b'ground-breaking scientific discoveries that NOAA Climate willhelp us better understand our planet. www.climate.govBuilding a Weather-Ready Nation. NOAA is atNOAA Climate.gov provides timely and authoritativethe forefront of weather science, making information about climate. We promote public understanding earlier and more accurate forecasts, equipping of climate science and climate-related events through videos, emergency responders so communities are stories, images, and data visualizations; we make common informed and prepared for naturaldisasters. data products and services easy to access and use; and we Our forecasts save lives, protect property,provide tools and resources that help people make informed boost the U.S. economy and strengthen decisions about climate risks, vulnerability, and resilience. national security.Serving as leading stewards of a cleaner, NOAA Oceans & Coastshealthier, more sustainable ocean. NOAA is https://oceanservice.noaa.govleading stewardship of our ocean by ensuringOur ocean and coasts affect usand we affect them. the long-term sustainability of our fisheries,Almost 40 percent of the countrys population lives in protecting vulnerable marine species and theircoastal shoreline counties. These counties contribute $6.6 habitat, and supporting aquaculture. trillion to the U.S. economy. Powering the blue economy. NOAA is exploring, Climate change, sea level rise, more intense storms, andmapping, and observing our nations waters population growth are all challenges for our coastal communities. and preserving our underwater parks andThe National Ocean Service helps decision makers find coastal reserves. NOAA supports resilientsolutions. We are the nations leader in observing, measuring,coasts, working waterfronts, marine commerce,assessing, protecting, and managing coastal, ocean, andand sustainable seafood for a thriving economy. Great Lakes areas.Harnessing big data. NOAA is providing a trulyintegrated digital understanding of the EarthNOAA FISHERIESfrom data collected by satellites, ships, aircraft,www.fisheries.noaa.govwww.fishwatch.gov and a vast network of environmental monitoringOur work is guided by two core mandatesto ensuresystems. NOAA leverages this data to help the productivity and sustainability of fisheries and fishing keep the public safe, promote the nations communities through science-based decision-making and economic security, protect and managecompliance with regulations, and to recover and conserve resources, and enhance our understanding of protected resources including whales, turtles, and salmon. the planet. We have five regional offices, six science centers, and Throughout the year, visit www.noaa.gov/50-years to findmore than 20 laboratories around the United States andfeatures, events, multimedia, and NOAA milestones as weU.S. territories.celebrate five decades of science, service, and stewardship. NOAA SatellitesNOAAs mission spans from the surfacewww.nesdis.noaa.govof the sun to the depths of the ocean. The NOAA Satellite and Information ServiceLearn more about our 9 key focus areas. provides timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to monitor and understandour dynamic Earth. We manage the Nations operational NOAA Weather environmental satellites and deliver data and information www.weather.gov services such as Earth system monitoring and officialEach year, the United States averages some 10,000 assessments of the environment.thunderstorms, 5,000 floods, 1,300 tornadoes and 2 AtlanticNOAA Researchhurricanes, as well as widespread droughts and wildfires. https://research.noaa.govWeather, water and climate events, cause an average ofNOAAs Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) or approximately 650 deaths and $15 billion in damage per NOAA Research provides the research foundation for year and are responsible for some 90 percent of all understanding the complex systems that support our planet.presidentially-declared disasters.Working in partnership with other parts of NOAA, OAR About one-third of the U.S. economysome $3 trillionisenables better forecasts, earlier warnings for natural disasters, sensitive to weather and climate. National Weather Serviceand a greater understanding of the Earth. Our role is to (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecastsprovide unbiased science to better manage the environment, and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacentnationally, and globally.waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. .continued on page 30Thank You For Your Service Military Appreciation Resource Magazine 29'