National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Hydrology
By Engr. Renzo Polino
 NOAA’s Mission and Vision

To understand and predict changes in Earth’s

environment and conserve and manage
coastal and marine resources to meet
our nation’s economic, social, and
environmental needs

An informed society that uses a

comprehensive understanding of
the role of the oceans, coasts, and
atmosphere in the global ecosystem
to make the best social and economic
decisions
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 NOAA Mandates and Authorities

There are 127 mandates and authorities applicable to NOAA’s mission

Directive Authorities
Reorganization Plan No.4 of 1970, 15 U.S.C. § 1511 note.
Weather Service Organic Act
Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
Marine Mammal Protection Act
Endangered Species Act
Coastal Zone Management Act
National Marine Sanctuaries Act
America COMPETES
Hydrographic Services Improvement Act

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 NOAA Line Offices

•National Marine Fisheries Service

•National Weather Service

•National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service

•National Ocean Service

•Oceans and Atmospheric Research

•Marine and Aviation Operations

•Program Planning and Integration

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 Implementing NOAA’s Mission
Strategic Goals
Protect, restore, and manage the NOAA’s Strategic Plan:
use of coastal and ocean
resources through an ecosystem used to link programs,
approach to management
organizational units, and
people with NOAA’s mission,
Understand climate variability
and change to enhance society’s
vision and strategic goals
ability to plan and respond

Serve society’s needs for weather

and water information
Regional Collaboration:
used to link programs,
organizational units and
Support the Nation’s commerce
with information for safe, efficient,
people with NOAA’s
and environmentally sound
transportation
partners to prioritize
regional needs and
leverage capabilities
Provide critical support for
NOAA’s mission

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 NOAA Southeast & Caribbean
Regional Collaboration Team

Within the Southeast and

Caribbean region, improve
NOAA’s
• efficiency and effectiveness

• value and productivity of

partnerships
• communication and information
sharing
• stakeholder relations and
support.

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 NOAA is Vital to the American Economy
and American Lives
Between 1992 and 2004, NOAA’s
weather services prevented over
330 fatalities and 7800 injuries NOAA’s aviation NOAA’s network of 39 tsunami
from tornadoes, resulting in a forecasts reduce detection buoys provides
socioeconomic benefit of over aviation delays and coastal communities with more
$3 billion save the industry accurate warnings to protect
$580 million per year lives and property

NOAA has rebuilt 12

commercial fisheries stocks Healthy coastal ecosystems provide clean beaches that
since 2001 which resulted in host over 910 million trips/year and support millions of jobs
over $2.1 billion in income generating $44 billion in spending
and over $5 billion in sales
in the year 2006 alone
NOAA’s improved hurricane
forecasts save taxpayers NOAA provides
$640,000 per mile in economic benefits of
unnecessary evacuation costs $240 million per year in
mitigating flood losses

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 NOAA Priorities

Ensure continuity of
climate, weather, and
ocean observations,
both in situ and from
space
Sea Surface Temperature Fire and Smoke Monitoring

Enhance NOAA’s Improve weather forecasts &

Climate Services and disaster warnings
Establish a National
Climate Service

Assessments Hurricane Dolly 2008

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 NOAA Priorities

Strengthen Arctic science

Eliminate and stewardship
overfishing and
ensure the
sustainability of
marine fisheries

~1+ Ton Mackerel

GFDL CM2.1 model-simulated Arctic ice change

Promote sustainable, resilient,
and healthy coastal communities

Great Bay Coastal Training Habitat Conservation Extended Continental Shelf Mapping

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 NOAA in Philippines

This is the foundation of a sustainable training program that

promotes coastal ecosystem health and seafood safety in
developing nations and has been implemented in the Philippines.
Specific training has focused on coastal ecosystem health, including
monitoring and management of ecosystem-disruptive phytoplankton
blooms, measurement of nutrient inputs to coastal waters, and
planning for ecologically sustainable aquaculture. This International
Coastal Ecosystem Health program is a collaborative effort among
North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) scientists, the
International Oceanographic Commission, and the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, the Government of Japan.

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