NOAA Office of Coast Survey

NOAA Office of Coast Survey
Name	Office of Coast Survey
Formed	1807
Preceding1	Survey of the Coast
Jurisdiction	United States
Headquarters	Silver Spring, Maryland
Chief1 name	Richard Brennan
Parent agency	National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NOAA Office of Coast Survey is the federal nautical charting authority for the United States, responsible for producing and maintaining nautical charts, providing hydrographic surveys, and supporting maritime navigation safety. Originating as the Survey of the Coast in 1807, the office has evolved through relationships with institutions such as the United States Congress, United States Navy, United States Coast Guard, and Department of Commerce. Its work underpins operations of ports, maritime commerce, scientific expeditions, and disaster response involving organizations like the Port of New York and New Jersey, Panama Canal Authority, and agencies such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

History

The office traces institutional lineage to the 1807 authorization by United States Congress to establish the Survey of the Coast, influenced by figures like President Thomas Jefferson, President James Madison, and surveyors including Ferdinand R. Hassler and Charles Wilkes. Throughout the 19th century the office intersected with events such as the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, and the expansion of the Erie Canal, contributing charts for ports like Boston Harbor, New Orleans, and San Francisco Bay. In the Civil War era the office coordinated with the Union Navy and worked alongside institutions such as the Smithsonian Institution and the United States Coast Survey legacy organizations. The 20th century brought integration into the United States Weather Bureau and later the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 1970, aligning with developments like the LORAN navigation system, the advent of Global Positioning System satellites, and Cold War maritime programs tied to the United States Navy and National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Mission and Responsibilities

The office’s statutory responsibilities include nautical chart production, hydrographic surveying, tide and current modeling, and provision of navigation products to support entities such as United States Merchant Marine Academy, Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, United States Army Corps of Engineers, and international partners like the International Maritime Organization. It delivers products used by commercial shipping companies operating in lanes such as the North Atlantic shipping routes, regulatory bodies like the United States Coast Guard, and scientific programs spanning institutions such as the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory.

Organizational Structure

Administratively situated within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the office works closely with components including the National Ocean Service, National Geodetic Survey, and regional navigation managers covering districts like the Northeast Region and Pacific Islands Region. Leadership interacts with Congress committees such as the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the Senate Commerce Committee, while operational units coordinate with ship-based assets, survey teams, and cartographic divisions analogous to units in the United States Geological Survey and National Aeronautics and Space Administration mapping efforts.

Programs and Services

Major programs encompass hydrographic survey operations supporting the Marine Transportation System, electronic and paper nautical charting programs used by mariners in places from Chesapeake Bay to Puget Sound, and the provision of tides and currents data relied upon by ports like Port of Los Angeles, Port of Long Beach, and Port of Savannah. Services extend to emergency response mapping for disasters such as Hurricane Katrina, Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and tsunami events monitored by collaborations with the National Tsunami Warning Center and Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The office also maintains marine spatial data infrastructure used by the National Oceanographic Partnership Program and international mechanisms including the International Hydrographic Organization.

Technology and Innovation

Technological advancements include the adoption of multibeam echosounders, LIDAR bathymetry, GPS-based positioning from Global Positioning System and Galileo (satellite navigation), and digital chart distribution through systems interoperable with standards from the International Maritime Organization and International Electrotechnical Commission. Research collaborations have involved the Office of Naval Research, National Science Foundation, and industry partners such as Kongsberg Maritime and Teledyne Technologies. Innovations support autonomous surface vehicles used in surveys, integration with satellite altimetry from missions like Jason-3, and improvements to the marine geoid from work related to GRACE and GOCE missions.

Partnerships and Collaborations

The office maintains partnerships with federal entities including the United States Coast Guard, United States Army Corps of Engineers, Federal Emergency Management Agency, and National Geodetic Survey; academic partners such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Washington, and University of Miami; and international bodies like the International Hydrographic Organization and Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission. Cooperative agreements support port authorities, private hydrographic firms, and regional councils such as the Gulf of Mexico Alliance and the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission.

Notable Projects and Impact

Notable projects include nationwide nautical chart modernization, post-disaster charting efforts after Hurricane Sandy, routine surveys that improved navigation safety in channels like the Ambrose Channel and approaches to Charleston Harbor, and contributions to nautical safety that reduced incidents involving carriers such as vessels operating along the Intracoastal Waterway. The office’s datasets feed decision-making for maritime trade hubs including Port of New Orleans and inform scientific studies by institutions like the United States Geological Survey and NOAA Fisheries. Its legacy shapes maritime law enforcement cooperation with the United States Customs and Border Protection and supports international shipping conventions administered by the International Maritime Organization.

Category:National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Category:Hydrography Category:Maritime safety