climate, fisheries, habitat
and management documents.

     TogetherNet, which has been enthusiastically received by
representatives from around the world attending the U.N. conference, is
a computer information and communications network system for people and
organizations that work in the realm of the environment, human rights
and sustainable development.  The TogetherNet system is accessed through
a simple to learn, simple to use, graphic-user interface similar to the
Macintosh and Microsoft Windows 3.1 desktop systems.  Information is
arranged hierarchically through the use of files and conferences within
folders.  Communications services are also intuitively simple to use. 
TogetherNet is navigated through the simple and familiar point-and-click
method.             

                                   #
     
NOAA 94-R446
Contact:  Justin Kenney
          (301) 713-3145
          5/13/94

              NOAA National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent
                   Honored for Environmental Protection

     The Nature Conservancys Florida chapter awarded Florida Keys
National Marine Sanctuary Superintendent Billy Causey the Chairman Award
-- its highest chapter honor -- on May 6, 1994, the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration announced.  The Chairman's Award honors an
individual or organization whose actions have significantly advanced
environmental protection in Florida.
                    
     Mr. Causey, who previously owned a private tropical marine life
company, joined NOAA in 1983 as the Looe Key National Marine Sanctuary
Manager.  He has served as superintendent of the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary since August 1991.  He has led the effort to develop a
comprehensive management plan for the FKNMS, aspects of which are
innovative in marine resource protection.  In 1993 NOAA presented Causey
with the Conservation Award in recognition for his service.  He has been
a resident of the Florida Keys for 27 years and resides on Big Pine Key
with his wife, Laura, and son, David.

     The Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary is one of thirteen
protected marine areas in the National Marine Sanctuary Program.  The
sanctuary program was authorized under Title III of the Marine
Protection, Research and Sanctuaries Act of 1972 to protect distinctive
natural and cultural resources whose protection and beneficial use
requires comprehensive planning and management.  The program is
administered by the Sanctuaries and Reserves Division of the Commerce
Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

                          #

NOAA 94-R456
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202) 482-6090
          7/5/94

     CALIFORNIA RECEIVES GRANT FROM NOAA TO MONITOR COASTAL CHANGE

     California has been awarded a $50,000 grant to help it test if a
standard protocol for mapping emergent coastal wetlands and adjacent
uplands is useful to managers in making natural resource decisions in
California's central coast, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration announced today.  
                        
     NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal Resource
Management awarded the grant, to be administered over a two-year period,
to the California Coastal Commission in Santa Cruz.  

     A nationally accepted protocol developed under the Coastal Ocean
Program's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) will be used in the
study.  The protocol enables managers to detect area and functional
changes in emergent wetlands, adjacent uplands and submerged aquatic
vegetation through satellite imagery and aerial photography, and to map
this data uniformly.  This information is critical to coastal resource
managers who must make daily decisions about wetland protection.        

     Although more than 70 percent of economically important fisheries
in the U.S. depend upon estuarine habitats during some life stage,
estuaries are being destroyed or degraded by coastal development, with
concurrent nonpoint source pollution (diffuse sources of contaminants or
pollutants that cannot be attributed to a single discharge point, such
as agricultural runoff or storm water runoff), erosion, and
environmental threats.

     California has more coastal wetland acreage than Oregon or
Washington, but has lost 75 percent of its original coastal wetlands. 
Rapid population growth, diversion of freshwater inputs, increase in
urban/agricultural runoff and destruction of 
natural habitat directly affects sensitive species and their habitats as
well as water quality.  The cumulative effect of these impacts upon the
remaining wetlands is not well understood on a regional watershed basis.

    "Land cover changes due to human population growth and attendant
impacts on fishery habitat, adjacent uplands, water quality and living
marine resources occur faster and more pervasively than we previously
have been able to monitor," said Donald Scavia, director of NOAA's
Coastal Ocean Office.  "Information about the extent and rate of habitat
degradation and loss is needed for sound resource management decisions."

     A full report of the findings will be presented at a local workshop
demonstration.  Visualizing pollution in the watershed by applying C-CAP
data about land cover change will also be demonstrated. 

                                 #

NOAA 94-R457
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202) 482-6090
          7/7/94

        GEORGIA RECEIVES GRANT FROM NOAA TO MONITOR COASTAL CHANGE

     Georgia has been awarded a $38,000 grant for a one-year project to
collect land cover/habitat information covering the past 10 years from
the coastal and adjacent upland areas of Georgia, the National Oceanic
and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of
Coastal Resource Management announced today.  The study will be
conducted by the University of Georgia's Center for Remote Sensing and
Mapping Science (CRMS) in Athens, and the Marine Institute in Sapelo
Island.                 

     A nationally accepted protocol developed under the Coastal Ocean
Program's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) will be used in the
study.  The protocol enables managers to detect area and functional
changes in emergent wetlands, adjacent uplands and submerged aquatic
vegetation through satellite imagery and aerial photography, and to map
this data uniformly.  This information is critical to coastal resource
managers who must make daily decisions about wetland protection.        

     Although more than 70 percent of economically important fisheries
in the U.S. depend upon estuarine habitats during some life stage,
estuaries are being destroyed or degraded by coastal development, with
concurrent nonpoint source pollution (diffuse sources of contaminants or
pollutants that cannot be attributed to a single discharge point, such
as agricultural runoff or storm water runoff), erosion and environmental
threats.

     "The salt marshes, brackish marshes and tidal swamps that line the
Georgia coast between the mainland and the barrier islands are vital
ecosystems that buffer upland runoff to the coastal estuaries and
provide habitat for fish and shellfish populations," said Donald Scavia,
director of NOAA's Coastal Ocean Program.  "The entire coast, however,
faces development pressure from a rapidly growing state population and
nonpoint sources of pollution due to important agriculture and forestry
activities."

     "Land cover changes due to human population growth and attendant
impacts on fishery habitat, adjacent uplands, water quality and living
marine resources occur faster and more pervasively than we previously
have been able to monitor.  Information about the extent and rate of
habitat degradation and loss is needed for sound resource management
decisions," Scavia
said.

     CRMS, the Marine Institute and C-CAP plan to develop a digital
database and use geographic information system  technology to analyze
Georgia's coastal change during 1984-1994.  Color-coded hard copy maps
and digital data sets depicting coastal land cover change during this
period will be developed during the project and made available to
resource managers responsible for decisions affecting the Georgia coast.

                         #

NOAA 94-R458
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202) 482-6090
          7/7 /94

         NEW YORK RECEIVES GRANTS FROM NOAA TO MONITOR COASTAL CHANGE

     New York has been awarded $97,000 to monitor coastal change, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Coastal Ocean Program
and Office of Coastal Resource Management announced today.  The grant,
to cover two projects, will be administered over two years.

     The New York Sea Grant College in Stony Brook and the Institute of
Ecosystem Studies in Millbrook, funded at $53,000 for two years, is
conducting a large-scale mapping of the current distribution and species
composition of submerged rooted vegetation in the Hudson River.  The New
York State Coastal Management Program in Albany, funded at $44,000 for
one year, is  establishing a digital database for coastal wetlands and
adjacent uplands for Long Island Sound.

     A nationally accepted protocol developed under the Coastal Ocean
Program's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) will be used in the
study.  The protocol enables managers to detect area and functional
changes in emergent wetlands, adjacent uplands and submerged aquatic
vegetation through satellite imagery and aerial photography, and to map
this data uniformly.  This information is critical to coastal resource
managers who must make daily decisions about wetland protection.        

     Although more than 70 percent of economically important fisheries
in the U.S. depend upon estuarine habitats during some life stage,
estuaries are being destroyed or degraded by coastal development, with
concurrent nonpoint source pollution (diffuse sources of contaminants or
pollutants that cannot be attributed to a single discharge point, such
as agricultural runoff or storm water runoff), erosion and environmental
threats.
                        
     "By monitoring the health and distribution of coastal wetlands,
adjacent uplands and submerged rooted vegetation [SRV], we can measure
the success of the Coastal Zone Management Act's Coast Nonpoint
Contamination Program [Section 6217], which requires coastal states to
develop programs to protect coastal waters from such nonpoint pollution
sources as agriculture, forestry, urban development, hydromodification,
marinas and recreational bathing," said Donald Scavia, director of the
NOAA Coastal Ocean Program.  "Therefore, we need a baseline knowledge of
current conditions on which to measure changes.  Knowledge, however, of
the current distribution and species composition of SRV in the Hudson
River is site-specific and incomplete, and on Long Island no digital
database documenting wetland and upland areas exists."

     "Land cover changes due to human population growth and attendant
impacts on fishery habitat, adjacent uplands, water quality and living
marine resources occur faster and more pervasively than we previously
have been able to monitor.  Information about the extent and rate of
habitat degradation and loss is needed for sound resource management
decisions," Scavia said.

                                #

NOAA 94-R459
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202)482-6090
          7/7/94

         NEW JERSEY RECEIVES GRANT FROM NOAA TO MONITOR COASTAL CHANGE

     New Jersey has been awarded a $79,000 grant to develop a
standardized information base on the present land cover of the Atlantic
Outer Coastal Plain, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal Resource
Management announced today.  The database will serve as the basis of
future Coastal Change Analysis Program efforts to detect change.  The
two-year project will be led by Rutgers University in New Brunswick.
                        
