Mission:
To protect, restore, and manage the use of coastal and ocean resources through an ecosystem approach to management.

Outcomes:
•  Provide information for safe, efficient, and environmentally sound transportation.
•  Minimize societal and environmental costs incurred when efforts to prevent marine transportation accidents fail.
•  Provide the national framework for precision position data needed for transportation, navigation, and communication systems.
•  Provide electronic navigation charts, coast pilots, and navigation response teams to meet the increasing challenges associated with marine navigation.
•  Provide historical and real-time observations and predictions of water levels, coastal currents, and other meteorlogical and oceanographic data.

For more information:
NOAA's National Ocean Service
NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory