NOAA PMEL at 50
NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory celebrated its golden anniversary in 2023/24. Explore a selection of stories and events from the year highlighting PMEL's 50 years of science in service to society:
Message from the Director
PMEL turned 50 years old in 2023! During our golden anniversary year, we celebrated a half-century of accomplishments and the people who continue to make us one of the world's leading oceanographic laboratories. Since 1973, PMEL's scientific advancements have changed what we know about our world. Because of the people who shaped our beginnings, PMEL is a world-class laboratory that makes critical observations and conducts groundbreaking research to advance our knowledge of the global ocean and its interactions with the earth, atmosphere, ecosystems, and climate.
As the future unfolds, PMEL will continue to evolve and lead the next generation of scientists. PMEL staff will develop innovative science and technology that will protect lives and property, address challenging scientific questions, explore the unexplored, inspire new approaches to observing the world, and support the U.S. economy. The PMEL 50th anniversary has been an opportunity to remember our rich history, but most importantly, to look forward to many more years of science in service to society.
PMEL Quick History
In 1966, the Institute of Oceanography was created within the Environmental Science Services Administration - NOAA’s immediate predecessor organization. Under ESSA and the Institute of Oceanography, various new research groups were formed, including the Pacific Oceanographic Laboratory, the Joint Oceanographic Research Group at the University of Washington, and the Joint Tsunami Research Effort at the University of Hawaii.
In 1973, the Pacific Oceanographic Lab was reorganized into the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) along with the lab and personnel from the Marine Minerals Technology Center.
Over its history, PMEL has grown into a world-renowned laboratory with a global impact from developing the DART systems to the TAO array in the tropical Pacific Ocean to pioneering research on ocean acidification, ecosystem studies, and climate phenomena.
Read more about the origin of NOAA’s Wet Labs (Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory) online: https://celebrating200years.noaa.gov/foundations/ocean_research/welcome.html