NOAAA

National Oceanic And Atmospheric Administration

found at sun-sentinel.com Jul 15, 2008

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a sprawling federal bureaucracy best known as the parent agency of the National Weather Service and, thus, the National Hurricane Center in Miami-Dade County, Fla. NOAA's primary missions: predict environmental changes to protect life and property, and provide industry and government with a reliable base of scientific information.

NOAA becomes high profile at least once a year, generally at the end of May, when it announces its outlook for the hurricane season. It actually is the National Weather Service's Climate Prediction Center that prepares this forecast. In conjunction with the hurricane center, NOAA operates the Hurricane Research Division on Virginia Key in Miami, which is considered a vital part of the effort to improve hurricane forecasts and provide more advanced warnings.

Falling under the U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA's main offices are in Silver Spring, Md. Its top administrator is Conrad C. Lautenbacher Jr., a retired Navy vice admiral. His proper title is: Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere.

The agency runs on an annual budget of about $4 billion. In addition to the weather service, it is comprised of five other large agencies: the National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; the National Marine Fisheries Service; the National Ocean Service; the Office of Marine and Aviation Operations and the Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research Program Planning and Integration.

Each of these has its own sub-divisions. Some of NOAA's individual agencies date back to the 1800s. For instance, the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey was formed in 1807, the Weather Bureau was formed in 1870, and the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries was formed in 1871. NOAA, itself, was established in 1970 at the behest of President Richard M. Nixon. This came as part of a governmental reorganization designed to unify the nation's widely scattered and piece-meal environmental activities. At the same time, NOAA was expected to provide a systematic approach to understanding, protecting and enhancing the environment.

More links National weather service Covering the sun to the seas, the National Weather Service provides local and regional forecasts, and emergency alerts for severe storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, extreme heat, winter storms, fire threats, tsunamis and solar flares. From its national centers to its 122 Weather Forecast Offices and 13 River Forecast Centers, the National Weather Service is watching over the nation and your neighborhood.

Reef Fish Population Decimated By Gill Nets

Monday: August 04, 2008 found at honoluluadvertiser.com

A number of local fishermen warn that illegal use of gill nets have decimated 75 percent of Hawaii ’s reef fish, reports the Honolulu Advertiser.

A recent National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration report showed that of 55 reef fish species studied in the main Hawaiian Islands , 42 percent were in critical condition and 33 percent were depleted, the newspaper said.

"Some guys go and lay a couple hundred yards of nets across the reefs — whole schools of fish can get caught in that before they have the chance to reproduce. If an entire school of mature, reproducing fish are harvested by one setting of a lay net, how is it supposed to recover?" said Colin Takashima, who has fished Oahu’s shores for 25 years.

The state Dept. of Land and Natural Resources says it has 114 enforcement officers statewide. Another five officers are in training. A department official says the officers respond to 50 to 100 calls a day about potential violations of conservation rules.

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