Sometimes a map is worth a thousand words! Explore custom maps that entertain and educate.
NOTE: Most story maps are large, single-page multimedia presentions. When using a mobile device, we recommend viewing over WiFi.
Digitizing the Erie Canal
The construction of the Erie Canal was one of 19th Century America’s most significant feats of engineering. Built between 1817 and 1825, the canal provided a water route from Albany to Buffalo, New York, nearly 363 miles to the west. Currently, charts of this waterway are undergoing changes to usher them into the digital era of electronic navigational charts.
Nautical Charts
International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters
Every four years, scientists and researchers from around the world meet for the International Comparison of Absolute Gravimeters (ICAG). In 2023, NOAA's Table Mountain Gravity Observatory (TMGO) in Colorado played host to participants operating 38 instruments to verify the consistency of their measurements.
Geodesy
Resilient Coastal Roads
A 20-year partnership between the California Coastal Commission and California Department of Transportation provides an important foundation for the state to more holistically approach the threats that climate change — especially sea level rise — present to critical infrastructure along the California coast.
Climate Change
Innovative Tool to Transfer Technology to Spill Responders
NCCOS researchers created a StoryMap that shows oil and chemical spill responders how to build and use a new, spill assessment tool designed by NCCOS.
Stressor Impacts and Mitigation / Oil Spill
Economic impacts
The tourism and recreation sector is the largest employer in the ocean and Great Lakes economy. This sector relies heavily on healthy coastal and ocean resources as well as the aesthetic quality of the environment. Unfortunately, marine debris is a pervasive issue in many coastal areas of the United States.
Marine Debris & Beaches
Socioeconomic impacts
The human dimensions of harmful algal blooms (HABs) are becoming more apparent as they increase in frequency, magnitude and geographic scope. Preparing coastal communities for emerging and growing hazardous HAB events is key to reducing their impacts. Learn more about how HABs affect coastal communities and economies.
Harmful Algal Blooms
The Oil Pollution Act
The 1990 Oil Pollution Act significantly improved measures to prevent, prepare for, and respond to oil spills in U.S. waters. This historic legislation gives NOAA and other agencies the authority to address impacts to natural resources caused by oil spills in U.S. waters and shorelines, and to hold polluters accountable. Thirty years later, take a look back at the major spills in 1989 that led to the Act.
Response and Restoration
Marine Boundaries and Statutes
This story map outlines the history of U.S. marine boundaries, how they have changed over time, and how current boundary data have been developed in support of offshore energy and marine planning communities.
Mapping
Make the Most of the Coast
MPAs are special places set aside to help protect and restore marine life and habitats in the ocean and Great Lakes. These marine parks also provide countless opportunities to experience our ocean and coastal waters.
Marine Protected Areas
Mapping Benthic Habitats
North Carolina has some of the best conditions to support offshore wind energy in the Southeast U.S. See how NOAA and partners mapped the sea floor in this area to find the best spots for potential wind energy sites.
Wind Energy in North Carolina
Response and Restoration Tools
NOAA provides scientific support to understand, predict, prepare for, respond to, and recover from severe weather events. As part of this, see how we gather and display information about boats that are displaced during hurricanes so responders can efficiently address these threats.
Tracking Displaced Vessels
Commercial Fishing
There are about 120,000 workers in the U.S. commercial fishing industry. Explore the diversity of commercial fishing activities with maps, charts, and photos to see how this is reflected in the workforce.
Industry Jobs
An Economic Tour
The Economics: National Ocean Watch (E-NOW) data set provides time series statistics on the ocean and Great Lakes economy. Take a tour with this story map to learn about the six sectors represented in this data.
Ocean and Great Lakes
Driving Economic Activity
The health of our nation's economy is tied to the health of the oceans and Great Lakes. The resources of the oceans and Great Lakes create jobs across the country and increase the quality of life for all Americans.
Oceans and Coasts
Urban Development
From 1996-2010, about 50 percent of the total population growth of urbanized areas in the nation was in the coastal regions. Take a deep dive into coastal population growth patterns.
