NOAA produces two different types of publications: journal articles and what are commonly called NOAA publications. NOAA publications are considered Grey Literature which is defined as: documents "produced on all levels of government, academics, business and industry in print and electronic formats, but which is not controlled by commercial publishers." Often this refers to government reports and other publications.
NOAA publications are dictated and defined by NOAA Administrative Orders, specifically:
Since there is no centralized publishing office within NOAA, establishing a new series is to be coordinated within each line office. To aid in this, the following process is recommended:
Determine that there is not an existing series that covers the same type(s) of publication(s)
Establish review requirements as laid out in the NOAA FRC Policy as laid out in Chapter 2 of this handbook.
Create a series statement and numbering schema. (For more on series statements and numbering, see section below or consult with the NOAA Library.)
Create Section 508 compliant template for all documents within the series.
All NOAA series documents, whether formal or informal, will have a series number/statement attached to them. This number is assigned and maintained by the issuing office of the document. The structure of series statements may vary amongst offices, but typically the pattern is as follows:
NOAA document type Line Office Acronym Office/Science Center/Division ; Number (XXX)
Examples include:
DOIs (digital object identifiers) are used to identify an article or document and provide a permanant link to the item. DOIs are only assigned to NOAA published materials, specifically NOAA series documents that have already passed any internal or peer review processes issued after January 1, 2015. If a publication in a NOAA series is submitted to the NOAA IR, the NCL will assign a DOI to the document and include it in the metadata for the IR Record. Submitters are also able to request a DOI prior to submission if they intend to embed the DOI into the document prior to submission.
Authors are asked to use the DOI Request Form to acquire a DOI. If after 120 days, the publications in question are still not submitted to the IR, NOAA Central Libraary reserves the right to delete their reserved DOIs. Reserved DOIs will be emailed to the requester within 24 hours of the request.
Publications from both contemporary and historical offices are included in this guide. Where possible, links are provided to the series through NOAA's Institutional Repository. However, in some cases and particularly for historical or predecessor series, materials are only available in the library's catalog. Additionally, while many publications have already been digitized in PDF format, others must be obtained in print.
From the beginning, the Environmental Data Service (EDS), forerunner to the National Environmental, Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS), was conceived as the department responsible for storing, retrieving, and publishing data gathered by NOAA and for developing systems to process and present NOAA data in the most useful historical and statistical form. Today, although the technological means of performing those duties has advanced, NESDIS' mission closely hews to those original goals, aiming to provide secure and timely access to global environmental data and information from satellites and other sources to promote and protect the Nation's security, environment, economy, and quality of life.
National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) |
The National Climatic Data Center was formed at the birth of NOAA in 1970. NCDC's predecessor was the National Weather Records Center, established in 1951 to house the weather records of the Weather Bureau, Air Force, and Navy. Today, NCEI carries on NCDC's mission to pioneer the future of weather and climate data and information services by providing accurate records from ground-based and satellite data, maintaining long-term records, using cutting edge data management techniques, and serving the public with trends in and the status of weather and climate. Publications: |
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) |
Before the creation of NCEI, the National Geophysical Data Center was one of three NOAA National Data Centers. NGDC's mission was to provide scientific stewardship, products and services for geophysical data describing the solid earth, marine, and solar-terrestrial environment, as well as earth observations from space. NGDC was formed in 1965 from existing data management programs of the Coast and Geodetic Survey and the Central Radio Propagation Laboratory. In 1972, NGDC was combined with the Aeronomy and Space Data Center (ASDC) to form the National Geophysical and Solar and Terrestrial Data Center (NGSDC), before reverting back to the name NGDC ten years later in 1982. Publications: |
National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) |
Established in 1961, the NODC was originally an interagency facility administered by the U.S. Naval Hydrographic (later Oceanographic) Office. The NODC was transferred to NOAA in 1970. In the words of its charter, the NODC serves to "acquire, process, preserve, and disseminate oceanographic data," while also including the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC). Its primary mission was to ensure that global oceanographic data collected at great cost was maintained in a permanent, easily accessible archive. Publications: |
Assessment and Information Services Center (AISC) |
The mission of the Assessment and Information Services Center was to provide value-added environmental information to support national needs and goals, especially focusing on transmitting decision assistance to the nation's research managers. AISC's programs were in the arena of environmental assessments and environmental information management and complemented the work of the three data centers (NCDC, NGDC, and NODC). Based upon available documentation, it is understood that AISC was preceded by the Environmental Science Information Center (ESIC), which also administered the library system, managed NOAA scientific publications, and developed scientific information systems. Before ESIC, the libraries also published a series under ESSA's Office of Administration and Technical Services (ATS). Publications: |
Center for Experiment Design and Data Analysis (CEDDA) |
The Center for Experiment Design and Data Analysis became part of NOAA's Environmental Data Service (EDS) in 1972 and was given the responsibility for data management and research activities related to major international scientific field experiments. CEDDA was formerly known as the Barbados Oceanographic and Meteorological Analysis Project (BOMAP) formulated to analyze data collected during the 1969 Barbados Oceanographic and Meteorological Experiment (BOMEX). In addition to BOMEX, CEDDA series also disseminated data on the 1972-73 International Field Year for the Great Lakes (IFYGL), the 1974 Global Atmospheric Research Program (GARP) Atlantic Tropical Experiment (GATE), as well as other projects Publications: |
Systems Advisory Council (SAC) |
NOAA's former Systems Analysis Center published technical memoranda on the subject of enterprise software used at the agency in the past. Publications: |
The National Marine Fisheries Service, founded in 1871 as the U.S. Commission on Fish and Fisheries, is the nation's oldest federal conservation agency. The agency was devoted to the protection, study, management, and restoration of fish populations, which were, by that time, recognized to be vulnerable to depletion by human activity. It was later renamed the Bureau of Fisheries, and still later it became the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries. NMFS conducts regulatory and scientific research necessary to conserve, protect, and manage marine resources. The agency assesses and predicts fish stocks, ensures compliance with fisheries regulations and reduces wasteful fishing practices. NMFS administrative functions include nationwide oversight of law enforcement offices that carry out more than 35 federal statutes and enforce U.S. treaties and international laws.
