Ocean & coastal analytics · National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
NOAA CoastWatch
Free NOAA program distributing satellite ocean and coastal data such as sea surface temperature, chlorophyll and ocean color.
NOAA CoastWatch (also branded OceanWatch for global/climate applications) provides satellite-derived ocean and coastal data, including sea surface temperature, ocean color and chlorophyll concentration, for the US and global waters. It publishes over 800 regional and global datasets combining satellite imagery, model output and in-situ sensor data, aimed at fisheries management, coastal resource protection, harmful-algal-bloom monitoring and climate-impact assessment. Access is through the CoastWatch/OceanWatch Data Portal, which lets users layer and compare data from multiple dates and download NetCDF files for offline analysis, plus regional nodes such as the West Coast node. As a federal program, all data and tools are free and publicly funded.
At a glance
| Vendor | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) |
|---|---|
| Pricing model | Free |
| Free tier | Yes |
| Deployment | Cloud |
| Open source | No |
| Best for | Fisheries managers and coastal scientists needing free satellite ocean data for US and global waters. |
Pricing
Free federal program; all satellite data products and portal tools are publicly funded.
Pricing has not been verified yet — see the vendor's site.
Features
- Satellite sea surface temperature, ocean color and chlorophyll data
- 800+ regional and global oceanographic datasets
- CoastWatch/OceanWatch Data Portal for multi-date visualization
- NetCDF downloads for offline analysis
- Harmful-algal-bloom and coastal resource monitoring products
- Regional nodes including a dedicated West Coast portal
Profile last reviewed September 21, 2026