NOAA's Undersea Research Program

Leader in underwater research

What does the NOAA's Undersea Research Program do for the nation?

NOAA's Undersea Research Program (NURP) performs research and service for the nation by providing undersea scientists with the tools and expertise needed to work in the undersea environment. NURP works with scientists in using submersibles, remotely operated or autonomous underwater vehicles, mixed gas diving gear, underwater laboratories and observatories, and other cutting edge technologies. NURP's research programs cover a range of undersea environments from the shoreline to the deep sea and include nearly all scientific disciplines.

NURP has regional centers around the nation and is headquartered in NOAA's Office of Oceanic and Atmospheric Research (OAR) in Silver Spring, MD. NURP provides extramural grants through its regional centers to both the Federal and non-Federal research community. Priority is given to studies in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States and adjacent waters, including the Great Lakes. The regional centers annually support over one hundred undersea research projects that focus on NOAA's mission as steward of ocean resources and environments.

NURP's research is mission related. The program provides:

Tools for undersea research, including submersibles, ROVs, diving technologies;
Research funding and leadership (operations management and expertise); and,
Service to NOAA programs, including safety protocols & standards, support for non-research tasks, and a process for peer review and selection of projects.

Recent Accomplishments

Research on the effects of trawling on seafloor habitats. Payoffs: Areas currently closed to fishing provide an opportunity to assess recovery rates in a range of habitats and oceanographic conditions, providing information on appropriate timing for reopening closed areas.
Research on factors affecting coral health. Payoffs: Maintaining the health of corals and preventing damage to coral reefs are national goals. Healthy coral ecosystems support commercial and recreational activities that are worth over one billion dollars annually.
Research on frozen methane hydrates. Payoffs: Hydrates may hold more than 1,000 times more energy than all estimated oil and gas sources combined. NURP has supported numerous submersible cruises in the Gulf of Mexico to study hydrates, their unique environments and the ecosystems associated with them.
Research on fish stocks: Protected refuge, methods of stock assessment, and effects of coral harvesting. Payoffs: NURP research helps protect habitats, provide sustainable fisheries, and understand ecosystem relationships.
Operation of Aquarius, the world's only underwater laboratory. Payoffs: NURP provides the ability to study shallow (50-100 ft.) environments for extended periods in real time. Coral ecosystems are a principal research subject.

What's next for NURP?

Challenges in the next five to ten years:

Improve understanding of undersea ecosystems:
- Investigate new bio-networks; deep sea coral, vent systems
- Support the National Marine Fisheries Service in advancing a scientific basis for maintaining healthy fish stocks and rebuilding protected species.
- Support the National Ocean Service in improving knowledge within the National Marine Sanctuary system.
Explore and discover new resources, including biomedical compounds.
Investigate and describe the contributions of seafloor methane hydrates to climate.
Develop advanced technologies to support exploration and research in the undersea environment.

US map showing NURP center locations

North Atlantic & Great Lakes
Univ. of Connecticut--Avery Point, Groton, CT
(860) 405-9121

Mid-Atlantic Center
Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, NJ
(732) 932-6555, ext. 512

Southeastern US & Gulf of Mexico Center
Univ. of North Carolina at Wilmington, Wilmington, NC
(910) 962-2440

West Coast & Polar Regions Center
Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK
(907) 474-5870 (910) 962-2440

Hawaii & the Western Pacific Center
Univ. of Hawaii- Manoa, Honolulu, HI
(808) 956-6802

Caribbean Center
Caribbean Marine Research Center Tequesta, FL
(561) 741-0192

NIUST
Natl. Inst. for Undersea Science and Tech.
Univ. of Mississippi, Oxford, MS
(662) 915-5479

Budget and Staff

The fiscal year 2006 enacted budget for NURP is $4.2M for its base budget plus $4.9M for its National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology at the University of Mississippi. NURP has 6 permanent Federal employees. The fiscal year 2007 President's budget request for NURP is $9.2M for the NURP base budget and $0M for the National Institute for Undersea Science and Technology.