Department of Commerce oversees many of the economic, trade and employment creation duties of the Federal Government. Commerce holds as its main goals the simultaneous prosperity of the American people and protection of the nation’s environmental and biological resources.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) conducts research and gathers data about the global oceans, atmosphere, space and sun, and applies this knowledge to contemporary problems. NOAA consists of five main divisions: the National Weather Service, the National Ocean Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, and NOAA Research.

Coral Reef Conservation Program : Partnership between NOAA agencies to coordinate science, management and cleanup of coral reef ecosystems.

National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)

NESDIS a dministers an integrated program for the development and use of all operational civilian satellite-based environmental remote sensing systems and the national and international acquisition, processing, dissemination, and exchange of environmental data.

National Climate Data Center - World’s largest archive of climate and weather data, including paleoclimatic information and information on climate’s effects on habitats and ecosystems.

National Oceanographic Data Center - Data archive for research and information on the world’s oceans and their biodiversity, currents, temperatures and climatic variability.

National Coastal Data Development Center - Maintains a searchable metadata catalogue of coastal data and uses the Internet to provide this diverse, distributed coastal data to users.

National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) - NMFS is responsible for the management, conservation and protection of living marine resources in U.S. coastal waters. NMFS works to ensure sustainable and efficient fishing practices and to promote the recovery of protected and endangered species and habitats.

Chesapeake Bay Office - Provides focus for NOAA’s multiple research and conservation activities and programs within the Chesapeake Bay area.

Ecosystem Assessment Division - Works with partners in other NOAA divisions, and federal and state agencies to develop standardized ecosystem classifications and conservation plans for them, with a special focus on coral reef ecosystems.

Endangered Species Conservation Division - Implements the Endangered Species act for marine and anadromous species. Also serves as the principal liaison between the NMFS and environmental organizations, other Federal agencies and state and local agencies.

Habitat Protection Division - Focuses on ensuring that living marine resources have sufficient healthy habitat to sustain populations through partnerships with state, local and other federal agencies, as well local NGOs and industry groups.

Habitat Restoration Center - Focuses on restoring degraded coastal habitat, and in developing and distributing new techniques for habitat restoration to other government agencies, the public and the private sector.

Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Response Program - Studies the health of marine mammals and organizes responses to unusual mortality events, such as dolphin or whale strandings, high levels of coastal pollution in the marine mammal food supply, and disease.

Office of Sustainable Fisheries – Implements the NOAA Fisheries Strategic Plan, which focuses on the long-term economic and social benefits to the nation from living marine resources. The Office takes steps to prevent over-fishing and to rebuild previously over-fished stocks.

National Ocean Service (NOS) - NOS measures and predicts coastal and ocean phenomena and assists other agencies in managing large sections of the U.S. coastline.

Coastal Services Center - Forms partnerships with the nation’s state, local and federal coastal resources managers to improve the quality of information and expertise used in their administration and conservation efforts.

Coastal Zone Management Program - Federal-State partnership to share expertise and resources in managing coastal areas. Offers grants, technical assistance and facilitating abilities to state coastal resource managers.

CoastWatch - Utilizes NOAA satellite data to assist U.S. coastal ocean resource managers. CoastWatch produces a variety of maps, data sets and other products to express the data gathered from earth observing satellites.

International Programs Office - Focal point for NOS international activities, including research partnerships, technology transfer, and grants to foreign nations and NGOs on ocean and coastal-related activities.

Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) - Diverse set of coastal parks, refuges and areas enjoying varying degrees of environmental protection, resource extraction and recreation. MPAs frequently overlap other conservation and cultural reserve areas, such as National Parks or Monuments and state parks. NOAA provides management and scientific expertise in administering these sites to fulfill their expressed duties.

National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science - Group of five science centers focusing on invasive species, climate change, pollution, extreme natural events and land and resource use. The Centers help resource and wildlife managers understand how these stressors will affect coastal habitats.

National Estuarine Research Reserve System - Network of 26 protected areas established for long-term research, conservation and education in ecologically sensitive estuaries.

National Marine Sanctuary Program - 13 protected areas in U.S. states and territories designed to protect critical and unique marine ecosystems against coastal pollution and development.

National Oceanographic Data Center - Archives and provides public access to global oceanographic and coastal data, products and information.

Office of Response and Restoration - Responsible for cleaning up and restoring habitat damaged by spills of oil and other hazardous chemicals. In coordination with other federal, state and local agencies, drafts response plans to protect habitat in case of such spills and to respond as quickly and effectively as possible.

National Weather Service (NWS) -NWS monitors and collects data from thousands of weather stations and offices around the country, in its primary mission to predict weather and climate. NWS integrates NOAA data on oceanography and climate change, creating models of the likely effects of upcoming droughts, extreme weather events, climatic change and periodic oscillations such as El Niño on ecosystems and society.

National Centers for Environmental Prediction - Develops and improves computer-based models to predict weather, marine circulation and climate and their impact on ecosystems.

Office of Global Programs (OGP) - OGP leads the agency’s climate research, primarily focusing on climate change, El Niño/La Niña and the effects of climate variability on ecosystems human society.

Climate and Global Change Program - Provides forecasts of climatic events useful to economic and environmental planning. Focuses on both seasonal/short-term predictions of climatic events such as El Niño, and long-term predictions of global climate change.