     A nationally accepted protocol developed under the Coastal Ocean
Program's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) will be used in the
study.  The protocol enables managers to detect area and functional
changes in emergent wetlands, adjacent uplands and submerged aquatic
vegetation through satellite imagery and aerial photography, and to map
this data uniformly.  This information is critical to coastal resource
managers who must make daily decisions about wetland protection.        

     Although more than 70 percent of economically important fisheries
in the U.S. depend upon estuarine habitats during some life stage,
estuaries are being destroyed or degraded by coastal development, with
concurrent nonpoint source pollution (diffuse sources of contaminants or
pollutants that cannot be attributed to a single discharge point, such
as agricultural runoff or storm water runoff), erosion and environmental
threats.

     "New Jersey is one of the most heavily urbanized states in the
nation.  Its coastal zone has experienced tremendous development in the
last two decades," said Donald Scavia, director of NOAA's Coastal Ocean
Program.  "The loss of coastal wetlands and upland habitats and the
increase of non-point source pollution in New Jersey has negatively
affected adjacent estuarine systems, leading to a decrease in
productivity and biodiversity."

     "Land cover changes due to human population growth, and attendant
impacts on fishery habitat, adjacent uplands, water quality and living
marine resources occur faster and more pervasively than we previously
have been able to monitor.  Information about the extent and rate of
habitat degradation and loss is needed for sound resource management
decisions,"  Scavia said.

     The products developed from the project will be shared with the New
Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and Energy and integrated
into the New Jersey Ecological Spatial Data Base Project that is being
developed, maintained and distributed by the Rutgers University Center
for Remote Sensing and Spatial Analysis.

                              #  
    
NOAA 94-R460

Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202) 482-6090
          7/8/94

               NORTH CAROLINA RECEIVES GRANT FROM NOAA 
                      TO MONITOR COASTAL CHANGE

     North Carolina has been awarded a two-year, $130,000 grant to
develop a nationally standardized, digital, regional land cover change
detection database, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
announced today.  The study will be conducted by the Computer Graphics
Center at North Carolina State University in Raleigh and the Division of
Coastal Management of the North Carolina Department of Environment,
Health and Natural Resources.
                        
     A nationally accepted protocol developed under the Coastal Ocean
Program's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) will be used in the
study.  The protocol enables managers to detect area and functional
changes in emergent wetlands, adjacent uplands and submerged aquatic
vegetation through satellite imagery and aerial photography, and to map
this data uniformly.  This information is critical to coastal resource
managers who must make daily decisions about wetland protection.        

     Although more than 70 percent of economically important fisheries
in the U.S. depend upon estuarine habitats during some life stage,
estuaries are being destroyed or degraded by coastal development, with
concurrent nonpoint source pollution (diffuse sources of contaminants or
pollutants that cannot be attributed to a single discharge point, such
as agricultural runoff or storm water runoff), erosion and environmental
threats.

     "Land cover changes due to human population growth and attendant
impacts on fishery habitat, adjacent uplands, water quality and living
marine resources occur faster and more pervasively that we previously
have been able to monitor," said Donald Scavia, director of NOAA's
Coastal Ocean Program.  "Information about the extent and rate of
habitat degradation and loss is needed for sound resource management
decisions."

     Submerged aquatic vegetation (SAV) includes some of the most
productive primary producers in the marine environment, and provides
habitat for juveniles and adults of many estuarine- dependent fish and
shellfish.  SAV has been vulnerable to adverse effects from
anthropogenic activities in the North Carolina coastal zone.  These
activities include the increasing development of adjacent coastal
uplands and wetlands, excessive freshwater, pollution and turbidity. 

     "Data on spatial change of seagrass habitat is needed to improve
management of these productive habitats and the species they support,"
Scavia said.

     The North Carolina Department of Environment, Health and Natural
Resources will continue to incorporate the maps developed in its
Geographic Information System database in order to resolve fishery
questions related to land development, water rights, and other coastal
matters.  Using this data, the state has established certain coastal
water bodies as outstanding resources deserving extra protection.

                                 #  

NOAA 94-R461
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez         
          (202) 482-6090                    
          7/7/94

           OREGON RECEIVES GRANT FROM NOAA TO MONITOR COASTAL CHANGE

     Oregon has been awarded a one-year, $53,000 grant to conduct a
regional land cover change analysis in the lower Columbia River, Willapa
Bay and Ptolemaic Bay, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal Resource
Management announced today.  The study will be conducted by the Columbia
River Estuary Study Task Force in Astoria.

     A nationally accepted protocol developed under the Coastal Ocean
Program's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) will be used in the
study.  The protocol enables managers to detect area and functional
changes in emergent wetlands, adjacent uplands and submerged aquatic
vegetation through satellite imagery and aerial photography, and to map
this data uniformly.  This information is critical to coastal resource
managers who must make daily decisions about wetland protection.        

     Although more than 70 percent of economically important fisheries
in the U.S. depend upon estuarine habitats during some life stage,
estuaries are being destroyed or degraded by coastal development, with
concurrent nonpoint source pollution (diffuse sources of contaminants or
pollutants that cannot be attributed to a single discharge point, such
as agricultural runoff or storm water runoff), erosion, and
environmental threats.

     "Land cover changes due to human population growth and attendant
impacts on fishery habitat, adjacent uplands, water quality and living
marine resources occur faster and more pervasively that we previously
have been able to monitor," said Donald Scavia, director of the NOAA
Coastal Ocean Program.  "Information about the extent and rate of
habitat degradation and loss is needed for sound resource management
decisions."

     Land cover changes from the forestry industry in both Oregon and
Washington are seriously affecting the functional integrity of the
fisheries habitats in the Columbia River.  Sedimentation from logging
clouds the streams and reduces depth, especially in the small
tributaries of the Columbia River that are essential to salmon spawning. 
This runoff also adversely affects the coastal bays where productive
shellfish beds lie.  

     "By analyzing these land cover changes, managers can perhaps
improve techniques that will protect these habitats as well as ensure
the economic productivity of the fishing and shellfish harvests," Scavia
said.

     A workshop to demonstrate the product to state, regional and
federal groups is planned.

                                     #

NOAA 94-R462
Contact:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez
          (202) 482-6090                  
           7/8/94

        LOUISIANA RECEIVES GRANT FROM NOAA TO MONITOR COASTAL CHANGE

     Louisiana has been awarded a two-year, $65,000 grant to determine
if the land cover and functions of the coastal Mermentau River Basin and
Chenier Plain have changed, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Coastal Ocean Program and Office of Coastal Resource
Management announced today.  The study will be led by the National
Wetlands Research Center in Lafayette.
                        
     A nationally accepted protocol developed under the Coastal Ocean
Program's Coastal Change Analysis Program (C-CAP) will be used in the
study.  The protocol enables managers to detect area and functional
changes in emergent wetlands, adjacent uplands and submerged aquatic
vegetation through satellite imagery and aerial photography, and to map
this data uniformly.  This information is critical to coastal resource
managers who must make daily decisions about wetland protection.        

     Although more than 70 percent of economically important fisheries
in the U.S. depend upon estuarine habitats during some life stage,
estuaries are being destroyed or degraded by coastal development, with
concurrent nonpoint source pollution (diffuse sources of contaminants or
pollutants that cannot be attributed to a single discharge point, such
as agricultural runoff or storm water runoff), erosion and environmental
threats.

     "Land cover changes due to human population growth and attendant
impacts on fishery habitat, adjacent uplands, water quality and living
marine resources occur faster and more pervasively than we previously
have been able to monitor," said Donald Scavia, director of NOAA's
Coastal Ocean Program.  "Information about the extent and rate of
habitat degradation and loss is needed for sound resource management
decisions."

     In addition to change detection analysis, C-CAP is also developing
new and easier techniques for mapping and measuring the health of
emergent wetland habitats.  A 1992 feasibility study by the University
of Delaware and the University of Louisiana was funded to determine if
this monitoring can be made from using remote sensing data.

     In conjunction with the remote sensing effort, the National
Wetlands Research Center is building a comprehensive standardized
geographic information system to detect and assess changes in land cover
and habitat.  Results from this study will provide a baseline for change
detection and a standard format for incorporating databases and results
from current programs and future data sources.

     "It will especially benefit development of Louisiana's coastal
nonpoint source pollution program and provide baseline information and
protocols with Gulf-wide or national applications," Scavia said.

                                #
           
NOAA 94-R468
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          (301) 713-3066    
          10/3/94

           NOAA ANNOUNCES 1994 COASTAL ENVIRONMENT AWARDS

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration announced the
winners of the 1994 Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards and the NOAA Awards
for Excellence in Coastal and Ocean Management today. 
                        
     The awards recognize more than a dozen individuals, organizations
and businesses who have made an outstanding contribution to the nation's
beaches, coastal wetlands, and other ocean and coastal resources.
                        
     Through the awards program, initiated in 1992 by the late
Congressman Walter B. Jones (former chairman of the House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries), NOAA recognizes individuals, state
officials, local governments, volunteers, graduate students and
environmentally conscious businesses.

     The awards were formally announced by NOAA Administrator D. James
Baker.  Giving these awards is our chance to thank the many people and
organizations that dedicate so much time and put so much energy into
improving our nation's coasts," he said. "These are people whose ethic
of environmental stewardship stands as a model for all. Because of their
efforts, we can keep our promise to protect nature's legacy for
generations to come."

