WRITTEN TESTIMONY OF
SCOTT GUDES
DEPUTY UNDER SECRETARY FOR OCEANS AND ATMOSPHERE
NATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE
BEFORE THE
SUBCOMMITTEE ON COAST GUARD AND MARINE TRANSPORTATION
COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION AND INFRASTRUCTURE
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 13, 1999
INTRODUCTION
Thank you, Mr. Chairman, and members of the Subcommittee, for
this opportunity to testify on the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration's mission to promote safe navigation and the Nation's
marine transportation system. The health of coastal economies
and the Nation's success in the emerging global market require
safe and efficient marine commerce. As the Nation's primary marine
resource trustee and steward, NOAA is keenly aware of the need
to protect and enhance coastal resources. Modern navigation services
from NOAA support both efficient commerce and marine resource
protection. Just last year, the Congress recognized the importance
of these programs in passing the Hydrographic Services Improvement
Act of 1998. (A copy of the Act is attached as Exhibit A.)
THE NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT AND PRACTICES
Safe marine transportation is but one of NOAA's ocean and coastal
missions. NOAA has trustee and stewardship responsibilities for
ocean and coastal waters and living marine resources under several
Federal laws, including the Coastal Zone Management Act, the National
Marine Sanctuaries Act, the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation
and Management Act, the Marine Mammal Protection Act, the Endangered
Species Act and the Oil Pollution Act of 1990. Therefore, in
addition to providing services that directly support safe navigation,
NOAA has a particular and deep interest in the impacts of and
the relationship between marine transportation and the health
of coastal ecosystems, communities and economies.
For example, foreign aquatic species brought to the U.S. in the
ballast water of vessels are altering many coastal ecosystems
and threatening indigenous species in the Great Lakes, San Francisco
Bay, Chesapeake Bay and other areas. Some past harbor and port-related
public works projects have resulted in erosion of beaches and
loss of other important coastal habitats, requiring millions of
dollars to be invested in beach replenishment and habitat restoration
projects to support other important activities such as tourism,
fishing, recreation, and protection of property. And, of course,
the recent 10-year anniversary of the EXXON VALDEZ disaster and
the grounding of the NEW CARRISSA on the Oregon coast reminded
us all of the continuing risk marine transportation poses to the
marine environment. It is important that we work to minimize
these and other impacts as we develop and implement sustainable
maritime policies for the future.
But, marine transportation also is an efficient way to move goods
and is vital to trade and our Nation's economy. Millions of tons
of cargo, including millions of gallons of petroleum and other
chemicals, are shipped through our waters safely every day. While
the marine transportation industry could and should continue to
reduce harmful environmental impacts, it certainly does not stand
out as a leading source of most coastal pollution. Perhaps the
most disturbing fact about coastal degradation is that it has
no single cause, no single culprit. Rather, it is the cumulative
impacts of a myriad of activities that are gradually yet constantly
reducing the vitality of our coastal waters.
Today you likely will hear on more than one occasion that maritime
trade is projected to at least double in the next generation and
that an expanded maritime infrastructure is required to accommodate
that growth. It is also true that our coasts and harbors are
becoming ever more crowded with a variety of interests vying for
various uses. As ports and marine transportation expand, other
coastal uses will likely be compromised.
As you deliberate, I ask that you consider how marine transportation
figures into the bigger picture of ocean and coastal resource
health and management. We must recognize the potential consequences
of our actions and work to implement more sustainable practices.
We need to ensure that a doubling of marine commerce does not
result in a commensurate two-fold increase in risk and accidents
or a two-fold reduction in other coastal activities, water quality
and living resources. We must not only look at preventing environmental
degradation, but also at mitigating and restoring coastal environments
that have already been impacted by coastal development. Achieving
this balance of economic prosperity and environmental health is
the essence of sustainable development and will be our challenge
into the 21st century.
NOAA'S MARINE NAVIGATION SERVICES
One way to facilitate marine transportation while mitigating
its impacts is to implement technologies that improve marine navigation
safety and increase efficiency, thereby reducing risks to life,
property and the environment. New technologies can provide mariners
with the type of accurate information they require to safely and
efficiently navigate today's larger vessels in increasingly congested
ports. (A graphic portrayal comparing a new cruise ship to the
U.S. Capitol Building at actual scale is attached as Exhibit B.)
