How NOAA is supporting America the Beautiful

Explore the latest news and feature stories about NOAA's America the Beautiful initiative.

Aerial view showing restoration and conservation project planning in Maine’s Scarborough Marsh — one of the coastal zone management projects recommended for funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law — will improve public access and protect areas for marsh migration. Credit: Scarborough Land Trust.

Biden-Harris Administration announces $123 million for coastal habitat restoration through Investing in America agenda

April 22, 2024

Photo showing endangered Hawaiian monk seal, fish and coral in the complex and highly productive marine ecosystems of Papahānaumokuākea in Hawaii. (Credit: NOAA)

NOAA proposes national marine sanctuary in Papahānaumokuākea

February 29, 2024

Map image showing the difference between 30-meter and high-resolution land cover data can mean the difference between seeing large amounts of impervious surface versus neighborhoods with patches of forested area. The image on the right shows 30-meter land cover data for Shelter Bay in Skagit County, Washington, while the image on the left shows the same area with 1-meter high-resolution land cover data, making the product 900 times more detailed.

Biden-Harris Administration shares new land cover data to help communities understand coastal change

January 25, 2024

Photo showing coral reef at Swains Island in American Samoa, showing an assemblage of plating Montipora coral and branching cauliflower coral Pocillopora meandrina. Credit: James Morioka, NOAA.

NOAA, Smithsonian join forces to advance ocean biodiversity and resilience

January 23, 2024

Point Conception, traditionally known by the Chumash people of the region as the “Western Gate,” juts out where the Pacific meets the Santa Barbara channel. The area’s complex undersea geology, combined with cold nutrient-rich waters that upwell from the deep, make it a global biological hotspot that sustains diverse marine life and habitats.

Biden-Harris Administration proposes new Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary off California coast

August 24, 2023

Aerial view of Perry Monument at Presque Isle State Park in Erie, Pennsylvania, which honors those who fought in the Battle of Lake Erie. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led a fleet to victory in one of the most decisive naval battles to occur in the War of 1812.

Biden-Harris Administration considers national marine sanctuary in Pennsylvania’s Lake Erie

May 18, 2023

Biden-Harris Administration recommends $562 million investment to make communities resilient to climate impacts as part of Investing in America agenda

April 22, 2021

Convict tang fish found near the remote Pacific Island of Jarvis Island.

FACT SHEET: Biden-⁠Harris Administration Takes New Action to Conserve and Restore America’s Lands and Waters

March, 2023

The long shadows of three young boys and two tween girls jumping in the sand with a bright orange sunset behind them making them silhouettes.

America the Beautiful 2022 Annual Report

March, 2023

Construction at the Fisher Slough habitat restoration project in Washington. The project provided habitat for salmon while also reducing the risk of flooding.

2022 in Review: Our Top Habitat Conservation Stories

January, 2023

Welcome to noaa.gov

5 ways NOAA supported climate science and solutions in 2022

January, 2023

View of a coastline with white waves and houses near the water

NOAA announces new Marine and Coastal Area-based Management Advisory Committee

November, 2022

The long shadows of three young boys and two tween girls jumping in the sand with a bright orange sunset behind them making them silhouettes.

Biden-⁠Harris Administration Advances Commitment to Create More Equitable Access to Parks and Nature in Communities

September, 2022

Photo of a Pacific harbor seal swimming along the California coast.

New Marine Life projects support conservation, healthy ecosystems

September, 2022

People on a beach. Cover for Health story map.

Biden-⁠Harris Administration Launches Effort to Create More Affordable and Equitable Outdoor Recreation Opportunities

July, 2022

Photo showing an anchors dropped onto corals at Molasses Reef in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

NOAA releases proposal to restore protected Florida Keys habitats

July, 2022

Biden Administration announces historic coastal and climate resilience funding

June, 2022

An octopus, sea star, bivalves and dozens of cup coral all share the same overhang in an area adjacent to the Hudson Canyon off the coast of New York and New Jersey. These are very typical of what occurs throughout this area.

NOAA begins process to potentially protect waters off New York, New Jersey

May, 2022

The bow of the iconic Civil War ironclad Monitor resting on the seafloor off North Carolina.

NOAA and partners launch high definition exploration of historic shipwrecks

May, 2022

wetlands with water in the foreground, plant life in the midground and horizon and a blue sky with billowing clouds.

$53.5 Million Approved for Two Habitat Restoration Projects in Coastal Louisiana

January, 2021

Osprey in a nest in Groton, Connecticut

Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve becomes the 30th in the system

January, 2022

A pair of masked boobies perch themselves on top of two green sea turtles resting on a beach in the Papahauanmokuakea Marine National Monument in the Pacific.

National Marine Sanctuary Designation for Papahānaumokuākea

November, 2021

Point Conception, traditionally known by the Chumash people of the region as the “Western Gate,” juts out where the Pacific meets the Santa Barbara channel. The area’s complex undersea geology, combined with cold nutrient-rich waters that upwell from the deep, make it a global biological hotspot that sustains diverse marine life and habitats.

Proposed Designation of Chumash Heritage National Marine Sanctuary

November, 2021

Photo of people canoeing on water.

Coastal Zone Management Programs Improve Access For All

October, 2021

The Connecticut National Estuarine Research Reserve

NOAA announces public comment period and availability of the draft environmental impact statement and draft management plan for proposed NERR in Connecticut

September, 2021

a greenish-blue underwater scene of divers illuminating a shipwreck

NOAA Seeks Public Input on Preserving Lake Ontario’s Maritime Heritage

July, 2021

Schooner within Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary.

NOAA Announces New National Marine Sanctuary in Lake Michigan

June, 2021

Reef fish at French Frigrate Shoals in the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.

New global partnership to elevate marine protected areas as tool in climate response

June, 2021

map of north america showing areas of unmapped ocean, coastal, and Great lakes waters - predominent areas in Alaska and the Pacific ocean and smaller areas on the U.S. East coast, the Great Lakes, and the Caribbean and still smaller areas on the U.S. West coast

The Interagency Working Group on Ocean and Coastal Mapping announces progress report on mapping U.S. ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes waters

March 21, 2021