National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)

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A organizational summary by the ENVS 560/L Watershed Systems class at CSUMB.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration logo. Retrieved from NOAA.[2]

Overview

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a United States federal scientific agency within the US Department of Commerce. NOAA carries out a variety of duties that monitor, manage, and protect the nation's oceans, major waterways, and atmosphere. In the California Central Coast Region, NOAA plays a large role in marine management and regulation in conjunction with many cooperating institutions such as Scripps Institution of Oceanography, UC Santa Cruz, Moss Landing Marine Labs, and CSUMB [1]

Mission

NOAA's overarching mission is "Science, Service, and Stewardship." [2] NOAA operations strive to study the structure and function of the ocean, atmosphere, and other connected systems in order to understand patterns and predict changes in weather, climate, and ocean processes. NOAA also seeks to share their data and effectively communicate this information to the public and other agencies. A large part of NOAA's mission is to act as responsible stewards of the earth by managing and conserving coastal and marine ecosystems and the services they provide. Together, these three principles drive NOAA research and management to be the foundation for future ecosystem, cultural, and economic resilience. [2]

Legal Status / Authority

Was NOAA created by an act of congress? Which one? What authority did that act give NOAA? For example, can they create sanctuaries? Can they regulate activity in the sanctuaries? Can they enforce regulations (or do they need USCG to that kind of thing for them)?

NOAA was established by an Executive Order from President Richard Nixon in 1970 as part of a government reorganization plan with the goal of creating a government structure that could "make a coordinated attack on the pollutants...[in] the air we breath, the water we drink, and the land that grows our food."[3] The order transferred all oceanic, aquatic, and fisheries-related functions within the Department of the Interior and the National Science Foundation/Sea Grant Program to NOAA and the Department of Commerce, as well as any Department of Defense surveying and charting duties in the Great Lakes and other major interior bodies of water. The new administration would also absorb the personnel, property, and funds of the Environmental Sciences Services Administration.[4]

Governance

Organizational Structure

The top executive leadership position within NOAA is the Administrator. Benjamin Friedman, U.S. Deputy Under Secretary for Operations, is currently serving as Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and Acting Administrator of NOAA.[5]


NOAA operates six major line offices that carry out the majority of its scientific functions, as well as several staff and corporate offices and the NOAA Commissioned Officers Corps. NOAA's major offices include:

Central Coast Context

Example Work / Projects

Links

References

  1. Reference text https://www.ci.noaa.gov/Locations/California
  2. 2.0 2.1 [1]
  3. Reference text https://www.nixonfoundation.org/2014/07/president-nixons-message-congress-epa-noaa/#:~:text=On%20this%20day%20in%201970,National%20Oceanic%20and%20Atmospheric%20Administration.
  4. Reference text https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title5a-node84-leaf179&num=0&edition=prelim
  5. Reference text https://www.noaa.gov/our-people/leadership/benjamin-friedman

Disclaimer

This page may contain student work completed as part of assigned coursework. It may not be accurate. It does not necessary reflect the opinion or policy of CSUMB, its staff, or students.