WHAT'S IN A NAME?

One of our Nation's oldest scientific communities is celebrating an important milestone this year. The origins of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) date back to the year 1807, when President Thomas Jefferson initiated an agency called the "Survey of the Coast". Originally charged with the task of better defining United States shipping routes (through improved mapping and charting of the seas), the agency helped to guarantee the United States as a dominant naval power into the 20th Century.

Of course, the natural extension of oceanic research is the related field of atmospheric studies. In 1890, a sister agency called the United States Weather Bureau was organized. The Bureau's main goal was the protection of life and property through standardized weather forecasts.The Weather Bureau expanded into a network of stations throughout the country, each responsible for monitoring local weather patterns.

Other agencies and revisions would follow in subsequent decades, culminating in a major reorganization in 1970. President Richard Nixon approved the formal declaration of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), an organization that has grown to include 6 major scientific agencies: 1. National Weather Service (NWS) 2. National Ocean Service (NOS) 3. National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Informational Service (NESDIS) 4. National Fisheries Services (NFS) 5. Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) 6. Office of Marine & Aviation Operations (OMAO)

For more information on NOAA and its 200 year legacy, visit the official website http://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/