The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO) manages and operates NOAA's fleet of 15 research and survey ships and ten specialized environmental data-collecting aircraft. The research and survey ships operated, managed, and maintained by OMAO comprise the largest fleet of federal research ships in the nation. Ranging from large oceanographic research vessels capable of exploring the world’s deepest ocean, to smaller ships responsible for charting the shallow bays and inlets of the United States, the fleet supports a wide range of marine activities including fisheries surveys, nautical charting, and ocean and climate studies. NOAA aircraft operate throughout the world Read more