Current Year Survey Plans

Current Year Survey Plans

Coast Survey maintains more than a thousand charts and publications covering 95,000 miles of shoreline and 3.4 million square nautical miles of water. Measuring depths and determining new dangers to navigation along U.S. coasts and the Great Lakes is a monumental job as the seafloor is constantly changing due to factors such as storms, erosion, and development.

One of Coast Survey's biggest tasks is planning hydrographic survey projects for the coming field season. Survey planners consider requests from stakeholders such as marine pilots, port authorities, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the boating community, and also consider other hydrographic priorities in determining where to survey and when.

Each year Coast Survey compiles a "living" story map outlining these plans for our hydrographic survey vessels. The story maps are updated as progress is made with each survey project. In addition to the story map, future Coast Survey plans are available.

ship with sunrise