NOAA Ocean Podcast

Latest Episodes:

High Tide Flooding Sep 28, 2026

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Rising waters can spell trouble for coastal areas. The impacts of high tide flooding can range from longer commute times to business closures and construction delays. NOAA plays a vital role in helping communities prepare for and respond to flooding threats. This episode features a panel of experts from NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services. We’re joined by oceanographers Analise Keeney and Karen Kavanaugh and chief scientist Greg Dusek, Ph.D.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 77 -High Tide Flooding

Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: 15 Years of Advancing Science Sep 28, 2026

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Fifteen years ago, NOAA played a critical role in the initial response, assessment, and development of a restoration plan following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill — the largest offshore oil spill in U.S. history. In this episode, we’re joined by experts Doug Helton and Lisa DiPinto from the National Ocean Service’s Office of Response and Restoration to discuss the earliest moments of the response, and the progress made over the past 15 years to advance oil spill science and technologies.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 80 - Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill: 15 Years of Advancing Science

Coastal Conversation: Harmful algal bloom forecasting in Alaska Sep 28, 2026

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Harmful algal blooms occur when an overgrowth of algae produces toxins in a body of water, affecting fish, shellfish, marine mammals, birds, and even people. Ecological forecasting is an important tool for protection from these blooms. Join this coastal conversation with Steve Kibler, an oceanographer with the National Ocean Service, and Kasey Jo Wright, an environmental technician with the Kodiak Area Native Association, as they discuss harmful algal bloom forecasting in Alaska and its effects on shellfish harvesting within Indigenous communities.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 82 - Coastal Conversation: Harmful algal bloom forecasting in Alaska

Mapping the Way After a Disaster: The NOAA Navigation Response Team Sep 28, 2026

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When disaster strikes our waters, whether natural or man-made, the NOAA Navigation Response Team is ready. With a fleet of small survey vessels, our scientists and mariners utilize cutting-edge technology and expertise to map danger zones and ensure the safety of commercial shipping.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 83 - Mapping the Way After a Disaster: The NOAA Navigation Response Team

The Origins of NOAA's National Ocean Service Sep 21, 2026

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NOAA’s National Ocean Service started as a small scientific agency with one mission, to chart our new nation’s coasts and coastal waters so the many ships that traversed the Atlantic and Caribbean could arrive safely. As the years passed, new ocean- and coast-related missions were added to the agency. In this episode, discover the origins of the National Ocean Service, including how two U.S. founding fathers, president Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, played a part in this ocean history lesson.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 86 - The Origins of NOAA’s National Ocean Service

The USS Monitor, Part 2: Underwater 3D Mapping Aug 21, 2026

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In this follow-up episode, we travel back to the USS Monitor, resting in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean within Monitor National Marine Sanctuary, to discuss a new, innovative underwater 3D mapping technology. The USS Monitor sank in 1862 during the Civil War — a tumultuous time in American history — with battles fought both on land and sea. Using this new mapping technology, 3D maps of the USS Monitor shipwreck will allow the public to take virtual trips to the bottom of the ocean to explore the nation’s first national marine sanctuary. Dive in to discover how this cutting-edge imaging technology captured this historic ship and how the images will be used to inspire future explorers.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 85 - The USS Monitor, Part 2: Underwater 3D Mapping

The USS Monitor, Part 1: History and Legacy Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

Amidst stormy seas in December of 1862, the USS Monitor sank off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina at the height of the Civil War. As the location of the very first National Marine Sanctuary, the Monitor functions as an underwater reef teeming with wildlife and mystery. In the first of two episodes about the Monitor we discuss the history of the ship and why its sinking is still important today.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 84 - The USS Monitor, Part 1: History and Legacy

Boost Your Blue IQ Jun 25, 2025

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Attention beachgoers! Don’t let ocean and shoreline hazards keep you from enjoying your time at the beach this summer; instead, boost your “Blue IQ” through this episode. Listen to ocean and coastal safety expert Bruckner Chase discuss common beach hazards and best practices to keep you and your loved ones safe in the surf.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 81 - Boost Your Blue IQ

Moving Mountains Oct 30, 2024

Show notes

Since 2007, NOAA’s National Ocean Service has been working to update the National Spatial Reference System. This huge project will modernize the system for measuring the horizontal positions and vertical elevations of the United States and its territories. During the course of this work, NOAA scientists realized that the heights of Colorado’s famous “Fourteeners” — or mountains with peak elevations of at least 14,000 feet — had been overestimated. In this episode, we learn why this occurred, how this impacts the status of these mountains, and what benefits this project will have for the nation. Our featured expert is Derek van Westrum, physicist with NOAA’s National Geodetic Survey.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 79 -Moving Mountains

Marine Debris - Talking Trash Sep 25, 2024

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Marine debris is a large and global problem. Plastics, metals, rubber, fishing gear, and other lost and discarded items enter our ocean, Great Lakes, waterways, and coastal areas every day. This challenging problem can cause negative impacts to wildlife, the environment, and the economy. In this episode, we chat with our expert, Sophie Maginnes, communication specialist with NOAA’s Marine Debris Program.

NOAA Ocean Podcast: Episode 78 - Marine Debris - Talking Trash

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