Discover
The Treasures Of NOAA's Ark
Artifacts in this
exhibit illustrate the history of an agency steeped in
maritime science and technology, telling the story of NOAA.
The exhibit includes a re-creation of a marine lab
typically used by the Bureau of Fisheries, the predecessor
of today's Fisheries Service, in the 1920s and 1930s. A
rustic shack with a corrugated metal roof, the lab includes
microscopes and specimens in jars. Marine labs such as this
one were used as temporary research stations that were torn
down when the scientists moved to a new location.
The exhibit also pays
tribute to historical pioneers of the organization's
scientific efforts. One of these was Rachel Carson, the
author of ''Silent Spring," who was a science writer for
the Bureau of Fisheries and lived in Silver Spring. Another
was George Washington Carver, thought to be one of the
first African Americans to supply weather data to the U.S.
Weather Bureau. Today, the National Weather Service
continues to have a Cooperative Observers Program, in which
volunteers collect weather data for the service.
Aside from the historical pieces on display, the exhibit
also shows more modern types of technology that NOAA uses,
such as different kinds of sonar to map the undersea world.
Sound waves hit the bottom of the sea and come back up to
provide measurements.
