The Office of Coast Survey, a part of the National Ocean Service, is responsible for the nautical charts of U.S. coastal waters. Its Hydrographic Surveys Division will direct the NOAA Ship FAIRWEATHER in conducting hydrographic operations.

The Hydrographic Surveys Division (HSD) writes letter instructions and specifications explaining where and how the FAIRWEATHER will perform survey projects. A list of proposed projects will be provided to the FAIRWEATHER before the field season begins. The FAIRWEATHER will coordinate with HSD and the Marine Operations Center - Pacific (MOC-P) to fulfill requirements and operational constraints.

Critical survey areas are determined based on a variety of factors, including marine traffic and inadequate prior surveys. Sometimes a special project will come up based on natural disasters or other urgent requests.

Once a project is approved, FAIRWEATHER's Field Operations Officer will assign smaller survey areas to junior officers and survey technicians. The junior officers and survey technicians are responsible for drafting plans and conducting survey operations in accordance with letter instructions and specifications. This includes gathering 100 percent multibeam coverage of the area up to the 4-meter curve, performing shoreline verification, and ensuring all data is accurate and corrected.

Once survey acquisition and processing are complete, the junior officers and survey technicians draft a field sheet and analysis report. These deliverables are sent to the appropriate line offices for quality control checks and eventually end up on a new nautical chart. Dangers to navigation are sent to the Coast Guard for new Notices to Mariners, and Coast Pilots are also updated.