NOAA's National Ocean Service

Video Transcript

We as humans are inextricably connected to our ocean. It is our planet's lifeblood. Many may not think much of our ocean, but it's with us every day. It provides our food and the oxygen we breathe. It regulates our climate and shapes our coastline. It holds countless secrets that are yet to be uncovered.

I'm Vernon Smith. Join me as we discover and explore the diversity of people, places, and jobs across NOAA's National Ocean Service. As the nation's premier ocean protection agency, NOAA's National Ocean Service is a community of people with diverse skills.

We are protectors. We are chart makers. We are navigators, scientists, emergency responders, IT specialists, surveyors, analysts, collaborators, and partners.

We are educators, and we are interpreters. We support coastal communities and prepare them for changing ocean conditions. We help navigate our nation's waterways. We respond to disasters, and we protect the treasures of our ocean and Great Lakes. We are the eyes on the ocean, and it is our observations that position America's communities, economies, and ecosystems for the future.

America's history has been driven by the ocean. Our nation has been shaped by epic tides and currents that have swept along our shores. The ocean belongs to all of us. Within our waters, you will find thousands of different species of marine organisms. You will find diverse ecosystems from open ocean to coral reefs, kelp forests to tide pools.

The ocean gives us a vast and varied bounty, from navigable waterways to scientific wonder, and the ocean connects us. The rivers that start as mountaintop streams flow to thriving estuaries, which become our seas. And in turn, as a diverse workforce, it's up to us to care for our nation's waters. Today, not only do we promote safe navigation and commerce, but we provide cutting-edge science, support the management of coastal communities, foster stewardship in a diverse public, and protect our natural places for future generations.

America's demographics are changing, and the way we engage with the ocean will shift with it. To effectively care for and support our nation's waters, our National Ocean Service approaches the ocean from diverse perspectives. We look to the future. We provide scholarships and mentorships. We partner with universities, museums, nonprofits, and parks. Through these opportunities, we support the next generation who will care for our nation's waterways.

To meet the needs of tomorrow, to remain relevant to the ocean of the future, the National Ocean Service is investing in our people, our places, our communities, and a workforce as diverse as the ocean we support. We are your National Ocean Service.