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Cruise Reports |
NOAA Cruise Reports are surveys performed by NMFS regional fisheries science centers. In general, these reports supply a template of information that describe the purpose, enumerate participants, provide diagrams of the cruise location, summarize the methods and technologies used, and report the results of the data collection. The surveys typically target marine mammals, fish, or other wildlife, and can also cover operational missions. |
Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) |
The AFSC monitors the health and sustainability of fish, marine mammals, and their habitats across nearly 1.5 million square miles of water surrounding Alaska, which produces more than half of the fish caught in the United States. The nation’s largest fishery observer program is managed by AFSC. The five research divisions that form AFSC are the Auke Bay Laboratories Division, Marine Mammal Laboratory Division, Fisheries Monitoring & Analysis Division, Resource Assessment & Conservation Engineering Division, and the Resource Ecology & Fisheries Management Division. |
Alaska Regional Office (AKRO) |
The Alaska Region is one of five regional offices that together support marine resource management in all Federal waters of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. In addition to AKRO's resource management role in U.S. waters, AKRO supports the international management of a variety of species and ecosystems by entities including the International Whaling Commission, the International Pacific Halibut Commission, the Pacific Salmon Commission, the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission, and the Convention on the Conservation and Management of Pollock Resources in the Central Bering Sea. AKRO has three research divisions, Sustainable Fisheries, Protected Resources, and Habitat Conservation, and supports two programs, Restricted Asset Management and the Analytical Program. |
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (NEFSC) |
NEFSC is headquartered in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, where fisheries research began as early as 1871, when this center of marine science was conceived by Spencer Fullerton Baird, first US Commissioner of Fisheries. NMFS' regional science center for the Northeast manages a multidisciplinary program of basic and applied research to better understand living marine resources of the Northeast Continental Shelf Ecosystem, from the Gulf of Maine to Cape Hatteras. NEFSC's research divisions include Ecosystems & Aquaculture, Fishery Monitoring & Research, Population & Ecosystems Monitoring & Analysis, and Resource Evaluation & Assessment. |
Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) |
This regional center has as its domain the habitats of the Washington, Oregon, and northern California coasts and in freshwater rivers of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho. NWFSC's research provides information to help decision-makers and natural resource managers build sustainable fisheries, recover endangered and threatened species, maintain healthy ecosystems, and protect human health. The research divisions of NWFSC are Conservation Biology, Environmental & Fisheries Science, Fish Ecology, and Fishery Resource Analysis & Monitoring. |
Office of Protected Resources (OPR) |
The OPR is responsible for the conservation, protection, and recovery of more than 150 endangered and threatened marine species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). OPR's work includes: listing species under the ESA, monitoring species status, designating critical habitat, recovery of endangered and threatened species, developing ESA policies, guidance, and regulations and working with partners to conserve and recover species. |
Office of Sustainable Fisheries (OSF) |
The main thrusts of OSF's responsibilities are implementation of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA), managing fisheries for Atlantic highly migratory species (tunas, sharks, swordfish, and billfish), and helping ensure the safety of seafood sold in the United States. Its divisions are Domestic Fisheries, the National Seafood Inspection Laboratory, Operations & Regulatory Services, and Atlantic Highly Migratory Species Management. Together, the divisions of OSF support science-based management, sustainable fisheries and sustainable economies. |
Pacific Island Fisheries Science Center (PIFSC) |
PIFSC was created out of the Honolulu Laboratory, until 2003 a component of the NOAA Fisheries NOAA Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center. PIFSC conducts resource surveys and stock assessments, fishery monitoring, economic and sociological studies, oceanographic research and monitoring, critical habitat evaluation, life history and ecology studies, and advanced oceanographic and ecosystem modeling and simulations. The western-most regional office of NMFS covers the Pacific Islands Region of Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands and the Pacific remote island areas. Before NOAA’s establishment in 1970, the Honolulu Laboratory was part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, originating in 1948 as the Pacific Oceanic Fishery Investigations (POFI). The PIFSC research divisions are Ecosystem Sciences, Fisheries Research & Monitoring, Protected Species, and Science Operations. |
Southeast Fisheries Science Center (SEFSC) |
The SEFSC is responsible for scientific research on living marine resources that occupy marine and estuarine habits of the continental southeastern United States, as well as Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. SEFSC develops the scientific information required for fishery resource conservation, fishery development and utilization, habitat conservation, protection of marine mammals and endangered marine species. This regional center is organized with labs across the southeast region of the U.S and three research divisions, Fisheries Statistics, Protected Resources, and Sustainable Fisheries. |
Southeast Regional Office (SERO) |
