President Obama proposed a slight increase in funding for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration next year to sustain weather and climate satellite programs and "core" responsibilities for environmental science and stewardship.

The Obama administration's proposed 2013 budget released this morning includes $5.179 billion for NOAA -- about $165 million more than the agency received in 2012 and $452 million more than in 2011. The administration did not bundle the agency's budget into the Interior Department, although the president last month proposed merging the two agencies.

Programs that would receive an increase include weather satellite systems and those measuring sea level and potentially damaging solar storms. The satellite programs would receive much of the boost, as the administration requested a $150 million increase to a total $1.816 billion Procurement, Acquisition and Construction account.

"These satellites are critical to NOAA's ability to provide accurate weather forecasts and warnings that help protect lives and property," the budget documents state.

A $30 million bump would go toward the $3.131 billion Operations, Research and Facilities accounts, which fund, among other things, management of the nation's fisheries and oceans.

Slightly offsetting those two increases was a $15 million decrease in the "other accounts" line item. It was not immediately clear what that cut would specifically entail.

Those adjustments are in keeping with recent history and somewhat disappointing, said Corry Westbrook, federal policy director at the oceans conservation group Oceana. Westbrook said satellite programs have received the lion's share of funding increases in recent years, leaving little left over for underfunded research programs.

Although any increase to research and facilities is good news given the nation's financial straits, she said, the federal government must commit more money to fighting severe threats of ocean acidification, depleting fish stocks and seafood fraud.

"In short, we'd like to see a bigger bump for healthy ocean management, and this gives the bigger bump to satellites," Westbrook said.

The Commerce Department budget, which contains NOAA, also includes what the documents described as "tough cuts" to programs that overlap with those of other agencies. Those include cuts to the Global Climate Change Mitigation Incentive Fund and to conservation grants, the budget said.