NOAA Fisheries announced the appointment of Dr. Jason Link as the agency's first-ever Senior Scientist for Ecosystem-Based Management. To support our ecosystem-based management goals, Jason will be the agency's senior-most authority on ecosystem science, leading approaches and developing a suite of scientific support tools to help us better frame our management decisions. A key piece of this will be support tools for ecosystem pilot programs--a NOAA priority under the reauthorized Magnuson-Stevens Act--that will enhance management plans in all areas of the country. 

In the U.S. alone there are 28 million small business owners that create two out of every three new jobs in America. SBA continually strives to ensure that small business entrepreneurs have access to the resources they need for their business, including information on startup how to's, marketing, financing, contracting and more. With this in mind, SBA has launched a new online learning center.

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NOAA has long been concerned about the potential for a gap in polar satellite coverage in the afternoon orbit. In addition to reports from Inspector General and the Government Accountability Office on this topic, NOAA has also convened an Independent Review Team (IRT) to review the progress of our satellite programs and identify the challenges ahead. These reports have all substantiated NOAA's concerns regarding the gap.

Notice is hereby given of a meeting of the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee (Committee) in Santa Cruz, California.

The meeting will be held Tuesday, December 5, 2012, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, December 6, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and Thursday, December 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. These times and the agenda topics described below are subject to change. Refer to the web page listed below for the most up-to-date meeting agenda.

Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Northeast Region Permit Family of Forms

AGENCY: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Commerce.The Department of Commerce, as part of its continuing effort to reduce paperwork and respondent burden, invites the general public and other Federal agencies to take this opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing information collections, as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted on or before January 14, 2013.

A Few Simple Steps to “Pickling” Your Engine

Over the years the BoatU.S. insurance technical staff has directed the recovery of hundreds of vessels which have been sunk. They found that the opportunity to save the expensive engine is relatively easy if it’s done promptly and properly. While it is certainly preferable to have a mechanic salvage an engine, this may not be possible immediately after a hurricane. It may be up to you to protect your property.

Salvaging Your Engine

Machinery left under water too long corrodes. Machinery submerged in salt water corrodes much faster than in fresh water (and is more vulnerable to electrolysis or galvanic action). Generally, you want to raise the boat as soon as possible, certainly within a few days, but …

The National Maritime Center is responsible for issuing Merchant Mariner Credentials under the authority of the U.S. Coast Guard. All changes and updated information regarding STCW guide can be found on our website.

The Reauthorization of the Coast Guard Act of 2010 has implications for commercial fishing vessels. Please click to read through a presentation by Bob Perkins that outlines the new regulations. 

Sarver Heart Center’s newest video makes it easy to learn Continuous Chest Compression CPR. Every three days, more Americans die from sudden cardiac arrest than the number who died in the 9-11 attacks. You can lessen this recurring loss by learning this hands-only CPR method that doubles a person’s chance of surviving cardiac arrest.  Watch physician researchers Gordon A. Ewy, MD, and Karl Kern, MD, demonstrate the easy, life-saving method that they developed at the University of Arizona College of Medicine.

Watch a new video to find out how NOAA scientists recover whales in Alaska. See how they use photo identification to identify individual humpback whales and learn more about their population abundance. Also see how we study what and how much they eat. This research is made possible by the success of the Marine Mammal Protection Act, celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.