SERO manages, conserves, and protects living marine resources and their habitats in the Gulf of Mexico, South Atlantic, and U.S. Caribbean. In addition to the coastal states and islands, this region covers the inland states of Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The research divisions of SERO are Habitat Conservation, Protected Resources, and Sustainable Fisheries. Additionally, the directorate oversees two programs, Aquaculture, and Gulf of Mexico Environmental Compliance (GoMEC). |
Southwest Fisheries Science Center (SWFSC) |
Established in 1964 to study the sardine and tuna fisheries of the U.S. west coast, the SWFSC provides scientific information to support fisheries management and the conservation of protected species in the California Current, throughout the Pacific Ocean and in the Southern Ocean off Antarctica. SWFSC is headquartered in La Jolla, California, at the site of the Scripps Oceanographic Institute. SWFSC's research divisions consist of Antarctic Ecosystem Research, Environmental Research, Fisheries Ecology, Fisheries Resources, and the Marine Mammal & Turtle Division. |
Atlantic Estuarine Fisheries Center (AEFC) |
This former regional center, located in Beaufort, North Carolina, is believed to have eventually become part of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center, which operates its Beaufort Lab in cooperation with NOAA's National Ocean Service and the North Carolina Estuarine Research Reserve. Estuarine and radioecological research conducted by the AEFC was concerned with energy relations in ecosystems, distribution and cycling of radionuclides and trace metals, and environmental stress on the physiology of marine organisms. In its day, AEFC was one of three "coastal" fisheries research centers, alongside the Gulf Coast Fisheries Center (GCFC) and Middle Atlantic Coast Fisheries Center (MACFC). |
Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center (NWAFC) |
In the early days of NMFS, NWAFC was originally and briefly named the North Pacific Fisheries Research Center before being titled the Northwest Fisheries Center from 1971-1976. Subsequently, the office was known as the Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center between 1976 and 1990, when the Center was separated into the Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) and the Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC). This split reflected both a programmatic and regional reorganization that continues to be reflected in the divisions of the two successor organizations to this day. The Alaska Region's NMFS-AFSC NOAA Technical Memorandum series continues the NMFS-F/NWC series established in 1970. |
Since its inception, the National Ocean Service has evolved to meet the United States' changing environmental and economic needs and now manages various coastal and ocean management and research programs, in addition to its original charting responsibilities. NOS' forerunner, created in 1807 by President Thomas Jefferson as the "Survey of the Coast," has been called America's oldest scientific agency. By 1878, the organization was known as the Coast and Geodetic Survey. In 1970, with the formation of NOAA, C&GS became the National Ocean Survey. In 1983, NOS' name was changed from the National Ocean Survey to the National Ocean Service, to reflect a growing portfolio of diverse programs.
NOS today has three primary mission areas, navigation, observations, and positioning; coastal science and assessment; and ocean and coastal management and services. NOS responsibilities are varied and include maintaining the national coordinate system (the National Spatial Reference System); producing navigation charts; ensuring coastal communities' preparedness response for weather events, natural disasters, and oil/chemical spills; and managing coastal tourism, underwater parks, and national estuarine research reserves.
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Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
CO-OPS' history dates back to the 1807 origin of the Survey of the Coast. CO-OPS's mission to collect, analyze, and communicate oceanographic information makes it the authoritative source for data on tides, water levels, currents, and other topics. Two of CO-OPS most well-known products are the National Tidal Datum Epoch (NTDE) and the International Great Lakes Datum (IGLD). It has Engineering, Field Operations, Oceanographic, and Information Systems divisions. |
National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS) |
NCCOS is one of NOS' newer branches, having been formed in 1999 to help NOAA meet its coastal stewardship and management responsibility. NCCOS provides scientific information to inform decisions on the protection of environmental resources and public health, the preservation of valued habitats and the improvement of relationships between communities and coastal ecosystems. NCCOS administers two grant programs, the Competitive Research Program (CRP, formerly CSCOR), and the RESTORE Science Program. Its research divisions include Stressor Detection & Impacts Division and Marine Spatial Ecology. NCCOS also works in the areas of coastal change and social science. |
National Geodetic Survey (NGS) |
Created in 1994, NGS has a scientific heritage dating back to the time of the Coast & Geodetic Survey. Today's mission is to define, maintain, and provide access to the National Spatial Reference System through programs and products such as the Continually Operating Reference Stations (CORS), Shoreline Mapping, Ecosystem & Climate Operations, and Gravity for the Redefinition of the American Vertical Datum (GRAV-D). NGS's divisions are Geodetic Services, Spatial Reference System, Remote Sensing, Observations & Analysis, Systems Development, and Geosciences Research. |
Office for Coastal Management (OCM) |
OCM was established in 2014, when NOAA combined the two offices of the Coastal Services Center (CSC) and the Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management (OCRM). OCM provides research-based guidance for addressing issues such as storm preparedness, erosion, development, habitat loss, sea level rise, public access, and threats to water quality. OCM divisions include the Coral Reef Conservation Program, established in 2000 by the Coral Reef Conservation Act, and the Digital Coast, created in 2007, along with the National Coastal Zone Management Program and the National Estuarine Research Reserves, both established by the Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. |
Office of Coast Survey (OCS) |
OCS traces its history directly to the US Coast Survey created by President Thomas Jefferson in 1807, with the aim of providing nautical charts to help with safe shipping, national defense, and maritime boundaries. The Coast Survey's purview has now extended to America's oceans and the Great Lakes. Today, the Coast Survey's divisions are Navigation Services, Hydrographic Surveys, Marine Charts, and the Coast Survey Development Lab. |
Office of Response & Restoration (OR&R) |
OR&R prepares for, evaluates, and responds to threats to coastal environments such as oil and chemical spills, releases from hazardous waste sites, and marine debris. The four divisions of OR&R are Emergency Response, Assessment and Restoration, Marine Debris, and the Disaster Preparedness Program. OR&R's history began with the 1976 grounding of the tanker Argo Merchant near Nantucket Shoals in Massachusetts. OR&R was established from a reorganization of its predecessor, ORCA, in the late 1990s. |
Coast and Geodetic Survey (C&GS) |
NOS's predecessor agency, the Coast and Geodetic Survey (C&GS), has a lengthy history, having undergone many reorganizations. C&GS had been incorporated into the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA) in the 1960s, but, in 1970, with the creation of NOAA, C&GS was renamed the National Ocean Survey. In 1982, the Charting & Geodetic Services office was created under NOS, before being renamed the Coast and Geodetic Survey again in 1991. In 1994, C&GS was dissolved, but its subordinate divisions became the Office of the Coast Survey (OCS), the National Geodetic Survey (NGS), and the tides and currents division became the Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS). |
Office of Ocean Resources Conservation and Assessment (ORCA) |
ORCA was once one of four line organizations of the National Ocean Service, and synthesized conservation data, research environmental quality of US coastal areas, and coordinating research, evaluation, and planning on oil and hazardous material spills and hazardous waste sites. ORCA had four program offices: the Coastal Monitoring and Bioeffects Assessment Division (CMBAD), Damage Assessment Center (DAC), Hazardous Materials Response and Assessment (HAZMAT), and Strategic Environmental Assessments (SEA) Division. |
Lake Survey Center (LSC) |
After a long and productive run, the LSC was dissolved in 1976, with its responsibilities assigned to other NOAA entities. LSC was chartered in 1841 as the United States Lake Survey, with a mandate from Congress for a "hydrographical survey of the Northern and Northwestern Lakes." At that time, the Survey was a part of the US Army. By the time it was placed under NOAA in 1970, the LSC's responsibilities included studies on lake levels and associated river flow in addition to survey, charting, and navigation information. Its purview had grown to encompass the Great Lakes, the New York State Barge Canal System, Lake Champlain, and the Minnesota-Ontario Border Lakes. |
Office of Ocean and Earth Sciences (OES) |
Until the mid-1990s, OES was one of NOS' main offices. Its mission was to conduct applied research and development in geophysics, collect and analyze coastal and global marine data, and measure and develop products based on ocean and lake water levels. Its divisions included the Joint Ice Center (JIC), Center for Ocean Analysis and Prediction (COAP), Ocean Products Center (OPC), and the Ocean Observations Division (OOD). Based upon our information, it appears that many of OES' functions are continued by CO-OPS in the present day. |
Office of Oceanography and Marine Assessment (OMA) |
OMA was charged with providing comprehensive scientific information on US oceans, coastal areas, and estuaries, developing new information products such as real-time circulation data and forecasts, and supplying scientific support during oil spills and in the midst of cleanup efforts or emergencies at hazardous material sites in coastal areas. OMA's three primary line organizations consisted of the Physical Oceanography Division, the Ocean Assessments Division, and the Ocean Systems Division. It is our understanding that many of OMA's responsibilities were transferred to ORCA, which later became the current organization of OR&R. |
Oceanography and Marine Services (OMS) |
This office was, during the 1980s, one of four National Ocean Service line offices, alongside the Office of Charting and Geodetic Services, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, and Office of Marine Operations. OMS focused on collecting, processing, and analyzing data and information describing the physical processes of the oceans, the US coastal zone, estuarine waterways, and the Great Lakes. These functions have since been dispersed to other NOS offices. |
The National Weather Service traces its beginnings to 1870 when the Army Signal Corps was created as the first national weather observation service. 1891 saw the advent of the Weather Bureau, which became NWS when NOAA was established in 1970. NWS has evolved alongside the science of meteorology, and helped to spur innovation through the application of new numerical forecast techniques, development of advanced computer systems, and implementation of cutting-edge radar technology. Its modern-day mission is to provide weather, water, and climate data, forecasts and warnings for the protection of life and property and enhancement of the national economy. NWS produces precise near-and-mid-term forecasts, while also providing long-term climate predictions. Its offices are organized both by geographic location and functional area.
