NOAA Inspection, Survey & Testing Enhanced
Nautical Charting and Hydrographic Survey (Office of Coast Survey)
NOAA's Office of Coast Survey, established in 1807, charts U.S. coastal waters, surveys the seafloor and locates navigation hazards with ships, sonar and response teams.
Description
The Office of Coast Survey, first established in 1807, is NOAA's charting arm. NOAA ships chart the waters along the U.S. coasts, locate submerged obstructions and navigation hazards, and explore the continental shelves and slopes using seafloor mapping sonars and autonomous underwater vehicles.
Key features
- Nautical charting of U.S. coastal waters
- Seafloor mapping with sonar and autonomous underwater vehicles
- Coast Survey Navigation Response Teams conducting sonar surveys, such as the first sonar survey of the wrecks of the tankers Frank H. Buck and Lyman Stewart off San Francisco
- Charting heritage including the steamer Bibb (1847), the Blake (1874) and the Pathfinder, the first survey ship with an onboard chart printing press
- Participation in the National Ocean Mapping, Exploration and Characterization (NOMEC) Council, which coordinates U.S. ocean mapping, including the Extended Continental Shelf delineated in 2023
Applications
- Safe navigation for commercial and recreational mariners
- Hazard identification and seafloor characterization
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