The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) and Oregon State University are working together to map the ocean floor along Oregon’s coast. The two-year project is funded by a $5 million NOAA grant and $1.3 million of state money. The project aims to survey water depths, navigational issues, natural features, and aquatic life. The effort is part of a larger consortium that include California and Washington that aims to map the Pacific Ocean coast in detail by 2020.
The study will help to assess the potential for wave energy, improve tsunami modeling, and help determine the most viable marine reserves among the many that have been proposed.
Read more in this AP story.
