It's NOAA Heritage Week: Explore your world and learn how NOAA—the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration—takes the pulse of the planet every day and protects and manages ocean and coastal resources. The week of Feb. 4, NOAA is hosting a series of free lunchtime presentations at the Gateway to NOAA exhibit on a variety of timely topics. It started with ocean acidification's effects on oysters and ends Friday with microscopic images of ocean life. Gateway to NOAA is located at 1325 East-West Highway in Silver Spring, Maryland.

NOAA Heritage Week Open House in Maryland

Join us on NOAA's Silver Spring, Maryland, campus on Saturday, Feb. 9 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for free activities, including engaging talks by NOAA experts, interactive exhibits, special tours, and hands-on activities for ages 5 and up. Meet and talk with scientists, weather forecasters, hurricane hunter pilots, and others who work to understand our environment, protect life and property, and conserve and protect natural resources. Look forward to making origami whales, viewing seahorse X-rays, building an ocean buoy, or getting "shocked" learning about lightning safety with NOAA. Visit www.noaa.gov/openhouse for details. Adults, please bring a photo ID to enter this federal facility.

Protecting America's Heritage

In communities across America, NOAA is preserving the nation's heritage. For example, NOAA promotes the message that our heritage resources belong to everyone, and that we all have a role to play in preserving them for future generations. NOAA's Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary offers a Web-based shipwreck trail that highlights the region's rich maritime history and encourages the public to visit the Keys and dive the trail's nine carefully chosen, mapped, and interpreted sites. Learn more at preserveamerica.noaa.gov/welcome.html.