The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA /ˈnoʊ.ə/ NOH-ə) is an American scientific and regulatory agency charged with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic and atmospheric conditions, charting the seas, conducting deep-sea exploration, and managing fishing and protection of marine mammals and endangered species in the US exclusive economic zone.

NOAA traces its history back to multiple agencies,[8] some of which are among the earliest in the federal government:[9] The most direct predecessor of NOAA was the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA), into which several existing scientific agencies such as the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey, the Weather Bureau, and the uniformed Corps were absorbed in 1965.

4,[9] and formed on October 3, 1970, after U.S. President Richard Nixon proposed creating a new agency to serve a national need for "better protection of life and property from natural hazards... for a better understanding of the total environment... [and] for exploration and development leading to the intelligent use of our marine resources".

[6] Its research and operations are further supported by 321 uniformed service members, who make up the NOAA Commissioned Corps.

[18][19] The consolidated 1.2 million sq ft (110,000 m2), four-building campus was constructed in 1993 and is home to over 40 NOAA sub-agencies and offices, including the National Weather Service.

Nancy A. Hann is the current acting Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere and NOAA Administrator as of January 20, 2025, following the resignation of Richard (Rick) W.

In January 2023, The Washington Post reported that Congressman Frank Lucas, the new chair of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, had released draft legislation to make NOAA an independent agency, rather than it being part of the Commerce Department.

Lucas' push was in response to Republican leaders who had signaled plans to slash funding for agencies and programs that continued to receive annual appropriations, but had not been reauthorized by Congress.

"It's been made quite clear in the Republican conference that my friends don't want to fund programs that are not properly authorized," said Lucas.

[29] The NWS operates NEXRAD, a nationwide network of Doppler weather radars which can detect precipitation and their velocities.

Research, conducted in OAR laboratories and by extramural programs, focuses on enhancing our understanding of environmental phenomena such as tornadoes, hurricanes, climate variability, solar flares, changes in the ozone, air pollution transport and dispersion,[52][53] El Niño/La Niña events, fisheries productivity, ocean currents, deep sea thermal vents, and coastal ecosystem health.

Through NOAA and its academic partners, thousands of scientists, engineers, technicians, and graduate students participate in furthering our knowledge of natural phenomena that affect the lives of us all.

It studies processes and develops models relating to climate and air quality, including the transport, dispersion, transformation and removal of pollutants from the ambient atmosphere.

[56][self-published source][57] The Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), is part of NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research, located in Miami, Florida.

The Office of the Director oversees the Laboratory's scientific programs, as well as its financial, administrative, computer, outreach/education, and facility management services.

AOML is a member of a unique community of marine research and educational institutions located on Virginia Key in Miami, Florida.

[58] In 1977, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) deployed the first successful moored equatorial current meter – the beginning of the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean, TAO, array.

The Arctic Report Card is the annual update charts of the ongoing impact of changing conditions on the environment and community by NOAA.

[65] Hurricane Dorian was an extremely powerful and destructive tropical cyclone that devastated the northwestern Bahamas and caused significant damage to the Southeastern United States and Atlantic Canada in September 2019.

The second order came on September 4 after Trump displayed an August 29 map that was altered with a black marker to show that Hurricane Dorian may hit Alabama.

The acting chief scientist and assistant administrator for the ocean and atmospheric research said he is "pursuing the potential violations" of the agency's scientific integrity policy.