NOAA's primary role in supporting safe navigation is as a provider
of information about the marine environment in the form of:
nautical charts depicting depths, obstructions, shoreline, aids
to navigation and other features;
tide, current, water level, and meteorological data that indicate
how present conditions are impacting charted depths and conditions;
hydrographic surveys of the ocean floor;
a uniform and consistent reference system for positioning vessels
and charted features;
a system of weather buoys and marine weather forecast and warning
services; and
satellite-based search and rescue support.
Nautical Charting
The federal government has been making nautical charts of U.S.
waters since 1807 when Thomas Jefferson urged the creation of
what is now NOAA's Office of the Coast Survey. Today, NOAA maintains
a suite of about 1,000 charts of U.S. waters. The nautical chart
provides a graphic portrayal of the marine environment allowing
mariners to fix positions and plot an efficient course while avoiding
rocks, wrecks, shoals, reefs, tide rips and other known hazards.
The chart indicates depths acquired through hydrographic surveys,
but also depicts the position of the shoreline, bridges, underwater
cables and pipelines, aids to navigation, the nature of the ocean
floor and other information vital to safely traversing coastal
waters.
Much of the data depicted on the chart comes from sources outside
NOAA. Suppliers of information include the Army Corps of Engineers
regarding conditions and depths of the many federal channels it
maintains, the U.S. Coast Guard regarding the position of its
aids to navigation and Notices to Mariners, the Department of
Defense, marine pilots, commercial mariners and recreational boaters.
Every year, based on the tens of thousands of reports we receive,
including notices of wrecks and other obstructions at a rate of
more than 1,000 per year, NOAA makes upward of 20,000 chart revisions.
Historically, charts were produced in runs or editions. A nautical
chart would have to serve a mariner for three or more years before
a new edition was published. During that time, mariners had to
meticulously edit and update their charts manually with all changes,
including Notices to Mariners. In 1995, NOAA converted its entire
chart suite to a digital, raster database. This allowed NOAA
in 1998 to implement a policy of "continual maintenance"
whereby the entire chart suite is updated on a weekly basis.
In addition to an up-to-date paper chart suite, the raster system
also provides a digital chart product, called the raster nautical
chart.
The next challenge is to provide the updated information to mariners
in timely manner. To accomplish this NOAA has sought and obtained
international approval of the digital raster product as a "paper
chart equivalent" to meet international carriage requirements.
Within a year, this process should be completed and commercial
vessels will be able to legally use the raster product NOAA has
produced through a private sector partner instead of a paper chart.
NOAA also is investigating the desirability of and demand for
a "print-on-demand" capability for its paper charts.
This promising new technology will be tested and evaluated over
the next few years to validate the concept as an improved chart
product delivery mechanism. If this technology proves to be viable,
charts would no longer be printed in editions. Instead, mariners
could contact a chart retailer who would download and print a
chart directly from NOAA's continually updated database.
Updated paper and raster charts will improve safety and efficiency
and reduce risks in many ocean-going conditions. But they do
not adequately meet the needs of today's larger vessels and expanded
commerce much less the challenges of the future. To meet these
needs international agreements provide for the development of
digital Electronic Navigation Charts in a uniform and more flexible
vector format. The vector chart is the chart of the future that
will more fully exploit the modern computer capabilities that
are being incorporated into Electronic Chart Display and Information
Systems (ECDIS).
The goal of ECDIS is to provide a single system that displays
and integrates all relevant navigation information (charts, weather,
tides, currents, radar, GPS . . .). Onboard ECDIS computer systems
have been developed by the private sector and can run a variety
of digital chart formats including raster and vector formats.
NOAA is developing large-scale data for production of Electronic
Navigation Charts of major ports for use on these systems. Some
ENCs have been released and an initial suite of charts for the
Nation's primary ports should be completed in late FY2000. Creation
of ENCs is expensive because it requires the gathering of new,
GPS-positioned source information. Updating and maintaining the
ENCs also will incur expense and NOAA is limiting the introduction
of ENCs, in part, based on its ability to keep them up to date.