Growth Rings
Predicting Cetacean Health
Maps, visuals, and stories help translate scientific whale and dolphin modeled data into more easily understood information needed for making ocean and coastal management decisions.
Geospatial Models
Take a Virtual Dive
Scientists at Cordell Bank National Marine Sanctuary use unmanned submersibles to better keep track of changing conditions. Dive in to see how they do it and what they've found.
Cordell Bank
2017 Pacific Mission
This story map takes you on a journey through some of the most remote and pristine locations on the planet. Follow along with researchers during an 88-day mission to survey and study coral reef ecosystems.
Coral Survey
Effect on Atlantic Coast
See how coastal water levels from southeastern Florida to Delaware were impacted by 2016's Hurricane Matthew as the storm traveled along the coast. Water levels at seven NOAA tide stations exceeded historical maximums.
Hurricane Matthew
African American History Month
In this story map, NOAA Sanctuaries honors the African American men and women who faced the horrors of slavery and generations of systemic racism to help build the nation's sanctuary communities and our maritime nation.
National Marine Sanctuaries
Pacific Islander/Asian American Heritage Month
Pacific Islander/Asian American Heritage Month was established to recognize the history, concerns, contributions, and achievements of Pacific Islander/Asian Americans.
National Marine Sanctuaries
NOAA 2018 Restoration Efforts
In fiscal year 2018, NOAA reached agreements totaling $34.3 million with cooperating companies across America to restore natural resources damaged by oil spills and industrial pollution. View the year's restoration projects of public resources like fish, wildlife, habitats, and recreation.
Response and Restoration
Coral Reef Assessment and Triage
In 2017, major hurricanes Irma and Maria had significant impacts on Puerto Rico, including their coral reefs. This story map highlights data and images collected as part of a recent study examining the impacts to the shallow water coral reefs surrounding the archipelago of Puerto Rico.
2017 Hurricanes: Impact on Reefs in Puerto Rico
Coastal Dynamics of Sea Level Rise
Storm surge results in flooding and has a powerful effect on the coastal zone, but how will storm surge look in the future? This story map shows simulations for storm surge in four areas of the Gulf of Mexico.
Simulated Storm Surge
Coastal Dynamics of Sea Level Rise
As sea levels rise in the 21st century, how will marsh productivity be impacted? And what management actions can be taken now to mitigate these future changes? See how the Hydro-MEM model aims to forecast marsh productivity and mean high water under various sea level rise scenarios.
Marsh Productivity and Elevation
Story Map Highlights Marsh Vulnerability in San Francisco Bay-Delta Estuary
An NCCOS-sponsored project, funded in partnership with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), has published a “story map” that advances knowledge about tidal marshes in the San Francisco Bay-Delta estuary and their vulnerability to sea-level rise.
Marsh Vulnerability in Bay-Delta Estuary
Vibrio Predictive Models
A story map has been created to describe the different Vibrio Predictive Models produced by NCCOS. These predictive models help ensure oysters are harvested when they are safer to eat, assisting coastal managers and oyster growers in oyster harvest decision making nationwide.
Seafood Safety
Response and Restoration
Sea lions, seals, dolphins, and whales are some of the marine mammals at risk of oil spills and marine pollution. To prepare for future disasters, NOAA’s marine mammal and oil spill experts worked together to publish "Guidelines for Assessing Exposure and Impacts of Oil Spills on Marine Mammals."
Marine Mammals & Oil Spills
Coastal Community Protection
At Swan Island, high rates of shoreline erosion and subsidence have deteriorated the island’s natural habitat and its ability to shelter the nearby town of Ewell, Md., from wave energy. This project will increase the long-term resilience of the island and its capacity to defend adjacent shorelines from wave energy.
The Swan Island Project
NOAA Office of Coast Survey 2023 Year in Review
In 2023, OCS completed many significant activities with meaningful impacts, in support of OCS fundamental goal of delivering customers authoritative ocean and lakebed mapping information and models, in fit-for-purpose formats, in a timely fashion.
OCS 2023 Year in Review
