NOAA's Office of Coast Survey partners with many agencies and organizations in support its mission to promote safe navigation.
Click on a category of Partners or scroll down the page.
FEDERAL PARTNERS
|
AGENCY |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY
ACTIVITIES |
LINK |
|
U.S. Coast Guard
(USCG) |
Nine Coast Guard Districts throughout the country publish weekly Local Notice to Mariners that contain critical updates to NOAA charts. The Coast Guard also provides NOAA with critical clearance information concerning bridges that span waterways. (Learn more...) |
Charts,
Surveys, GIS, R&D |
USCG
Home Page |
|
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) |
USACE districts throughout the country report depth information regarding federally maintained navigation channels to NOAA. The USACE is responsible for conducting condition surveys, pre-dredge surveys, and post-dredge surveys in these important waterways. The Corps provides survey results to NOAA. NOAA evaluates these surveys and then issues chart updates by way of USCG Local Notice to Mariners and NGA Notice to Mariners. The USACE also provides NOAA with engineering permits that may reflect new construction along waterways. NOAA then obtains “as-built” drawings that will be applied to the appropriate nautical charts.(Learn more...) |
Charts,
Surveys, GIS, R&D |
USACE
Home
Page |
|
Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) |
The Office of Coast Survey holds semi-annual coordination meetings with NAVOCEANO to discuss topics of mutual interest related to hydrographic surveying. These include data exchange, data acquisition and quality assurance standards, cooperative training, personnel exchange, new technology development, bathymetric LIDAR and surveys related to potential U.S. claims for extended continental shelf rights under the U.N. Conference on Law of the Sea, Article 76 (Learn more...) |
Charts,
Surveys, GIS, R&D |
NAV
OCEANO
Home Page |
|
National Geospatial Intelligence Agency (NGA) |
NGA publishes chart corrections to NOAA charts in the US Notice to Mariners. NGA is also responsible for producing the worldwide suite of Digital Nautical Charts (DNC). (Learn more...) |
Charts
GIS |
NGA
Home Page |
MAJOR NOAA PARTNERS
|
NOAA Component |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY
ACTIVITIES |
LINK |
|
National Geodetic Survey (NGS) |
NGS is a sister component in NOS to the Office of Coast Survey. NGS provides Coast Survey with high accuracy shoreline data used for updating charts. NGS also provides horizontal and vertical datum information important to geo-referencing charts. |
Charts, Surveys, GIS, R&D, Shoreline, Photos, Horizontal Datums |
NGS Home Page |
|
Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
CO-OPS maintains a network of water level gauges throughout the country. These gauges are the foundation for water level predictions that are portrayed on NOAA nautical charts. The network also establishes the vertical datum for the chart. CO-OPS also provides tidal current information found on many charts. CO-OPS collects, analyzes, and distributes historical and real-time observations and predictions of water levels, coastal currents and other meteorological and oceanographic data. CO-OPS’ Hydrographic Planning Team works with the Office of Coast Survey to provide input on tidal information for vertical control and datum determination for hydrographic surveys |
Charts, Surveys,
GIS, R&D, Water Levels, Currents, Vertical Datums |
CO-OPs
Home
Page |
|
National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) |
NGDC of NOAA’s National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service (NESDIS) is the archive and distribution center for Office of Coast Survey digital hydrographic and bathymetric data. NGDC works closely with the Hydrographic Survey Division to ensure adequate storage of survey data, develop databases, and provide public access to data. |
Digital Survey
Data |
NGDC Home Page |
|
NOAA’s Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO)
|
NOAA ships conduct hydrographic surveys in critical areas throughout the country. These high accuracy surveys are used to update depth and shoreline information on charts. NOAA aircraft fly photogrammetric missions to help re-chart the shoreline |
Charts, GIS,
Surveys, NOAA Ships, Photogrammetry |
OMAO
Home Page |
| National Marine Sanctuaries (NMS) |
The National Marine Sanctuary Program, a component of NOAA’s National Ocean Service (NOS), manages and protects specially designated areas of the nation’s oceans and Great Lakes for their habitats, ecological value, threatened and endangered species, and historic, archeological, recreational and esthetic resources. Thirteen national marine sanctuaries and one coral reef ecosystem are part of this program. NOAA’s charting program works closely with the National Marine Sanctuary Program to display special information pertaining to the marine sanctuaries. |
Charts, GIS, Sancutary boundaries,
surveys |
NMS Home Page |
|
Coastal Services Center (CSC) |
CSC is a program within NOS devoted to serving the nation's state and local coastal resource management programs. CSC and Coast Survey work closely on many state and local issues, including those involving marine boundaries. |
Chart, GIS, surveys, FGDC, marine boundaries |
CSC Home Page |
RECREATIONAL BOATING
|
ORGANIZATION |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY
ACTIVITIES |
LINK |
|
United States Power Squadrons (USPS) |