     Awards were given in ten categories:  Coastal Steward of the Year,
Local Government, Graduate Study, Excellence in Coastal Zone Management,
Marine Sanctuary Management,  Estuarine Reserve Management, Volunteer of
the Year, Excellence in Promoting Cultural and Ethnic Diversity, Non-
Governmental Organization (NGO) of the Year, and Business Leadership. 
The latter four categories were created this year to honor private
sector efforts promoting stewardship of the coast.  A list of all
winners follows.

     NOAA also presented Sen. Ernest F. Hollings, D-S.C., chairman of
the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, with a
special award for his dedication and leadership in support of national
coastal management efforts.  For more than two decades, Hollings has led
the battle to balance the protection and wise development of the
nation's shores.

     The winners will receive a certificate and be publicly recognized
at a special awards ceremony in NOAA's auditorium, 1305 East-West
Highway, Silver Spring, Md., on Oct. 5 at 6:30 p.m.

                                --

AWARDS:

Coastal Steward of the Year

Beth Millman, Washington, D.C., Executive Director, Coast Alliance -- A
true champion of the environment, Ms. Millman has mobilized nationwide
grassroots activities to protect coastal resources, provided much needed
education materials for all sectors of society and has striven to
resolve key coastal problems ranging from nonpoint source pollution to
coastal development and flood insurance policies.  Among other things,
her work has helped contribute to the expansion of the Coastal Barrier
Resources Act, a federal law designed to protect undeveloped barrier
islands from development.

Local Governments (three awards)

South Walton County Conservation and Development Trust Inc., Santa Rosa
Beach, Fla. -- Rather than succumb to the pressure for increased
tourism, South Walton County decided in 1992 to designate 18,000 acres
of newly acquired beachfront property for public use.  Since then, the
county has initiated a pilot conservation and development planning
program that will promote protection of rare and endangered species and
their habitats and create a network of greenways for use as wildlife
corridors and recreational trails.  The South Walton County Conservation
and Development Trust, which was formed to govern these activities, has
been working diligently to implement the program.
                                                           
City of Kenosha, Wis. -- The economic hard times of the last decade left
many of the buildings along this city's waterfront abandoned and in
ruin.  In an effort to rebuild its faltering economy, the city initiated
a waterfront revitalization program that transformed the area into a
showcase for the city.  Today the area enjoys a new promenade, marina,
boat repair stations, increased public parking and access point, gardens
and other amenities that have successfully reintroduced the community to
the coast. This project served as a model for others.

Delaware County Conservation District, Pennsylvania -- For 10 years, the
District office of the Delaware County Conservation District has been a
champion of environmental education.  Using a local newspaper as its
vehicle, the district publishes an environmental supplement known as the
Delco-Resourcer, which brings environmental issues to the community's
front door. This tool has been highly efficient and cost-effective in
educating some 50,000 residents about coastal environmental issues on a
weekly basis.

Graduate Students (two awards)

Kelie Cochran, University of Rhode Island -- In her studies at the
university's Department of Marine Affairs, Ms. Cochran has targeted such
important issues as nonpoint  source pollution and public education. 
Her thesis tests whether public education on environmental issues
actually results in changed human behavior and a "greener" environment.

Miguel Jorge, University of Delaware -- Mr. Jorge has focused on both
value science and social science as they relate to coastal zone
management.  His thesis addresses an extremely complicated issue:  the
definition and implementation of "Integrated Coastal Management."  While
at the University of Delaware, Mr. Jorge has held internships with the
World Wildlife Fund where he worked on a wide range of regional,
national, and international projects, including the United Nation's
Conference on the Sustainable Development of Small Island Developing
States.

Volunteer of the Year

Alison Fahrer, Islmorada, Fla. -- Since moving to the Florida Keys some
30 years ago, Ms. Fahrer has demonstrated a seemingly endless source of
energy and dedication to saving the environment and preserving a healthy
reef ecosystem.  She has been appointed by three governors to Florida's
Citizen's Advisory Committee on Coastal Resources Management, on which
she currently serves, and has testified before the U.S. Congress and
Florida State Legislature on the need to improve coastal management
efforts.  Closer to home, Ms. Fahrer serves on the Florida Keys National
Marine Sanctuary Advisory Board, and is president of the Pennekamp Coral
Reef Institute.

Excellence in Promoting Cultural and Ethnic Diversity

Michael Klubock, Malibu, Calif. -- A sailor in a past life, Mr. Klubock
now dedicates himself to educating young people in urban Los Angeles
about the marine environment.  Mr. Klubock created the "Adopt-a-Beach
Assembly Program" in 1991 and personally funded the establishment of the
Malibu Foundation for Environmental Education.  This program reaches
multi-cultural communities, motivating students and directing them in
hands-on activities in recycling, pollution prevention and beach
cleanups.  The program has reached over 35,000 Los Angeles County
schoolchildren in 88 schools; an additional 150 schools requested the
program. Presently, the program is being translated into Spanish to make
it a truly bilingual experience for teachers and students.

Non-Governmental Organizations

Center for Marine Conservation, Pollution Prevention Program,
Washington, D.C. -- Over the past two years, the Center for Marine
Conservation (CMC) initiated a worldwide campaign to coordinate and
facilitate beach cleanups.  This effort amassed a volunteer recruitment
of more than 200,000 volunteers from 34 U.S. States and Island
Territories and 35 countries. These volunteers cleaned up more than five
million pounds of debris along 6,000 miles of shoreline.  As a result,
CMC developed a vital database on marine debris. This program has had a
lasting effect on both public awareness and political action.

Excellence in Business Leadership

Edwards Boatyards, Falmouth, Mass. -- This marina, located within the
boundaries of the Cape Cod National Seashore, has been built on
standards to protect water quality while providing effective services to
their customers. The marina has instituted a number of environmentally
sensitive practices to better protect the marine environment. For
example, it installed sediment traps into concrete floors
to hold hazardous material spills and installed a faster and more
efficient boat pump-out facility to deal with the problem of human
sewage from boatheads. The marina owner, Charles Swain, also takes an
active role in protecting the Cape's resources by serving on the
Falmouth Planning Board and Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research
Reserve's Board of Directors.

Excellence in Coastal Zone Management
Art Rocque, Assistant Commissioner, Long Island Sound Programs, State of
Connecticut -- In his many years of service, Mr. Rocque has served as a
leader of coastal management activities at both the state and national
levels. In Connecticut he has spearheaded efforts to develop and
implement a sound, comprehensive coastal management program involving
local, state and federal government parties.  At the national level, Mr.
Rocque has provided leadership in the Coastal States Organization (CSO),
an organization of governors' representatives for ocean and coastal
affairs, and has promoted intergovernmental coastal partnerships.

Excellence in Estuarine Reserve Management

Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve, Ohio -- Located on
the shores of Lake Erie, the Old Woman Creek estuarine research reserve
and its small staff have been leaders in developing innovative outreach
programs and partnerships that further the goals of cooperative coastal
resource management. The reserve has played a key role in assisting with
the development of Ohio's coastal zone management program by fostering
regional, national, and international cooperative programs.  In
addition, Old Woman Creek has been a catalyst in the development of
system-wide education and planning projects for the entire National
Estuarine Research Reserve system.

                                       Excellence in Marine Sanctuary
Management

Dr. Steven Gittings, manager, Flower Garden Banks National Marine
Sanctuary -- As a manager of the sanctuary, Dr. Gittings has been an
innovative leader, developing unique approaches to research, monitoring,
education and outreach activities.  He has fostered excellent working
relationships with leaders of the oil industry and other federal
partners,  especially the Department of the Interior's Minerals
Management Service, and has been instrumental in securing innovative
funding for research projects through the establishment of a Flower
Gardens Fund. He also has built a solid volunteer force to support
sanctuary resource protection.
                                  #

 

NOAA 94-R476
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
                           (301) 713-3066                                    
          10/5/94

      OHIO ESTUARY RECEIVES NATIONAL COASTAL STEWARD AWARD

      The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration honored today
the recipients of the 1994 Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards and the NOAA
Awards for Excellence in Coastal and Ocean Management at a ceremony in
Silver Spring, Md.  Winning in the "Excellence in Estuarine Research
Reserve Management" category was Eugene Wright, manager of the Old Woman
Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve in Huron, Ohio. 

     Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve is located on
the shores of Lake Erie and is the smallest reserve in the national
reserve system.  The small reserve staff is packed with a powerhouse of
leadership in developing innovative outreach programs and partnerships
that further the goals of cooperative coastal resource management.  

     The Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve has played
a significant part in the development of Ohios coastal zone management
program by fostering regional, national and international cooperative
programs.  The reserve has also been a catalyst in the development of
national estuarine research reserve system-wide education and planning
projects.  Reserve staff carry out research projects on topics that
directly relate to their local community.  Their research blends
scientific, education and management elements expertly and is translated
into real information for local concerns.

     Through its coastal awards program, initiated in 1992 by the late
Congressman Walter B. Jones (former chairman of the House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries), NOAA recognizes individuals, state
officials, local governments, volunteers, graduate students and
environmentally-conscious businesses that have made an outstanding
contribution to the nation's beaches, coastal wetlands, and other ocean
and coastal resources.

