NOAA Dedicates New Lower Mississippi River PORTS®

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(Photo credit: NOAA.)

NOAA Administrator Dr. Jane Lubchenco joined the New Orleans Coast Guard commander and managers from the Port of New Orleans on Oct. 19 to dedicate the newly completed Lower Mississippi River Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System known as PORTS®.

PORTS helps mariners navigate safely and efficiently in and out of the nation’s busiest ports and waterways by providing critical data on tides, currents, water and air temperature, barometric pressure, winds and bridge clearance. Collected from a variety of high-tech sensors in and around ports and bridges, the data is available online and by phone: 888-817-7767.

“NOAA is committed to providing quality tools and services like PORTS that support the nation’s maritime economy,” said NOAA Administrator Jane Lubchenco in a press statement. “Roughly two-thirds of all goods we buy in the U.S. arrive by ship, contributing millions of jobs and roughly $1 trillion annually to the national economy.”

Follow Dr. Jane Lubchenco on Facebook

Our NOAA Administrator has launched her Facebook page! Become a fan to follow what's happening at NOAA. You can find her at: www.facebook.com/noaa.lubchenco

NOAA Preserve America Initiative Internal Funding Program (formerly NOAA PAIG - or mini grant program) Request for Proposals

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(Photo credit: NOAA.)

The NOAA Preserve America Initiative Internal Funding Program (PAIIF), formerly the Preserve America Initiative Grant Program (PAIG), is announcing its FY 2010 request for proposals. This popular internal funding program is designed to stimulate efforts within NOAA to preserve, protect and promote the agency's heritage assets. Every NOAA line office has received funding through this award winning program. Projects from FY05 through FY09 have varied in scope from interpreting historic and cultural resources in NOAA's care, to capturing oral histories of NOAA stakeholder groups, including fishermen and Native Americans.

Subject to the availability of funds, FY10 NOAA PAIIF will be awarded only to NOAA offices. However, other federal, state, tribal, Native Hawaiian, academic and non-profit organizations can act as partners, applying in conjunction with a NOAA employee. Requests for projects may not exceed $12,000. The total available funding each year has been approximately $100,000.

This year, one page Pre-Proposals are due by November 1, 2009. Invited full proposals will be announced no later than November 15th and full proposals, not to exceed five (5) pages, will be due by December 15, 2009.  For additional information, including proposal criteria and format, please visit the "Grant Information" section of the NOAA Preserve America website, or contact Katie Collins or Cheryl Oliver.

Arctic Mapping on the World Wide Web

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(Photo credit: NOAA.)

ContinentalShelf.gov is a new Web portal designed and built by NOAA in support of the 2009 Extended Continental Shelf Project, a multi-year, multi-agency effort. The portal page is a starting point for general information about U.S. survey missions in support of this project, an undertaking which could lead to recognition of an extended U.S. continental shelf.

NOAA’s Jerry Lau, along with David Hall, Davida Remer, Christine Patrick and John Ewald, played major roles in developing and launching the Web site designed especially for members of the media.

ContinentalShelf.gov provides media relations contacts, background on the mapping project, frequently asked questions, a glossary of terms, and a number of links to other associated Web sites, including that of the U.S. Geological Survey. USGS posted blogs, photos and other coverage of this year’s Arctic survey.

Follow the next Arctic mapping mission in 2010 on ContinentalShelf.gov.

NOAA and Partners Issue Arctic Report Card 2009

(Photo credit: NOAA.)

Despite the fact that summer 2009 had more sea ice than in 2007 or 2008, scientists are seeing drastic changes in the region from just five years ago and at rates faster than anticipated. The findings were presented in the annual update of the Arctic Report Card, a collaborative effort of 71 national and international scientists.

NOAA Captures Eight Rank Awards (From All-Hands Msg.)

The White House.
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NOAA’s winners of the 2009 Presidential Rank Awards were announced October 9 by Commerce Secretary Gary Locke. This year, eight NOAA employees were selected for this prestigious prize — the highest number of NOAA winners in five years.

The Rank Awards, which are conferred by the president, celebrate the outstanding accomplishments of a small, distinguished group of career Senior Executive Service and senior career employees — leaders, professionals and scientists alike — who have consistently demonstrated excellence in results-oriented leadership and unsurpassed service to the nation.

Congratulations to all the awardees:

Distinguished Rank Award Recipients

    * Mary M. Glackin, NOAA Deputy Under Secretary for Oceans and Atmosphere

    * Kathleen A. Kelly, Director, Office of Satellite Operations,
      NOAA's Satellite and Information Service

    * Thomas R. Karl, Director, National Climatic Data Center,
      NOAA's Satellite and Information Service

    * Richard W. Spinrad, Assistant Administrator, NOAA Research

    * Maureen E. Wylie, NOAA Chief Financial Officer

Meritorious Rank Award Recipients

    * Roy E. Crabtree, Southeast Regional Administrator, NOAA's Fisheries Service

    * David M. Kennedy, Director, Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management,
      NOAA's Ocean Service

    * Steven A. Murawski, Director, Scientific Programs and Chief Science Advisor,
      NOAA's Fisheries Service