NOAA in your backyard: Southeast

Educational opportunities and staff in Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and eastern Florida

NOAA in Your State & Territory

State by state listings of NOAA facilities and programs
A summary of NOAA facilities, staff, programs, or activities based in, or focused on, your state or territory.

NOAA’s Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team

Local resources • Cross-NOAA content
From the Carolinas to the Florida Keys and the U.S. Caribbean, NOAA has substantial capabilities working to address priorities and needs of our stakeholders and partners in the Southeast and Caribbean Region. NOAA has a broad portfolio of activities and services in the Southeast and Caribbean. Communication and coordination across NOAA and its partners can be challenging, given the extent of locations, missions, and needs. In order to improve, focus, and better integrate the development and delivery of NOAA’s products and services, NOAA’s Southeast and Caribbean Regional Collaboration Team (SECART), one of eight regional collaboration teams at NOAA, supports collaboration that strengthens communication and coordination across the agency and with partners partners at the regional level.

National Weather Service

School visits • Forecast office tours • Student and educator resources
The National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas.

  • To find your local Weather Forecast Office (WFO), visit the National Weather Service local contact page and enter your city and state or zip code in the box. A website, email, and phone number will show up. This is the best contact information for each office.
  • Visit weather.gov and enter your zip code to find your local WFO.
  • Southeast River Forecast Center (SERFC): The SERFC is responsible for the production of river forecasts for all rivers that drain into the Atlantic Ocean along the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, as well as the rivers that drain into the Gulf of Mexico from Mobile Bay to the southernmost tip of Florida -- an area of almost 270,000 square miles. In addition, the SERFC provides hydrologic support for the island of Puerto Rico. – John Schmidt, Hydrologist-in-charge: john.schmidt@noaa.gov

National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
Housed under NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management, the National Estuarine Research Reserves System protects more than 1.3 million coastal and estuarine acres in 30 reserves located in 24 states and Puerto Rico for purposes of long-term research, environmental monitoring, education and stewardship.

NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
NOAA’s 17 National Marine Sanctuaries and two National Monuments serve as the trustee for the nation’s system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy.

National Sea Grant Program

Professional development • Curriculum • Student and educator resources
Sea Grant is a nationwide network of 34 university-based programs that conduct scientific research, education, training, and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Lesson plans and curricula • Stewardship projects • Media library
The NOAA Marine Debris Program envisions the global ocean and its coasts free from the impacts of marine debris.

NOAA Fisheries

Student opportunities • Laboratory facilities • NOAA scientists • Educator resources
The NOAA Fisheries is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management, and the promotion of healthy ecosystems. They have regional offices and several smaller field offices.

  • Southeast Regional Office (St. Petersburg, FL) – Allison Garrett, Communications and Media Specialist: Allison.Garrett@noaa.gov
    • Relies on scientists and fishery managers working together to ensure sustainable fishing opportunities, protection for endangered species and marine mammals and the conservation of the habitat needed to support marine life. Our region includes the South Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico, and the Caribbean
  • Southeast Fisheries Science Center (Miami, FL) – Meaghan Emory, Communications Manager: Meaghan.Emory@noaa.gov
    • Provides the scientific advice and data needed to effectively manage the living marine resources of the Southeast region and Atlantic high seas. Works closely with NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office to provide independent, objective science.
  • Field offices in Beaufort, NC; Charleston, SC; Fernandina Beach, FL; West Palm Beach, FL; and Dania Beach, FL

NOAA Office for Coastal Management

Digital trainings • Field trips • Grants • Data • Coral restoration
NOAA’s Office for Coastal Management works with a variety of partners, from all sectors, to deliver the products, services, and programs most needed by the nation’s coastal communities. 

Learn about coastal management in your state: 

Aranzazu Lascurain, Southeast and Caribbean lead for NOAA Office for Coastal Management: Aranzazu.Lascurain@noaa.gov

Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

Curriculum • Data • Multimedia
The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national-regional partnership working to provide new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment.

National Center for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS)

Data • Scientists • Laboratories • Publications
NCCOS works directly with managers, industry, regulators, and scientists to deliver relevant, timely, and accurate scientific information and tools to assist in coastal resource management and protection of coastal communities from harmful algae, water contamination, and climate impacts.

National Hurricane Center (NHC)

Educator and student resources • Tours • Hurricane information • Data
The mission of the NHC is to save lives, mitigate property loss, and improve economic efficiency by issuing the best watches, warnings, forecasts, and analyses of hazardous tropical weather and by increasing understanding of these hazards.

National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Student activities • Climate data • Educator resources
Formerly the National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), NCEI is the world's largest active archive of weather data. They produce numerous climate publications and respond to data requests from all over the world.

Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS)

Student opportunities • Data • Laboratories
CIMAS is a cooperative institute between NOAA and ten partner universities to bring together the research resources of the partner universities with those of NOAA in order to develop a center of excellence that is relevant to understanding the Earth’s oceans and atmosphere within the context of NOAA’s mission.

  • CIMAS is at the University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (Miami, FL) – Katie Eaton, Communications and Outreach Coordinator: katie.eaton@earth.miami.edu

Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML)

Open houses • Multimedia • Laboratories • Scientists
AOML is a federal research laboratory that is part of NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research. AOML's research spans hurricanes, coastal ecosystems, oceans and human health, climate studies, global carbon systems, and ocean observations.

National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB)

Regional competitions in the ocean sciences
NOTE: The NOSB national office will not host a national finals competition in 2023-24 or 2024-25. Some regional offices will be hosting competitions. Please reach out to contacts below for more details.
The NOSB is a national high school academic competition with regional competitions for student teams to test their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology.

Local NOAA vessels

Follow current science in the Atlantic Ocean

Historical and real-time data

NOAA Science on a Sphere® (SOS) locations

Earth systems data projected on a six-foot globe
SOS is a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display data onto a six foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. It was developed by researchers at NOAA to help illustrate complex environmental processes in a captivating way.