Ocean chemistry is changing faster right now than at any time over the past 50 million years. “We are fundamentally altering marine ecosystems,” says NOAA oceanographer Simone Alin, Ph.D. With her colleagues at NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), Alin is responsible for monitoring the rapidly changing chemistry of seawater and understanding the ramifications for the world’s oceans, particularly the highly productive, fisheries-rich coastal waters off the west coast of North America.
With a background in coastal hazards and community resilience, Washington Sea Grant's Jamie Mooney is active in helping Washington communities prepare for sea level rise and coastal hazards.
A skilled science communicator and media spokesperson, Dr. Ian Miller is the coastal hazards specialist for Washington Sea Grant, part of NOAA's National Sea Grant College Program. Dr. Miller collaborates with coastal communities on the Olympic Peninsula to increase their ability to plan for and manage coastal hazards, including tsunami, chronic erosion, coastal flooding and hazards associated with climate change.
The ocean plays a huge role in the carbon cycle, absorbing 25 percent of yearly carbon emissions into the atmosphere. Adrienne Sutton's research focuses on characterizing the extent of ocean acidification in the open ocean and coral reef environments, and how processes like the El Niño/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) affect variations in ocean carbon chemistry over time and space.
An oceanographer for the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Sharon Walker spends her time surveying the ocean floor and sampling the water column to identify sites of submarine volcanic activity and deep sea vents. By locating these vent sites, we can learn more about our earth’s crust, ocean circulation, and deep sea ecosystems.
A physical oceanographer from NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Edward "Ned" Cokelet studies the physics behind Bering Sea ecosystems and how they may change in the future.
Director of maritime heritage for the NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries Program, James Delgado has explored numerous shipwrecks.
An oceanographer for the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Gregory Johnson calls the ocean the "flywheel" of the climate system. Read his profile to see why.
An expert on tides, currents, and sea level, Stephen Gill is the chief scientist with the National Ocean Service Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services.