NOAA: Making Waves

You know about ocean tides, but how much do you know about ocean currents? Watch our three-minute video podcast to learn what puts the motion in the ocean.


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Prior to the Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the Exxon Valdez was the largest spill to ever occur in U.S. coastal waters. In this episode, we talk with NOAA marine biologist Gary Shigenaka to find out how marine life is faring today in Prince William Sound, Alaska. We also look at lessons we might learn from this environmental disaster in light of growing oil exploration and shipping traffic in the Arctic.


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How do we use sound to 'see' the sea floor? Our latest podcast explains how sonar works and includes a great visualization that shows how sound data is used to make nautical charts.


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In this video episode: two Civil War-era sailors lost over 150 years ago aboard the U.S.S. Monitor are laid to rest. Don't miss this moving three-minute video brought to you by NOAA's Ocean Today.


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It's Shark Week! Tune in to hear 'Hooked on Sharks,' the latest episode of 'On the Line,' a new podcast from our colleagues at NOAA Fisheries. 'On the Line' features interviews with NOAA scientists who study fish, marine mammals, and other ocean life. In 'Hooked on Sharks,' we hear about a research project to see if a special type of hook can help vulnerable populations of sharks to survive.
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Coral reefs are under intense pressure from climate change, pollution, and unsustainable use. So what can we do about it? To answer that question, we need to better understand the main threat to our reefs. Humans. Join us for a discussion about the social side of protecting coral reefs with scientist Peter Edwards from NOAA's Coral Reef Conservation Program.
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In this video podcast, see how real-time ocean data is aiding Coast Guard search and rescue operations.
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It's hurricane season. Are you prepared? Find out with this video from NOAA's Ocean Today .
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How do we measure elevation changes in estuaries--marshy areas where land elevations are constantly shifting? How will sea level rise affect the flora and fauna that live in these places? See how National Geodetic Survey experts are laying the groundwork to help answer these challenging questions at Waquoit Bay in Mass.
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In this video podcast, learn what ocean acidification is, how it's affecting marine life, and how NOAA tools are helping people monitor and adapt to changes in ocean chemistry.
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In this episode, watch a video about marine protected areas in North America produced by the Commission for Environmental Cooperation, a partnership between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico.
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In this episode, we introduce you to a new occasional podcast series called 'Sanctuary Shorts' from our National Marine Sanctuaries office. Host Matt Dozier tells us about a pioneering effort to dive on Cordell Bank in the late 1970s and a returning mission nearly 30 years later.
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In this episode, watch the first installment of a new three-part video series from NOAA's Ocean Today about the role of ice in our ocean. What is sea ice and why is it shrinking?
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In this episode: learn about the Challenger mission, an effort from the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System and Rutgers to send ocean gliders around the world. We then look back to the 2009 Scarlet Knight mission, the first successful ocean glider crossing of the Atlantic. We end with a screening of a teaser from the 2010 documentary 'Atlantic Crossing: a robot's daring mission.' (5:41 minutes)
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Think you know the ocean? In this episode, we showcase an Ocean Today video that answers many commons questions about the body of what that covers 70 percent of our Earth. (3:45 minutes)
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We've got an oldie but a goodie lined up for the final podcast of 2012. Did you know that the National Ocean Service helps to ensure that Santa doesn't get lost on his journey around the country on December 25th. Here's an episode that originally aired way back in 2008 about Santa and the National Geodetic Survey. Enjoy!

NOAA's Ocean Today just launched its 100th video! In this episode, we highlight this achievement and showcase the latest video from Ocean Today about an effort to promote safe and responsible whale watching. (3:32 minutes)
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NOAA and independent scientists recently discovered rocky reef habitats in an area of NOAA's Gulf of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary at depths reaching 457 meters meters—places where corals and sponges had not been seen before. Did you know that corals, sponges, and countless other creatures thrive in the deep ocean—in places where sunlight doesn't reach? In this episode, learn more about the fascinating world of deep sea coral habitats in 'Coral Forests of the Deep,' a video from NOAA's Ocean Today. (3:31 minutes)

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We’re celebrating the 40th anniversary of what some call the most important national coastal legislation you've probably never heard of. It’s called the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA). We're joined by Laura McKay, Virginia's Coastal Zone Program manager, who talks about an eelgrass restoration project along Virginia’s eastern shore made possible by this Act.

This month marks the 40th anniversary of the signing of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, which created our nation's national marine sanctuary system. What are sanctuaries? How do these special areas help to protect and conserve our ocean? We have a NOAA Ocean Today video for you in this episode to put this milestone in perspective. (4:49 minutes)

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