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sary scientific understanding, technological capabilities, and support 
services required to carry out the foregoing missions. 
NOAA’s Environmental Data Service indexes, archives, retrieves, 
summarizes, analyzes, and disseminates environmental data. It 
provides environmental information services that support govern- 
ment, public, academic, and industrial users. EDS is comprised of the 
National Oceanographic Data Center, the National Climatic Center 
(marine climatology), the National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial 
Data Center (marine geology and geophysics, including seismology, 
gravimetry, and geomagnetism), the Hnvironmental Science Infor- 
mation Center, and the Center for Experiment Design and Data 
Analysis. Six discipline- oriented world data centers “(dating from 
IGY) are collccated with EDS data centers. EDS operates an Envi- 
ronmental Data Index (ENDEX) and Oceanic and Atmospheric 
Scientific Information System (OASIS). 
NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) acquires atmospheric 
and sea-surface data which are used to provide forecasts and warnings 
for coastal and offshore waters. These data are then archived at the 
National Climatic Center. The marine observations are obtained 
from the cooperative merchant ship program und from trained 
observers aboard Coast Guard ocean station vessels. Tide observa- 
tions, for tsunami warning system purposes, are collected by the NWS 
observatories at Honolulu, Hawaii, and Palmer, Alaska. 
NOAA’s National Ocean Survey (NOS) provides nautical charts 
which are basic tools required for waterborne commerce, expanding 
marine industries, and recreational boating. Program activities 
include hydrographic surveying and the compilation, reproduction, 
and distribution of nautical charts, coast pilots, Great Lakes Pilot, 
and other publications. Ocean mapping, investigation, and services 
consist of the acquisition and dissemination in suitable form of 
scientific data necessary to support many types of marine activities. 
The products include charts depicting bottom topography, ocean 
currents, and other physical variables of importance. 
NOAA’s N aa Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) seeks to 
strengthen the U.S. domestic and international economic position in 
marine fisheries in order to decrease dependence on fish imports, 
expand exports, and develop and preserve fish resources. The Service 
seeks to accomplish this by maintaining and increasing the produc- 
tivity and competitiveness of the U.S. fishing industry and by ef- 
fectively conserving and allocating fisheries resources of interest to the 
United States. The NMFS also has the responsibility to protect and 
conserve endangered species and marine mammals. 
NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite Service (NESS) manages 
and operates the national operational environmental satellite system, 
composed of earth-orbiting spacecraft equipped to observe and collect 
environmental data on a global basis. Images of the earth and clouds 
and measurements of radiation frem the atmosphere and ocean surface 
are acquired and processed at the World Meteorological Center in 
Washington for application to weather, marine, hydrologic, and 
resource survey services. 
NOAA’s sea grant program is the only national instrument for 
carrying out cooperative programs in the coastal zon2 with State and 
