The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a federal agency focused on the condition of the oceans and the atmosphere. It plays several distinct roles within the Department of Commerce: A Supplier of Environmental Information Products, A Provider of Environmental Stewardship Services, and A Leader in Applied Scientific Research.

NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to protecting and preserving the nation's living marine resources through scientific research, fisheries management, enforcement and habitat conservation. NOAA Fisheries is a leading voice for commercial and recreational fisheries and continues to focus its efforts on sustaining marine resources. Marine fisheries (which extend from state waters to 200 miles from USA shores) provide an important source of food for the nation, as well as thousands of jobs and a traditional way of life for many coastal communities. From the Gulf of Maine, to the Gulf of Mexico and to the Gulf of Alaska, NOAA Fisheries scientists and managers work to ensure sustainable fish harvests; they are the stewards of marine resources and their habitats.

• The coastal ocean , which includes oceans and coasts, bays and estuaries and the Great Lakes, is economically, politically and socially critical to the nation. NOAA promotes sustainable economic development, jobs and prosperity along the nation's coasts through:

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration