by Healthy coastal ecosystems play a crucial role in the US economy, from supporting multibillion dollar fishing and tourism sectors to the protection of the coast from storms.
They are also difficult to manage and need specialized knowledge and technologies.
For this reason, the national ocean and atmosphere – the Federal Authority, which is best known to collect and analyze the data, enable the weather forecasts and warnings – are most of the government’s work on the health of the ocean and the coast, as well as researching the growing risks of climate change.
The government estimates that NOAA’s projects and services support more than a third of the country’s gross domestic product. However, this is one of the agencies that the Trump administration targeted to privatize the forecast operations of NOAA and to dissolve their crucial research in climate change.
As a marine environmental historian who examines relationships between scientists, fishermen and environmentalists, I saw how the work of Noaa influenced the American livelihoods, coastal health and the US economy.
Here are some examples from the coastal work of Noaa and what it means for the fishing industry and the coastal states.
Prevention of the collapse of fishing
One of the oldest departments within the NOAA is the National Marine Fisheries Service, which is known as NOAA fishing. It dates from 1871 when the Congress founded the US Commission for Fish and Fishing. At that time, the first generation of conservationists feared that America’s natural resources were finally.
By carrying out surveys and survey of fishermen and seafood, the fishing commissioners found that freshwater and salt water fishing went back across the country.
Oil pollution and raw waste water polluted the waterways. Fischer used high-tech equipment such as pound nets to catch more and more of the most valuable fish. The future of fishing was endangered in some areas.
One solution was to promote the aquaculture, which is also referred to as fish or shellfish. Scientists and entrepreneurs have raised baby fish in breeders and transferred them to rivers, lakes or bays. The fishing commission even used cooling cars to send fish eggs across the country.
Today, US Aquaculture is an industry of $ 1.5 billion and the fastest growing food sector in the world. A large part of the salmon that you see in grocery stores began as a farmer’s sleeve. Noaa offers training, grants and regional data to support the industry.
The NOAA fishing also helps to regulate commercial and leisure fishing to keep the fish populations healthy and prevent them from falling.
The Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act from 1976 and other laws killed the fishing limits to prevent overfishing. In order to develop fair regulations and combat illegal practices, Noaa and its predecessors have worked with fishing organizations through regional fisheries boarding boards for decades.
These industries generate sales of 321 billion US dollars and support 2.3 million jobs.
Restoration of coral reefs to help the life of the Navy
Noaa also benefits by restoring the coastal communities by restoring coral reefs.
Corals build reefs for centuries and create “cities of the sea”. When you are healthy, offer kindergartens that protect valuable fish species such as snappers from predators. Riffs also attract tourism and protect the coasts by breaking waves that cause stormy floods and erosion.
The corals from Hawaii, Florida, Puerto Rico and other tropical areas offer more than 3 billion US dollars a year – from maintaining sea ecosystems to relaxation, including sports fishing.
However, reefs are susceptible to pollution, acidification, heat test and other damage. Warming water can lead to coral bleaching events, as the world saw in 2023 and 2024.
Noaa monitors reef health. It also works with innovative restoration strategies such as breeding stems of the corals that oppose bleaching. Therefore, reefs have a better chance of survival if the planet heats up.
Fight invasive species in the big lakes
A third -important aspect of NOAA coastal work is to control invasive species in the waters of America, including those who threatened the big lakes.
Zebra and Quagga mussels, spiky water flea and dozens of other Eurasian organisms colonized the large lakes from the end of the 19th century after they had arrived in ballast water from Transoceans. These invaders disrupted the Great Lakes Food Web and the water absorption systems of the cities and cause at least $ 138 million damage per year.
In the northwestern Atlantic, the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico, which is located in Asia and Australia, have distributed to capture locals that are essential for coral reefs. Lion fish have become one of the most harmful sea fish in the world.
Noaa works with the coast guard, the US Geological Survey and other organizations to prevent the spread of invasive water types. In the agency’s research, stronger ballast water regulations were developed that have contributed to preventing new invasions in the large lakes.
Understand climate change
One of the most important roles of the NOAA is the management of global research to understand the causes and effects of climate change.
The oil industry has known for decades that greenhouse gases, which were released from burning fossil fuels into the atmosphere, would increase global temperatures.
Evidence and research from all over the world have linked the greenhouse gas emissions of human activities to climate change. The data have shown how rising temperatures have an increased risk of coastal areas, including deterioration in the heat waves and the acidification of the sea that damage the sea duration. Increase in sea level, which threatens the coastal communities with flood floods and higher storm surges; And contribute to more extreme storms.
Noaa carries out US climate research and coordinates international climate research efforts as well as the data and analysis for weather and ocean forecasts to rely on coastal states.
Why tear an irreplaceable resource apart?
When Republican President Richard Nixon suggested in 1970 to consolidate various agencies to the NOAA, he told Congress that this would promote “better protection of life and property from natural dangers”, “better understanding of the entire environment” and “exploration and development, which leads to intelligent use of our marine resources”.
Instead, the Trump administration discusses the tearing of Noaa. The administration deletes mentions of climate change from state research, websites and guidelines – despite the increasing risks for communities across the country. The next federal budget will probably reduce the financing of NOAA.
Commercial meteorologists argue that a large part of the weather data and the forecast of Noaa, which are of crucial importance for coastal areas, could not be duplicated by the private sector.
When NOAA marks the 55th year, I believe that it is the interest of the nation and the US economy to strengthen this important agency rather than to reduce.
This article will be released from the conversation, a non -profit, independent news organization that brings you facts and trustworthy analyzes to help you understand our complex world. It was written by: Christine none Rochester Institute of Technology
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Christine none in the NOAA library showed for her books “The Oyster Question” and “Deep Cut”.
