Homeland security and the global ocean

Ocean observations support the nation´s homeland security strategy and improve awareness in the maritime domain. The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), a coordinated national and international network of observations, data transmission, and management of the oceans and U.S. coastal waters to the head of the tide, can efficiently link observations to provide data and information to improve national and homeland security. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is able to support Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) using IOOS technology to improve marine security operations and the nation´s capabilities within MDA. The purpose of this paper is to show examples of how NOAA´s technologies can be used for both environmental monitoring and the security of the nation.