Tide, Current, and Water Level Information
The volume of marine commerce and the draft of vessels have increased
by about two-fold in the last 50 years. (A graphic portrayal
of how the draft of ships has increased is attached as Exhibit
C.) Modern commercial ships regularly draw more than 40 feet
of water and ports and harbors are working to accommodate these
demands. Knowing precisely how much water is under a ship's keel
is becoming increasingly critical to both safety and the competitiveness
of U.S. exports overseas. The Coast Guard and local authorities
require accurate water-level data for administering under-keel
clearance requirements and for providing vessel traffic services.
Historically, water level information was provided in official
tide and current tables produced by the government; programs that
were put in NOAA when it was created in 1972. Like nautical charts,
current editions of tide tables must be carried by all vessels
over 1,600 gross tons. However, such tables provide only predicted
conditions based on astronomical effects such as the gravitational
pull of the sun and moon. They do not and cannot account for
the often-significant effects of winds, river flow, atmospheric
pressure or water density. For example, a significant shift in
winds alone can alter water levels by as much as several feet
from predicted levels, resulting in either increased risk of groundings
or inefficient use of vessel capacity.
To account for such impacts and to monitor actual water levels
over the long term, NOAA maintains a system of 175 stations called
the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). This network
underpins the determination of Mean Lower Low Water, which is
the conservative reference point used to calculate all hydrographic
soundings on nautical charts. Manual gauges have been replaced
and continue to be upgraded with more advanced systems that can
transmit readings in real time. Building upon these and other
technological advances, NOAA has developed the Physical Oceanographic
Real Time System (PORTS). PORTS is a decision support tool which
improves navigation safety and efficiency. PORTS consists of
an array of sensors strategically located throughout a port.
(A graphic portrayal of a PORTS system is attached as Exhibit
D.) The sensors feed data into a central computer designed to
integrate and deliver highly accurate data on actual water levels,
currents, winds and other critical oceanographic and meteorological
information directly to mariners in near real time. The information
can be accessed directly by modem or via phone and can be readily
assimilated into ECDIS. NOAA is implementing a 24-hour-a-day
quality assurance system to support its real-time services called
the Continuous Operational Real-Time Monitoring System (CORMS).
Prototype PORTS have been installed in Tampa, San Francisco,
Houston/Galveston, and New York/New Jersey. Less complex systems
are operating in Alaska and Chesapeake Bay. PORTS data have been
credited with preventing groundings, reducing shipping delays,
maximizing vessel capacities, and significantly improving spill
response efforts by enhancing predictions of oil spill speed and
trajectory. Maritime organizations and the Coast Guard have expressed
interest in expanded implementation of PORTS. In 1999, ports
in Narragansett Bay and Delaware Bay are contributing more than
$3 million to establish and operate PORTS in their areas. With
NOAA's FY 2000 budget request, we expect to establish operations
at these two locations and additional new PORTS will be established
through cost sharing partnerships that require installation and
on-going local operation and maintenance costs be paid for by
local partners.
Hydrographic and Shoreline Surveying
NOAA is responsible for surveying the waters of the United States
Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) -- about 3.2 million square nautical
miles -- in support of safe navigation. Historically, soundings
for nautical charts were acquired by lowering a lead line over
the side of a boat until it hit the bottom and then measuring
the line. This was supplemented by single beam sonar which, although
much more efficient, still only provided data for a single point
on the ocean floor. In the past decade, the development of side-scan
and multi-beam sonar technologies allow for the determination
of depths of entire swaths of the ocean floor, revealing all obstructions
to navigation. (A graphic portrayal comparing old and new technologies
is attached as Exhibit E.) In combination with accurate positioning
technology--the Global Positioning System (GPS)--ocean features
can be precisely surveyed, positioned and charted in three dimensions.
Today, more than half of the soundings depicted on NOAA charts
were acquired prior to 1940 with older technologies.
Similarly, much of the shoreline depicted on nautical charts
is old and inaccurate. One-third of the U.S. shoreline has never
been mapped by NOAA, and of the portion that has been mapped,
one-quarter was mapped prior to 1970. Only about 10 percent of
the shoreline has been produced digitally. An increased emphasis
on shoreline is necessary to keep pace with an
accelerated nautical chart publication cycle and to improve the
accuracy of electronic charts for navigation. Today, satellite-based
imaging and other remote sensing technology are providing opportunities
to acquire shoreline data more efficiently than with traditional
airplane-based photogrammetry. This is especially true in remote
locations and areas experiencing severe weather and cloud cover
where the greatest expense often is cause by weather delays.
Most hydrographic and shoreline data was obtained prior to the
advent of GPS. Meanwhile, mariners increasingly are relying on
GPS as a primary vessel positioning technology for navigation.
The use of highly accurate GPS instruments by vessels in combination
with charts applying less precisely positioned features increases
the risk of mishaps due to confusion about the location of critical
features.
Positioning
The Coast Guard has primary responsibility to provide GPS stations
in support of marine navigation. However, NOAA houses the Office
of the National Geodetic Survey, which is responsible for the
GPS-based National Spatial Reference System that provides the
underlying quality control and foundation for all civilian GPS
applications. Coast Guard GPS stations are incorporated into
the larger, national system of ground-based reference stations
that is quality controlled by NOAA. NOAA currently is engaged
in a height modernization effort that is using GPS technology
to develop and implement an improved capability to determine accurate
positioning in all three dimensions. When fully implemented,
mariners will have the tools to determine, in real time, the underkeel
clearance from the channel bottom and the "air gap"
or the clearance of a ship's superstructure beneath bridges, helping
to ensure safe and efficient passage.
Weather Buoys and Marine Forecasts
Going to sea has always been a dangerous activity, partly due
to uncertainty about sea and weather conditions. However, modern
satellites, radars, buoys, computer modeling and other technological
advances combined with sound science and improved forecasting
techniques, have allowed NOAA to make our coastal waters safer
for maritime navigation. Although NOAA must continue to improve
the science, modeling, forecasting, technology and delivery of
weather and sea state information, we have made significant progress
in providing these important services in support of maritime commerce
and marine resource protection.
NOAA's National Data Buoy Center, located at the Stennis Space
Center, Mississippi, is a true partnership effort with the U.S
Coast Guard. For example, although managed by NOAA's National
Weather Service, the current deputy director is a Coast Guard
officer. The Center's network of about 60 buoys and 60 C-MAN
stations are located in coastal waters around the country and
help meet forecasters' need for frequent, high-quality marine
observations for marine and coastal forecasts. All stations measure
wind speed, direction, and gusts; barometric pressure; and air
temperature. All buoy stations and some C-MAN stations also measure
sea surface temperature and waves. More than 120 staff are provided
under contract. Of the 50 government staff about 26 are NOAA
scientists and 15 are U.S. Coast Guard officers and enlisted personnel.
The Coast Guard provides vessels for most buoy deployments, retrievals,
maintenance and repairs.
NOAA's Marine Prediction Center in Camp Springs, Maryland, has
the primary responsibility for issuing marine warnings, forecasts,
and guidance in text and graphical formats for maritime users,
many of whom get their information through U.S. Coast Guard communication
systems. The Center quality controls marine observations from
ships, buoys and other sources before assimilating them into its
computer models. The Center also works with the National Hurricane
Center in forecasting tropical storms in parts of the Atlantic.
The services of the Center help to fulfill U.S. obligations under
the Safety of Life at Sea Convention (SOLAS) and the World Meteorological
Organization. Other special weather products are also produced,
upon request, to support U.S. Coast Guard high seas rescues and
special field operations. The Center's services help to protect
life and property, improve safety at sea, and enhance economic
opportunities.
Search and Rescue
The Search and Rescue Satellite-Aided Tracking system (SARSAT)
was developed as a joint effort among the U.S., Canada and France.
The system receives signals from ships in distress, downed planes
and others using the emergency beacons. NOAA's polar and geostationary
satellites receive and retransmit alert and location data from
activated beacons to the Coast Guard, Civil Air Patrol, U.S. Air
Force and search and rescue teams around the world. Russia's
system, COSPAS, is now a part of the same system. NOAA's National
Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS)
operates the United States Mission Control Center in Suitland,
Maryland, and serves as the focal point of U.S. COSPAS/SARSAT
alert data. NOAA also coordinates related spacecraft operations.
