Florida -- NOAA's Environmental Technology Laboratory just provided real-time imagery of cloud conditions to a NASA research team at the Kennedy Space Center. Cloud cover and the potential for lighting are two criteria used to determine when it's safe to launch spacecraft. Dr. Madison ("M.J.") Post heads this project. Dr. Brooks Martner is lead scientist. Both are at NOAA's Environmental Technology Laboratory in Boulder.

Washington -- To build local, regional and national capacity to monitor and respond to harmful algal blooms, the National Ocean Service is supporting a new tribal lab at La Push, Washington. The Quileute Tribe's capability to monitor subsistence and commercial harvests of bivalve shellfish and crab will increase as a result. Two NOAA line offices are collaborating on this important work. Danielle Luttenberg and Dr. Pat Tester of NOS are working with Dr. Vera Trainer of NMFS.

Washington, DC -- With a record turnout, the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force just met in Washington, D.C. to reveal new data on the coral reef crisis and to advance partnership efforts on a groundbreaking U.S. action plan. Congressional members, Territorial Governors of American Samoa, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, and 11 federal agency representatives actively took part. Look for more details in future editions.
Roger Griffis@noaa.gov

From Maine to North Carolina -- NOAA Fisheries/industry recently kicked off a monkfish resource survey in the Northeast. In development with commercial fishermen since October, the survey is being conducted aboard fishing vessels to improve information about the distribution, size and condition of monkfish. Scientists from NOAA Fisheries Northeast Science Center, along with fishermen and representatives from the state and New Jersey's Rutgers University, are active in this effort. Monkfish, also called goosefish or angler fish, are caught from NC to Maine. In 1999, the nearly $47 million catch was about 55 million pounds, down 5 million pounds from 1997. Not just the population, but the average and maximum size of monkfish are steadily declining. Monkfish landings are among the most highly valued finfish landings in some Northeast ports. Teri.Frady@noaa.gov

Along Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Coasts -- Along the U.S Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts an extraordinarily high number of sea turtle strandings was documented during 2000. The Sea Turtle Stranding and Salvage Network, operating in all of the coastal states, recorded 3,100 stranded sea turtles. Strandings included turtles that wash ashore dead or injured and include turtles found floating dead or injured in nearshore waters. The vast majority of turtles found stranded are dead. From 1991 - 1999, the average number of strandings was 2, 382 annually. Human activity, especially interaction with fishing gear, is a major contributor to sea turtle deaths. Over the next several months, NOAA Fisheries is meeting with industry, academic and environmental representatives to explore solutions to recover sea turtles. Laurie.Allen@noaa.gov.

Oklahoma -- NOAA's National Storm Prediction Center and the National Weather Service Forecast Office in Norman have come up with a winner! Severe storm preparedness and safety, NOAA's watch and warning process, lightning effects, wind damage, and the newest ways to get radar data were among highlights of a new National Severe Weather Storm Workshop just held there. Spotter training was also provided. Over 200 emergency managers and others responsible for keeping people and property out of harm's way were actively engaged by researchers and forecasters from the Storm Prediction Center, Severe Storms Laboratory and the National Weather Service Norman Forecast Office, among several others. Organizers included: Dr. Joseph Schaefer, Dan McCarthy, Peggy Stogsdill, and Linda Crank, of the Storm Prediction Center; Mike Foster, Jim Purpura, Dan Miller, and Christine Grant, of NWS's Norman Forecast Office; James LaDue, of NWS's Warning Decision Training Branch; and Keli Tarp, of NOAA Public Affairs.