National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
United States Department of Commerce

NOAA's Role in El Niño Research, Monitoring and Prediction

NOAA's Role in El Niño Research, Monitoring and Prediction

NOAA has the primary responsibility within the Federal Government to routinely provide climate forecasts and products to the Nation.

Most parts of NOAA are in some way involved in El Niño research, monitoring and prediction. For example, NOAA monitors the developing and, in time, decreasing pool of warm waters in the tropical Pacific with state-of-the-art satellites; launches new research initiatives; improves future climate forecasts; monitors the impact of the climate event on the fish population in U.S. coastal waters; operates research ships to study the world's vast oceans; and provides critical ocean data to users.