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NOAA News
NOAA names Mississippi State University to host new Northern Gulf research institute
NOAA names Mississippi State University to host new Northern Gulf research institute
Selection comes with up to $100 million award over five years
September 9, 2026
Luke Thompson, Ph.D., a researcher with the Northern Gulf Institute, collects samples of forams from a sediment trap aboard the R/V Pelican in November 2023 as part of a larger collaborative effort with the U.S. Geological Society (USGS) to examine marine snow and what microscopic life are comprising the biological carbon pump in the Gulf of America. (Image credit: Courtesy of Northern Gulf Institute)
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NOAA has selected Mississippi State University to host NOAA’s Cooperative Institute in the Gulf of America (CINGA). The mission of this cooperative institute is to promote collaborative research with NOAA to build a comprehensive understanding of Gulf ecosystems, along with the social and economic forces that define the region. “This collaboration builds on the 20-year partnership between NOAA and Mississippi State University through the Northern Gulf Institute offsite link,” said Steve Thur, Ph.D, NOAA assistant administrator for Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. “CINGA will advance and support NOAA’s mission to apply science-based decision-making to the northern Gulf region.”The selection comes with an award of up to $100 million over the course of five years, with the potential for a five-year renewal based on successful performance. NOAA selected Mississippi State University offsite link, which is located in Starkville, Mississippi, after an open, competitive evaluation. CINGA will be affiliated with NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory in Miami, Florida.The regional consortium will include affiliated faculty and staff at nine institutions to leverage their specialized capabilities. Partner institutions include Texas A&M University, Louisiana State University, the University of Southern Mississippi, Jackson State University, Florida A&M University, the Dauphin Island Sea Lab, Florida State University, and the University of Alabama–Huntsville. By integrating research and technology, CINGA aims to improve natural resource management, enhance coastal resilience and support data-driven decision-making for local, regional and national communities. Major research themes that will be addressed by the new cooperative institute include: Advancing technology for environmental modeling and analysis;Improving forecasting capabilities for weather, ocean and hazards associated with environmental variabilities;Promoting sustainable development of marine and coastal resources; andEnhancing data stewardship and accessibility across the Gulf ecosystem.NOAA’s cooperative institutes are centers of excellence that use their research and educational expertise to support NOAA’s mission and build talent for the future workforce in shared areas of expertise. CINGA joins 16 cooperative institutes consisting of 80 universities and research institutions across 33 states and the District of Columbia. These research institutions provide strong educational programs that promote student and postdoctoral scientist involvement in NOAA-funded research.
Media contactNOAA Research Public Affairs, oar.pa@noaa.gov
Research
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NOAA News
Watching wildlife? Here's how to view marine animals safely
Watching wildlife? Here's how to view marine animals safely
A Hawaiian monk seal laying on a beach. The sign in the foreground instructs people to walk a safe distance around the seal. (Image credit: istock)
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September 3, 2026
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NOAA expands use of commercial satellite data to enhance weather forecasting
NOAA expands use of commercial satellite data to enhance weather forecasting
September 10, 2026
NOAA is expanding the use of commercial satellite data to boost weather and space forecasting. This is an artist's rendering of commercial satellites operated by Tomorrow.io, PlanetiQ, Spire Global Subsidiary Inc. and Muon Space that collect environmental data. (Image credit: NOAA NESDIS)
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NOAA is expanding its procurement and use of new commercial environmental satellite data streams that will enhance weather forecasting and space weather monitoring. The Space-Based Environmental Monitoring Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity contract is a key part in the agency’s ongoing effort to boost U.S. weather forecasting capabilities. “NOAA is maximizing the impact and value of high-quality environmental data provided by our commercial partners that will benefit the American weather enterprise,” said Taylor Jordan, NOAA assistant secretary of commerce for environmental observation and prediction. “NOAA will support data streams and projects that harness cutting-edge instruments and science that advances our mission to protect lives, safeguard property, and strengthen the nation's economy and national security.”NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service, through