SEATTLE (AP) - The central Oregon coastal town of Newport will be the new base for the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration's research ships on the West Coast, the federal agency announced Tuesday.

The operations center has been on Seattle's Lake Union for nearly 50 years. In addition to Seattle and Newport, Bellingham and Port Angeles, Wash., had hoped to be chosen for the base.

After signing a 20-year lease, NOAA plans to base four research ships and up to two visiting ships at Newport starting in 2011. The base in Seattle currently has about 175 employees, including 110 officers and crew assigned to the ships.

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