NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations is preparing to celebrate the grand opening of a newly renovated pier facility with a ribbon cutting ceremony at its North Charleston, South Carolina location.
The renovation project involved tearing down and completely rebuilding the pier, which now includes shoreside power connections for docked vessels. The project also added a new warehouse, a sea wall, a living shoreline, and other supporting infrastructure to the site.
With the reconstruction complete, NOAA ships Ronald H. Brown and Nancy Foster — both of which call Charleston home — will once again have a dedicated berth at the facility. The upgrades are designed to better support research missions conducted throughout the Atlantic Ocean.
The ribbon cutting ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, July 8 at 10 a.m. EDT at the NOAA North Charleston Pier Facility, located at 2234 S. Hobson Ave., Charleston, S.C. 29405.
Among those expected to attend are Neil Jacobs, Ph.D., the NOAA administrator, and Rear Admiral Chad M. Cary, who serves as NOAA Corps director and assistant administrator for NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations.
Members of the media who wish to cover the event must RSVP by emailing [email protected] no later than July 3, as access to the secure federal facility requires advance approval.
NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations oversees a fleet of 15 research and survey ships. The vessels range from large oceanographic ships capable of reaching the deepest parts of the world’s oceans to smaller craft used to chart shallow bays and coastal inlets across the United States. The fleet supports fisheries surveys, nautical charting, and ocean and climate research. All NOAA ships are crewed by NOAA Corps officers and civilian professional mariners.