In the U.S. alone, at least 3,700 lives have been saved as of
April 19, 1999. The system has supported the rescue of 67 persons
in the U.S. so far this year. For example, on January 31, 1999,
the system detected a distress signal 50 miles east of St. Augustine,
Florida. The beacon from the F/V HOOK-LINE-SINKER activated automatically
when the vessel capsized. The Coast Guard dispatched a helicopter
to the site and recovered the two crew members.
In a related activity, NOAA participates as a partner in the
National Ice Center -- a tri-agency operational center representing
the U.S. Navy (Department of Defense); the U.S. Coast Guard (Department
of Transportation); and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(Department of Commerce). The National Ice Center's mission
is to provide world-wide operational ice analyses and positional
data for floating icebergs for the armed forces of the United
States and allied nations, U.S. government agencies, and the private
maritime sector. With better information and forecasts, maritime
accidents involving ice collisions can be avoided.
STRATEGY TO MODERNIZE NAVIGATION SERVICES
Beginning in the early 1990s, NOAA developed a strategy to implement
new technologies and modernize the delivery of its navigation
services. The strategy continues to evolve in consultation with
the navigation services user community, the Congress and the Administration
and progress has been made in its implementation..
Prioritizing Critical Needs While Maintaining National Coverage
New technologies often are expensive and the benefits are not
equally shared in all locations. For example, while NOAA's raster
chart technology is being applied to the entire chart suite, the
same is not true for vector Electronic Navigation Charts or ENCs.
Initially, ENCs are being developed only for waters in and around
the Nation's major ports where the improved accuracy will yield
the most return on the investment.
Similarly, NOAA, in consultation with product users, has prioritized
areas for conducting hydrographic surveys using advanced side-scan
and multi-beam sonar. Of the 3.2 million square nautical miles
NOAA is responsible for surveying, we have established criteria
to prioritize those areas most critical to maritime commerce.
For example, the areas had to have waters shallow enough to pose
a threat to navigation, but deep enough to accommodate commercial
traffic. Other criteria included the quality of existing hydrographic
data, whether the ocean bottom was subject to shoaling or other
changes, vessel size, volume of traffic, type of cargo, level
of passenger traffic, and proximity to nationally significant
populations of living marine resources.
NOAA identified about 43,000 square nautical miles (snm), primarily
in waters in major shipping lanes and the approaches to and waters
within major ports. At 1994 funding levels, NOAA could survey
only about 900 to 1,000 snm/year, meaning it would take more than
40 years to eliminate the backlog, notwithstanding new requirements
that continue to emerge. Subsequent funding increases have increased
NOAA's annual capability to about 1,400 snm, cutting the time
frame to eliminate the backlog to under 25 years. At the end
of FY1999 the remaining backlog will be about 35,000 snm. Similarly,
the need for real-time services, i.e., PORTS varies. Each port
or harbor has its own unique requirements. Some require complex
systems, while others require only minor augmentation of the existing
NWLON instruments. In FY 2000, NOAA has requested funding of
$2.8 million to fully develop and implement the comprehensive
capabilities and modernization of NWLON instruments necessary
to support the design, establishment and quality assurance of
additional Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems.
NOAA remains committed to providing nationwide services, where
feasible. For example, when we outsourced production of our digital
raster charts we required our private sector partner to make available
the entire chart suite, not just charts of areas where sales would
be highest.
Using Off-the-Shelf Technologies
NOAA's initial investments in digital charting were not so rewarding.
The state of technology required the custom design of the hardware
and software, resulting in higher costs, cumbersome formats, and
difficulties in upgrading. Thankfully, computer technology has
advanced significantly. About five years ago, NOAA implemented
a strict policy of using off-the-shelf technologies whenever possible.
This has reduced costs and increased the capability to adapt
to and incorporate ongoing technological advancements.
Program Integration
Although each new technology offers opportunities to independently
improve navigation safety, it is the integration of these technologies
that will truly revolutionize marine navigation information services.
In short, the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts.
As an early leader in implementing the Government Performance
and Results Act and a model agency for government reinvention,
NOAA has made significant progress in breaking down institutional
barriers that in the past have inhibited efficient delivery of
services. NOAA's navigation programs have been fully authorized,
encouraged and rewarded for improving intra-agency communication
and cooperation. This is also true for improving cooperation
with other agencies; examples of both are given below.
Listening to Constituents and Users
New technologies and products are of little use if they fail
to meet legitimate user needs and requirements. Although NOAA
has a long history of reaching out to the maritime community,
we have increased these activities in recent years. The Office
of the National Geodetic Survey has a network of state advisers,
the Office of the Coast Survey has placed regional representatives
around the country, and the PORTS program has an outreach coordinator.
NOAA and Department of Commerce leadership likewise have increasingly
welcomed opportunities to meet with the maritime community. For
example, in 1998 Deputy Secretary Robert Mallett met with maritime
interests and this year participated in the National Conference
on the Marine Transportation System in Warrenton, Virginia. The
leadership of NOAA's National Ocean Service has accepted every
invitation it could to speak before and meet with ports and other
marine transportation interests. NOAA has hosted several meetings
with the maritime community to help focus its modernization efforts.
NOAA continues to rely heavily on constituent input to ensure
its services remain relevant and useful.
Partnerships with Other Agencies and Local Authorities
NOAA is but one of several federal agencies with maritime related
responsibilities. Generally, NOAA's programs are narrowly focused
primarily on delivering to mariners relevant environmental and
related information that facilitates safe and efficient passage.
NOAA therefore has long standing relationships with relevant
offices in the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers,
the National Imagery and Mapping Agency in DOD and the Navy's
hydrographic office. In fact, as primarily an information agency,
NOAA is often dependent on these offices for data to update its
nautical charts and related services. The fact that NOAA's own
officer corps continues to play a leadership role in NOAA's navigation
services no doubt has facilitated good relationships with these
other uniformed services. NOAA generally does not play a role
in commercial or regulatory aspects of marine transportation and
thus does not have close working relationships with the Maritime
Administration, the Federal Maritime Commission, or the Customs
Service.
NOAA has been an active participant on the Interagency Committee
on Waterways Management and participated in all of the Department
of Transportation (DOT)-sponsored regional listening sessions
and the national conference. NOAA also works closely with other
Federal offices in the field. An example is the National Data
Buoy Center discussed earlier. Also, under the leadership of
the Coast Guard and Navy, the NOAA ship RUDE, employing its advanced
survey capabilities, discovered and mapped the wreckage of TWA
Flight 800.
In 1997, NOAA and the Coast Guard jointly received a "Hammer
Award" from Vice President Gore for improving the safety
and efficiency of marine commerce in Cook Inlet and Prince William
Sound in Alaska. The award is given to efforts that put customers
first, cut red tape and empower front line employees to get the
government's work done. The agencies cooperatively installed a
series of aids to navigation and real-time sensors and conducted
needed surveys to provide mariners with improved navigation information.
The project is continuing by improving the weather forecasting
services available for mariners transiting Prince William Sound
and conducting training to enable mariners to better utilize these
services.
NOAA led a similar effort in partnership with other Federal agencies
and local maritime and resource management authorities in San
Francisco Bay. Commenting on the project, Will Travis, the executive
director of the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development
Commission stated, "The National Ocean Service's project
is providing us with the information we need to support the development
of our ports and other maritime commerce needs and to ensure the
long-term health of the Bay's ecological resources." NOAA
also was a primary supporter of the Safe Marine Transportation
Forum (SMART Forum) in Puget Sound.
NOAA actively works with the Coast Guard, state and local agencies,
and the maritime industry in responding to spills of oil and hazardous
materials. During spill events, NOAA provides a team of scientists
who provide the primary scientific support to the Coast Guard,
which is the Federal On-scene Coordinator for responding to such
incidents. After 20 years, this relationship has become a classic
example of successful interagency cooperation. A similar relationship
is developing with the U.S. Navy which is working with NOAA to
develop improved risk assessments for Navy ports. Using NOAA
oil spill modeling and computer software tools, the Navy is running
risk assessments to determine the optimum place to locate response
gear in order to more rapidly and effectively protect coastal
resources should there be a spill from a Navy vessel.
