There is also a huge volume of fascinating work being done throughout National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Research facilities. It is clear that sharing experiences and knowledge stimulates our creativity and improves scientific productivity. The Hot Items web site has been designed and developed to provide a quick and easy way to stay aware of the latest happenings throughout NOAA Research laboratories, program offices, University Joint Institures and headquarters.

The concept is simple. Each organization within NOAA Research enters their own information for publication on the NOAA Research Hot Items! web site, using a convenient web entry form. The information is immediately pushed onto the NOAA Research Hot Items! Web site. New entries are posted continuously, and after two weeks old items are automatically moved to an Archive that is searchable by keyword, date, and organization. Since the Hot Items is web based, users of Netscape Mail can install the Hot Items page into their Netscape Mail Browser Window, ensuring that it is immediately available when an employee logs in each morning.

Operational since February 2001, the NOAA Research Hot Items web site is proving highly successful by providing NOAA Research personnel throughout the laboratories and programs to share information about their work. NOAA Research management is using the information from NOAA Research Hot Items to brief NOAA management on key research issues, and the information is also used for press releases, annual reports and other reporting vehicles.