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Alaska Region (AR) |
The year 1929 marked the opening of the first Weather Bureau office in Alaska, sited in Anchorage. The Weather Bureau Regional Office in Anchorage would go on to become the Alaska Region Office, and then later NWS Alaska Region. This regional office is unique because it provides forecast and observation focused on only one state. |
Central Region (CR) |
The first Signal Service office in Kansas City, Missouri was created in 1888. This locale would grow to become a hub of Weather Bureau and NWS activity in the twentieth century, as the National Severe Storms Forecast Center was also based in the area. Today, NCEP's Aviation Weather Center is colocated with Central Region Headquarters. |
Eastern Region (ER) |
The NWS Eastern Region, headquartered in Bohemia, New York, manages all operational and scientific meteorological, hydrologic, and oceanographic programs of the region including observing networks, weather services, forecasting, and climatology and hydrology. |
Pacific Region (PR) |
The Pacific Region is responsible for a smaller amount of land relative to the other regions, but it is dispersed among multiple islands that are spread across the vast geographic area of the vast Pacific Ocean. In addition to weather forecasting and data collection, the Pacific Region also provides tsunami bulletins from its Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. |
Southern Region (SR) |
NWS's Southern Region covers states that receive 90% of landfalling hurricanes and 50% of the hurricane, flash flood, and tornado events in the US. It provides meteorology, hydrology, and climatology for a quarter of the mainland United States and areas of the Atlantic, Gulf, and Caribbean coasts. |
Western Region (WR) |
The Signal Service began establishing offices in Western states in the 1870s. While California, Nevada, and Oregon achieved statehood in the 1850s and 1860s, shortly before the offices were set up, Arizona was granted statehood in 1912, meaning that national weather observations began while it was still only a territory. Today, in addition to the general functions of a weather bureau regional office, the Western Region also encompasses fire weather and tsunami program areas. |
Climate Prediction Center (CPC) |
This climate forecasting branch of NWS delivers real-time products and information that predict and describe climate variations on timescales from weeks to years. Part of CPC's mission is also to promote effective management of climate risk and a climate-resilient society. CPC was established in the 1980s under the name of the Climate Analysis Center, and is well known for its El Niño and La Niña predictions. |
Meteorological Development Laboratory (MDL) |
The Meteorological Development Laboratory first came about in 1964, when it was known as the Techniques Development Laboratory (TDL). MDL is an applied research and development laboratory that seeks to improve diagnostic and prognostic weather information, data depiction and utilization, warning and forecast product preparation, and data and forecast evaluation. Methods used include modern physical, dynamical, and statistical techniques implemented on operational computers. |
National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) |
The National Centers for Environmental Prediction is responsible for delivering national and global weather, water, climate and space weather guidance, forecasts, warnings and analyses to its partners and users through nine centers covering aviation weather, climate prediction, environmental modeling, hurricanes, ocean prediction, storm prediction, and space weather prediction. |
National Hurricane Center (NHC) |
The National Hurricane Center exists to save lives, mitigate property loss, and improve economic efficiency by issuing the best watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather and by increasing understanding of these hazards. National hurricane forecasting began in 1943, and NHC was established shortly thereafter, in 1958. |
Storm Prediction Center (SPC) |
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center, an NCEP organization, provides timely and accurate watch and forecast products/information dealing with tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, lightning, wildfires, and winter weather. SPC employees conduct applied research into the science of severe and dangerous weather |
Techniques Development Laboratory (TDL) |
The mission of the Techniques Development Laboratory was very similar to MDL, translating advances in basic research to real-world applications in meteorology, to increase utility both for the scientist and the ultimate end-user. TDL sought to improve prediction methodology through diagnostic and prognostic methods, and in its era studied new statistical and modeling techniques, climatology, objective analysis, and the use of computers and automation in forecasting. TDL was one of three laboratories within the Systems Development Office, alongside the Integrated Systems Laboratory (ISL) and Equipment Development Laboratory (EDL). |
National Meteorological Center (NMC) |
The National Meteorological Center (NMC), the direct precursor to NCEP, was formed in 1958 before being reorganized as NCEP in 1995. NMC began providing weather forecasting for the Northern Hemisphere before expanding to the entire globe, and conducted research to improve the accuracy of forecasts, to provide information in the most useful form, and to present data as automatically as practicable. |
Tropical Prediction Center (TPC) |
The Tropical Prediction Center was formerly a component of NCEP in which NHC was nested. TPC no longer exists, and NHC is now a component center of NCEP. TPC had the same mission as NHC, and included two other subsidiary organizations, the Technical Support Branch (TSB), and the Tropical Analysis and Forecast Branch (TAFB). At the time of TPC, NHC's purview was seasonal, maintaining a watch on tropical cyclones from 15 May in the eastern Pacific and 1 June in the Atlantic through November 30. During the off season, NHC conducted an extensive outreach and education program, training U.S. emergency managers and representatives from many other countries affected by tropical cyclones. |
National Severe Storms Forecast Center (NSSFC) |
The National Severe Storms Forecast Center changed its name to the Storm Prediction Center in 1997 in a reorganization designed to collocate storm research with operations. Historically, NSSFC had the responsibility for issuing tornado and severe thunderstorm watches (in the case of large hailstones and high winds) for the contiguous 48 states. |
Data Acquisition Division (DATAC) |
