December 12, 2018
Hello Coast Survey,
This is the 50th edition of our online staff newsletter. Sharing our stories regularly throughout the year, whether it’s project milestones, awards, new hires, outreach events, or upcoming opportunities, is an important way to stay connected. Thank you to everyone that contributes and please keep your stories coming.
As 2018 comes to a close, I wish you and your families a happy holiday and New Year. I am proud of our accomplishments in 2018 and look forward to working together in 2019.
Rear Admiral Shepard M. Smith
Director, Office of Coast Survey
NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson tests drone use for shoreline mapping
Coast Survey and the National Geodetic Survey (NGS) recently conducted operational tests of small unmanned aerial systems — or drones — on board NOAA Ship Thomas Jefferson in support of survey operations conducted along the south coast of Puerto Rico. The tests show the potential of imagery from low-cost off-the-shelf drones to meet NOAA survey specifications for near-shore and shoreline feature mapping. This could replace traditional shoreline verification and mapping techniques used by NOAA hydrographic survey field units. Potential benefits of using drones for shoreline mapping include: improved data collection efficiency compared to data collection from small skiffs; more accurate feature investigation than traditional techniques; and, most importantly, removal of personnel from potentially dangerous situations (i.e. survey in close proximity to features being mapped). For more information read our blog story or contact Matthew.Sharr@noaa.gov or Charles.J.Wisotzkey@noaa.gov.
Coast Survey meets with marine industry stakeholders in the Gulf
Recently, Tim Osborn, western Gulf coast navigation manager; Louis Licate, South Florida, Puerto Rico, and U.S. Virgin Islands navigation manager; Lucy Hick, acting chief of the Customer Affairs Branch; Rear Adm. Sam DeBow (NOAA, ret.), contractor with Lynker Technologies; and Capt. Liz Kretovic, deputy hydrographer, staffed a booth at the International WorkBoat Show alongside colleagues from OMAO. Held every year in New Orleans, the show attracts 15,000 members of the commercial marine industry, who come together from around the world to network, learn, spot new industry trends, and uncover innovative products and solutions. Being in New Orleans provided an opportunity to interact with partners and stakeholders in the area. On November 29, the Louisiana Maritime Association held its annual meeting, where U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and the local river pilots provided updates. Capt. Kretovic presented on NOAA's Precision Navigation program. Additionally, the Coast Survey team had the opportunity to travel with the pilots along the Mississippi River to see first-hand how they use NOAA products to make crucial split-second navigation decisions, as well as learn about their requirements for services such as additional current meters and air gap sensors. For more information contact Lucy.Hick@noaa.gov.
NOAA's nowCOAST® provides access to Gulf of Maine operational forecasts and Chesapeake Bay marine pathogen forecasts
nowCOAST® now provides access to two new map services including oceanographic forecast guidance from the National Ocean Service (NOS) 3-D operational forecast system for the Gulf of Maine (GoMOFS) and NOS forecast guidance of the marine pathogen, Vibrio Vulnificus (Vv), for the Chesapeake Bay. GoMOFS provides high resolution nowcasts and forecast guidance of circulation in the coastal ocean, specifically coastal water levels and 3-D currents, temperatures, and salinity at 3-hourly increments out to 48 hours. NOS’ latest forecast guidance on the probability of occurrence of Vv, a marine pathogen which can cause illness and hospitalization, is issued once per day for Chesapeake Bay and includes predictions for the present day (Day 1) and the next day (Day 2). The National Weather Service website provides additional information on these and other updates provided in this latest version of nowCOAST. For more information contact John.Kelley@noaa.gov.
Coast Survey Leads U.S. Delegation to Meso American - Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission
Office of Coast Survey leadership attended the Meso American - Caribbean Sea Hydrographic Commission (MACHC) in Cartagena de Indias, Colombia, during the last week of November. Agenda highlights included regional capacity building, Seabed 2030, disaster response, and marine spatial data infrastructure. John Nyberg, chief of the Marine Chart Division, led the U.S. delegation at the meeting. Other members of the U.S. delegation included representatives of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the U.S. Navy. Rear Adm. Smith attended in his capacity as chair of the International Hydrographic Organization Council. Katie Ries, deputy director of Coast Survey, was elected chair of the MACHC at the conclusion of the meeting. For more information contact Kathryn.Ries@noaa.gov.
Navigation response team demonstrates survey operations to National Geographic
Coast Survey’s navigation response team from New London with team lead Lt. j.g. Dylan Kosten, and team members Eli Smith and Michael Bloom, met up with a National Geographic production crew while in the New York City area to demonstrate the survey capabilities of our response teams. The demonstration brought them through the Hell Gate area, a historically notorious channel known for its wrecks, where the team took CTD casts and provided an educational demonstration of a survey. Their efforts will be featured in an upcoming National Geographic television series. For more information contact Dylan.Kosten@noaa.gov.
Staff Updates
Jay Nunencamp, Coast Survey’s environmental compliance coordinator (ECC), is on detail as the acting chief of the Policy and Planning Division within the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries for the next few months. During this time, Giannina DiMaio, NOS ECC, and Rachel Krasna, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services ECC, will be backfilling for him.
Coast Survey front office staff welcomes Alexanderia Allison to the federal workforce. Alexanderia is a graduate of Howard University School of Communications with a bachelors degree in legal communication. Alexanderia is a seasoned administrative professional who provides executive level support to leadership in the front office.
Congratulations to our Coast Survey colleagues who were honored at the NOS annual employee recognition and awards ceremony on December 3. Lucy Hick (acting chief, Customer Affairs Branch) received the 2018 NOS Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity Award. Jay Nunenkamp received the 2018 Employee of the Year Award. Andre Van der Westhuysen (National Weather Service) was nominated by Coast Survey and received the NOS Peer Recognition Rafting Award.
Jay Nunencamp, Coast Survey’s environmental compliance coordinator (ECC), is on detail as the acting chief of the Policy and Planning Division within the Office of National Marine Sanctuaries for the next few months. During this time, Giannina DiMaio, NOS ECC, and Rachel Krasna, Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services ECC, will be backfilling for him.
did you know?
Julia Powell, deputy chief of the Coast Survey Development Lab and Cmdr. Olivia Hauser, chief of the Pacific Hydrographic Branch, were speakers on the first all-woman panel at the recent eNavigation 2018 conference. The panel focused on advances in data collection and dissemination.
coming up
1/29-2/1 - Coast Survey's Field Procedures Workshop
2/9 - NOAA Open House in Silver Spring, MD
3/5-3/7 - Hydrographic Services Review Panel meeting in Washington, DC