NOAA currently is partnering with the Coast Guard, Navy, academia
and the private sector to develop a forecast mode for PORTS and
related real-time systems under the National Ocean Partnership
Program. Using advanced computer modeling techniques, the project
seeks to enhance real-time systems by providing a predictive capability
to forecast conditions in the near future. A forecast mode for
PORTS would significantly enhance safety and efficiency of maritime
operations, including the reduction of costly delays of carriers
in port.
Since NOAA requires input from the Coast Guard, Army Corps, and
NIMA to update its suite of nautical charts and support its other
services, one area where NOAA seeks continued improvement is in
the timeliness and format of the delivery of that information.
Since NOAA has implemented the capability to update our charting
databases on a weekly basis, we want to ensure mariners are getting
the most current information. NOAA cannot chart the data until
it is received. Data arriving in an unusable format must be reconfigured
or even manually entered into the databases causing unnecessary
and avoidable delay. As most computer users are aware, the rapid
evolution of computer technology has resulted in a large number
of formats that can impede information sharing. NOAA currently
is working with its sister agencies to develop uniform formats
and protocols for submission of chart-related data.
Outsourcing and Contracting for Program Support
NOAA is increasingly partnering with private interests in providing
navigation services. To date, NOAA has used agreements with the
private sector to produce and market all digital-charting products.
This has reduced in-house production and marketing costs, allowing
NOAA to focus resources on quality assurance and data acquisition.
NOAA also contracts for a significant portion of its chart compilation
work. NOAA also contracts out half of its funding for hydrographic
surveys at a rate of about $14.9 million. Furthermore, NOAA fully
anticipates that it will work closely with the private sector
as industry continues to provide the hardware that will be the
heart of shipboard ECDIS systems.
Regarding PORTS and real-time technologies, NOAA's primary responsibility
is quality control. Pursuant to Congressional direction, NOAA
policy that local interests must support all operating and maintenance
and most installation costs. In addition to quality control,
NOAA assists in the design of the system, sets standards for sensors,
and conducts research and development.
Maintaining Quality Assurance
Historically, the Federal government has maintained overall
responsibility for navigation information services such as those
provided by NOAA. The essential underlying federal role is to
ensure data accuracy. Since production and marketing are less
related to this mission, they were functions NOAA sought to outsource
first. Similarly, NOAA is contracting for a significant portion
of its more routine hydrographic surveying responsibilities.
The most important stages -- where quality control is in essence
the task itself -- involve chart compilation. Although NOAA contracts
for some of this work, contractors work onsite alongside NOAA
cartographers. NOAA also uses its leadership role to ensure data
compatibility and uniform formatting. The goal is to provide
consistency from port to port reducing confusion among users and
their need to constantly reinvest in hardware and software.
Quality assurance also is the underlying Federal responsibility
for PORTS technology. NOAA is working with its local partners
to ensure that the transmission and formats for this valuable
information are consistent from port-to-port. NOAA's centralized
quality control system for PORTS data is called the Continuous
Operational Real-Time Monitoring System (CORMS). Data from all
PORTS are fed into CORMS to prevent inaccurate data from reaching
system users. CORMS determines data quality and evaluates the
performance of each PORTS installation. It identifies and communicates
the presence of invalid or suspect data to system users and provides
decision-making information needed to maintain or make repairs.
Quality control is also a central hallmark of NOAA's National
Weather Service. The Marine Prediction Center has an extensive
program to quality assure the marine observations collected from
ships, buoys, and other automated marine observation platforms.
To ensure the best possible forecast guidance in the extensive
computer models that NOAA employs, it is essential that the raw
data be examined carefully for anomalous readings that could impact
forecast and warning accuracy.
International Leadership
As with many aspects of maritime commerce, many of NOAA's services
are governed, at least in part, by international agreements primarily
under the auspices of the International Hydrographic Office and
the International Maritime Organization. Under Coast Guard leadership,
NOAA plays a major role in negotiating terms governing its programs.
