Anchors Away…Because of a NOAA-generated effort, followed by highly effective NOAA leadership, the fragile coral reefs of the Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary will now be better protected. The Texas sanctuary is the first area in the world to benefit from a groundbreaking international law that on June 1 began providing for mandatory no-anchoring areas.

Congratulations go to Lindy Johnson and Ole Varmer, General Counsel for International Law; Molly Holt, General Counsel for Ocean Services; and G.P. Schmal, Steve Gittings, Joe Schittone, and Lisa Symons, National Ocean Service, Marine Sanctuaries Division.

Anchoring large ships on coral reefs can destroy and degrade significant portions of these vulnerable and valuable habitats. Coral such as that in the Flower Garden Banks takes thousands of years to build, yet can be quickly destroyed by the swinging and dragging of large anchor cables and chains. Coral heads are destroyed and the reef structure is destabilized by gouges and scars. The coral reefs may never recover.

Just adopted by the International Maritime Organization, the new international law allows countries to submit proposals requesting that mandatory no anchoring areas be established when anchoring is unsafe, unstable or particularly hazardous, or where anchoring can result in unacceptable damage to the marine environment. The organization's adoption of the new law requires all countries producing international navigation charts to mark fragile areas. The aim is to make sure that ships steer clear of them.

NOAA Corps 84th Anniversary Dinner
May 30, 2001


Photo credit: Lt. Mike Weaver



Rear Admiral Evelyn Fields (left), at the helm of NOAA Corps, is joined by Alisa Behn (center) and Cheryl Glang, co-presidents of the NOAA Officers' Family Association. Photo credit: Lt. Mike Weaver



Scott Gudes (right), acting NOAA administrator, celebrates with Capt Richard Behn, Executive Director to Deputy Under Secretary.
Photo credit: LCDR Wade Blake

To help mitigate impacts from oil and gas development, the National Ocean Service will send almost $150 million to coastal communities in seven states. "As the nation's principal advocate for coastal and ocean stewardship, the National Ocean Service is very pleased to administer these funds for the first time, " said Margaret Davidson, acting assistant administrator. "The funds will go a long way toward enhancing, protecting and restoring our precious coasts." After submitting detailed plans, funds will go to Alabama, Alaska, California, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas and to about 150 local governments.

NOAA's biological research cruise has gone digital. The fisheries research fleet is being fitted with a new, on-board fisheries data collection system that will give researchers timely access to fisheries survey data. The first of its kind in the U.S., the system will profoundly speed the delivery of data from ship to shore and into the data banks of scientists and managers. Data will now be available in days instead of two to three months.

"This represents the single greatest improvement in data collection over the 38-year history of the survey," said Tom Azarovitz, chief of NOAA Fisheries Ecosystem Surveys branch. "Until now, paper logs were used to record a variety of information about each fish brought up during a survey trawl."

The Fisheries Scientific Computer System was tested extensively aboard NOAA's Albatross IV, based in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. The Office of Marine and Aviation Operations, which equips, operates and manages NOAA's ships and aircraft, will install the new system on seven more vessels in the fisheries research fleet. The next vessel to be outfitted is the Delaware II, also out of Woods Hole.

A new era for Sea Grant has just begun in Texas. Dr. Robert Stickney, head of Texas Sea Grant, has been named as the newest member of that state's Coastal Coordination Council, coordinator of federal, state and local initiatives for the Texas Coastal Management Program. Appointed by the Texas legislature, Sea Grant was cited as a way to bring the state's higher education resources into the planning, coordination and research efforts of coastal challenges and opportunities. This is the first such recognition for 30-year-old Texas Sea Grant.