Coast Survey Biweekly Newsletter

Joint Hydrographic Center introduces e-learning Python for Ocean Mapping

UNH students attend the ePom class in the CCOM/JHC
computer classroom.

There is an increasing demand for modern hydrographers and ocean mappers to have the programming skills that can handle the large volume and complexity of collected data. Among the currently available programming languages, Python is a preferred choice to acquire powerful scripting skills easily. In fact, Coast Survey’s Pydro is based on the Python language. In response, the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping/NOAA-UNH Joint Hydrographic Center (CCOM/JHC) shifted the programming instruction in its hydrographic curriculum to the Python programming language. This decision has prompted CCOM/JHC to develop and introduce the e-learning Python for Ocean Mapping (ePOM) project. The ePOM teaching goals are to provide key programming concepts, to teach good programming habits, and to help familiarize students with the popular open-source Python scientific libraries and Pydro distribution. The first official teaching cycle of ePOM is underway and positive feedback is already coming in from enrolled students. Coast Survey employees are engaged via Pydro and the project has gained the attention of other agencies including the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Survey Team and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans alumni. For more information contact Andy.Armstrong@noaa.gov.

Coast Survey participates in S-100 sea trial

International team participating in the S-100 sea trial that took
place on board the Korean Oceanographic
Research Institute research vessel Haeyang2000.

On August 27, Julia Powell, deputy chief of the Coast Survey Development Lab participated in the S-100 sea trial in Busan, Republic of Korea. She represented the United States in an international contingent including the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office and the Canadian Hydrographic Service. The primary goal of the S-100 Sea Trial was to test a prototype S-100 based Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) that was capable of ingesting and displaying datasets including electronic navigational charts, high-resolution bathymetry, and surface currents, among others. During the route, various scenarios tested how the system portrayed different types of datasets in an integrated fashion. From the various tests, the team made recommendations to the International Hydrographic Organization’s S -100 working group. For more information, visit our blog story or contact Julia.Powell@noaa.gov.

Coast Survey searches for dangers to navigation following Hurricane Dorian

Navigation response team vehicle and response vessel in tow.

Navigation Response Team - Stennis's vehicle and response
vessel at the Brunswick River where they surveyed following
Hurricane Dorian. Credit: Lt. John Kidd

During the early stages of Hurricane Dorian, Coast Survey staged both personnel and assets in locations outside of the hurricane impact zone. Kyle Ward, the southeast navigation manager, Ed Owens, the acting mid-Atlantic navigation manager, and Louis Licate, the South Florida, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands navigation manager, all coordinated with the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to evaluate and prioritize hydrographic survey requests from ports as they came in. Louis also embedded with the Coast Guard Maritime Transportation System Recovery Unit. NOAA’s navigation response team (NRT) homeported in Stennis Space Center including Lt. John Kidd, Lt. j.g. Collin Walker, Joshua Bergeron, and Dan Jacobs (augmenting from NRT-Galveston), surveyed Brunswick River in Georgia. NRT-Fernandina Beach including James Kirkpatrick, Howie Meyers (ERT contractor), Doug Wood (augmenting from Coast Survey headquarters), and Lt. j.g. Michelle Levano (augmenting from NRT-Seattle), surveyed St. Mary’s River in Florida. The mobile integrated survey team including Alex Ligon, Mike Annis, Lt. Patrick Debroisse, and Lt. j.g. Patrick Lawler surveyed the Little River Inlet in South Carolina. Preliminary survey products identifying dangers to navigation were developed and delivered to the U.S. Coast Guard. For more information visit our blog or contact chief.nrb.ocs@noaa.gov.

Staff Updates

Dr. Shachak Pe’eri has been selected as the new chief of the Coast Survey Development Lab. With more than three years of experience as Coast Survey’s Marine Chart Division Cartographic Support Branch chief and more than eleven years of experience as an associate research professor at the University of New Hampshire, Shachak has a deep knowledge of the current and emerging technologies critical for our mission. He has a Ph.D. in geophysics with extensive post-doctoral experience in coastal and ocean mapping including airborne lidar bathymetry, satellite and aerial remote sensing, and autonomous vessels. Shachak is also committed to the development of employees through the internationally accredited professional cartographic certification program (CAT-B) that he established (and for which he received a NOAA Administrator’s Award last year). Thank you to Neeraj Saraf for serving as acting chief for the last year and a half. His leadership and dedication have been of great benefit to the division and to all of Coast Survey.