USPS is a non profit, educational organization dedicated to making boating safer and more enjoyable by teaching classes in seamanship, navigation and related subjects. USPS has some 60,000 members organized into 450 squadrons across the country and in some US territories. Members throughout the country inspect NOAA charts and report discrepancies via the Internet through a program called Cooperative Charting. (Learn more...) |
Charts,
Surveys, Cooperative Charting, Adopt a Chart |
USPS
Home Page |
|
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliaries |
The Auxiliary is 30,000 member organization promotes boating safety and education throughout the country. Members also provide chart discrepancy information to NOAA via the Chart Updating program. |
Charts,
Surveys, Chart Update, Recreational
Boating |
USCG
AUX
Home
Page |
|
BoatU.S. |
BoatUS- Boat Owners Association of The United States- has been providing savings, service and representation to millions of boat owners nationwide since 1966. Today BoatUS is one of the nation's most influential advocates for advancing the interests of boaters. With over 650,000 Members, the Association is the a voice for recreational boaters. BoatU.S. and the Office of Coast Survey work very closely on charting and other maitime issues. |
Charts,
Surveys,
Recreational Boating |
Boat
U.S
Home Page |
UNIVERSITIES
|
UNIVERSITY |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY
ACTIVITIES |
LINK |
|
University of New Hampshire
CCOM/JHC |
The Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping /Joint Hydrographic Center (CCOM/JHC) University of New Hampshire - CCOM/JHC at the University of New Hampshire was established by a Memorandum of Understanding with the NOAA’s National Ocean Service and the Office of Coast Survey. Designed as a center for expertise in ocean mapping and hydrographic sciences the center promotes education in hydrography and ocean mapping and provides research into state of the art technologies and applications. |
Charts,
Surveys, GIS,R&D,
Bathymetry
Shallow Water Multibeam |
CCOM-JHCHome Page |
|
University of Southern Mississippi |
The Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems Laboratory (ECDIS) was established in October 2001 as part of the Hydrographic Science Research Center (HSRC), Department of Marine Science, The University of Southern Mississippi. Located at Stennis Space Center, Mississippi, the Lab is centrally located amid the greatest concentration of hydrographers and oceanographers in the world. Also located at Stennis Space Center are the Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO), Commander Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, and the Naval Research Laboratory. The Commander Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command is also designated as the Hydrographer of the Navy and represents the U.S. Navy at national and international fora for hydrographic affairs. The ECDIS Laboratory's primary customers are NOAA Marine Chart Division, the USCG C2CEN, and NAVOCEANO, helping them test and evaluate their products.
|
Charts,
Surveys, Chart Update, Recreational
Boating |
Southern Miss. Dept of Marine Science Home Page |
INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS (Link to Coast Survey's International Activities Page)
|
ORGANIZATION |
DESCRIPTION |
KEY
ACTIVITIES |
LINK |
|
International Maritime Organization
(IMO) |
The International Maritime Organization (IMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1948 to develop and maintain a comprehensive regulatory framework for shipping, including safety, environmental concerns, legal matters, technical-cooperation, maritime security and the efficiency of shipping. The most important treaty addressing maritime safety is the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, which was an outgrowth of international concern and reaction to the Titanic disaster of 1912 and includes the regulations regarding the standards and use of navigational products. OCS participates in the IMO Sub-Committee on Safety of Navigation (NAV). |
Navigation,
standards, ECDIS |
IMO Home Page |
|
International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) |
The IHO is an intergovernmental consultative and technical organization with a mission to “ensure the provision of adequate and timely hydrographic information for world-wide marine navigation and other purposes”. The Office of Coast Survey is an active member of the IHO and participates in several IHO committees and working groups establishing, revising, and following IHO standards and publications. |
Charts,
Surveys, Standards |
IHO Home Page |
|
Canadian Coast Guard (NOTMAR) |
The Canadian Coast Guard publishes corrections to Canadian charts. Some of these corrections may affect U.S. charts in areas where there is overlapping coverage. |
Charts,
Surveys, Chart Update, |
NOTMAR
Home Page |
|
U.S./Japan Cooperative Program in Natural
Resources |
The U.S./Japan Cooperative Program in Natural Resources (UJNR) was established in 1964 to promote conservation of marine and terrestrial resources through cooperation in applied science and technology. The UJNR consists of 18 panels: nine of these panels focus on marine science and technology, and nine address non-marine activities in the field of natural resources. The Director of OCS is the U.S. Chair of the Sea Bottom Surveys Panel. |
Charts,
Surveys,
Recreational Boating |
UJNR
Home
Page |
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