Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command

Location:

Stennis Space Center, MS


Contacts:

LCDR Bobby Dixon
Mr. Jonathan B. Holloway
cnmoc_stns_paoweb@navy.mil

Operating Status Summer 2024:

Command, Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command adheres to federal CDC COVID-19 guidelines.

Student Requirements:

Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

Mission

To define and apply the physical environment, from the bottom of the ocean to the stars, to ensure that the U.S. Navy has the freedom of action to deter aggression, maintain freedom of the seas and win wars.

About the Lab

The Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (CNMOC), serves as the operational arm of the Naval Oceanography Program. CNMOC is focused on providing critical environmental knowledge to the war fighting disciplines of Anti-Submarine Warfare, Naval Special Warfare, Mine Warfare, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance, and Fleet Operations (Strike and Expeditionary), as well as to the support areas of Maritime Operations, Aviation Operations, Navigation, Precise Time, and Astrometry.

What is unique about this lab?

CNMOC traces its ancestry to the Depot of Charts and Instruments. In the 1840s, superintendent Lt Matthew Fontaine Maury created a revolutionary series of wind and current charts which laid the foundation for the sciences of oceanography and meteorology. WE ARE CO-LOCATED WITH NASA!!!

About the Internship

Interns in participation with Naval Oceanography will receive hands-on, empirical experience in supporting projects that directly contribute to the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command’s mission in defining and applying the physical environment, from the bottom of the ocean to the stars, to ensure that the U.S. Navy has the freedom of action to deter aggression, maintain freedom of the seas and win wars. Summer interns will engage in exciting work that delves into intricacies of the ocean’s floor and the cosmos, while developing a keen understanding of working as a STEM professional.

What will I do any given day as an intern at this lab?

Interns participate in lab functions in a number of ways including (but not limited to) assisting mentors with guided research projects; job and project shadowing with professional researchers; networking with other interns and STEM professionals; attending technical meetings, seminars and conferences; joining group mentoring sessions, team building workshops, and leadership development programs; participating at outreach events; touring labs; and other professional development activities.

WHAT SUBJECTS SHOULD STUDENTS BE STUDYING TO BE A GOOD FIT FOR INTERNING AT THIS LAB?

The primary subjects of interest include:

  • Applied Mathematics
  • Astronomy
  • Biology
  • Computer Science
  • Earth Science
  • Engineering
  • Environmental Science
  • Geology
  • Government
  • Marine Biology
  • Mathematics
  • Meteorology
  • Oceanography
  • Physical Science
  • Physics
  • Statistics and Probability

What will I learn as an intern at this lab?

Interns in participation with Naval Oceanography will receive hands-on, empirical experience in supporting projects that directly contribute to the U.S. Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command’s mission in defining and applying the physical environment, from the bottom of the ocean to the stars, to ensure that the U.S. Navy has the freedom of action to deter aggression, maintain freedom of the seas and win wars. Summer interns will engage in exciting work that delves into intricacies of the ocean’s floor and the cosmos, while developing a keen understanding of working as a STEM professional.

What kinds of projects do interns at this lab participate in?

High Performance Computing - HPC contributes to Naval Oceanography’s detailed weather models, compiling historic and current environmental data used in predictive weather model software.

Glider Operations Program - Ocean gliders are autonomous underwater vehicles used by scientists and professionals around the world (academia, oil and gas industry, military, etc.) to collect a variety of oceanographic data in an effort to better understand the ocean water column in specific locations for different purposes. The Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) primarily uses Slocum gliders, developed by Teledyne Webb Research Corporation. About 1.5 meters (~5 feet) long and 21 cm (~6 in) diameter, Slocum gliders resemble yellow model airplanes that operate underwater. Each glider is modular in design and buoyancy-driven, allowing it to collect oceanographic data in the water column for up to four months without the need for active propulsion.

The Remote Environmental Measuring Units (REMUS) 100 was designed with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution with Office of Naval Research funding to support the U.S. Navy’s shallow water operations. REMUS 100 is man-portable, free-swimming, programmable and redirectable. This AUV is capable of conducting pre-programmed, independent operations from a host platform or shore facility. It can dive to 100 meters, has integrated physical oceanography and bottom-mapping sensors and is particularly well-suited for mine warfare support.