NOAA participates in the 14th Annual St. Petersburg Science Festival school day event.
Weather News
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Science held in outdoor classroom continues to evolve
Science held in outdoor classroom continues to evolve
St. Petersburg Science Festival 2026, School Day (Image credit: NOAA Fisheries)
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Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler, 1st Superintendent of the U.S. Survey of the Coast, 1841
Ferdinand Rudolph Hassler, 1st Superintendent of the U.S. Survey of the Coast, 1841
Portrait of Ferdinand Hassler, founder and first Superintendent of the Coast Survey, in 1841. (Image credit: NOAA Central Library) 0Off0 -
ProTech Weather 2.0 is Live
ProTech Weather 2.0 is LiveThe ProTech Weather Domain went live on January 15, 2026, after all protests were denied. The new Domain hosts 20 small business prime contractors and Joint Ventures with specialized expertise across a wide swath of requirements for NOAA and the National Weather Service (NWS).
A Post-Award Conference was held on February 11, 2026, and recorded 101 attendees, which included all ProTech Weather Domain prime contractors, as well as Acquisition and Grants Office (AGO) personnel that support the NWS.
The conference included presentations from the National Weather Service Deputy Assistant Administrator Michelle Mainelli, Director of the Office of Observation Ajay Mehta, Director of Corporate Services Acquisition Division AGO Michael Conroy, ProTech branch chief David Marks, ProTech Administrative Contracting Officer Pierre Smith, and ProTech Account Manager Lucjan Haber.Off -
Show seafood — and your heart — some love
Show seafood — and your heart — some love
Emma Rudy Srebnik, a 2022 Hollings scholar, and others at the NOAA Fisheries' Little Port Walter Research Station often made dinners together. This meal was freshly caught and marinated halibut served with a peanut sauce; roasted Japanese sweet potato; rice; homemade seaweed salad, and quick-pickled bull kelp, cucumbers, and carrots topped with a red columbine flower. (Image credit: Emma Rudy Srebnik)
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NOAA installs new PORTS® in Boston Harbor
NOAA installs new PORTS® in Boston HarborNew navigational system will improve safety in one of nation’s busiest ports
A container ship is docked at Massports Conley Container Terminal on Boston Harbor in 2024. (Image credit: Colleen Roche/NOAA Office of Coast Survey)
NOAA announced today the successful installation of a Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System (PORTS®) in Boston Harbor. The system includes observational equipment at MassPort’s Conley Terminal and on the Tobin Memorial Bridge.
The Boston Harbor PORTS, established in partnership with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, is the 41st installation in a broad, public-private partnership program, providing commercial and other vessel operators with accurate and reliable real-time information about environmental conditions to support safe navigation.
“Boston Harbor is a vital gateway for economic activity in the United States,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., NOAA administrator. “I am proud of NOAA’s dedication to developing and deploying systems that ensure navigational safety and enable more efficient commerce through our nation’s ports and waterways.”
The Boston Harbor PORTS will consist of one current meter and one meteorological station that will collect wind, air temperature and barometric pressure data. The new PORTS is also slated to include the installation of a new air gap sensor at the Tobin Memorial Bridge over the Mystic River. The sensor will provide real-time data on the amount of bridge clearance that is available to ships in an area where the tides can shift dramatically throughout the day. NOAA’s existing National Water Level Observation Network station at Boston Harbor will also be included in this newly established PORTS.
PORTS benefits for New England’s marine commerce
Growing ship size and increasing maritime traffic continue to present potential risks to maritime commerce and the coastal environment. NOAA’s PORTS systems mitigate those risks by integrating real-time environmental data and meteorological parameters with forecasts and other geospatial information. These systems have a proven track record of helping prevent collisions and groundings in ports across the nation, including in busy Boston Harbor.
“Boston Harbor PORTS will help mariners safely navigate shipping routes and make better, more efficient schedules supporting the resilience of our nation’s supply chain,” said Nicole R. LeBoeuf, director of NOAA’s National Ocean Service. “Through this effort, we will help support economic prosperity in the region while reducing risks to life, property and the coastal environment.”
Boston has a rich maritime history, operating the nation’s oldest port, first established in the 1600s. Today, it is Massachusetts’ primary seaport, and the nation’s third busiest cargo port, handling more than 2.3 million tons annually. Conley is the only full-service container terminal in New England, connecting the Northeast to key global markets and tourism opportunities. The port also supports more than 66,000 jobs and generates billions of dollars in annual revenue for New England.