The former Data Acquisition Division of ESSA oversaw all surface, upper air, radar, and satellite observation networks for the collection of meteorological and hydrologic operations. DATAC published the RADAR Technical Note series to publicize research into applications of radar for weather observations. Today, NWS' Office of Observations carries out similar duties. |
Engineering Division (ENG) |
In the era of ESSA, the Engineering Division had a large portfolio that included engineering aspects of procurement and specifications, contract monitoring, technician training, test and inspection, equipment reconditioning, installation and maintenance standards and procedures, and field modification of all operational data acquisition, data processing, communications, and display equipment and instruments for the Weather Bureau. |
Equipment Development Laboratory (EDL) |
The Equipment Development Laboratory (EDL) of the Systems Development Office was responsible for the design and development of new equipment through applied research and exploratory development to determine the feasibility of new concepts. Activities included providing equipment trade-off information for systems analysis, research in the area of special sensors unique to the needs of the Weather Bureau, and design, development, and fabrication of engineering and prototype equipment. |
Ocean Services Division (OSD) |
In its day, the Ocean Services Division of the Office of Meteorology and Oceanography was responsible for planning, developing, and managing oceanographic and marine weather service programs, including forecasts and warnings. Publications in the OSD Technical Memorandum Series pertained to forecasting weather, waves and surges, ice conditions, sea surface temperatures, currents, and other marine weather and oceanographic parameters. |
Space Environment Center (SEC) |
NOAA's space weather forecasting program came about in 1965, with ESSA's Space Disturbances Laboratory, one of the original ESSA Research Laboratories founded in 1965. By 1970, it had been rechristened the Space Environment Laboratory, then, in 1995, the Space Environment Center. Finally, in 2005, the organization received its current name, the Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC). Although SWPC does not currently issue NOAA series, its historical forebears SDL, SEL, and SEC reported widely on geomagnetism, solar wind, and radiation. |
Space Operations Support Division (SOS) |
The Space Operations Support Division of the Office of Meteorological Operations conducted studies to answer specific meteorological and related questions in support of space and missile range projects. It is our understanding that responsibility for these services may have been reassigned within the Forecast Services Division. Topics included probability and analysis of hurricanes and other storms in proximity to the Kennedy Spaceflight Center in Florida. |
System Plans and Design Division (SPDD) |
The defunct ESSA System Plans and Design Division of the Office of Systems Development used systems analysis methods and techniques to develop plans, designs, and specifications to improve Weather Bureau operations and programs while also developing methods and techniques for systems analysis. |
Test and Evaluation Division (T&ED) |
The Test and Evaluation Division, formerly known as the Test and Evaluation Laboratory (T&EL), conducted experiments and tests to determine the suitability of newly developed equipment, instruments, and systems for use in the field. This division coordinated testing with other NWS R&D organizations such as the Systems Development Office, and worked closely with operational components of NWS to guide implementation of new technologies. |
Training Center (TC) |
The NWS Training Center was the centralized organization responsible for providing instruction to meet most of the training needs of the National Weather Service. Courses were developed and conducted by two divisions of the Training Center: Meteorology and Management, and Electronics and Engineering. |
Water Management Information Division (WMID) |
The Water Management Information Division was established even before the era of ESSA, underscoring the foundational importance of its domain to NWS. Although it has been subject to several reorganizations, it is believed that these functions now belong with the Office of Water Prediction. The Water Management Information Division provided comprehensive hydrometeorological studies including both precipitation frequency studies, and climatic studies along with hydrologic design and water resource planning. |
Weather Analysis and Prediction Division (WAPD) |
The Weather Analysis and Prediction Division published Notes to Forecasters in order to distribute technical and scientific information related to the field forecasting operations of the Weather Bureau to field offices. The content of the Notes was concerned predominantly with forecasting techniques, procedures and performance data. |
The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research today comprises six major programs and seven major laboratories. While NOAA's research branch has changed over the years, with the addition of new organizations and the attrition of others, some of OAR's modern-day laboratories are the modern iterations of the former Environmental Research Laboratories (ERL) of NOAA's predecessor, the Environmental Science Services Administration (ESSA). The transformation of NOAA research from mid-twentieth century to today is representative of how NOAA has reinvented itself in the pursuit of increased understanding of the oceans and atmosphere.
Air Resources Laboratory (ARL) |
ARL, a present-day OAR lab and former ESSA Research Laboratory, develops and improves atmospheric dispersion and air chemistry models; collects research-grade atmospheric and deposition measurements of select air chemistry parameters; studies the atmospheric boundary layer by collecting and analyzing essential data of surface and near surface weather and climate conditions; and provides high quality, reference-grade measurements of critical climate parameters. ARL includes four research divisions: the Atmospheric Sciences Modeling Division (ASMD), the Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Division (ATDD), the Field Research Division (FRD), and the Special Operations & Research Division (SORD).
The former Atmospheric Turbulence and Diffusion Laboratory has now been absorbed into ARL as a division. |
Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) |
Located in Miami, Florida, AOML's research spans hurricanes, coastal ecosystems, oceans and human health, climate studies, global carbon systems, and ocean observations. AOML began as one of the original ESSA Research Laboratories at its founding in 1967, when it was named the Atlantic Oceanographic Laboratories. Today, AOML includes three research divisions: the Hurricane Research Division (HRD), the Ocean Chemistry and Ecosystems Division (OCED), and the Physical Oceanography Division (PHOD).
