The Friends of NOAA are supporters, stakeholders and partners of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and exist to encourage Congress to provide appropriate support for the agency as it carries out its mission of saving lives and livelihoods.

NOAA is also one of the premier science agencies in the Federal Government, providing decision makers with critically important data, products and services that promote and enhance the nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life.  For example, it was NOAA -- and its underlying science enterprise -- that enabled the delivery of accurate and timely information regarding the impending landfall of Hurricane Katrina in 2005, a forecast that saved tens of thousands of lives.  A better understanding of the oceans not only benefits coastal communities.  In fact, economists have estimated that altering planting decisions based on improved El Nino and La Nina forecasts would save U.S. farmers $265-$300 million.

Given NOAA's role as the lead federal agency for our oceans and atmosphere, and our increasing appreciation and understanding of the human health, national security, and economic impacts associated with the oceanic and atmospheric physical and biological processes, we firmly believe that an increased investment in NOAA is needed now.

For information about joining the Friends of NOAA, please contact Kevin Wheeler 202 448-1219.

Latest News From NOAA

• NOAA Administrator Takes Action on IG Report on Fisheries Enforcement
  NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco today instructed the agency’s head attorney and its top fisheries manager to take immediate and long-term actions to improve the agency’s enforcement and legal operations and enhance its relationship with the fishing community.
• NOAA's Sea Grant Awards Eight 'Climate Engagement' Mini-Grants
  Coastal residents, businesses and decision-makers around the country will consider how their communities can adapt to climate change through eight newly awarded NOAA National Sea Grant College Program grants.
• NOAA Takes Delivery of New Fisheries Survey Vessel
  NOAA has taken delivery of Bell M. Shimada, the agency’s newest high-tech fisheries survey vessel. 
• President Proposes Key Investments in NOAA 2011 Budget
  President Obama today released the 2011 proposed budget for NOAA, requesting $5.6 billion for the nation’s oceanic and atmospheric agency. The request includes investments to strengthen NOAA’s science, promote economic development, strengthen energy and security, sustain oceans and coasts, and protect lives and livelihoods.
• NOAA Responds to GAO Decision on Marine Operations Center-Pacific Lease
  NOAA notified the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in a letter sent today that, consistent with GAO’s recommendations, NOAA will conduct an assessment of whether there was a practicable alternative to awarding a lease to the Port of Newport, Ore., for the NOAA Marine Operations Center-Pacific.
• Stratospheric Water Vapor is a Global Warming Wild Card
  A 10 percent drop in water vapor ten miles above Earth’s surface has had a big impact on global warming, say researchers in a study published online January 28 in the journal Science. The findings might help explain why global surface temperatures have not risen as fast in the last ten years as they did in the 1980s and 1990s.
• Commerce Department Proposes Establishment of NOAA Climate Service
  Individuals and decision-makers across widely diverse sectors – from agriculture to energy to transportation – increasingly are asking NOAA for information about climate change in order to make the best choices for their families, communities and businesses. To meet the rising tide of these requests, U.S. Commerce Secretary Gary Locke today announced the intent to create a NOAA Climate Service line office dedicated to bringing together the agency’s strong climate science and service delivery capabilities.
• Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco Unveil Landmark Climate.Gov Portal to Climate Information
  In a press conference earlier today, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco unveiled a new Web site that will serve as a single point-of-entry for NOAA’s climate information, data, products and services. This climate portal will provide information about the impacts of climate on nearly every aspect of our lives from agriculture and energy to transportation.
• NOAA Award to Support Community Efforts to Protect Pacific Coral Reefs
  NOAA awarded the University of Hawaii at Manoa Kewalo Marine Laboratory a $199,996 grant to address the effects of land-based sources of pollution on coral reefs in the Pacific. The money will fund the first year of a five-year, $1 million dollar project.
• NOAA and Fishermen Cooperate on Research into Monkfish Migration
  Researchers are working with commercial fishermen to put electronic tags on hundreds of monkfish (Lophius americanus) in the waters of southern New England and the Gulf of Maine to track where the commercially important fish goes during its lifetime, and to answer other questions about its biology.