NOAA: Making Waves

A big part of the Ocean Service's mission is about providing 'navigation services' ... things like measuring tides and currents, providing up-to-date nautical charts, and determining exact positions on sea or land. These services help keep the nation's maritime commerce humming along safely. But what else could this information be used for? Who else could use it? And what would you get if you focused all of NOAA's combined navigational tools and services to study one specific coastal area in intense detail, all at one time? In this episode, learn how NOAA's navigational services are evolving beyond navigation.

We have three stories for you this week: A new NOAA archive is launched on the web for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill; Texas gets a new forecast system to warn of toxic algal outbreaks along the coast; the first ocean glider to successfully cross the Atlantic goes on display at the Smithsonian Institution.

We have three stories this week: Funds are delivered to restore sections of the Delaware River damaged by a 2004 oil spill; the rules change for sewage discharge in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary; and the Smithsonian Institution launches a new Ocean Portal.

Looking for something to entertain the kids while you're cooking Thanksgiving dinner this week? How about an educational game? In this episode, we revisit a 2009 interview with the National Ocean Service's education director to hear about NOAA's foray into educational games and to learn why there's a growing trend to teach kids using fun gaming experiences. We also preview what's available on NOAA's 'Planet Arcade' game portal.

NOS News Update: we bring you stories about plastic in the marine environment, a new estuarine reserve in Wisconsin, and a new PORTS station.

This week, we take an audio journey to NOAA's Aquarius Reef Base--the world's only undersea research lab. We talk with the director of the Aquarius to learn about some of the tech, science and logistics that make this one-of-a-kind underwater lab possible. Then we speak with the National Educational Coordinator from NOAA's National Marine Sanctuary Office to hear about Aquarius 2010, a 10-day research mission that just wrapped up on Aquarius Reef Base that doubled as a powerful educational outreach event.

We have three stories for you this week. First, we take a look at NOAA's Historical Hurricane Tracks, a website that lets anyone track and map historical tropical cyclone activity from 1851-2009. Then, we head to Canada where Office of Coast Survey officials met with other nations that share an Arctic boundary to form a new commission focused on creating better nautical charts for the region. Finally, we head out into the Pacific to point out some new ocean observing tools now available in Hawaii.

Earlier this month, a new interagency report was delivered to Congress that warns of the growing threat of low oxygen "dead zones" in coastal waters around the U.S. This condition is known as hypoxia -- where oxygen levels drop so low that creatures in the water are stressed or killed. In this episode, we hear from two of the scientists behind the report: Dr. Libby Jewett from NOAA and Herb Buxton from the US Geological Survey. They help us learn more about the extent of this problem, its causes, and how this trend might be reversed.

A 2009 NOAA report finds that man-made toxic chemicals used as flame retardants in consumer products are found in all U.S. coastal waters and the Great Lakes. The chemicals-Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers, or PBDEs-have generated international concern in recent years due to their global distribution and associated adverse environmental and human health effects. We talk with one of the authors of the report. [This is a rebroadcast of an episode that originally aired on April 1, 2009]

We have three stories for you this week: A new report suggests that fishing could help control invasive lionfish in some Atlantic waters. NOAA-supported scientists find that this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone is fifth largest on record. And Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument is designated a UN World Heritage Site.

Join us this week for a talk with Doug Helton, Incident Operations Coordinator with the Ocean Service's Office of Response and Restoration, to learn about the role this office plays in support of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill recovery effort in the Gulf of Mexico.

We have three stories for you this week: NOAA rolls out new online game for kids about loggerhead sea turtle conservation; have your say about NOAA's new strategic plan; the next round of existing Marine Protected Areas nominated to join the national system of MPAs is up for public comment.

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the U.S. and one of the most productive ecosystems on the planet. Join us for interview with the director of the Cooperative Oxford Lab to learn how this unique federal-state agency works to protect and restore this important national resource.

In recognition of World Hydrography Day, we have a special interview for you this week with the commander of the NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson, currently in the Gulf of Mexico conducting research in support of the ongoing oil spill response effort.

On the latest Making Waves: NOAA's nowCOAST goes mobile; the 20th PORTS is dedicated in Texas; a new buoy hits the water in the Chesapeake Bay; and where to go to get the latest Gulf of Maine 'red tide' information.