Even though “ocean” is our middle name, the National 

Ocean Service is very much a coastal agency. Our work 

supports coastal economies, communities, and ecosystems. 

Our diversity of expertise and activities 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.

Navigation, Observations and Positioning

Office of Coast Survey

National Geodetic Survey 

Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services 

NOAA Integrated Ocean Observing System Program 

Coastal Science and Assessment

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science 

Office of Response and Restoration 

Ocean and Coastal Management Services

Office for Coastal Management 

Office of National Marine Sanctuaries

oceanservice.noaa.gov

nos.info@noaa.gov

Priorities

Positioning America for the Future

In the United States, almost 40 percent

of the country’s population lives in 

coastal shoreline counties.1

 These 

counties contribute $6.6 trillion to the 

U.S. economy.2

 The health of our coasts 

is inextricably connected to the health 

of our nation’s economy.

The National Ocean Service (NOS) is 

the nation’s ocean and coastal agency. 

NOS is the nation’s leader in observing, 

measuring, assessing, protecting, and 

managing coastal, ocean, and Great 

Lakes areas. NOS provides sciencebased services to inform decision 

making, thereby positioning America’s 

communities, economies and ecosystems 

for the future.

In March 2014, the Department of Commerce 

released its Strategic Plan for fiscal years 2014 to 

2018. NOS contributes to all five goals identified 

in the plan, with its primary activities falling into 

the Environment Goal to ensure communities 

and businesses have the necessary information, 

products, and services to prepare for and prosper 

in a changing environment. NOS plays a key 

role in objectives to strengthen the resilience of 

communities and foster health and sustainable 

marine resources, habitats and ecosystems. 

In April 2014, NOAA identified four priorities to guide 

the agency from 2014 to 2016: make communities 

more resilient; evolve the National Weather 

Service; invest in observational infrastructure; 

and achieve organizational excellence. As a Line 

Office within NOAA, NOS contributes to all four 

priorities with a key role in the first. Further, NOS’s 

coastal intelligence capabilities support NOAA’s position as 

America’s environmental intelligence agency. 

The following figure shows the alignment of NOS with the 

Department of Commerce and NOAA.

The NOS Roadmap Supports NOAA’s Priorities and the Department of 

Commerce Strategic Plan 

Partnerships: Key to NOS’s Success 

NOS works closely with many partners. For example, 

we collaborate with other federal agencies, including 

the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Army 

Corps of Engineers, the Department of Interior, and 

the U.S. Coast Guard. We work with industry partners 

on public-private initiatives. We engage regional, 

state, and local governments on topics ranging from 

coastal management to emergency response. About 30 

percent of NOS’s budget is invested in states, academic 

institutions and non-governmental organizations to 

carry out our collective mission. We also provide critical 

data to partners within NOAA, for example real-time 

oceanographic observations required for accurate 

weather forecasts.

October, 2014
Coastal resilience: preparedness, response, and recovery 

NOS recognizes that immediate and potentially life-threatening events such as hurricanes as well as long-term 

environmental impacts from climate change are very real challenges to sustaining healthy coastal communities and 

ecosystems. Achieving resilience requires threat and vulnerability identification, planning, response actions, and 

recovery activities. In addition, the range of NOS authorities and capabilities in coastal and ocean science, navigation, 

observation, positioning, resource management, habitat conservation, decision support, technical assistance, and 

training provide a powerful combination to able communities to advance their resilience goals. NOS is skilled at 

identifying risks and vulnerabilities and working with decision makers to apply sustainable solutions that increase 

resilience in the face of change. 

Positioning America for the Future

How does the NOS help the country thrive in the face of these challenges? 

NOS has identified three priorities that reflect our primary statutory and mission 

drivers and reflect our commitment to navigation services, coastal research and 

observations, emergency response, and place-based conservation programs.

Positioning America for the Future

Coastal intelligence 

Decision makers in coastal communities need actionable information to make informed choices for the 

safety of coastal residents, environmental protection, and economic decisions. Coastal intelligence provides timely, 

actionable information, developed from reliable and authoritative science to provide insight into present and 

future conditions in the coastal zone. It includes observations (physical, chemical and biological), measurements, 

models, monitoring, assessment, analysis, and the forecasts, tools, products, and services that derive from these 

valuable foundational geospatial data. NOS’s coastal intelligence capabilities help businesses and communities make 

informed decisions about sustainable use of the environment and how future choices, climate change, and coastal 

development will impact them.

Place-based conservation 

America’s coastal and marine environments are under increasing pressure from a number of stressors and demands. 

NOS’s place-based conservation efforts have been effective in helping to reduce stress on marine ecosystems while 

providing economic benefits to coastal communities. Although NOS’ place-based programs are national in scope and 

leverage national assets and attention, they are implemented by NOS staff and partners in the places where people 

live: from Massachusetts to American Samoa. Place-based programs value the experiences of local and indigenous 

populations and help provide services that combine their traditional knowledge with modern technologies and 

techniques.

Advancing These Priorities through the NOS Roadmap 

The NOS Roadmap is the guide for advancing NOS’s priorities over the next three to five years. The Roadmap includes 

integrated outcomes, strategies and actions that NOS will take to advance the priorities. The Roadmap complements 

NOS’s annual operating plan and milestones but it is not intended to serve as an exhaustive plan of all NOS activities. NOS 

has a rich diversity of programs, tools and expertise. Each of our Program Offices is highly successful carrying out their 

respective missions. The Roadmap describes an approach that NOS is taking to better leverage resources and promote 

coordinated activities that will deliver on the expected outcomes to advance the priorities. While this Roadmap focuses 

on NOS actions, NOS fully recognizes that successfully realizing these outcomes and advancing these priorities require 

close collaboration across NOAA, federal and state agencies, non-profit organizations, industry, and academia.

What does the future hold?

A future of higher intensity coastal storms. Higher intensity coastal storms. Storms like Sandy may be more 

of the norm. In 2013, there were seven extreme weather and climate events that each caused more than $1 

billion in damage. 

Changing sea levels and coastal flooding. Changing sea levels and coastal flooding are likely to increase the 

challenges that many coastal communities already face. 

Increased offshore development and coastal development. If current population trends continue, the U.S. 

coastal population will grow by another 10 million to nearly 134 million people by 2020, an eight percent 

increase over the 2010 Census.

Increasing demand on natural areas and ocean resources. Population along the coasts continues to grow 

at the same time that there is higher demand for healthy places for tourism and recreation, and food from 

fishing and aquaculture.

Increased demands on our marine transportation system. U.S. commercial ports directly support more 

than 13 million jobs. The demand for safe, effective, and resilient marine infrastructure and transportation 

continues to grow. 

With economic growth and environmental change, communities will face 

significant and long-lasting challenges in the future.

1

2

3

Outcomes:

NOS has the capability to respond to and manage two simultaneous significant incidents or one major event.

Coastal communities apply relevant criteria and standards to enhance preparedness and recovery.

Coastal communities utilize natural and nature-based infrastructure to enhance resilience to coastal hazards.

Meet the need for expanded commerce in busy ports through enhanced and integrated decision support tools.

Coastal communities will use a decision support system for local to regional predictions of total water level and its 

impacts in three to five geographies.

Local communities use warnings of ecological hazards to take actions which manage natural resources and protect human 

health.

Ensure that special places are valued, protected, and preserved in multi-use planning and decision making.

Increase management capacity to ensure protection in NOS special places and sustain the socio-economic benefits to 

their communities.