its Commercial Data Program, established the contract under NOAA’s Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services Program (ProTech) 2.0. The ProTech-managed contract operates under an $8 billion shared ceiling funding vehicle established in 2021 that enables NOAA’s Weather Service, Ocean Service, Fisheries Service and Satellite Service to procure professional, technical and scientific services. The new environmental observations will directly feed NOAA’s operational prediction models, weather forecasting, space weather applications and global research efforts across key interagency partners, academic institutions, and various other operational and scientific bodies.Effective from September 1, 2026, through August 31, 2036, the contract includes a five-year base period followed by a five-year option. NOAA will initially work with 14 industry partners to acquire data across seven categories that will significantly enhance weather forecasting and space weather monitoring capabilities for the agency and its global partners.As operational requirements evolve, NOAA has the flexibility to integrate new categories of data and additional vendors while the contract is in place.Partner companies providing dataGlobal navigation satellite system - radio occultation (GNSS-RO) for atmosphere profiling and ionospheric space weather (total electron content & scintillation)Spire Global Subsidiary, Inc. of Vienna, VASpace Sciences and Engineering, Inc, (dba PlanetiQ) of Golden, COEthereal Space, Inc. of Greenwood Village, COPrecursor SPC of Seattle, WAThe Tomorrow Companies, Inc. (dba Tomorrow.io) of Boston, MAGlobal navigation satellite system - reflectometry (GNSS-R) for land and ocean surface observationsSpire Global Subsidiary, Inc. of Vienna, VAThe Tomorrow Companies, Inc. (dba Tomorrow.io) of Boston, MAMuon Space of Mountain View, CAMicrowave sounder for traditional and hyperspectral atmospheric temperature and moisture measurementsSpire Global Subsidiary, Inc. of Vienna, VAThe Tomorrow Companies, Inc. (dba Tomorrow.io) of Boston, MABAE Systems Space & Mission Systems, Inc. of Broomfield, COOrbital Micro Systems, Inc. (dba Weather Stream) of Boulder, COMultispectral imagery for weather, including in low-light areas, and wildland fire applicationsEthereal Space, Inc. of Greenwood Village, COThe Tomorrow Companies, Inc. (dba Tomorrow.io) of Boston, MAMuon Space of Mountain View, CAHydrosat, Inc. of Washington D.C.Tropical Weather Analytics, Inc. of Brookline, MAThermospheric neutral density for satellite orbit predictionsSpire Global Subsidiary, Inc. of Vienna, VASpace Sciences and Engineering, Inc, (dba PlanetiQ) of Golden, COEthereal Space, Inc. of Greenwood Village, COSpaceX of Starbase, TX Active sensors for scatterometry, altimetry, synthetic aperture radar (SAR), and K/Ka/Ku-band radar, to measure atmospheric featuresThe Tomorrow Companies, Inc. (dba Tomorrow.io) of Boston, MACare Weather Technologies, Inc. of Provo, UTICEYE US Inc. of Irvine, CAUmbra Lab, Inc. of Santa Barbara, CAInfrared sounders for atmospheric vertical temperature, moisture profiles, and environmental monitoring applicationsNo vendors at this timeCongress authorized NOAA’s Commercial Data Program with its passage of the Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017 and the Promoting Research and Observations of Space Weather to Improve the Forecasting of Tomorrow Act of 2020. These statutes direct NOAA to assess, use, and where appropriate, procure commercial weather and space weather data to enhance forecasting capabilities. Appropriated funds specified for the Commercial Data Program were used to undertake this work.
Media contactJohn Jones-Bateman, john.jones-bateman@noaa.gov & nesdis.pa@noaa.gov
UPDATED: September 11, 2026.
Added the words scatterometry, altimetry to the sentence starting with "Active sensors ..."
Satellites
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NOAA News
Anita Vanek
Executive Director for Operations and Finance
Anita Vanek is NOAA’s Executive Director for Operations and Finance, providing leadership across the agency’s corporate services and operational functions. She works to strengthen organizational effectiveness, financial stewardship, workforce management, and business operations in support of NOAA’s mission.Prior to joining NOAA, Anita spent 13 years at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), most recently serving as Chief Operating Officer and Chief Administrative Officer. In that role, she provided executive leadership across a broad portfolio that included finance, human capital, facilities, security, acquisitions, and enterprise operations, supporting a complex organization with thousands of employees and multiple facilities.Before entering federal service, Anita’s career focused on process improvement, project management, and manufacturing. She brings this combination of technical, operational, and organizational leadership experience to her work in government, with a focus on building high-performing organizations and ensuring that corporate services effectively support mission needs.Anita holds a Bachelor of Science in chemical engineering from Bucknell University and a master’s degree in organizational improvement and public leadership from The George Washington University.
