National Ocean Service Office of Oceanography and Marine Assessment National Ocean Service

The Office of Oceanography and Marine Assessment (OMA) provides decisionmakers comprehensive, scientific information on characteristics of the oceans, coastal areas, and estuaries of the USA. The information ranges from strategic, national assessments of coastal and estuarine environmental quality to real-time information for navigation or hazardous materials spill response. For example, O M A monitors the rise and fall of water levels at about 200 coastal locations of the USA (including the Great Lakes); predicts the times and heights of high and low tides; and provides information critical to national defense, safe navigation, marine boundary determination, environmental management, and coastal engineering. Currently, O M A is installing the Next Generation Water Level Measurement System that wil replace by 1992 existing water level measurement and data processing technologies.Through its National Status and Trends Program, O M A uses uniform techniques to monitor toxic chemical contamination of bottom-feeding fish, mussels and oysters, and sediments at 200 locations throughout the USA. A related O M A program of directed research examines the relationships between contaminant exposure and indicators of biological responses in fish and shellfish. O M A uses computer-based circulation models and innovative measurement technologies to develop new information products, including real-time circulation data, circulation forecasts under variou