2 0 1 0 H I G H L I G H T S | N AT I O N A L O C E A N S E R V I C E 

WE ARE A COASTAL NATION. More than half of us live in coastal areas. These areas 

generate nearly 60 percent of the nation's gross domestic product each year. The health 

of our coasts is directly tied to the health of our economies. To address issues threatening 

our coasts, such as climate change, population growth, ecosystem management, port congestion, and contaminants in the environment, NOAA’s National Ocean Service translates 

science into action, delivering needed information, tools, and technical services. 

Fiscal year 2010 was a busy one for us. Front and center was our response to the Deepwater 

Horizon/BP oil spill. NOS staff were on hand—and continue to be on hand—in responding 

to this unprecedented environmental incident. NOS served as the lead scientific resource 

to the U.S. Coast Guard and the Environmental Protection Agency and delivered aerial 

photographs, observations, maps and charts, trajectory forecasts, assessments, and restoration plans to support the response. 

And while the Deepwater Horizon response dominated the headlines, before, during, and 

after the spill, NOS was hard at work. From developing tools and conducting surveys that 

support coastal and marine spatial planning to helping mariners navigate safely and outlining steps to combat marine debris and reduce impacts on coral reefs, NOS remained 

on the front lines in protecting our nation’s coasts. For a full overview of our year’s accomplishments, visit us online at: oceanservice.noaa.gov/annualreport10. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Through a diversity of programs, NOAA’s National Ocean Service supports healthy, resilient coastal communities; 

promotes sustainable, robust coastal economies; and protects the productivity and diversity of coastal and marine 

places. We’ve captured a few highlights from the year here, but visit the NOS website for a more comprehensive list of 

the activities we were involved with throughout the 2010 fiscal year: oceanservice.noaa.gov/annualreport10. 

Supporting Healthy, Resilient Coastal Communities 

IF YOU LIVE NEAR THE COAST, you aren’t alone—over half of all Americans call coastal areas home. 

And as more and more people flock to our coasts, communities in these areas become increasingly vulnerable to 

damages from hazards such as sea level rise or storms, habitat loss, and other threats that can negatively impact our 

economy and our quality of life. In fiscal year 2010, NOS was engaged in a range of activities to support healthy, 

resilient coastal communities.

 • NOS developed numerous products to support coastal and marine spatial planning, including a website

 (www.cmsp.noaa.gov) and a tool called the Multipurpose Marine Cadastre, which provides data, visualizations,

 and information for select ocean locations.

 • From broadcasting harmful algal bloom (HAB) warnings in Maine via NOAA Weather Radio to providing forecasts

 of blooms in Texas and Oregon, NOS helped keep coastal communities safe from HAB-toxin related shellfish 

poisoning.

 • NOS implemented a new program that addresses research, tool and technology development, and engineering or

 testing of sensors for the detection of ocean- or coastal-borne human and marine animal health threats from 

marine toxins, pathogens, and chemical contaminants.

 • NOS awarded over $68 million to state and territory coastal zone management programs to help states plan for

 climate change, protect and restore coastal habitats, and enhance access to coastal areas. 

Promoting Sustainable, Robust Coastal Economies 

DID YOU KNOW that 57 percent of our nation’s gross domestic product is generated in the 673 counties that 

line our ocean and Great Lakes waters? Or that nearly 80 percent of our overseas trade by volume comes and goes 

along our marine highways? In fiscal year 2010, NOS was once again hard at work providing the right information, 

tools, and services needed to keep this coastal economic engine running.

 • Visibility sensors were integrated into the Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System at Mobile Bay in Alabama 

 to help mariners navigate safely during periods of dense fog, ensuring safe and secure port operations. 

• NOS introduced plans to modernize the National Spatial Reference System (NSRS), including removing inac-

 curacies and helping the user community transition to new infrastructure and methodologies, all to improve the

 accuracy and efficiency of survey and mapping projects. 

• Using approximately $40 million in funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, NOS awarded

 contracts to collect hydrographic data essential for safe navigation, as well as applications such as marine spatial

 planning and emergency response. 

