Science activity

NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) maintains the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON), an observation network with more than 200 permanent water level stations on the coasts and Great Lakes. CO-OPS maintains three core observation and one modeling system. The National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) is the foundation of the comprehensive system for observing, communicating, and assessing the impact of changing water levels nationwide. This system allows NOAA to provide the official tidal predictions for the nation. Accurate water level data is critical for safe and efficient marine navigation and for the protection of infrastructure along the coast. The NWLON also provides the national standards for tide and water level reference datums used for nautical charting, coastal engineering, international treaty regulation, and boundary determination. The NWLON is also widely recognized as the key federal component of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).