     The awards were formally announced by NOAA Administrator D. James
Baker.  Giving these awards is our chance to thank the many people and
organizations that dedicate so much time and put so much energy into
improving our nation's coasts," said Baker. "These are people whose
ethic of environmental stewardship stands as a model for all. Because of
their efforts, we can keep our promise to protect nature's legacy for
generations to come."

                                #

NOAA 94-R477
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz   
          (301) 713-3066           
          10/5/94

   TEXAS MARINE SANCTUARY RECEIVES NATIONAL COASTAL STEWARD AWARD

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration honored today
the recipients of the 1994 Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards and the NOAA
Awards for Excellence in Coastal and Ocean Management at a ceremony in
Silver Spring, Md.2  Winning the "Excellence in Marine Sanctuary
Management" category was Stephen Gittings, manager of the Flower Garden
Banks, headquartered in Bryan, Texas.
 
     Gittings has demonstrated outstanding, innovative management of the
Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary, including the development
of unique approaches to research, monitoring, education and outreach. 
He also has a knack for directing volunteers from many backgrounds to
support sanctuary resource protection.  

     Gittings faces many logistical and political challenges while
managing this site.  He has fostered excellent relationships with
leaders of the oil industry and other federal partners.  Through a
matching grant from the Department of the Interiors Mineral Management
Service and contributions from three oil companies, the monitoring
budget for the sanctuary has more than doubled.  Gittings also has met
the challenge of finding funding for research projects through
establishment of the Flower Gardens Fund.  This fund was set up with the
non-profit Gulf of Mexico Foundation to raise funds to carry out
approved programs and activities at the sanctuary, such as the
installation and maintenance of mooring buoys in the sanctuary.  

     Through its coastal awards program, initiated in 1992 by the late
Congressman Walter B. Jones (former chairman of the House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries), NOAA recognizes individuals, state
officials, local governments, volunteers, graduate students and
environmentally-conscious businesses that have made an outstanding
contribution to the nation's beaches, coastal wetlands, and other ocean
and coastal resources.

     The awards were formally announced by NOAA Administrator D. James
Baker.  Giving these awards is our chance to thank the many people and
organizations that dedicate so much time and put so much energy into
improving our nation's coasts," said Baker. "These are people whose
ethic of environmental stewardship stands as a model for all. Because of
their efforts, we can keep our promise to protect nature's legacy for
generations to come."

                                  #

Media Advisory             
CONTACT: Lori Arguelles 
         Tim Tomastik 
         (202) 482-6090 
         4/22/94 

  STUDENTS DISCUSS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT WITH SECRETARY BROWN

Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown will discuss the concept of sustainable
development with approximately 55 sixth graders from Fort Washington
Forest Elementary School, Ft. Washington, Md.  The students will be
actively engaging and sharing their ideas on sustainable development
with the Secretary, NOAA Chief Scientist  Kathy Sullivan and NOAA
Administrator Jim Baker. 
 
 
                                 #

NOAA 94-R478
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          (301) 713-3066    
          10/5/94

     FALMOUTH BOATYARD RECEIVES NATIONAL COASTAL STEWARD AWARD

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration honored today
the recipients of the 1994 Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards and the NOAA
Awards for Excellence in Coastal and Ocean Management at a ceremony in
Silver Spring, Md.  Winning in the "Excellence in Business Leadership"
category was Edwards Boatyard, of Falmouth, Mass.  The award will be
accepted by company President Charles Swain.

     Edwards Boatyard is a marina located on land incorporated into the
Cape Cod National Seashore.  The company has been built on standards to
protect water quality while providing effective services to its
customers.  Sensitive to the hazardous materials commonly handled at
marinas such as oil, lubricants and resins, the company installed
sediment traps in its concrete floors to hold any spills and allow for
safe disposal.  The company also recycles all its recyclable materials,
including used engine oil, and has addressed the problem of human sewage
from boatheads by installing a fast and efficient boat pump-out
facility.  Company President Charles Swain has personally dedicated
himself to protecting the Capes resources.  Among other positions, he
is Chairman of the Falmouth Planning Board and has served as Chairman to
the Waquoit Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve since 1988.  

     Edwards Boatyard has proven its sustained commitment to the health
of the marine environment, and was chosen by Marina/Dock Magazine as one
of the five most environmentally sensitive marinas in the nation. 

     Through its coastal awards program, initiated in 1992 by the late
Congressman Walter B. Jones (former chairman of the House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries), NOAA recognizes individuals, state
officials, local governments, volunteers, graduate students and
environmentally-conscious businesses that have made an outstanding
contribution to the nation's beaches, coastal wetlands, and other ocean
and coastal resources.

     The awards were formally announced by NOAA Administrator D. James
Baker.  Giving these awards is our chance to thank the many people and
organizations that dedicate so much time and put so much energy into
improving our nation's coasts," said Baker. "These are people whose
ethic of environmental stewardship stands as a model for all. Because of
their efforts, we can keep our promise to protect nature's legacy for
generations to come."

                           #

NOAA 94-R479
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          (301) 713-3066
          10/5/94

        SENATOR HOLLINGS RECEIVES NATIONAL COASTAL AWARD

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration today presented
Senator Ernest F. Hollings, chairman of the Senate Commerce, Science,
and Transportation Committee, with a special award for his dedication
and leadership in support of national coastal management efforts.  For
more than two decades, Hollings has led the battle to balance the
protection and wise development of our shores.
     
     Hollings was presented the award at a special ceremony at NOAA's
auditorium in Silver Spring, Md.  NOAA also announced the winners of the
1994 Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards and the NOAA Awards for Excellence
in Coastal and Ocean Management. 

     Through the awards program, initiated in 1992 by the late
Congressman Walter B. Jones (former chairman of the House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries) NOAA recognizes individuals, state
officials, local governments, volunteers, graduate students and
environmentally-conscious businesses who have made an outstanding
contribution to the nation's beaches, coastal wetlands, and other ocean
and coastal resources.

     The awards were formally announced by NOAA Administrator D. James
Baker.  Giving these awards is our chance to thank the many people and
organizations that dedicate so much time and put so much energy into
improving our nation's coasts," said Baker. "These are people whose
ethic of environmental stewardship stands as a model for all. Because of
their efforts, we can keep our promise to protect nature's legacy for
generations to come."

                              # 

NOAA 94-R481
Contact:  Eliot Hurwitz
          (301) 713-3066
          10/5/94

FLORIDA KEYS ACTIVIST RECEIVES NATIONAL COASTAL STEWARD AWARD

     The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration honored today
the recipients of the 1994 Walter B. Jones Memorial Awards and the NOAA
Awards for Excellence in Coastal and Ocean Management at a ceremony in
Silver Spring, Md.  Winning in the "Volunteer of the Year" category was
Alison Fahrer of Islmorada in the Florida Keys.  

     Since moving to the Florida Keys 30 years ago, Fahrer has been an
advocate for a healthy reef ecosystem.  She has been appointed by three
governors of Florida to serve as the chair of the state's Citizens
Advisory Committee on Coastal Resources Management.  Fahrer speaks out
on behalf of the environment.  She has testified before Congress on the
Coastal Zone Management Act and before the state legislature for
improvements to the Florida Coastal Management Program.  Fahrer is on
the advisory board of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary and
serves as president of the Pennekamp Coral Reef Institute, Inc.  In all
her activities, Fahrer has demonstrated a seemingly endless source of
energy and dedication to the precious resources surrounding her.

     Through its coastal awards program, initiated in 1992 by the late
Congressman Walter B. Jones (former chairman of the House Committee on
Merchant Marine and Fisheries), NOAA recognizes individuals, state
officials, local governments, volunteers, graduate students, and
environmentally-conscious businesses that have made an outstanding
contribution to the nation's beaches, coastal wetlands, and other ocean
and coastal resources.

     The awards were formally announced by NOAA Administrator D. James
Baker.  Giving these awards is our chance to thank the many people and
organizations that dedicate so much time and put so much energy into
improving our nation's coasts," said Baker. "These are people whose
ethic of environmental stewardship stands as a model for all. Because of
their efforts, we can keep our promise to protect nature's legacy for
generations to come."

                                #

NOAA 94-R501
Contact:  Jay Tebeau
          (202) 482-6090 
          2/22/94

     GULFPORT, MISS., COMPANY TO BUILD NEW NOAA RESEARCH SHIP

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration has exercised a $36.6 million option on a Navy contract
to Halter Marine, Inc., in Gulfport, Miss., to construct a world class
research ship to support several of the agency's critical scientific
missions. 

     The Auxiliary General Oceanographic Research (AGOR) ship will aid
NOAA scientists in obtaining critical data and information essential to
understanding variations in global climate and the greenhouse effect. 
The vessel is expected to be built by 1997 and will be the first new
NOAA oceanographic research ship since the MALCOLM BALDRIGE was
delivered in 1970.

     The original contract was awarded competitively to Halter Marine,
Inc., by the Naval Sea Systems Command to build one ship for the Navy
with options to build a second Navy vessel and a ship for NOAA. 

     The construction of the 274-foot vessel marks a major step for
NOAA's fleet replacement and modernization program to replace its aging
vessels with ships able to conduct research and studies of the ocean
into the next century.  The current fleet of 18 active ships was
originally built in the mid-1960s.

     The ships support NOAA's efforts in fisheries research and
assessing fishery stocks, conducting surveys for nautical charting,
performing oceanographic and atmospheric research, and monitoring the
health of marine estuaries.         

