From corals to coastal science, connect with ocean experts to explore questions about the ocean environment.

NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management will hold an in-person public meeting and two virtual public meetings to gather input for the performance evaluation of the California coastal management program.

With support from NOAA, the Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) and partners have launched a new suite of advanced water quality and harmful algal bloom (HAB) forecasting tools for the ...

Tidal datums are reference points to help measure water levels in a certain location. They are based on the average water level height during each stage in the tidal cycle. The table below contains a ...

Each day, thousands of vessels, from small boats to large ships, travel within and around our ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes regions, whether for recreational purposes or to support our economy. But ...

Have you ever looked at a map or nautical chart and noticed a circular symbol with arrows and letters? This is called a compass rose, and it’s used to indicate direction. A compass rose is an ...

If you want to participate in any activity on the ocean or coast, especially one requiring navigation, it’s important to understand tides and how they impact water levels. Tides raise and lower the ...

The simplest definition of cartography is that it is the art and science of creating maps that represent the Earth’s physical surface. In contrast, nautical cartography — while it is also about ...

Nautical charts have been used for centuries throughout the world to help navigators — people who direct vessels’ routes — plan their journeys through the ocean and along the coasts, by showing where ...

Latitude lines circle the Earth from east to west. They are also called parallels, because they are aligned to one another and never intersect. They allow us to determine our position north or south ...

Nautical charts use unique symbols to provide a wide variety of information, such as the natural and human-made features, danger warnings, and navigational aids that can be found on land and in the ...

The fields of oceanography and hydrography have areas that overlap in their study of the ocean. However, hydrography’s goal is navigation safety, while oceanography branches off into many different ...