With more than 350 divers, NOAA has more divers than any other U.S. civilian federal agency. NOAA divers conduct work and research across the agency, however most diving occurs within NOAA Fisheries, the National Ocean Service and NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. The NOAA Diving Program and NOAA Diving Center are part of NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations. The NOAA Diving Center in Seattle, Washington is the main NOAA diving training facility, and the administrative headquarters of the NOAA Diving Program.
NOAA divers work underwater to further NOAA’s missions. Depending on the mission, NOAA divers:
- Conduct habitat surveys and restoration work or support environmental emergencies such as ship groundings and oil spills.
- Document underwater maritime heritage sites, assist with fish stock restoration and maintain navigation and environmental monitoring equipment like tide-level gauges and buoys.
- Install and test underwater research equipment, maintain boat moorings, and do vessel maintenance.
- Support management of marine habitats by tending coral nurseries, raising and outplanting endangered species, report coral bleaching events, mitigate invasive species and collect marine biological data
Diving Safety
Because divers work on NOAA mission-related projects, the majority of dives are scientific in nature. NOAA divers also engage in working (OSHA-regulated) dives and participate in numerous training and proficiency dives.
The NOAA Diving Program provides the guidelines and training for all NOAA divers. This includes employees, volunteers and contractors diving in support of NOAA’s mission. The program also oversees all diving that is performed on behalf of NOAA’s scientific research and operations.
Averaging about 12,000 dives per year in the past five years, the NOAA Diving Program has consistently maintained an excellent diving safety record. This safety record can be attributed to three guiding principles:
- thorough training
- adherence to established standards and procedures
- use of top quality, well maintained equipment
The program provides the leadership, organization and staff to apply these principles through its numerous training programs, administrative procedures and equipment standards.
The role of the NOAA Diving Program
- Establishing policies, rules and regulations for NOAA divers.
- Supplying safe and well maintained diving equipment through the Standardized Equipment Program.
- Providing expertise in diving medicine: annually assessing medical fitness, training diving medical emergency procedures, providing medical advice during diving medical emergencies and undertaking medical research pertaining to diving issues.
- Inspecting diving unit facilities and observing NOAA divers on site to ensure compliance with NOAA diving standards and regulations.
- Investigating and implementing new diving technologies and techniques.
- Fostering working relationships with other diving programs.
Safety and oversight
The NOAA Diving Program is governed by the NOAA Diving Control and Safety Board. This is a regulatory and reviewing body composed of selected divers from across the agency and NOAA Diving Program staff. The board is the ultimate authority in reviewing program needs, setting policy and advising the field on operational diving matters. They are assisted in their task by experts from the diving medical and technical diving communities.