                                #

NOAA 94-R502
Contact:  Dane Konop 
          (301) 713-2483 
          3/9/94

 FINLAY ANDERSON BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Finlay Anderson of Corvallis, Ore., a graduate student at the
Oregon State University, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Anderson will
work on the staff of the U.S. House of Representatives' Merchant Marine
and Fisheries Committee.

     Anderson, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at
Oregon State University, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R503
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483 
          3/8/94

   PETER BARILE BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN ARLINGTON, VA.

     Peter Barile of Palm Bay, Fla., a graduate student at the Florida
Institute of Technology, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Arlington, Va.  Brown will work
on the staff of the National Science Foundation's Biological
Oceanography Program Office.

     
     Barile, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at the
University of Florida, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R504
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483  
          3/9/94

           CHRISTOPHER BEHR BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP 
                       IN SILVER SPRING, MD.

     Christopher Behr of Madison, Wis., a graduate student at the
University of Wisconsin, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Silver Spring, Md.  Behr will
work on the staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Ocean Service Damage Assessment Center.

     Behr, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at the
University of Wisconsin, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program, the
fellowships are open to students who, at the time of application, are in
a graduate or professional degree program in a marine-related field at
an accredited institution of higher education.  Applications are made
through individual state Sea Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship
candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R505
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483   
          3/9/94

     THOMAS BOYD BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN ARLINGTON, VA.

     Thomas Boyd of La Jolla, Calif., a graduate student at the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Arlington, Va.  Boyd will work
on the staff of the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean
Sciences.

     Boyd, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at the
University of California, San Diego, is one of 25 graduate students
competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in
1979 and named after Dr. John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate
School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and former
under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R506
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

     MARA BROWN BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Mara Brown of Eugene, Ore., a law student at the University of
Oregon, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss National Sea Grant
Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Brown will work on the staff of
the National Ocean Policy Study of the U.S. Senate Committee on
Commerce, Science and Transportation.

     Brown, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at
Oregon State University, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after Dr. John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of
Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and former under
secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R507
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

     MARK BROWN BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Mark Brown of Gainesville, Fla., a law student at the University of
Florida, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss-National Sea Grant
Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Brown will work on the staff of
Rep. Peter Deutsch.

     Brown, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at
University of Florida, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former Dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former Under Secretary of Commerce
for Oceans and Atmosphere.

     Each year, the Dean John A. Knauss Sea Grant fellowship program
provides students with an opportunity to serve with staff offices within
the executive and legislative branches of government to learn how
federal policy is formulated and carried out and to apply their academic
backgrounds to national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes
resources.  The fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R508
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

     BONNIE BRUCE BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Bonnie Bruce of Charlottesville, Va., a graduate student at the
University of Virginia, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Bruce will
work on the Subcommittee on Fisheries Management of the U.S. House of
Representatives' Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee.

     Bruce, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program of the
Virginia Graduate Marine Science Consortium, is one of 25 graduate
students competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program,
established in 1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean of the
Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and
former under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R509
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483             
          3/9/94

 CHRISTOPHER CARR BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Christopher Carr of Berkeley, Calif., a law student at the
University of California at Berkeley, has begun a one-year Dean John A.
Knauss National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Carr
will work on the staff of the State Department's Office of Fisheries
Affairs.

     Carr, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at the
University of California, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and
atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.
                                #

NOAA 94-R510
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483             
          3/9/94

     ROBERT CHO BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Robert Cho of East Setauket, N.Y., a graduate student at the State
University of New York, Stony Brook, has begun a one-year Dean John A.
Knauss National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Cho
will work on the staff of Rep. Dan Hamburg.

     Cho, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at the
State University of New York at Stony Brook, is one of 25 graduate
students competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program,
established in 1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean of the
Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and
former under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R511
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

  JESSICA COGAN BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Jessica Cogan of Carrboro, N.C., a graduate student at the
University of North Carolina, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Cogan will
work on the staff of the Environmental Protection 
Agency's Office of Wetlands, Oceans and Watersheds.

     Cogan, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program of the
University of North Carolina, is one of 25 graduate students
competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in
1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School
of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and former under
secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #
                                                     

NOAA 94-R512
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

 ABIGAIL FRIEDMAN BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Abigail Friedman of Kingston, R.I., a graduate student at the
University of Rhode Island, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Friedman will
work on the Strategies and Initiatives Section of the Environmental
Protection Agency's Wetlands Division.

     Friedman, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at
the University of Rhode Island, is one of 25 graduate students
competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in
1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School
of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and former under
secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R513
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

 ROGER GRIFFIS BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Roger Griffis of Lafayette, La., a graduate student at the
University of Southwestern Louisiana, has begun a one-year Dean John A.
Knauss National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C. 
Griffis will work on the staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Chief Scientist.

     Griffis, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at
Louisiana State University, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program, the
fellowships are open to students who, at the time of application, are in
a graduate or professional degree program in a marine-related field at
an accredited institution of higher education.  Applications are made
through individual state Sea Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship
candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-514
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

 ELLEN HAWES BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN SILVER SPRING, MD.

     Ellen Hawes of Mount Pleasant, S.C., a graduate student at the
University of Charleston, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Silver Spring, Md.  Hawes will
work on the staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's Coastal Ocean Program.

     Hawes, who was recommended by the South Carolina Sea Grant
Consortium, is one of 25 graduate students competitively selected for
the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named after John A.
Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the
University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce for
oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program, the
fellowships are open to students who, at the time of application, are in
a graduate or professional degree program in a marine-related field at
an accredited institution of higher education.  Applications are made
through individual state Sea Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship
candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R515
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

     KATHARINE HORNBARGER BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP 
                   IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Katharine Hornbarger of Ann Arbor, Mich., a graduate student at the
University of Michigan, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Hornbarger
will work on the staff of the Subcommittee on Oceanography, Gulf of
Mexico, and the Outer Continental Shelf of the U.S. House of
Representatives' Merchant Marine and Fisheries Committee.

     Hornbarger, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at
the University of Michigan, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean
of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island
and former under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R516
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483            
          3/9/94

ELIZABETH LAMOUREUX BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN ARLINGTON, VA.

     Elizabeth Lamoureux of Stony Brook, N.Y., a graduate student at the
State University of New York, Stony Brook, has begun a one-year Dean
John A. Knauss National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Arlington, Va. 
Lamoureux will work on the staff of the Interior Department's Fish and
Wildlife Service Division of Environmental Contaminants.

     Lamoureux, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at
the State University of New York at Stony Brook, is one of 25 graduate
students competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program,
established in 1979 and named after 
John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography at
the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with
an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional
degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of
higher education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea
Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship candidates.

                                #

NOAA 94-R517
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

            HOLLY LYNCH BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

       Holly Lynch of Ann Arbor, Mich., a graduate student at the
University of Michigan, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Lynch will
work on the staff of Sen. Joseph I. Lieberman.

      Lynch, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College
Program at the University of Michigan, is one of 25 graduate students
competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in
1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School
of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and former under
secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.
 
      Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides
students with an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the
executive and legislative branches of government to learn how federal
policy is formulated and carried out and to apply their academic
backgrounds to national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes
resources.  The fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

      Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are
open to students who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or
professional degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited
institution of higher education.  Applications are made through
individual state Sea Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship
candidates.

                                        #
NOAA 94-R518
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

DONALD MACLEAN BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN ARLINGTON, VA.

      Donald MacLean of Columbia, Md., a graduate student at the
University of Maryland, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Arlington, Va.  MacLean will
work on the staff of the Interior Department's Fish and Wildlife Service
Division of Habitat Conservation.

      MacLean, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College
Program at the University of Maryland, College Park, is one of 25
graduate students competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship
program, established in 1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean
of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island
and former under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

      Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides
students with an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the
executive and legislative branches of government to learn how federal
policy is formulated and carried out and to apply their academic
backgrounds to national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes
resources.  The fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

      Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are
open to students who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or
professional degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited
institution of higher education.  Applications are made through
individual state Sea Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship
candidates.

                                   #

NOAA 94-R519
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

       PAMELA PLOTKIN BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN SILVER SPRING, MD.

      Pamela Plotkin of College Station, Texas, a graduate student at
Texas A&M University, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss National
Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Silver Spring, Md. Plotkin will work on
the staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Marine Fisheries Service's 
Office of Protected Resources.

      Plotkin, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College
Program at the Texas A&M University, is one of 25 graduate students
competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in
1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School
of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and former under
secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.
 
      Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides
students with an opportunity to serve with staff offices within the
executive and legislative branches of government to learn how federal
policy is formulated and carried out and to apply their academic
backgrounds to national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes
resources.  The fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year.

      Managed by NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program, the
fellowships are open to students who, at the time of application, are in
a graduate or professional degree program in a marine-related field at
an accredited institution of higher education.  Applications are made
through individual state Sea Grant  offices, which recommend fellowship
candidates.

                                     #

NOAA 94-R520
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

           NANCY ROTH BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Nancy Roth of Ann Arbor, Mich., a graduate student at the University
of Michigan, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss National Sea Grant
Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Roth will work in the
Outreach/State Program Office of the Environmental Protection Agency's
Wetlands Division. 

     Roth, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at the
University of Michigan, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere. 
 
