The U.S. Coast Guard National Data Buoy Development Project (NDBDP) is currently conducting planning studies preparatory to undertaking research, development, testing, and evaluation of all aspects of National Data Buoy Systems (NDBS) capable of satisfying national requirements for collection of marine atmospheric and oceanographic environmental data. Four broad classes of data requirements have been identified: Operational, Deep Ocean; Operational, Coastal North America; Operational, Estuaries and Great Lakes; and Research. (Author).