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.
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 click on your state. There will be a name, email address, and phone number for the WFO that serves your area.
- Visit weather.gov and enter your zip code to find your local WFO.
National Estuarine Research Reserve System
Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
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.
- North Carolina Coastal Reserve (NC) – Lori Collins Davis, Education Coordinator: [email protected]
This Reserve is a network of 10 protected sites established for long-term research, education and stewardship. - ACE Basin Reserve (SC) – Erica Connery, Education Coordinator: [email protected]
- North Inlet-Winyah Bay Reserve (SC) offsite link – Beth Thomas, Education Coordinator: [email protected]
- Sapelo Island Reserve (GA) offsite link – Adam Mackinnon, Education Coordinator: [email protected]
- Guana Tolomato Matanzas Reserve (FL) offsite link – Josie Spearman, Education Coordinator: [email protected]
NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries
Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
NOAA’s 14 National Marine Sanctuaries 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.
- Gray’s Reef National Marine Sanctuary (GA) – Benjamin Prueitt, Outreach & Social Media Coordinator and Volunteer Coordinator: [email protected]
- Monitor National Marine Sanctuary (NC/VA) – Shannon Ricles, Education and Outreach Coordinator: [email protected]
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.
- North Carolina Sea Grant offsite link – Dr. Erika Young, Coastal and Marine Education Specialist: [email protected]
- South Carolina Sea Grant offsite link – Elizabeth Vernon (E.V.) Bell, Marine Education Specialist: [email protected]
- Georgia Sea Grant offsite link – Anne Lindsay, Associate Director of Marine Education: [email protected]
- Florida Sea Grant offsite link – Dr. Maia McGuire, Associate Director of Extension and Education: [email protected]
- Florida Sea Grant speakers bureau offsite link – Florida educators may request a free virtual speaker
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.
- Florida – Ashley Hill, Regional Coordinator: [email protected]
- Southeast Office – Sarah Latshaw, Regional Coordinator: [email protected]
NOAA Fisheries
Student opportunities • Laboratory facilities • NOAA scientists • Educator resources
The NOAA Fisheries Service 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) – Amy Clark, Education Coordinator (Stennis Space Center, MS): [email protected]
- Field offices in Beaufort, NC; Charleston, SC; Fernandina Beach, FL; West Palm Beach, FL; and Dania Beach, FL
- Southeast Fisheries Science Center (Miami, FL) – Michelle Duncan (Fisheries Education Outreach Coordinator, Panama City, FL: [email protected]
- Beaufort Laboratory (Beaufort, NC) – Theresa Goedeke, Laboratory Director (Acting): [email protected]
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.
- Southeast Coastal Ocean Observing Regional Association (SECOORA) offsite link – Abbey Wakely, Communications Director: [email protected]
- SECOORA Data offsite link
NOAA 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.
- Beaufort Laboratory (Beaufort, NC)
- Charleston and Hollings Marine Laboratories (Charleston, SC) – Chloe VanderMolen, Agreements Coordinator: [email protected]
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.
- Miami, FL – Daniel Brown, Senior Hurricane Specialist/Warning Coordination Meteorologist: [email protected] & Dennis Feltgen, Communications and Public Affairs Officer: [email protected]
- Visitor and tour information
National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)
Student activities • Climate data • Educator resources
Formerly the National Climactic 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.
- Asheville, NC – Greg Hammer, Meteorologist & Communications and Outreach Assistant Director: [email protected] or [email protected]
Cooperative Institute for Ocean Exploration, Research, and Technology (CIOERT) offsite link
Educator resources • Expeditions • Data
CIOERT is a cooperative institute between NOAA and several universities to explore and study the nation’s ocean frontiers using innovation and cutting edge technologies.
- Florida Atlantic University (Fort Pierce, FL) – Dennis Hanisak, Education Director: [email protected]
Cooperative Institute for Marine and Atmospheric Studies (CIMAS) offsite link
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 at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (Miami, FL) – Diana Udel, Director of Communications: [email protected]
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.
- Miami, FL – Laura Chaibongsai, Communications Lead: [email protected]
National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) offsite link
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.
- Spoonbill Bowl (FL) offsite link – Teresa Greely, Regional Coordinator: [email protected]
- Manatee Bowl (FL) – Dennis Hanisak, Regional Coordinator: [email protected]
- Blue Heron Bowl (NC) – Janelle Fleming, Regional Coordinator: [email protected]
- Southern Stingray Bowl (SC and GA) offsite link – Dionne Hoskins, Co-coordinator: [email protected] & Victoria Young, Co-coordinator: [email protected]
Local NOAA vessels
Follow current science in the Atlantic Ocean
- NOAA Teacher at Sea offsite link (follow teacher blogs onboard the ships)
- NOAA Ship Nancy Foster (Charleston, SC) – Commander Tracy Miller: [email protected]
- NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown (Charleston, SC) – Captain Marc Moser: [email protected]
Historical and real-time data
- NOAA coastal county data snapshots
- Tides and Currents data
- Buoy data
- Invasive lionfish facts
- Southeast River Forecast Center
- Southeast Regional Climate Center offsite link
- U.S. Drought Monitor offsite link
- National Hurricane Center data archive
- Ocean Prediction Center: Atlantic
Local historical weather events and data
- Hurricane Floyd overview
- Columbia, SC weather events and summaries
- Charleston, SC/Savannah, GA significant weather event archive
- Jacksonville significant weather event archive
- Southern Florida past event gallery
- Eastern Florida storm summaries and damage
- Today in local weather history (Charleston, SC/Savannah, GA)
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.
- Orlando Science Center (Orlando, FL) offsite link
- Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral, FL) offsite link
- Galaxy E3 Elementary School (Boynton Beach, FL) offsite link
- Plantation Key School (Tavernier, FL) offsite link
- Cox Science Center and Aquarium (West Palm Beach, FL) offsite link
- Museum of Arts and Sciences (Macon, GA) offsite link
- North Carolina Aquarium at Roanoke Island (Manteo, NC) offsite link
- Imagination Station Science and History Museum (Wilson, NC) offsite link
- Museum of Life and Science (Durham, NC) offsite link