Nancy Foster Visitor's Center in Key West, Fla. (Photo: NMS)
(Sept. 25, 2007) -- The National Weather Service office in Key West has partnered with NOAA's Marine Sanctuary to provide content and support for the Nancy Foster Visitors Center. The center's exhibits demonstrate NOAA's mission to monitor and maintain the earth's environment -- from the air to the depths of the ocean. The Key West office has contributed posters about the local weather and climate. The office also provided a touch screen monitor that allows users to view local forecasts, warnings and radar and satellite imagery.
The Key West office and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary staff also collaborate by sharing forecasts and observations. Sanctuary vessels provide weather and wave observations to the NWS forecasters, and in turn the forecasters provide specialized weather support for the Sanctuary's various missions on and under the water.
Most recently, the weather forecasters worked with a coral spawning research team that was engaged in repeated long term night dives. It is difficult to judge the distance to a thunderstorm and its direction of movement while on the water at night. However, accurate weather forecasts enabled the team to continue working while thunderstorms safely passed just outside of the area of work.
NMS divers in Florida Keys (Photo: Paige Gill, NMS)
NOAA Marine Sanctuary vessels (Photo: NMS)
