Overview[]

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a scientific agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. Its mission is to describe and predict changes in the earth’s environment and conserve and manage coastal and marine resources to ensure sustainable economic opportunity. NOAA is responsible for providing a variety of environmental data and information services, such as meteorological, oceanographic, geodetic, and seismological data.
The NOAA is an early adopter of emerging computing technologies for improved climate modeling and weather forecasting, and of emerging communications technologies for disseminating weather forecasts, warnings, and environmental information to users such as policymakers, emergency managers, industry, and the general public.
Agencies within NOAA include (1) National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service; (2) National Marine Fisheries Service; (3) National Ocean Service; the (4) Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research; and (5) National Weather Service.