NOAA Ocean Podcast

NOAA’s National Ocean Service started as a small scientific agency with one mission, to chart our new nation’s coasts and coastal waters so the many ships that traversed the Atlantic and Caribbean could arrive safely. As the years passed, new ocean- and coast-related missions were added to the agency. In this episode, discover the origins of the National Ocean Service, including how two U.S. founding fathers, president Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, played a part in this ocean history lesson. NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 86 - The Origins of NOAA’s National Ocean Service

In this follow-up episode, we travel back to the USS Monitor, resting in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean within Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, to discuss a new, innovative underwater 3D mapping technology. The USS Monitor sank in 1862 during the Civil War — a tumultuous time in American history — with battles fought both on land and sea. Using this new mapping technology, 3D maps of the USS Monitor shipwreck will allow the public to take virtual trips to the bottom of the ocean to explore the nation’s first national marine sanctuary. Dive in to discover how this cutting-edge imaging technology captured this historic ship and how the images will be used to inspire future explorers. NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 85 - The USS Monitor, Part 2: Underwater 3D Mapping

Amidst stormy seas in December of 1862, the USS Monitor sank off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina at the height of the Civil War. As the location of the very first National Marine Sanctuary, the Monitor functions as an underwater reef teeming with wildlife and mystery. In the first of two episodes about the Monitor we discuss the history of the ship and why its sinking is still important today. NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 84 - The USS Monitor, Part 1: History and Legacy

Harmful algal blooms occur when an overgrowth of algae produces toxins in a body of water, affecting fish, shellfish, marine mammals, birds, and even people. Ecological forecasting is an important tool for protection from these blooms. Join this coastal conversation with Steve Kibler, an oceanographer with the National Ocean Service, and Kasey Jo Wright, an environmental technician with the Kodiak Area Native Association, as they discuss harmful algal bloom forecasting in Alaska and its effects on shellfish harvesting within Indigenous communities. NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 82 - Coastal Conversation: Harmful algal bloom forecasting in Alaska

Attention beachgoers! Don’t let ocean and shoreline hazards keep you from enjoying your time at the beach this summer; instead, boost your “Blue IQ” through this episode. Listen to ocean and coastal safety expert Bruckner Chase discuss common beach hazards and best practices to keep you and your loved ones safe in the surf. NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 81 - Boost Your Blue IQ