NOAA

NOAA: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

6/8/06 -- In honor of World Oceans Day, June 8, NOAA’s Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary office and Clean Coast, a Savannah, Ga. volunteer group, are sponsoring three June clean ups to remove trash from the marine and coastal environment. Together, the volunteer events make up the Sweep the Reef, Sweep the Beach World Oceans Day 2006 Clean Up.

On June 11 and 25, volunteer divers from area scuba clubs will dive in the sanctuary to pick debris off of the reef. The volunteers will receive special training from Gray’s Reef staff to learn how to remove trash from the reef without damaging the soft corals and other invertebrates living there. The most common types of trash found within the sanctuary are fishing line, fishing gear, and beverage cans.

On June 24, Clean Coast staff will transport volunteers to Blackbeard Island for a beach trash pick up. A representative from Gray’s Reef sanctuary will speak to the volunteers on the beach. The goal of the joint clean up is to remind people that trash and debris are damaging to both the marine and coastal environments and to point out that our actions on shore—even well inland—impact the ocean. Clean Coast conducts monthly trash cleanups on Georgia's barrier islands and coastal marshlands, and works to educate the community about the hazards of marine debris and the importance of responsible waste management.

PRNewswire -- June 14 -- The Head of the European Commission's Maritime Policy Task Force, John Burke Richardson, is visiting Washington June 14-16. His visit comes in the wake of the European Commission adopting a proposal which seeks to integrate Europe's maritime policy in a way that improves competitiveness, encourages growth and boosts employment while protecting the marine environment. The so- called Green Paper (Towards A Future Maritime Policy For The Union: A European Vision For The Oceans And Seas) was adopted by the European Commission on June 7, 2006, opening a consultation period that will last until the end of June 2007. It recognizes the gains that can be derived by a combined approach to the different areas of maritime policy from transport and shipping to trade and tourism.

Mr. Richardson will use his visit to Washington to seek better coordination with the United States. He will meet with Rear Admiral Joseph Nimmich, Assistant Commandant for Policy & Planning, U.S. Coast Guard, and Dr. William Brennan, Deputy Assistant Secretary for International Affairs, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). He will discuss several issues related to the sustainable exploitation of marine resources, and the benefits that an integrated management of these areas can produce.

Source: Delegation of the European Commission to the U.S.

NOAA Introduces New Version of NowCOAST

Web Mapping Portal Displaying Real-Time Coastal Information

3/10/06 -- In a continuing effort to improve maritime safety and commerce through the monitoring of physical changes in weather, oceanographic and river conditions, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has launched an updated version of the popular nowCOAST Web portal.

NowCOAST is a Web mapping portal providing coastal communities with real-time observations and NOAA forecasts. The new version now allows users to view real-time surface observations ‘on-the-map’ along with the latest GOES satellite cloud imagery, and NOAA National Weather Service weather radar images. The GOES imagery is updated every half hour and the weather radar mosaic is updated every 15 minutes.

NowCOAST uses Geographic Information System technology allowing users to overlay other datasets and NOAA forecast products with these on-map displays to get a detailed picture of present conditions from the top of the watershed to the ocean.