Milky Way now hidden from one third of humanity Milky Way now hidden from one third of humanity US and Italian scientists create new world atlas of light pollution The Milky Way, the brilliant river of stars that has dominated the night sky and human imaginations since time immemorial, is but a faded memory to one third of humanity and 80 percent of Americans, according to a new global atlas of light pollution produced by Italian and American scientists. Read more
Scientists deploy autonomous sailing vessels to study whales, fish and seals Scientists deploy autonomous sailing vessels to study whales, fish and seals Unmanned technologies open new frontier in ocean science NOAA Research and NOAA Fisheries have teamed up with academic and private sector partners to test innovative technologies that, if successful, will enable researchers to gather information on ocean conditions and marine species in remote areas of the ocean that are costly to reach and difficult to study. Read more
Arctic set for record-breaking melt this summer Arctic set for record-breaking melt this summer Wildlife, scientists will be scrambling to adapt The record heat baking Alaska is poised to smash a host of climate records in 2016, including the earliest snowmelt date at NOAA’s Barrow Observatory, the northernmost point in the nation. Read more
Flying high to measure gravity: humans optional Flying high to measure gravity: humans optional Unmanned plane gathers gravity information to make nation more resilient NOAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems Program worked through NOAA's Small Business Innovation Research Program to test an unmanned aircraft system for gravity measurements. SBIR funds high-risk, high-reward projects that not only help NOAA to meet its mission, but open up new markets for industry. Measuring variations in gravity helps scientists create a height measurement system based on where water will flow. These measurements will help prepare for floods, sea level rise, and other emergencies, making our coastal communities more resilient, and aid a number of diverse industries such as agriculture, construction, transportation, and urban planning. Read more
NOAA names new leader for NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program NOAA names new leader for NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program Jonathan Pennock has led Sea Grant Program in New Hampshire for last decade NOAA today announced that Jonathan R. Pennock, Ph.D., the director of New Hampshire Sea Grant and a longtime coastal scientist, will be the new leader of NOAA’s National Sea Grant College Program. Read more
West Coast prepares for ‘double whammy’ threat to ocean health West Coast prepares for ‘double whammy’ threat to ocean health New action plan will help coastal businesses boost their resilience to future changes Rising levels of acidity in the ocean and growing areas of low-oxygen waters are a “double whammy” threat for fishing industries, ecosystems and economies along the U.S. West Coast and Canada’s British Columbia, according to new report by a panel of experts that includes NOAA scientists. Read more
Dungeness crab larvae already showing effects of coastal acidification 23Jan2020 Read more Analysis of larval crab sampled from coastal waters identified examples of damage to the outer shell of numerous larval Dungeness crabs, as well as the loss of hair-like sensory structures crabs use to orient themselves to their surroundings. Read more
Indo-Pacific Ocean warming is changing global rainfall patterns 27Nov2019 Read more New research by NOAA and a visiting scientist from India shows that warming of the Indo-Pacific Ocean is altering rainfall patterns from the tropics to the United States, contributing to declines in rainfall on the United States west and east coasts. Read more
NOAA launches major field campaign to improve weather and climate prediction 7Jan2020 Read more Picture a calm, sunny day at a tropical beach. You look out at the ocean and in the distance a flotilla of small white clouds sails close to the waves. It’s ideal weather and typical of many days in the tropical Atlantic. However, scientists don’t fully understand how these ubiquitous clouds (a type of “shallow convective cloud”) form and impact the ocean, and it represents one of the largest uncertainties in predicting climate change. Read more
Wave gliders, ocean drifters and drones to help international researchers solve key climate question 23Jan2020 Read more American and European scientists are deploying dozens of autonomous and remotely-piloted instrument platforms to capture simultaneous observations of the lower atmosphere and the upper ocean offshore of Barbados with unprecedented detail. Read more