Federal agency responsible for gathering data on the environment.
President Richard Nixon proposed the creation of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) in July 1970. The pollution of lakes, rivers, and the ocean had gained national attention in the late 1960s, prompting the administration to address the problem through a variety of means. In addition to creating the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and promoting Earth Day, Congress authorized the creation of NOAA on October 3,1970, and placed it in the U.S. Department of Commerce. By gathering scientific data over a long period of time, the agency has been able to effectively assess and manage information about oceans, the atmosphere, outer space, and the sun, and so it is better able to forecast the weather and issue severe-weather warnings to television and radio stations to help protect property and lives. Through its National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, NOAA gathers information about meteorology, oceanography, solid-earth geophysics, and solar-terrestrial sciences. In addition, it controls the Office of Marine and Aviation Operation, which comprises the NOAA ships and aircraft used to collect much of the data. The National Marine Fisheries Services, another division of NOAA, monitors fisheries along U.S. seacoasts to ensure the abundance of fish for the future. These fisheries export large quantities of fish overseas and help to maintain a favorable balance of trade. The National Ocean Service of NOAA oversees marine transportation, fishing, tourism, recreation, and home building along the nation’s coasts. NOAA’s Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research continues to analyze data with the mission of protecting life and property and promoting sustainable economic growth by assuring investors that their investments will be protected against natural disasters.