The Navigation Response Branch welcomes Lt. John Kidd, the new sectional chief of Navigational Response Team – Stennis. Lt. Kidd graduated from the University of New Hampshire in 2017 with master’s degree in ocean mapping where he working on a performance analysis of the Velodyne VLP-16 mobile laser scanner. He recently detached from NOAA Ship Ferdinand R. Hassler as the operations officer and is excited to establish his new billet by expanding the autonomous systems team and technologies and to further operationalize the team at NASA’s Stennis Space Center.

We are pleased to welcome Daniel A. Garatea, a new physical scientist, to the Operations Branch. Daniel comes to us with a master's degree in marine conservation and policy from Stony Brook University, N.Y. He joins us after working as a north Pacific groundfish observer for Alaskan Observers Inc. He is also an accomplished bicycle mechanic, Otakon Virtual Information Desk wrangler, and Lego connoisseur.

did you know?

The photo contest deadline of October 1, 2019, is fast approaching! Coast Survey's Hydrographic Surveys Division (HSD) is excited to invite Coast Survey and HSD-tasked contractors to participate. The winning photos will be presented in galleries around NOAA and used in promotional materials for NOAA’s ocean mapping program. Learn how to enter the contest.

coming up

9/17-9/19 - Arctic Regional Hydrographic Commission meeting in Murmansk, Russian Federation

10/3-10/6 - Annapolis Powerboat Show

10/10-10/14 - Annapolis Sailboat Show

gis corner

Coast Survey recently released two new viewers to display ENC and RNC products. For more information check out our recent blog post.

If you find issues affecting ArcGIS-based applications, submit an help desk ticket with the subject line "URGENT - GIS Server Issue." The issue will be addressed in a timely manner.

Visit NOAA Esri Central Support (NECS) if you are having problems with ArcGIS Software (crashes, errors, etc.). It is here to help!

Curious about ArcGIS Pro? Check out the ArcGIS Pro Introduction Page.

It’s all about the Data! OCS GIS Portal and NOAA Geoplatform.

Need information on GIS projects, software, and geospatial initiatives? Visit NOAA GIS Community for information.

Esri released Desktop 10.6 and Pro 2.1. Click here for Esri installation Files.

Upcoming Conferences:
NOAA Environmental Data Management Workshop, 9/4 - 9/5, 2019, Seattle

Esri Ocean & Atmospheric GIS Forum, 11/5 - 11/7, 2019, Redlands, Calif. (Esri HQ). **Note** Please inform your division deputy if you plan to attend. We are in the process of securing a lower registration cost.

diversity and inclusion

2019 Hispanic Heritage Month Program
- Tuesday, September 17, from 1:30-2:30 p.m. (EDT)
- NOAA Science Center - remote participation available
- Keynote speaker - Dr. John Cortinas (OAR)

Each year from 9/15 -10/15, the U.S. honors the contributions that Hispanics and Latinos have made to our country and celebrates their heritage and culture. Recognizing the contributions of different cultures also raises our cultural awareness which helps to propel us forward to achieving our goal of creating an inclusive environment that values diversity.

Join RDML Smith for "Diversity: Dish and Dine with the DAA"
- Thursday, September 26 from 12:30-1:30 p.m.
- NOAA building SSMC4 Rm 13153

The focus of the discussion will be bridging the generational gap. Diversity of all kinds, whether generational, racial or in other forms, is a very good thing to have in the workplace. We have a multi-generational workforce which requires us to embrace the diversity and celebrate the strengths of many generations. The greater the variety of people, experiences, and viewpoints you bring to the table, the more likely new ideas and innovation are going to occur.

blog

S-100 sea trials: working toward harmonized navigation products

NOAA searches for dangers to navigation following Hurricane Dorian

Hawaiian island surveys will update nautical charts and support habitat mapping efforts

Newsletter Archive

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