Gwinnett Daily Post

NASA, NOAA: Newest GOES Satellite Ready For Action
NASA and NOAA's latest Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite, GOES-15, has successfully completed five months of on-orbit testing and has been accepted into service. The satellite has demonstrated operational readiness of its subsystems, spacecraft instruments and communications services. GOES-15 is the third and final spacecraft in the GOES N-P Series of geostationary environmental weather satellites.
NASA/NOAA Study Finds El Niños Growing Stronger
A relatively new type of El Niño, which has its warmest waters in the central-equatorial Pacific Ocean, rather than in the eastern-equatorial Pacific, is becoming more common and progressively stronger, according to a new study by NASA and NOAA. The research may improve our understanding of the relationship between El Niños and climate change, and has potential significant implications for long-term weather forecasting.
NOAA, SeaWeb Partner to Communicate the Value of Coral Reefs
NOAA and SeaWeb have entered into a partnership to enhance understanding of the nation's valuable, but increasingly vulnerable coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean, Florida, Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. Sometimes referred to as the 'rainforests of the sea's; coral reefs provide services estimated to be worth as much as $375 billion globally each year.
NOAA Commissions New Research Ship Bell M. Shimada
Federal officials today commissioned NOAA Ship Bell M. Shimada, a state-of-the-art research vessel that will study a wide range of marine life and ocean conditions along the West Coast.
Indonesian, U.S. Scientists Explore Seafloor, Discover Significant Diversity and Find Unusual Inhabitants
A rare and exciting look at the seafloor with images of unusual and beautiful creatures was offered to U.S. and Indonesian scientists working side-by-side at Exploration Command Centers in Jakarta and Seattle this summer. They used cutting-edge technology to fill their screens with live views of seafloor geology and of deep-ocean marine animals in waters off Indonesia.
NOAA Issues Regulations Governing Navy's Activities in the Mariana Islands
NOAA's Fisheries Service has issued regulations and a letter of authorization to the U.S. Navy that require protective measures to minimize impacts to marine mammals while conducting training exercises around the Mariana Islands in the South Pacific.
Scientists Map Origin of Large, Underwater Hydrocarbon Plume in Gulf
Plume detected 22 miles long and more than 3,000 feet below surface
NOAA Reopens More than 4,000 Square Miles of Closed Gulf Fishing Area
Today NOAA reopened 4,281 square miles of Gulf waters off western Louisiana to commercial and recreational fishing. The reopening was announced after consultation with FDA and under a re-opening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA, and the Gulf states.
NOAA Fisheries Scientist Wins 2010 Göteborg Award for Sustainable Development
NOAA Fisheries scientist Kenneth Sherman is one of two 2010 recipients of the Göteborg Award for Sustainable Development, considered the environmental equivalent of the Nobel Prize.
Secretary Locke Extends Disaster Declaration for California Salmon Fishermen
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today an extension of the disaster for California salmon fishermen due to the low numbers of spawning Chinook salmon returning to the Sacramento River and the subsequent reduction in commercial fishery revenues.

Tracking Dangerous Hurricane Earl
NOAA’s National Weather Service is closely monitoring the powerful Hurricane Earl in the western Atlantic Ocean. For the latest forecasts visit weather.gov or hurricanes.gov.
Secretary Locke Extends Disaster Declaration for California Salmon Fishermen
U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke announced today an extension of the disaster for California salmon fishermen due to the low numbers of spawning Chinook salmon returning to the Sacramento River and the subsequent reduction in commercial fishery revenues.
NOAA Reopens More than 4,000 Square Miles of Closed Gulf Fishing Area
Today NOAA reopened 4,281 square miles of Gulf waters off western Louisiana to commercial and recreational fishing.
Scientists Release the First Rescued, Rehabilitated Sea Turtles Back into the Gulf
NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco and Adm. Thad Allen joined biologists as they released 23 Kemp’s ridley sea turtles back into the Gulf of Mexico after they were successfully rescued and rehabilitated from the effects of the oil spill.
Second Warmest July and Warmest Year-to-Date Global Temperature on Record
The combined global land and ocean surface temperature made this July the second warmest on record, behind 1998, and the warmest averaged January-July on record.
NOAA Reopens More Than 5,000 Square Miles of Closed Gulf Fishing Area
NOAA has reopened 5,144 square miles of Gulf waters to commercial and recreational finfish fishing. The reopening was announced after consultation with FDA and under a reopening protocol agreed to by NOAA, the FDA, and the Gulf states.
NOAA Still Expects Active Atlantic Hurricane Season
The Atlantic Basin remains on track for an active hurricane season, according to the scheduled seasonal outlook update from NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center, a division of the National Weather Service.
Federal Science Report Details Fate of Oil From BP Spill
A third of the total amount of oil released in the Deepwater Horizon/BP spill was captured or mitigated by the Unified Command recovery operation according to a federal science report.
Salazar, Lubchenco Applaud Designation of Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument as a World Heritage Site
Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar and NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco today commended the World Heritage Committee for adding Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument to the prestigious UNESCO World Heritage List.
Deepwater Horizon/BP Oil Spill: 100 Days — A Snapshot of NOAA's Response
As the nation’s lead science agency for oil spills, NOAA has been on the scene from day one — providing coordinated scientific, weather and biological information and products when and where they are needed most.