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NOAA announces priorities to promote science-based American seafood dominance
NOAA announces priorities to promote science-based American seafood dominance
September 2, 2026
Docked fishing boats at Yaquina Bay in Newport, Oregon. (Image credit: iStock)
Today, NOAA announced priorities for advancing reforms within NOAA Fisheries to move towards regulations grounded in science that support American seafood dominance. These agency-level actions follow the Regional Priorities guidance that was released on July 2, 2026, to apply the same standard of accountability to NOAA’s own operations, regulatory frameworks, and scientific pipelines. This priority list serves as an operational roadmap of NOAA Fisheries’ direct support of the President's Executive order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness and will lead to the broader interagency America First Seafood Strategy that will be released in the coming months. “Through these priorities, the agency is taking actionable steps to fulfill the president's vision of making the United States the world's dominant seafood leader,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “NOAA is proud to deliver real-world results to the American public through innovative solutions that streamline regulations.” “These priorities represent NOAA Fisheries’ commitment to ensuring that federal fisheries management boosts domestic harvesters,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “We are proud to empower hard-working American fishermen to produce more seafood for American plates.” After considering input from more than 700 individuals and organizations, including from councils, the fishing industry, and the public, NOAA Fisheries is advancing a science-based approach to fisheries management that supports sustainable fishing opportunities while ensuring responsible conservation practices and improving regulatory efficiency. These efforts touch on all aspects of the agency’s mission from protected resources and science to national policies and improving fishing opportunities. The complete list of priority actions is available on the NOAA Fisheries website. While this announcement outlines the immediate internal priorities for the agency, it also serves as a bridge towards a broader, interagency transformation of federal seafood policy. In the coming months, the agency will unveil future actions towards this goal to strengthen national seafood markets, rebuild U.S. fisheries infrastructure and processing capacity, and tackle IUU fishing issues to ensure American seafood dominance.
Media contactJohn Chu at nmfs.pa@noaa.gov
Fisheries
commercial fishing
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NOAA News
The 2027 NOAA Hollings Scholarship application is now open!
The 2027 NOAA Hollings Scholarship application is now open!
NOAA undergraduate scholars complete 10-week summer internship projects that span NOAA's mission. (Image credit: NOAA Office of Education)
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September 1, 2026
The Hollings undergraduate scholarships application is open through January 31, 2027, 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
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Testing the waters: A day at the nation’s largest oil spill simulation tank
Testing the waters: A day at the nation’s largest oil spill simulation tank
Located at Naval Weapons Station Earle Waterfront in Leonardo, New Jersey, the National Oil Spill Response Research and Renewable Energy Test Facility (Ohmsett) features a massive 2.6-million-gallon outdoor saltwater tank that serves as the nation’s testing ground for evaluating full-scale oil spill response equipment and marine technologies under realistic ocean conditions. (Image credit: Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, bsee.gov)
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August 20, 2026
Ocean & Coasts
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NOAA to rebuild historic science lab in Beaufort, North Carolina
NOAA to rebuild historic science lab in Beaufort, North Carolina
New North Carolina facility will continue to provide world-class NOAA science nationwide
August 27, 2026
NOAA's Beaufort Laboratory moved to its current location on Pivers Island, North Carolina, in 1902. This aerial image of the laboratory complex was taken in 2014. (Image credit: NOAA's Beaufort Lab in 2014)
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Today, NOAA announced plans to fund the reconstruction of a new laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina. This new lab will replace the former building that was permanently closed in 2024 due to significant hurricane-related structural damage. The project will be funded using $64 million from the 2025 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. Design and preconstruction work is expected to begin in early 2027. Established in 1899, the NOAA Beaufort Laboratory is the nation’s second-oldest federal marine science laboratory, predating NOAA by more than 70 years. Following a routine inspection, NOAA determined the laboratory sustained foundational damage that made building occupancy unsafe. The new facility will be built above the floodplain and designed to withstand storm and flooding events. “For more than a century, the dedicated experts at NOAA’s Beaufort Laboratory have produced world-class science that supports our economy, advances national priorities, and enhances coastal resilience,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D, NOAA administrator. “This state-of-the-art facility, located within the country’s second-largest estuary and adjacent to the Gulf Stream, will enable NOAA to continue its groundbreaking research while strengthening collaboration with industry and academic partners.”The new laboratory space will broaden NOAA’s research and services, both in coastal North Carolina and across the U.S, by:Researching, monitoring and forecasting harmful algal blooms;Deploying uncrewed systems for underwater habitat mapping and coral restoration;Serving as a research hub to support South Atlantic fisheries management and stewardship of marine resources;Evaluating the performance of natural infrastructure for coastal protection; andManaging the Rachel Carson National Estuarine Research Reserve and providing opportunities for education, research and compatible traditional uses.About the Beaufort Lab campusThe Beaufort laboratory houses staff from NOAA’s National Ocean Service and National Marine Fisheries Service, as well as the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve (NERR). The NERR is managed through a federal-state partnership between NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management and the NC Division of Coastal Management.
Media contactNOAA National Ocean Service Public Affairs, oceanservicepress@noaa.gov
Ocean & Coasts
Research
research
ocean
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