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Chemical Sciences Laboratory (CSL) |
The Chemical Sciences Laboratory has three primary research areas: climate, air quality, and the stratospheric ozone layer. Its seven research groups consist of Cloud & Aerosol Processes, Regional Chemical Modeling, Tropospheric Chemistry, Chemistry & Climate Processes, Atmospheric Remote Sensing, Chemical Processes & Instrument Development, and Atmospheric Composition & Chemical Processes. Prior to 2020 CSL was a division under ESRL. Please note that tech memos and other documents will be listed as CSD. First established as an ESSA Research Laboratory, the Aeronomy Laboratory (AL) became part of CSD with the advent of ESRL. AL's mission has been the study of the chemical, radiative and dynamical processes of the Earth's atmosphere, in order to improve the ability to predict its behavior. Research focuses on the following three atmospheric issues: climate (chemical composition, radiation, and clouds), regional air chemistry, and stratospheric ozone-layer recovery. |
Climate Program Office (CPO) |
Created in 2005, the Climate Program Office fosters preparedness and risk management for global climate variability and change through research, partnerships, and its global network of in situ atmospheric and oceanic observation devices. CPO provides climate forecasts for a range of temporal and geographic spans. Much of CPO's work involves modeling climate change and formulating risk responses. CPO's research divisions include the Ocean Observing and Monitoring Division (OOMD), the Earth Systems Science and Modeling Division (ESSM), and the Climate and Societal Interactions Division (CSID). |
Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (GFDL) |
NOAA's Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory was originally formed in 1955 as part of the Weather Bureau before becoming one of ESSA's Environmental Research Laboratories in 1967. GFDL studies the predictability and sensitivity of global and regional climate; the structure, variability, dynamics and interaction of the atmosphere and the ocean; and the ways that the atmosphere and oceans influence, and are influenced by, various trace constituents. GFDL includes six research divisions: Atmospheric Physics; Biogeochemistry, Atmospheric Chemistry and Ecosystems; Ocean and Cryosphere; Seasonal-to-Decadal Variability and Predictability; Weather and Climate Dynamics, and Modeling Systems. |
Global Monitoring Laboratory (GML) |
The Global Monitoring Laboratory focuses its research on greenhouse gas and carbon cycle feedbacks, changes in clouds, aerosols, and surface radiation, and recovery of stratospheric ozone. GML collects observations and performs analysis through its observatories and research groups. GML's programs date back to CMDL (below) and the Geophysical Monitoring for Climatic Change (GMCC) program begun in 1971 to establish a baseline and continuous monitoring for climate change. GML includes five research groups: Carbon Cycle and Greenhouse Gases (CCGG), Halocarbons and other Atmospheric Trace Species (HATS), Ozone and Water Vapor (OZWV), Aerosols (AERO), and Global Radiation (G-RAD). Prior to 2020 GML was a division under ESRL. Please note that tech memos and other documents will be listed as GMD. NOAA's Climate Monitoring and Diagnostic Laboratory was active through the seventies until it was absorbed into GMD with the creation of ESRL in 2005. |
Global Systems Laboratory (GSL) |
The Global Systems Laboratory's mission, simply put, is to make forecasts better through developing continuous global to storm scale situational awareness capabilities, creating a fully coupled earth system modeling prediction tool, and providing outreach, accessible information and decision support tools. GSL's five research branches include: Advanced Technologies Branch (ATB), the Assimilation Development Branch (ADB), the Evaluation and Decision Support (EDS), the Model Development Branch (MDB), and Information and Technology Services (ITS). Prior to 2020 GSL was a division under ESRL. Please note that tech memos and other documents will be listed as GSD. The Forecast Systems Laboratory, GSD's predecessor agency, was current from 1989 to 2005. FSL was preceded by the Prototype Regional Observing and Forecasting Service Program (PROFS) (1979-1989). |
Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (GLERL) |
The Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory was formally established in 1974. GLERL researches food web changes since the Zebra and Quagga mussel invasion, the impacts of climate change, the development of coastal forecast systems, dissemination of satellite imagery for environmental products development, the bioavailability of toxic organic chemicals, and harmful algal bloom forecasting. GLERL includes three research branches: the Observing Systems and Advanced Technology (OSAT) branch, the Ecosystems Dynamics branch, and the Integrated Physical and Ecological Modeling and Forecasting (IPEMF) branch. |
National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) |
An OAR lab originally established in 1964, NSSL investigates weather radar, tornadoes, flash floods, lightning, damaging winds, hail, and winter weather. NSSL performs research on RADAR tools, forecast research on weather prediction models and techniques, and research into new methods of warnings to the public including applications and water resource management tools. NSSL's three research divisions include the Forecast Research & Development Division, the Radar Research & Development Division, and the Warning Research & Development Division. |
Ocean Acidification Program (OAP) |
OAR's Ocean Acidification Program was created relatively recently, in 2011, in order to respond to the increasingly urgent issue of changing global ocean chemistry. OAP uses hydrographic surveys, ship-based observations, and time series stations to monitor carbonate chemistry; studies marine organism response to acidification; performs education and outreach to the public; helps build adaptation strategies; and provides an online portal to disseminate and collect data. |
Office of Ocean Exploration and Research (OER |
The Office of Ocean Exploration and Research was formed in 2007 as the result of the merging of the National Undersea Research Program (NURP) and the Office of Ocean Exploration (OE). OER has an emphasis on discovery through exploration of and research on the global ocean; other goals are developing innovative technologies, transitioning research to applications, and educating the public. Areas of scientific interest include coastal and ocean mapping, marine archaeology, and baseline observations of understudied areas of the ocean. The NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer conducts regular expeditions. OER includes five product lines of business: Advancing Technology, Exploration, Catalyzing Research, Information Management, and Education.