Up Close: NOAA's Green Ship Initiative Led By Dennis Donahue And GLERL's Ship Operations Group
Thanks to the innovations put in place by NOAA marine superintendent, Dennis Donahue, and the 'Green Ships Initiative,' all three of NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory large diesel research vessels operate fully on bio-based, vegetable products. The R/V Huron Explorer, R/V Shenehon and R/V Laurentian, all use 100 percent soy biodiesel for engine fuel, canola-based motor oil and vegetable-based hydraulic oil for its deck crane, winches, transmission, and steering gear. Not only is this a cost effective way to help reduce environmental emissions, but it also has improved both ship performance and crew health and safety. The ships are the first in the U.S. fleet to operate on 100 percent bio-based products and GLERL has already received two national level awards for this environmental effort.
NOAA’s Special Agents and Enforcement Officers Undaunted By Mission
Considering the 3.44 million square miles that comprise federal waters, is twice the size of the entire land mass of the United States, protecting resources withing this marine zone could be seen as a daunting task. However, for the 220 NOAA employees within NOAA Fisheries Service’s Office of Law Enforcement, this is just everyday business.
Behind The Scenes: NOAA’s North Atlantic Hurricane Seasonal Outlook
While meteorologists at the NOAA National Hurricane Center predict the track and strength of individual storms, the annual Hurricane Seasonal Outlook is an official forecast product of NOAA’s Climate Prediction Center. It’s the job of NOAA’s seasonal hurricane forecasters to predict tropical storm and hurricane activity over the entire six-month season.
Summer Weather Can Promote Poor Air Quality – NOAA’s Air Quality Forecast Guidance Helps Predict It
In many parts of the country, the arrival of summer signals the start of air pollution season. Fortunately, the NOAA National Weather Service’s air quality forecast guidance, produced in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, helps provide air quality forecasters and the public with information on predicted air quality conditions they need as they plan their daily activities. NOAA’s involvement in air quality forecasting stems from the fact that air quality and weather go hand in hand. Weather can promote both the formation or degradation of various airborne pollutants and can disperse/transport them from one part of the country to another, thus making air quality a national issue.
All Eyes Are on the Sun After NOAA-Led Solar Cycle 24 Panel Predicts Upcoming Period of Intense Solar Storms
All eyes are on the sun now that the NOAA-led Solar Cycle 24 Prediction Panel released its official consensus solar cycle forecast at the Space Weather Workshop in Boulder, Colo., yesterday. “The next 11-year cycle of solar storms will most likely start next March and peak in late 2011 or mid-2012,” said Doug Biesecker, a solar physicist from the NOAA Space Environment Center in Boulder, Colo., who also chaired the NASA-funded 12-person panel.
Skywarn Storm Spotters Have Their Eyes on the Sky for NOAA’s National Weather Service
Spring marks the start of the severe weather season across much of the nation and the NOAA National Weather Service will be there for you if severe weather threatens your area. But did you ever wonder what you can do to help protect yourself, your family and neighbors? Have you considered becoming a trained NOAA Skywarn storm spotter? A trained storm spotter knows their local weather hazards, the visual clues of threatening weather and how to get critical weather information to the local weather service office and emergency managers in a timely manner.
Up Close: Steve Murawski — Top Scientist for NOAA’s National Marine Fisheries Service and Leader Of NOAA’s Ecosystem Goal Team
Steve Murawski has a lot more than just fish on this plate these days. Not only is he the Director of Scientific Programs and Chief Science Advisor at the NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service, but he also serves as leader of NOAA’s Ecosystem Goal Team, which integrates the agency’s many ecological activities across its various offices.
NOAA Engages In International Polar Science Effort
Over the next two years, NOAA will join more than 50,000 people from 63 countries at the poles as part of the fourth International Polar Year, the largest internationally coordinated scientific research effort ever attempted at the poles. From March 1, 2007, through March 9, 2009, scientists from across the globe will collaborate on expeditions and research projects to monitor the health of the polar regions and assess their role in and impact on global climate systems.