• NOAA worked with Integrated Ocean Observing System partners to complete a three-year project to make selected

 NOAA and partner ocean observation data work together, thereby increasing their value and use for decision-

 support tools, products, and services. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Protecting the Productivity and Diversity of Coastal and Marine Places 

THE BEAUTY OF OCEAN AND COASTAL AREAS is hard to dispute. These areas are also essential to 

satisfying our increasing appetite for energy, food, goods, and services. Through innovative management and protection 

activities, NOS worked in 2010 to balance environmental conservation, economic development, and recreational 

enjoyment to ensure our special coastal and ocean areas are available today and for future generations. 

• NOS released a series of strategic planning documents to help focus efforts and resources on priority needs of 

 the management community to reduce impacts on coral reef ecosystems from climate change, fishing, and 

 land-based sources of pollution. 

• A settlement agreement was reached between NOAA and the Boeing Corporation regarding injury to natural 

 resources from the release of hazardous substances along the Lower Duwamish River, which runs through Seattle.

 The agreement includes restoration projects to create habitat for fish, crabs, and shorebirds.

 • The NOAA Marine Debris Program led the coordination of the Hawaii Marine Debris Action Plan, which outlines

 steps to reduce marine debris backlog, decrease the amount of solid waste and fishing gear dumped into ocean and

 coastal areas, reduce the number of abandoned and derelict vessels, and reduce land-based marine debris. 

• The World Heritage Committee of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization voted to 

add Papah ̃naumoku ̃kea Marine National Monument to its list of significant places around the world.

 Inclusion of the monument, which is one of 14 marine protected areas that form the National Marine Sanctuary 

 system, recognizes the significance of its near-pristine habitats, diverse marine life, and cultural connections to the sea. 

Responding to the Deepwater Horizon / BP Oil Spill 

ON APRIL 20, an explosion and subsequent fire damaged a deepwater drilling platform approximately 50 

miles southeast of Venice, Louisiana. Eleven people lost their lives. The spill that followed would become one of the 

largest spills in history. As the nation’s leading scientific resource for oil spills, NOAA was on the scene of the Deepwater Horizon incident from the start, providing coordinated scientific services to federal, state, and local organizations.

 • Within hours of the incident, NOS specialists were providing scientific support directly to the U.S. Coast Guard 

 and Unified Command, advising the Coast Guard on cleanup options, developing trajectory forecasts, and helping 

identify marine resources at risk within the Gulf of Mexico. These efforts continued throughout the duration 

 of the spill response.

 • One day after the release was discovered, NOAA scientists began work to assess damages from the spill and to 

 ensure that actions taken minimized harm to natural resources. Teams also began surveying lost human use and

 designing economic studies, so that the public can be compensated for losses associated with the spill.

 • To support the continuation of safe and efficient maritime commerce, NOS produced nautical chart products 

that displayed oil spill zone forecasts based on NOAA spill projections. 

• Because the effects of oil on estuaries can be particularly damaging, staff at the five Gulf Coast National Estuarine

 Research Reserves collected water and sediment samples to establish baseline measurements of contaminants,

 should oil reach their bays and wetlands.

 • NOS continued to operate and maintain an extensive network of approximately 60 coastal measurement 

systems throughout the Gulf of Mexico to collect and provide information about how the water and wind were

 moving. Such information helped determine the path of spilled oil. 

• NOAA investigators and partners collected oyster, sediment, and water samples at 60 sites in the Gulf before 

 any oil washed ashore, to provide background information for post-spill impact assessments. NOS also sampled

 water in the Gulf to help determine the size, location, and composition of underwater oil plumes. 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many Responsibilities, One Mission 

WITH PROGRAM AND STAFF OFFICES covering a broad range of topics, 

the diversity of expertise within the National Ocean Service is one of our greatest strengths. 

Bringing together scientists, natural resource managers, and specialists, NOS is well 

equipped to support coastal communities, promote a robust economy, and protect coastal 

and marine ecosystems. 

The offices of the National Ocean Service Program Offices include: 

• Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services

 • NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System Program 

• National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science

 • National Geodetic Survey 

• NOAA Coastal Services Center 

• Office of Coast Survey

 • Office of National Marine Sanctuaries 

• Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management 

• Office of Response and Restoration 

• International Program Office 

• Management and Budget 

oceanservice.noaa.gov 

NAT OI NAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRAT OI N 

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE