NOAA is made up of 6 line offices:
- Office of Marine & Aviation Operations (OMAO)
- National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)
- National Ocean Service (NOS)
- National Environmental Satellite, Data & Information Service (NESDIS)
- Oceanic & Atmospheric Research (OAR)
- National Weather Service (NWS)
All of NOAA's line offices work together to form one NOAA! You could think of it as 6 different companies all under one umbrella - everyone working for good! When exploring job opportunities it is important to understand which line office you'd like to work for.
-NOAA's Office of Marine and Aviation Operations operates a wide variety of specialized aircraft and ships to complete NOAA's environmental and scientific missions. OMAO is also responsible for the administration and implementation of the Aviation Safety Program, Small Boat Program and NOAA Diving Program to ensure safe and efficient operations in NOAA-sponsored aviation, small boat and underwater activities. This includes the NOAA Corps!
- National Marine Fisheries Service is the federal agency, a division of the Department of Commerce, responsible for the stewardship of the nation's living marine resources and their habitat. NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service is responsible for the management, conservation and protection of living marine resources within the United States' Exclusive Economic Zone (water three to 200 mile offshore).
-National Ocean Service (NOS) is the nation's premier science agency for oceans and coasts. NOS delivers the tools and services needed to understand, predict, and respond to the challenges we face along America's 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.5 million square miles of coastal, Great Lakes, and deep-ocean waters.
- National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) is dedicated to providing timely access to global environmental data from satellites and other sources to promote, protect, and enhance the Nation's economy, security, environment, and quality of life. To fulfill its responsibilities, NESDIS acquires and manages the Nation's operational environmental satellites, provides data and information services, and conducts related research.
-The Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) or "NOAA Research" provides the research foundation for understanding the complex systems that support our planet. Working in partnership with other organizational units of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a bureau of the Department of Commerce, NOAA Research provides better forecasts, earlier warnings for natural disasters and a greater understanding of the Earth. Our role is to provide unbiased science to better manage the environment, nationally and globally.
-The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. NWS data and products form a national information database and infrastructure which can be used by other governmental agencies, the private sector, the public, and the global community. "