NOAA Facts
NOAA Instruments
When the our nation was new, Thomas Jefferson established the first federal science agency - Survey of the Coast - to support safe maritime commerce. The agency was responsible for surveying the coastline and seafloor, creating nautical charts for safe navigation, forecasting the daily weather, predicting and warning of severe weather, monitoring and predicting global climate change, protecting and managing coastal and living marine resources, promoting sustainable fisheries, monitoring seafood safety, exploring the world's oceans, and breaking new ground in environmental research. NOAA is one of the nation's seven uniformed services.

It all started with President Thomas Jefferson's vision to support his fledgling nation's economy safe maritime commerce. Today, NOAA's reach is global. NOAA has partnered with more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global Earth Observation System that, over the next decade, will revolutionize the understanding of Earth and how it works. With benefits as broad as the planet itself, the U.S.-led initiative promises to make people and economies around the globe healthier, safer, and better equipped to manage basic daily needs.

NOAA Fisheries Lab
On the domestic front, NOAA continues to play a pivotal role in the U.S. economy. They provide products and services that affect 30 percent of the Nation's gross domestic product every year. Waterborne commerce remains the backbone of the U.S. economy, contributing over 13 million jobs and $1 trillion annually. The fishing industry adds another $30 billion each year to the nation's economy. Ocean research adds additional billions in new products and discoveries. The value of lives and property saved through NOAA's timely weather and climate forecasts and warnings is beyond calculation.

In addition to the Fisheries and Weather Services, NOAA also includes the National Ocean Service, the National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service, and NOAA Research. It's also supported by the NOAA Corps, the seventh uniformed service.