The National Undersea Research Program was established in 1982 and structured primarily around extramural research conducted by scientists outside NOAA. Developing innovative underwater technologies and research on fisheries, corals, climate and the ocean carbon cycle were some of the primary goals in NURP's work in the oceans and Great Lakes. |
Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) |
The Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has as its primary research interests ocean acidification, tsunami detection and forecasting, hydrothermal vent systems, fisheries oceanography, and long term climate monitoring and analysis in order to increase understanding of the global ocean and develop new technologies. PMEL, then known as the Pacific Oceanographic Laboratories, was one of the foundational ESSA Research Laboratories. PMEL includes the Ocean Environment Research Division (OERD), the Ocean Climate Research Division (OCRD), and the Engineering Development Division (EDD).
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Physical Sciences Laboratory (PSL) |
PSL researches weather, water, and climate extremes, develops observing and modeling methods for droughts and floods, and increases understanding of the coupled Arctic system and Arctic lower-latitude interactions. Recent PSL publications have covered El Niño, ocean temperatures, the atmospheric stable boundary layer (SBL), hurricanes and cyclones, and sea ice loss, among many other topics. PSL's research teams include Atmosphere-Ocean Processes, Attribution and Predictability Assessments, Boundary Layer Observations and Processes, Dynamics and Multiscale Interactions, Forecast and Modeling Development, Hydrometeorology Modeling and Applications, Hydrometeorology Observations and Processes, and Polar Observations and Processes. Prior to 2020 PSL was a division under ESRL. Please note that tech memos and other documents will be listed as PSD. The Environmental Technology Laboratory, since folded into PSD, has its own predecessor in an ESSA Research Laboratory, the Wave Propagation Laboratory. WPL concerned itself with development of new methods for remote sensing of the geophysical environment, with special emphasis on propagation of sound waves, and electromagnetic waves at millimeter, infrared, and optical frequencies. |
Atmospheric Physics and Chemistry Laboratory (APCL) |
This laboratory, one of the original ESSA Research Laboratories, studied cloud physics and precipitation, chemical composition and nucleating substances in the lower atmosphere, and conducted laboratory and field experiments toward developing feasible methods of weather modification. |
Earth Sciences Laboratories (ESL) |
Now defunct, the Earth Sciences Laboratories formed part of the ERL, and had under its purview research into geomagnetism, seismology, geodesy, and related earth sciences; earthquake processes, internal structure of the Earth, and distribution of the Earth’s mass. |
Institute for Atmospheric Sciences (IAS) |
This scientific body was one of four foundational institutes that were incorporated into the eleven research laboratories of ERL with the reorganization of 1967. Its mission was seeking to improve the understanding of atmospheric processes and phenomena required to improve weather forecasts and related services and to modify and control the weather. |
Institute for Telecommunication Sciences (ITS) |
Once part of the Environmental Research Laboratories, ITS is no longer with NOAA but remains within the Department of Commerce, now housed in the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). When in ERL, ITS was the central federal agency for research and services in propagation of radio waves, radio properties of the earth and its atmosphere, nature of radio noise and interference, information transmission and antennas, and methods for the more effective use of the radio spectrum for telecommunications. |
Marine Minerals Technology Center (MMTC) |
This organization, which has since been shuttered, was concerned with methods for the exploitation of marine mineral resources and the environmental effects of mining. MMTC produced studies in areas such as gravel and sand mining, the use of drills, dragline dredge sampling, and more. |
Office of Weather Research and Modification (OWRM) |
The Office of Weather Research and Modification sought to improve understanding of flash floods, convective storms, and other rainfall events. OWRM was a key participant in the Florida Atlantic Cumulus Experiments, a 1970s program for the testing of cloud seeding. |
Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment Program (OCSEAP) |
This temporary program was NOAA's contribution to a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) investigation of the potential effects of oil and gas development on the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS). The geographical extent of NOAA's program was limited the the OCS in Alaska. Scientific objectives included surveying the potential risks of contaminants and other environmental hazards released by petroleum exploration and extraction, as well as the likely effects on marine organisms and ecosystems. |
Weather Modification Program Office (WMPO) |
The Weather Modification Program Office, since disbanded, was responsible for planning and directing ERL weather modification research activities in precipitation enhancement and severe storms mitigation and operation of ERL research aircraft. During the 1970s, the National Hurricane Research Laboratory (NHRL) and the Experimental Meteorology Laboratory (EML) were subordinate organizations to WMPO. |
Weather Research Program (WRP) Environmental Sciences Group (ESG) |
The Weather Research Program of the Environmental Sciences Group formerly published research on air chemistry, mesoscale convection, climatology, lightning, synoptic flow, Doppler radar data processing, and forecasting tools. |
NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations supports a large and diverse number of scientific missions, including hydrographic, ecosystems, fisheries surveys, weather, and atmospheric research. OMAO also serves as the basis for NOAA's emergency response capabilities. It is comprised of the NOAA Corps, Office of Marine Operations, Aircraft Operations Center, NOAA Diving Program, and Small Boat Program. OMAO publishes Project Instructions for its scientific expeditions, providing information on the operations of the trip, personnel and researchers on board, equipment used, and geographic extent of the trip.
OMAO's present-day Aircraft Operations Center (AOC) was created as the Research Flight Facility (RFF) in 1961, originally as a part of the US Weather Bureau's National Hurricane Research Project. In 1975, RFF was combined with a unit from the Environmental Research Laboratories to form the Research Facilities Center (RFC), which provided instrumented long-range aircraft and engineering capabilities. In 1983, RFC was reorganized into the Office of Aircraft Operations (OAO), before being designated the AOC in the early 1990s.
