Dr. Larry Robinson Confirmed as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

The U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Larry Robinson by unanimous consent Thursday to serve as assistant secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Robinson will help guide policy and program direction for NOAA’s conservation, protection and resource management priorities....

NOAA: Above-Normal Temperatures and Below-Normal Precipitation in April

NOAA’s State of the Climate report shows the April 2010 average temperature for the contiguous United States was 54.3 degrees F, which is 2.3 degrees F above the long-term (1901-2000) average (14th warmest April on record). April’s average precipitation was 2.18 inches, 0.25 inch below the 1901-2000 average....

NOAA Expands Commercial and Recreational Fishing Closure in Oil-Affected Portion of Gulf of Mexico

NOAA has modified and expanded the boundaries of the closed fishing area to better reflect the current location of the BP oil spill, and is extending the fishing restriction until May 17....

NOAA Ocean Science Mission Changes Course to Collect Seafloor and Water Column Oil Spill Data

A NOAA-sponsored ocean mission, set to explore for deep sea corals, has been redirected to collect seafloor and water column data from areas near the Gulf of Mexico oil spill source....

2010 Field Season begins at NOAA’s Aquarius

NOAA’s Aquarius, the world’s only permanent underwater laboratory, will host a new team of “aquanauts” in support of NASA’s Extreme Environment Mission Operations mission. This is the 14th such mission since 2001. The May 10-23 mission will be the first of the 2010 season, and will involve aquanauts testing exploration concepts and conducting life...