The term benthic refers to anything associated with or occurring on the bottom of a body of water. The animals and plants that live on or in the bottom are known as the benthos. In ocean waters, ...

An Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) waiting to be deployed on the deck of a NOAA vessel. Click on the image for a larger view. Two ADCPs deployed in a waterway. Together, they provide very ...

When large tracts of land are plowed, the exposed soil can erode during rainstorms. Much of this runoff flows to the sea, carrying with it agricultural fertilizers and pesticides. Eighty percent of ...

These record water levels may not be the end of the story for California’s coastal communities. NOAA predicts above-normal high tides will occur from November 22-27, 2026, and December 22-26, 2026, ...

VIDEO: Learn how scientists predict the spread of harmful algal blooms in this video from Ocean Today. There are thousands of species of algae; most are beneficial and only a few of these produce ...

Because they are transitional areas between the land and the sea, and between freshwater and saltwater environments, estuaries can be seriously impacted by any number of human, or anthropogenic, ...

Asian tiger shrimp are native to Pacific waters, but are now found along the southeast and Gulf coasts of the United States. Researchers are currently investigating the origin and possible impact of ...

Members of NOAA’s National Ocean Service, NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey, NOAA Communications and the NOAA Studio Team stand with a ceremonial survey mark in front of the Mount Rushmore National ...

While the Earth appears to be round when viewed from the vantage point of space, it is actually closer to an ellipsoid. However, even an ellipsoid does not adequately describe the Earth’s unique and ...

A satellite image of Lake Erie from Aug. 10, 2014, showing green discoloration in the water due to a large harmful algal bloom (HAB). NOAA scientists continue to issue timely forecasts to aid in the ...

Nutrient pollution is the process where too many nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus, are added to bodies of water and can act like fertilizer, causing excessive growth of algae. This process is ...

A boat cuts a green wake—a harmful algal bloom—in Western Lake Erie. NOAA's Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Operational Forecast System in the Gulf of America identifies whether or not a bloom of algae is ...