     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with an
opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year. 

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional degree
program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of higher
education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea Grant
offices, which recommend fellowship candidates. 

                                    #

NOAA 94-R521
Contact: Dane Konop
        (301) 713-2483              
        3/9/94

            PAUL SALOP BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN SILVER SPRING, MD.

       Paul Salop of Corvallis, Ore., a graduate student at Oregon State
University, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss National Sea Grant
Federal Fellowship in Silver Spring, Md.  Salop will work on the staff
of the Sanctuaries and Reserves Division of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's 
National Ocean Service.

     Salop, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at Oregon
State University, is one of 25 graduate students competitively selected
for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named after John
A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the
University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce for
oceans and atmosphere. 

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with an
opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year. 

     Managed by NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships
are open to students who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or
professional degree program in a marine-related field at an accredited
institution of higher education.  Applications are made through individual
state Sea Grant offices, which recommend fellowship candidates. 

                                 #

NOAA 94-R522
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483             
           3/9/94

             AMY SANTIN BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Amy Santin of Baltimore, Md., a law student at the University of
Maryland, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss National Sea Grant
Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Santin will work on the Fisheries
Management Subcommittee of the U.S. House of Representatives' Merchant
Marine and Fisheries Committee. 

     Santin, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at the
University of Maryland, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere. 

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with an
opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year. 

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional degree
program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of higher
education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea Grant
offices, which recommend fellowship candidates. 

                                   #
                
NOAA 94-R523
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

  ELIZABETH SHEA BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN SILVER SPRING, MD.

     Elizabeth Shea of Gloucester Point, Va., a graduate student at
the College of William and Mary, has begun a one-year Dean John A.
Knauss National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Silver Spring, Md.  Shea
will work on the staff of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service Habitat Research and
Restoration Center.

     Shea, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program of the
Virginia Graduate Marine Science Consortium, is one of 25 graduate
students competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program,
established in 1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean of the
Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and
former under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere. 

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with an
opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year. 

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional degree
program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of higher
education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea Grant
offices, which recommend fellowship candidates. 

                                #
NOAA 94-R524
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483               
          3/9/94

      STEPHEN SMITH BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Stephen Smith of College Station, Texas, a graduate student at
Texas A&M University, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss National
Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Smith will work on the
staff of the U.S. House of Representatives' Congressional Sunbelt
Caucus.

     Smith, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at Texas
A&M University, is one of 25 graduate students competitively selected for
the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named after John A.
Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography at the
University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce for
oceans and atmosphere. 
 
     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with an
opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year. 

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional degree
program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of higher
education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea Grant
offices, which recommend fellowship candidates. 

                                #

NOAA 94-R525
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483              
          3/9/94

       ALTON STRAUB BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

     Alton Straub of Seattle, Wash., a graduate student at the
University of Washington, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Washington, D.C.  Straub will
work on the staff of the U.S. Senate's Great Lakes 
Task Force.

     Straub, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College Program at the
University of Washington, is one of 25 graduate students competitively
selected for the 1994 fellowship program, established in 1979 and named
after John A. Knauss, former dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography
at the University of Rhode Island and former under secretary of commerce
for oceans and atmosphere. 

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with an
opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year. 

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional degree
program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of higher
education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea Grant
offices, which recommend fellowship candidates. 

                                    #
NOAA 94-R526
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483             
          3/9/94

   STEVEN WHITESELL BEGINS SEA GRANT FELLOWSHIP IN ARLINGTON, VA.

        Steven Whitesell of Chapel Hill, N.C., a graduate student at the
University of North Carolina, has begun a one-year Dean John A. Knauss
National Sea Grant Federal Fellowship in Arlington, Va.  Whitesell will
work on the staff of the Office of Assistant Secretary of the Navy for
Installations and Environment.

     Whitesell, who was recommended by the Sea Grant College
Program at the University of North Carolina, is one of 25 graduate
students competitively selected for the 1994 fellowship program,
established in 1979 and named after John A. Knauss, former dean of the
Graduate School of Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island and
former under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.

     Each year, the Sea Grant fellowship program provides students with an
opportunity to serve with staff offices within the executive and
legislative branches of government to learn how federal policy is
formulated and carried out and to apply their academic backgrounds to
national policy issues involving ocean and Great Lakes resources.  The
fellows also receive a stipend of $24,000 a year. 

     Managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's
National Sea Grant College Program, the fellowships are open to students
who, at the time of application, are in a graduate or professional degree
program in a marine-related field at an accredited institution of higher
education.  Applications are made through individual state Sea Grant
offices, which recommend fellowship candidates. 

                                #

NOAA 94-R527
Contact:  Dane Konop                       
          (301) 713-2483                    
          3/14/94
  

        VALERIAN I. TATARSKII ELECTED TO NATIONAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING

     Valerian I. Tatarskii, a senior research associate at the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Environmental
Technology Laboratory and the University of Colorado's Cooperative
Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences in Boulder, Colo., has
been elected a foreign associate of the National Academy of Engineering.

     Election to the 1,732-member academy, one of the highest honors in
professional engineering, recognizes individuals who have made important
contributions to engineering theory and practice and unusual
accomplishments in pioneering new and developing fields of technology. 

     Tatarskii was recognized for his distinguished
contributions to understanding the propagation and scattering of
electromagnetic and acoustic waves in the atmosphere and oceans.

     The Environmental Technology Laboratory, one of 11 NOAA environmental
research laboratories, develops and demonstrates remote measurement
systems to improve NOAA's weather forecasts and warnings of severe storms
and to advance atmospheric and oceanic research.  Tatarskii's appointment
brings the total number of Academy of Engineering members affiliated with
the Environmental Technology Laboratory to five. 

     The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences is
one of seven joint institutes at research-oriented universities that
cooperate with NOAA's Environmental Research Laboratories on education,
technology transfer and research on the oceans, inland waters, the
atmosphere and the solar-terrestrial environment. 

                                 #

NOAA 94-R528
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483                    
          (202) 482-6090
          5/4/94

   ELDON E. FERGUSON OF BOULDER WINS AMERICAN PHYSICAL SOCIETY AWARD

     Eldon E. Ferguson, director of the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics
Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., has received the 1994 Will Allis Prize in
ionized gas physics from the American Physical Society.

     Ferguson received the $5,000 award for "his pioneering
development and application of the flowing afterglow technique to
provide detailed microscopic understanding of low-energy ion-molecule
reactions of importance in weakly ionized gases and in ionospheric
physics" at the society's April 20 meeting in Crystal City, Va.

     The technique, now widely used around the world in chemical studies,
revolutionized the study of thermal energy ion- molecule reactions.  The
flowing afterglow technique has been used to develop a detailed
understanding of the ion chemistry of the earth's atmosphere, particularly
as applied in telecommunications.  It has also been used in astrophysics
and the physics of combustion systems and ionized gasses.  A number of
molecular processes were studied for the first time in the flowing
afterglow, leading to substantial advances in understanding molecular
behavior. 

     The NOAA Climate Monitoring and Diagnostics Laboratory conducts
research to measure atmospheric composition, assess climate fluctuations,
and develop climate prediction techniques on a wide range of time scales. 
The laboratory operates a network of global atmospheric sampling sites to
document changes in methane, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, CFCs and other
greenhouse gases, as well as near-surface and stratospheric ozone,
aerosols and solar and infrared radiation. 

     A long-time resident of Boulder, Ferguson grew up in Tulsa, Okla.,
where he graduated from Central High School in 1944.  He received his
Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma in 1953. 

                                  #

NOAA 94-R529
Contact:  Dane Konop 
          (301) 713-2483

               NOAA RESEARCH METEOROLOGIST DIAN J. GAFFEN 
              WINS WORLD METEOROLOGICAL ORGANIZATION AWARD

     Dian J. Gaffen, a scientist with the NOAA Air Resources Laboratory in
Silver Spring, Md., has received the World Meteorological Organization's
prestigious Professor Dr. Vilho Visil Award for her scientific paper on
"Historical Changes in Radiosonde Instruments and Practices." 

     The award, co-sponsored by Vaisala, Inc., of Woburn, Mass., includes
a medal, a certificate and a $5,000 check.  It is awarded for the best
scientific paper published during the previous year on meteorological
instruments and methods of observation. 

     G.O.P. Obasi, secretary-general of the World Meteorological
Organization, presented the award during a ceremony in Silver Spring, Md.,
August 15. 

     Gaffen, a research meteorologist, received a B.A. from the University
of California at Berkeley in 1981, an M.S. in meteorology from San Jose
State University in 1984, and a Ph.D. from the University of Maryland in
1992. 

     She and her husband, Stephen Seidel, and daughter, Brina Rose, live
in Chevy Chase, Md. 

     NOAA's Air Resources Laboratory researches the transport, dispersion
and wet and dry deposition of trace gases and particles in the air and how
these substances affect air quality and climate change.  It is the
official federal government source of information on atmospheric transport
and diffusion, which is used to guide responses to emergencies affecting
air quality, such as the eruption of Mount Redoubt and the oil fires in
Kuwait during the Gulf War. 

