National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
United States Department of Commerce
Australia drought by Gerald Simmons
Trinity_River_Dallas_Flooded_June_2015_by_Wissembourg
Blanco Texas flooding Jun 3 2015 Urban_Search_and_Rescue_team,_Texas_Task_Force_2_and_members_of_the_Texas_State_Guard by Jocelyn Augustino from FEMA
Australia Night Fire by Sascha Grant

What's New

November 08, 2023
Yellow octagonal shaped buoy in greenish-blue clear water with clouds i the sky and land in the background

PMEL makes critical observations and conducts groundbreaking research to advance our knowledge of the global ocean and its interactions with the earth, atmosphere, ecosystems, and climate. Photo of PMEL Carbon Mooring in Kaneohe Bay by Rusty Brainard.

November 08, 2023

Fifty years ago, NOAA created a new environmental research laboratory in Seattle with an initial focus on water quality in Puget Sound, and environmental studies of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. Since then, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory has evolved into one of the world’s leading ocean research institutes, specializing in observing ocean conditions... more

In the News

October 16, 2023

El Niño is expected to gain strength and flaunt its muscle this winter, and forecasters are closely watching ocean temperatures to determine just how strong the El Niño... more

September 06, 2023

The prospect of a possible El Niño summer, with the hot and dry conditions it’s known for in Australia, can be frightening.  The winter has already been dry in parts of... more

May 18, 2023

A new study found some of the most intense past El Niño events cost the global economy more than $4 trillion over the following years. Mike McPhaden... more