As the second oldest federal marine science laboratory in the nation, NOAA’s Beaufort Lab predates the establishment of NOAA by more than 70 years. It was founded in 1899 as part of the United States Fish Commission, one of NOAA’s predecessor agencies. NOAA’s Beaufort Lab has been a leader in fisheries, ecological, and oceanographic research throughout its history.
The lab has played a crucial role in understanding and preserving our coastal environments. It has contributed to sustainable fisheries management, and furthered coastal resilience efforts since its start. Today, the lab serves as a hub for coastal and marine research and supports regional, national, and international scientific collaborations.
NOAA Fisheries Science in Beaufort
Southeast Fisheries Science Center personnel in Beaufort work with partners to provide independent, objective science to inform natural resource management. In particular, fisheries management councils and fisheries commissions depend on our science to make decisions that protect and conserve the region’s marine life. Our science also plays an important part in species status reviews and critical habitat designations under the Endangered Species Act and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Here in Beaufort, our scientific pursuits include:
- Applied protected species research and monitoring studies
- Cross-regional scale scientific surveys
- Fish life-history studies
- Fishery stock assessments
- Development and application of advanced technologies
- Population and health assessments for marine mammals and sea turtles
- Southeast Region Headboat Survey
While the science center is the largest NOAA Fisheries presence at the Beaufort lab, we also have staff from the Southeast Regional Office, Office of Protected Resources, Office of Aquaculture, and Office of Science and Technology.
Coastal Ocean Science in Beaufort
The Beaufort Lab is also home to the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science under NOAA’s National Ocean Service. Their staff in Beaufort conduct research on:
- Harmful algal blooms
- Habitat mapping
- Aquaculture siting and impacts
- Ecology of marshes and coral reefs
- Coastal resilience and restoration
The lab also hosts educational camps and school field trips through the North Carolina Coastal Reserve and National Estuarine Research Reserve to the Rachel Carson Estuarine Research Reserve, just a short boat ride away.
Read the National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science's story
Celebrating the Past, Looking Toward the Future
Over the last 125 years, fisheries science has certainly changed, and our agency and laboratory have transformed along the way—including in greater staff diversity. Advances in technology have improved our data as well as how we collect it. Emerging issues such as climate change have shifted how we account for environmental variables in our models. And, new ocean uses like offshore wind development have pushed us to think outside the box about marine life and how we study it. Our scientists and staff have worked diligently throughout the years to account for and adapt to these, and many other, changes. We look forward to continuing to grow our capabilities into the future.