After the IMO approved a single vector format for digital charts
several years ago, NOAA was convinced that for many applications
our raster chart was just as suitable and much less costly. This
year NOAA successfully convinced the IMO to permit the use of
raster digital charts to meet international chart carriage requirements.
This complements NOAA's view that we should concentrate the development
of vector Electronic Navigation Charts in critical areas where
information of that detail makes a valuable and significant contribution
to safer, more efficient commerce.
Research and Development
NOAA continues to invest in the research and development of improved
navigation information technologies. NOAA has supported private
development of hydrographic survey equipment and works closely
with academia and the Department of Defense. NOAA has often enlisted
the support of the private sector to conduct testing of new services.
For example, private tanker owners participated in a study by
NOAA's National Geodetic Survey to test GPS applications for determining
vessel squat.
COMMENTS ON THE MARINE TRANSPORTATION SYSTEM INITIATIVE
Although the Coast Guard and Maritime Administration in DOT are
spearheading the Marine Transportation System (MTS) initiative,
NOAA has worked closely with them from its inception. NOAA participated
in the regional listening sessions and committed significant staff
time in support of the national conference. Although early drafts
of the report requested by Congress are just being developed at
this time, NOAA can say that the process itself has improved interagency
cooperation and relationships with the maritime community. Improving
communication was a recurring theme at the regional listening
sessions and national conference. Of course such a diverse group
of interests has not reached consensus on all issues, but the
MTS process has done much to bring the necessary parties together
in an initial and positive attempt to address and prioritize pending
concerns.
At around $100 million a year nationwide for its navigation services,
NOAA's role in marine transportation is vital but relatively small
compared to investments by other agencies, ports and many private
sector interests. Construction and maintenance of a single major
port facility often exceeds that amount and maintaining navigable
waterways requires a significantly higher annual investment.
But it was the opportunity to improve safety, efficiency, and
environmental protection at a relatively modest overall cost to
the Nation that was a major impetus behind Representatives Don
Young and Jim Saxton's successful efforts to reauthorize NOAA's
navigation services last year through the Hydrographic Services
Improvement Act. NOAA is actively implementing this new authority.
CONCLUSION: Working for Sustainable Port Communities and Economies
Ultimately the impacts of port and maritime activities are felt
in communities large and small around the Nation. In the larger
picture of overall ocean resource and coastal management, maritime
commerce is one of many activities impacting local decision making.
All around our Nation, the quality of coastal waters and the
diversity of marine life are stressed. The combination of full-bottom
surveys, digital charts, accurate three-dimensional positioning
using GPS, real-time systems (PORTS), and improved marine weather
forecasts and warnings, will enhance the safety and efficiency
of U.S. ports without increased regulation. It will allow ships
to carry more cargo, increasing revenues and the competitiveness
of U.S. exports overseas. The heightened reliability and accuracy
of charted data, water levels, and forecasts will streamline the
scheduling of ship arrivals and departures, and will allow for
faster more direct transits, reducing fuel consumption, congestion,
pollution and other impacts on coastal resources.
NOAA also is committed to maximizing the use of navigation data
for a variety of other purposes. In addition to the navigation
services, NOAA houses much of the Nation's coastal science and
marine resource management expertise. For example, data acquired
to enhance safe navigation can provide valuable information to
better understand, monitor, protect, enhance and restore sensitive
coastal habitats, helping NOAA and its state partners to fulfill
many of the purposes and objectives of the Coastal Zone Management
Act and other authorities.
NOAA has used partnerships and demonstration projects that integrate
its programs to meet the needs of port and coastal communities.
These site-specific, "sustainable port" projects in
San Francisco Bay, Puget Sound, and Prince William Sound involve
other federal agencies, state and local authorities, harbor safety
committees, environmental interests, academia, and industry.
Such partnerships are key to reinventing and improving the delivery
of Federal services. They aid in identifying and maximizing the
use of existing expertise and resources while limiting duplication
of effort and fostering innovative solutions to complex challenges.
That concludes my testimony, Mr. Chairman. I would be happy
to respond to any questions you may have.