The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is a U.S. scientific agency within the Department of Commerce, tasked with forecasting weather, monitoring oceanic conditions, charting seas, and managing marine resources. Founded on October 3, 1970 by President Richard Nixon, NOAA was created to consolidate federal environmental efforts, though its roots trace back to agencies like the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey (1807) and the Weather Bureau (1870). Headquartered in Silver Spring, Maryland, the agency employs over 11,800 people, including a uniformed corps of 321 officers who support its research and operations. In 2025, NOAA faced significant turmoil, including the layoff of roughly 1,300 staff members (about 10% of its workforce) following DOGE-led cuts, and the Department of Defense's decision to stop providing critical weather data to its scientists. Most recently, Neil Jacobs was confirmed as NOAA Administrator on October 7, 2025, taking over leadership after a series of acting administrators. Despite these challenges, NOAA remains a vital global authority on climate, weather, and ocean science, celebrating 200 years of service in 2007 as the successor to the nation's earliest scientific surveys.