NOAA stands for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , a U.S. government science agency that studies and forecasts weather, climate, oceans, and coasts.

What does NOAA do?

In simple terms, NOAA:

  • Forecasts weather and issues warnings for storms, floods, and other hazards, mainly through the National Weather Service.
  • Monitors oceans and the atmosphere using satellites, buoys, ships, and weather stations to track storms, climate trends, and ocean conditions.
  • Studies climate change, sea-level rise, ocean warming, and related long‑term environmental changes to inform governments and the public.
  • Manages and protects marine resources, including fisheries, marine mammals, and coastal ecosystems, to support healthy oceans and economies.
  • Provides open environmental data and maps that many apps, media outlets, researchers, and local agencies rely on every day.

A quick way to think about it: NOAA is the U.S. government’s science backbone for “weather, climate, and oceans,” turning observations of the planet into forecasts, warnings, and environmental protection.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.