                                #

NOAA 94-R530
Contact:  Dane Konop 
          (301) 713-2483                    
          8/25/94

                  BOULDER SCIENTIST BETH CHERTOCK NAMED 
                   NOAA RESEARCH EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

     Beth Chertock, an oceanographer with the Commerce Department's
Environmental Technology Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., has been named
one of three oceanic and atmospheric research employees of the year by
the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

     Chertock received the award for employees in the top three civil
service pay grades in NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
one of NOAA's five main components. 
  
     Chertock was recognized for her contributions as a member of the NOAA
Polar Satellite Requirements Review Team and the Interagency Working Group
on Polar Satellite Convergence.  Their work will lead to the
identification of potential cost savings to the federal government by
integrating NOAA's Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite
Program, the Defense Department's Defense Meteorological Satellite
Program, and elements of NASA's Earth Observing System. 

     "Dr. Chertock led the intense, iterative process of defining the
requirements for polar satellites to collect data for climate monitoring
and prediction, one of five primary mission areas examined by the polar
satellite review team.  She also made invaluable contributions to the
definition of satellite constellation and instrument options as a member
of the Interagency Working Group on Polar Satellite Convergence.  Because
of her work, the United States will end up with an improved suite of polar
satellites at less cost to U.S. taxpayers," said Dr. Steven Clifford,
director of the Environmental Technology Laboratory. 

     Chertock, a native of Torrance, Calif., received a B.A in physics
from Pomona College, and a Ph.D. in oceanography from the Scripps
Institution of Oceanography/University of California, San Diego. 

                               #

NOAA 94-R531
Contact:  Dane Konop 
          (301) 713-2483                    
          8/25/94

                    COLORADO SCIENTIST CLARK W. KING NAMED 
                      NOAA RESEARCH EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

     Clark W. King of Berthoud, Colo., a meteorologist with the Commerce
Department's Environmental Technology Laboratory in Boulder, Colo., has
been named one of three oceanic and atmospheric research employees of the
year by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 

     King received the award for employees in the middle three civil
service pay grades in NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research,
one of NOAA's five main components. 
  
     King was recognized for his work as the field program manager for the
Denver Brown Cloud Study, for a study of recent elevated carbon monoxide
episodes in Denver, and for the Environmental Technology Laboratory's
participation in the Department of Energy's Atmosphere Studies in Complex
Terrain Program; and for developing a series of major air quality
meteorology field programs throughout the state of California. 

     "The meteorological field program King led in the Denver Brown Cloud
Study allowed the state of Colorado to implement the first
visibility-based air quality standard in the nation.  His work on the
Denver elevated carbon monoxide episodes made possible the separation of
air pollution signatures from meteorological noise and trends.  He also
played a critical role in the Department of Energy study that will provide
an emergency response prediction capability needed to protect the pubic in
the extensive urban area surrounding DOE's Rocky Flats Facility.  On top
of this, his efforts to organize a series of major air quality
meteorological field programs in California will help the state implement
its stringent clean air standards on a sound scientific basis.  His
contributions to these projects have demonstrated exceptional competency
and reliability and are emblematic of the best of NOAA scientific services
to the public," said Steven Clifford, director of the Environmental
Technology Laboratory. 

     King, a native of Encino, Calif., received a B.S. in meteorology from
San Jose State University and an M.A. in geography from the University of
Colorado.  He is currently working on a Ph.D. in geography at the
University of Colorado. 
                                    
                                     #

NOAA 94-R532
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483
          Thomas Pyke
          (202) 395-7600
          9/1/94

                   PARTNERS SOLICITED FOR GLOBE 
               ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND EDUCATION PROGRAM

     GLOBE, an international environmental science and education program
that will bring school children, educators and scientists together to
monitor the worldwide environment, is soliciting partners interested in
participating in joint project agreements. 

     Non-profit, research and public organizations that can share both the
benefits and costs of the GLOBE (Global Learning and Observations to
Benefit the Environment) program are urged to respond.  Joint project
partner organizations will work with the federal interagency team that
manages the GLOBE program for the United States, under the overall
leadership of Vice President Al Gore and the heads of the participating
agencies. 

     Through GLOBE, students in grades K through 12 will carry out
scientific experiments and conduct environmental observations,
transmitting their findings to a central processing site through personal
computers connected to the Internet or other computer or satellite
networks.  At the site, global environmental images will be created and
relayed back to the students.  The data acquired will also support the
ongoing research of environmental scientists throughout the world. 
                        
     The goals of GLOBE are to help people in all nations become more
aware of the environment and of the impact human activities have upon it,
to increase scientific understanding of the earth, and to help all
students reach higher standards in science and mathematics education. 
Many schools worldwide are to implement the program beginning April 22,
1995, the 25th Earth Day; thousands more are expected to join them over
the next few years. 

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration, lead agency for GLOBE, intends to enter into one or more
joint project agreements with partner organizations that have resources to
contribute and for which there is a mutual benefit to GLOBE and the
partner organizations to establish a joint project. 

     Responses are requested by Sept. 8 or as soon as possible thereafter. 
To request the Solicitation of Interest Notice or for further information,
please contact Thomas N. Pyke, director of the GLOBE program, at (202)
395-7600. 

                                  #

NOAA 94-R533
Contact:  Dane Konop
          (301) 713-2483                
          9/12/94

                  JAMES L. RASMUSSEN NAMED DIRECTOR OF
              NOAA'S ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LABORATORIES

     Noted international atmospheric science leader James L. Rasmussen,
the outgoing director of the World Weather Watch Program of the World
Meteorological Organization in Geneva, has been named director of the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Environmental Research
Laboratories. 

     The Environmental Research Laboratories conduct an integrated program
of oceanic and atmospheric research that contributes to improving our
fundamental understanding of the Earth, its oceans and inland waters, the
lower and upper atmosphere, and the space environment.  Headquartered in
Silver Spring, Md., the Environmental Research Laboratories comprise five
laboratories in Boulder, Colo., and individual laboratories in Miami,
Fla.; Princeton, N.J.; Ann Arbor, Mich.; Norman, Okla.; Seattle, Wash.;
and Silver Spring. 

     Rasmussen, who remained affiliated with NOAA while on assignment to
the World Weather Watch Program for the past five years, was the director
of the Office of Meteorology of NOAA's National Weather Service from
1984-1989 and was the director of the NOAA Climate Analysis Center from
1982-1984. 

     He joined NOAA in 1972 as the science coordinator of the U.S. project
office of the Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) Atlantic Tropical
Experiment, then was director of the U.S. project office until 1976.  His
work there included coordination of the participation by the U.S.
scientific community and government agencies to develop a complete and
coherent U.S. contribution to the international experiment. 

     In earlier assignments with the WMO, he served as senior scientific
officer for the GARP joint planning staff at the WMO in Geneva from
1976-77.  He was also manager of the international operations center for
the first GARP global experiment from 1978-79. 

     He then was director of program planning and United Nations affairs
for the WMO and director of its technical cooperation department before
becoming director of the NOAA Climate Analysis Center in 1982. 

     Rasmussen was an assistant and associate professor in the Department
of Atmospheric Science from Colorado State University from 1967-72 and was
a graduate research assistant there from 1961-67, following a stint as a
U.S. Air Force weather officer. 

     He earned a Ph.D. and an M.S. in atmospheric science in 1968 and
1963, respectively, from Colorado State University, a B.S. in meteorology
from the University of Utah in 1959, and a B.A. in mathematics and physics
from St. Olaf College in 1958. 

     Rasmussen is a member of the National Honor Society, Phi Kappa Phi,
and the National Scientific Research Society, Sigma Xi, and is a fellow of
the American Meteorological Society. 

     His awards include a 1975 U.S. Department of Commerce gold medal, the
department's highest employee award. 

     A native of Stevens Point, Wis., Rasmussen and his wife, Sonja
Gandrud Rasmussen, live in Gaithersburg, Md. 

                                #

NOAA 94-R701
CONTACT:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez    
          (202) 482-6090              
          1/6/94

   COMMERCE DEPARTMENT WILL HOLD TOWN MEETINGS IN NORTHEASTERN SEAPORTS

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration will sponsor a series of town meetings in northeastern
U.S. fishing ports January through April designed to create a regional
economic assistance plan for reducing the economic impact of
increasingly reduced fish stocks and catches.
     
     Former New Bedford, Mass., Mayor John Bullard, now director of
Commerce's Office of Sustainable Development and Intergovernmental
Affairs, will preside over the meetings.
Deputy Director Lance Simmens will accompany him.  "The purpose of the
town meetings is to explore both short- and long-term strategies for
addressing the adverse economic impacts of fish stock depletion on
fishermen, their families and the surrounding communities," Bullard
said.

     The meetings are open to public comments and suggestions.  "The
whole concept is to devise a comprehensive regional assistance plan that
is derived from a local assessment of the needs of the communities and
individuals affected, rather than to have policies dictated from
Washington, D.C.," Bullard said. 

     These meetings will be followed by a second round during the week
of May 22-27.  Bullard expects to issue a report outlining
recommendations on assistance policies by July 1.

     The following list of meetings, including times and locations, is
subject to change.

              NORTHEAST FISHERIES TOWN MEETINGS

A.  GLOUCESTER, MASS.                  B.  NEW BEDFORD, MASS.             
    Date:   Jan. 21, 1994              Date:   Jan. 31, 1994
    Time:   8 a.m. - 12 p.m.           Time:   8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
    Place:  Sawyer Free Library        Place:  Durant Sail Loft Inn
            2 Dale Ave.                        1 Merrill's Wharf
            Gloucester, Mass.                  New Bedford, Mass. 

