The Community Earth atmospheric Data System (CEDS) provides historical surface flux data that are used for general analysis and also for model validation through comparisons with observations.

PNNL administers two research buoys for the U.S. Department of Energy that allows collection of wind meteorological and oceanographic data off the nation's coasts.

PNNL's Ocean Dynamics Modeling group studies coastal processes such as marine-hydrokinetic energy, coastal circulations, storm surge and extreme waves, tsunamis, sediment transport and nutrient-macroalgal dynamics.