The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a United States federal scientific and regulatory agency within the U.S. Department of Commerce. It was formed on October 3, 1970, under Reorganization Plan No. 4, signed by President Richard Nixon. The agency was created to consolidate the U.S.'s fragmented environmental science efforts and serve a national need for "better protection of life and property from natural hazards" and a "better understanding of the total environment". NOAA's roots trace back to predecessor agencies, including the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (established in 1807) and the Weather Bureau (established in 1870).
NOAA's mechanism involves six major line offices, such as the National Weather Service (NWS), which provides weather forecasts and warnings, and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), which manages coastal fisheries within the U.S. exclusive economic zone. Its mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, and to conserve and manage coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. NOAA connects to other U.S. agencies like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), with which it operates and manages a fleet of satellites for Earth observation and weather forecasting.
Recently, NOAA has faced significant proposed changes, including a push for substantial budget and staff cuts, and the termination of leases for several facilities, aligning with a broader conservative policy blueprint. These proposed changes, which began in 2025, have led to the termination of hundreds of probationary employees and the suspension of some key forecasting operations, such as weather balloon launches, raising concerns about the quality of weather forecasts and climate research. Despite these proposed cuts, the core mission of understanding and predicting changes in the Earth's environment and managing marine resources remains the same.