Volunteer ovbserving ships and th U.S. Government - a winning partnership

The U.S. Government continues to enjoy excellent partnerships within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NoAA) I private industry, universities, the U.S. Navy, and other Government agencies in the collection of marine meteorological and oceanographic data from the world's oceans. A partnership exists where the maritime industries provide the platforms and personnel and NOAA and Navy provide training, equipment, and logistics support. Data gathered by this partnership and received at the National Prediction and Archive Centers aid the entire maritime industry by improving forecasts and services thus allowing ships to make safer voyages while saving time and money. This partnership is not limited to U.S. ships but extends to ships of other countries. This international cooperation makes possible the collection of ocean data on a global scale, allowing the world to better understand global environmental changes and their interactions with the oceans.