NOAA in your backyard: Northeast

Educational opportunities and staff for Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont

NOAA in Your State & Territory

State by state listings of NOAA facilities and programs
A summary of NOAA facilities, staff, programs, or activities based in, or focused on, your state or territory.

National Weather Service

School visits • Forecast office tours • Student and educator resources
The National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas.

To find your local Weather Forecast Office (WFO), visit the National Weather Service local contact page and enter your city and state or zip code in the box. A website, email, and phone number will show up. This is the best contact information for each office.
Visit weather.gov and enter your zip code to find your local WFO.

National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
The National Estuarine Research Reserves System protects more than 1.3 million coastal and estuarine acres in 30 reserves located in 24 states and Puerto Rico for purposes of long-term research, environmental monitoring, education and stewardship.

Waquoit Bay Reserve (Falmouth, MA) offsite link – Joan Muller, Education Coordinator: joan.muller@mass.gov
Wells Reserve (Wells, ME) offsite link – Suzanne Kahn, Education Director: suzanne@wellsnerr.org
Great Bay Reserve (Greenland, NH) offsite link – Kelle Loughlin, Education Coordinator: Kelle.Loughlin@wildlife.nh.gov
Narragansett Bay (Prudence Island, RI) offsite link – Maureen Dewire, Education Coordinator: maureen.dewire@dem.ri.gov
Connecticut Reserve (Groton, CT) offsite link – Larissa Graham, Education Coordinator: larissa.graham@uconn.edu

NOAA National Marine Sanctuaries

Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
NOAA’s 14 National Marine Sanctuaries serve as the trustee for the nation’s system of marine protected areas, to conserve, protect, and enhance their biodiversity, ecological integrity, and cultural legacy.

Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary (MA) – Anne Smrcina, Education Coordinator: anne.smrcina@noaa.gov

National Sea Grant Program

Professional development • Curriculum • Student and educator resources
Sea Grant is a nationwide network of 34 university-based programs that conduct scientific research, education, training, and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.

Connecticut Sea Grant offsite link – Diana Payne, Education Coordinator: diana.payne@uconn.edu
Lake Champlain Sea Grant (VT) offsite link – Nate Trachte, Education Specialist: ntrac002@plattsburgh.edu
Maine Sea Grant offsite link – Keri Kaczor, Environmental Literacy and Workforce Development Program Manager: keri.kaczor@maine.edu
Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sea Grant offsite link – Dr. Andrew Bennett, Education Administrator: abennett@mit.edu
New Hampshire Sea Grant offsite link – Gracie Ballou, Coastal Ecology Education Coordinator: Gracie.Ballou@unh.edu
Rhode Island Sea Grant offsite link – Kimberly Ohnemus, Workforce Development & Research Coordinator: kohnemus@uri.edu
Woods Hole Sea Grant offsite link – Grace Simpkins, Education Specialist: gsimpkins@whoi.edu

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Lesson plans and curricula • Stewardship projects • Media library
The NOAA Marine Debris Program envisions the global ocean and its coasts free from the impacts of marine debris.

Northeast Office – Demi Fox, Regional Coordinator: demi.fox@noaa.gov

NOAA Fisheries

Student opportunities • Laboratory facilities • NOAA scientists • Educator resources
The NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management, and the promotion of healthy ecosystems. They have regional offices and several smaller field offices.

Greater Atlantic Regional Office (Gloucester, MA) – Kate Swails, Communications, Outreach, and Education: kate.swails@noaa.gov
Northeast Fisheries Science Center (Woods Hole, MA) – Cheryl Kitts, Communications Specialist: cheryl.kitts@noaa.gov
Coasts, Oceans, and Stewardship Program (COAST) offsite link – Grace Simpkins, Woods Hole Sea Grant Educator: gsimpkins@whoi.edu
New England Laboratory Facilities
- Milford, CT – Kristen Jabanoski, Science Communications Specialist: kristen.jabanoski@noaa.gov
- Orono, ME– Main phone line: 207-866-7322
- East Falmouth, MA – Cheryl Kitts, Communications Specialist: cheryl.kitts@noaa.gov
- Narragansett, RI – Karen Tougas, Administrative Support: karen.tougas@noaa.gov
Students Collaborating to Undertake Tracking Efforts for Sturgeon (SCUTES) – Jean Higgins, SCUTES Head: jean.higgins@noaa.gov

Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

Curriculum • Data • Multimedia
The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national-regional partnership working to provide new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment.

Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal and Ocean Observing System’s (NERACOOS) – Jake Kritzer, Executive Director: jake@neracoos.org or info@neracoos.org

New England Bay Watershed Education and Training (B-WET) Program

Competitive grants for educator watershed training programs
B-WET is an environmental educator program that promotes locally relevant, experiential learning in the K-12 environment.

Deirdre Kimball, Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office: deirdre.kimball@noaa.gov

Cooperative Institute for the North Atlantic Region (CINAR) offsite link

Student opportunities • Real-time data
The mission of CINAR is to conduct and coordinate cutting-edge research engaging both NOAA and academic scientists to enable informed decisions by NOAA for sustainable and beneficial management of the northwestern Atlantic shelf ecosystem.

Mindy Richlen, Associate Director and Research Specialist: mrichlen@whoi.edu

National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) offsite link

Regional competitions in the ocean sciences
NOTE: The NOSB national office will not host a national finals competition in 2023-24 or 2024-25. Some regional offices will be hosting competitions. Please reach out to contacts below for more details.
The NOSB is a national high school academic competition with regional competitions for student teams to test their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology.

Quahog Bowl (CT, RI) offsite link – Andrew Ely, Regional coordinator: aely@oceanology.org
Blue Lobster Bowl (MA) offsite link – Lori Tsuruda, Regional coordinator: Lori@pmd.org; Ltsuruda@gmail.com
Nor’easter Bowl (ME, NH) offsite link – Leah Bymers, Competition Logistics: lbymers@une.edu

Local NOAA vessels

Follow current science off the Atlantic coast

NOAA Teacher at Sea offsite link (follow teacher blogs onboard the ships)
NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler (New Castle, NH) – Commander Michael Gonsalves: co.ferdinand.hassler@noaa.gov
NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow (Newport, RI) – Commander Stephen Kuzirian: co.henry.bigelow@noaa.gov
NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer (North Kingstown, RI) – Commander Colin Little: co.explorer@noaa.gov

Historical and real-time data

Local historical weather events and data

NOAA Science on a Sphere® (SOS) locations

Earth systems data projected on a six-foot globe
SOS is a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display data onto a six foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. It was developed by researchers at NOAA to help illustrate complex environmental processes in a captivating way.