C.  CHATHAM, MASS.                     D.  ELLSWORTH, MAINE
    Date:   Feb. 18, 1994              Date:   March. 1, 1994
    Time:   8 a.m. - 12 p.m.           Time:   8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
    Place:  Northport Seafood House    Place:  Holiday Inn
            323 Orleans Rd.                    High Street
            No. Chatham, Mass.                 Ellsworth, Maine

E.  PORTLAND, MAINE                    F.  POINT JUDITH, R.I.
    Date:   March 2, 1994              Date:   March 18, 1994
    Time:   8 a.m. - 12 p.m.           Time:   8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
    Place:  Holiday Inn                Place:  Dutch Inn
            88 Spring Street                   307 Great Island Rd.
            Portland, Maine                    Narragansett, R.I.

G.  RIVERHEAD, N.Y.                    H.  CAPE MAY, N.J.
    Date:   April 8, 1994              Date:   April 15, 1994
    Time:   8 a.m. - 12 p.m.           Time:   8 a.m. - 12 p.m.
    Place:  Holiday Inn                Place:  Lobster House Rest.
            Route 25 Riverhead                 Fishermen's Wharf
            Riverhead, N.Y.                    Cape May, N.J.
      
                                       #

NOAA 94-R702
CONTACT:  Mayra Martinez-Fernandez     
          (202)482-6090              
          Gwen Harmon
          EDA - (202)482-5112
          3/3/94

                    COMMERCE SECRETARY BROWN ANNOUNCES
                   APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR EDA GRANTS 
                    TO NORTHEAST FISHING COMMUNITIES

     The Department of Commerce announced today the procedure for
applying for funds through its Economic Development Administration
(EDA), for planning and technical assistance projects for fishing
communities in the Northeast.  The purpose of the grants is to help
affected communities adjust to the short and longer term economic
consequences of the collapse of traditional Northeast fish stocks.

     "This represents another step in our effort to assist Northeast
fishing communities in developing short and long term adjustment
strategies," said Secretary of Commerce Ronald H. Brown. 

     "EDA has committed up to $1 million for eligible governmental and
non-profit organizations to organize and conduct a planning process,
involving local officials, affected businesses and individuals," said
John Bullard, director of the  Commerce Department's Office of
Sustainable Development and Intergovernmental Affairs.  Fishermen
associations and similar groups with a current 501 (c)(3) status also
can apply for these grants.

     Other initiatives that will be funded include hands-on technical
assistance in designing and implementing potentially significant
business development activities, and the identification, assessment and
development of alternative economic activities and opportunities for
redeploying fishing industry resources.  Funds may be used to cover
personnel and/or contractual costs of undertaking the project and
related administrative costs.

     "Grants will be for up to 75 percent of the cost of the project,"
said Paul Matyskiela, chief of the EDA's Economic Adjustment Division of
the Philadelphia Regional Office.  "The organizations will have to
provide the remainder of the money through local matching funds, in cash
and/or in-kind donations, in order to qualify for the grants."

     Written proposals should be submitted to EDA by May 1, 1994.  Any
party contemplating requesting assistance is advised to contact
Matyskiela at EDA (215/597-8733) first to confirm their eligibility and
the appropriateness of the proposed project/activity, and to obtain
further information.  All proposals will be reviewed as they are
received.

                                        #

NOAA 94-R703
Contact:  Tamela Graham                           
          (202)482-6090
          Gris Batchelder - NFWF
          (202)857-0166
          8/19/94

  SIX GRANTS AID NORTHEAST FISHING COMMUNITIES IN ECONOMIC DISTRESS

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation have
announced their intent to fund six grants totaling more than $800,000 in
federal funds for Northeast communities adversely affected by depleted
fishery stocks.

     The six grants will be issued under the Northwest Atlantic Ocean
Fisheries Reinvestment Program (NAOFRP).  The federal funds will be
matched by approximately the same amount in non-federal funds, totaling
more than $1.6 million.

     "These grants are another step in our continuing efforts to assist
ailing Northeast fishing communities," said Douglas Hall, Commerce
Department's assistant secretary for oceans and atmosphere.  "The
cooperative agreement between NOAA and the National Fish and Wildlife
Foundation to expedite grants will help create jobs and help build a
sustainable economy."

     The grants will assist Northeast fishing communities in the
following ways:

- defining a vision for the Northeastern commercial fisheries industry
($25,000 NAOFRP funds/$25,000 non-federal funds);

- promoting shellfish aquaculture and creating long-term employment on
Cape Cod ($250,000 NAOFRP funds/$361,730 non-federal funds);

- organizing a cooperative of local Maine fishermen/farmers to develop a
commercial nori (seaweed) industry ($69,730 NAOFRP funds/$55,348 non-
federal funds);

- expanding a capital lending program to displaced fishermen in
Gloucester and coastal Maine, and strengthening the program in New
Bedford ($200,000 NAOFRP funds/$200,000 non-federal funds);

- researching the effectiveness of acoustic alarms for reducing porpoise
bycatch in sink gillnets ($200,000 NAOFRP funds/$100,000 non-federal
funds);

- creating a shellfish aquaculture education/training program in Maine
to introduce fishermen to alternative long-term economic opportunities
($75,000 NAOFRP funds/$59,159 non-federal funds).
                              
     "These six projects will help bring the changing coastal economy
into balance with the fishery resource,"  said Whit Fosburgh, director
of fisheries for the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation.  

     The NFWF grant program will continue to solicit project proposals
until Sept. 2, 1994, after which time an additional $600,000 in federal
funds will be awarded to other projects.

     The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation is a private, non-profit
organization created by Act of Congress in 1984 and dedicated to using a
combination of federal and private funds to initiate important
conservation projects across the country. Since its inception, NFWF has
made more than 980 grants totaling more than $123 million in federal and
non-federal funds.

                                        #

NOAA 94-R704
Contact:  Brian Gorman
          (301) 713-2370 (O)
          9/2/94

     $12 MILLION FISHERIES AID PACKAGE PROPOSED FOR PACIFIC NORTHWEST

     The Commerce Department's National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration has proposed a $12 million financial aid package to
salmon fishermen in the Pacific Northwest, following the collapse of
salmon stocks off the coasts of Washington, Oregon and northern
California.

     The proposed assistance program includes a $4 million provision to
buy salmon fishing permits, administered through the state of
Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife;  a 
$6 million habitat restoration employment program, administered by the
Agriculture Department's Soil Conservation Service; and a $2 million
data collection jobs program, administered through the Pacific States
Marine Fisheries Commission.

     Last May, Commerce Secretary Ronald H. Brown announced a $15.7
million financial aid package to Washington, Oregon and northern
California.  Part of the package included $12 million in disaster aid
made available through the Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act, a 1986 law
that provides assistance to fishing communities affected by a fishery
resource disaster. 

     The proposed plan is being published as required by the
Interjurisdictional Fisheries Act and is subject to a 15-day public
comment period, after which a final plan will be published and the funds
disbursed.

Landings of chinook and coho salmon, the principal species for which the
resource disaster was declared, have declined dramatically in recent
years.

     The commercial salmon fishery off Washington and northern Oregon
was closed this year and remaining ocean salmon fisheries 
off central and southern Oregon and northern California are at record
low levels.  Scientists with NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service
predict that the 1994 ocean salmon catch will amount to less than
290,000 chinook and no coho at all.

     The aid package will compensate fishermen who have recently
participated in the salmon fishery, who relied substantially on salmon
fishing for their income, and whose income has been substantially
reduced because of the collapse of the stocks.

     "The cornerstone of this program is to compensate fishermen in ways
that provide long-term benefits to the fishery," said John Bullard,
director of NOAA's Office of Sustainable Development.  "Permit
reductions, habitat restoration and data collection will all improve the
fishery over the long haul," Bullard said.

     In early June, NOAA held eight town meetings in northern
California, Oregon and Washington for comments on the financial aid
package; and the fisheries service wrote a description of the program
and published an advance notice of proposed rulemaking asking for public
comments.  Today's announcement incorporates comments from the town
meetings and the advance rulemaking.

     Based on estimates of the impact that the collapse of salmon stocks
in the Pacific Northwest has on each state, the fisheries service
anticipates that 55 percent of the total $12 million package will be for
fishermen in the state of Washington, and 22.5 percent each for
fishermen in Oregon and California.  These are target distributions, not
fixed percentages.

     Washington state estimates it could buy out approximately half of
the troll and gillnet permits with the federal money that would be made
available. 

     The habitat restoration program would hire both tribal and non-
tribal fishermen to perform work that has a long-term benefit on salmon
habitat.  The data collection jobs program would employ tribal and non-
tribal fishermen to collect information useful to scientists and fishery
managers.

     Both jobs programs would pay up to $10 to $15 per hour, depending
on the locality of the job and the skills it requires.  In order to
focus resources to those most in need, the proposed notice outlines
eligibility criteria that dislocated fishermen must meet to qualify for
participation.

     Today's proposal is being published in the Federal Register. 
Written comments on the proposal can be received until 15 days after
Federal Register publication and can be sent to Stephen Freese,
Northwest Emergency Assistance Plan, National Marine Fisheries Service,
BIN C15700, Sand Point Way NE, Seattle, WA 98115.

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