New NOAA precision navigation program increases safety, efficiency for maritime commerce
Mariners face complex decisions as ever-larger vessels
make their way through congested U.S. ports.
NOAA offices involved with precision navigation were awarded additional funding to support foundational program management, and have established a dedicated team that will support the expansion of precision navigation to more ports throughout the country in the coming years. The precision navigation program team includes a program manager, requirements coordinator, and dissemination manager, as well as members from the other involved NOAA offices. In addition, the funding will support a socio-economic study that will look at the return on investment of the precision navigation program and fund a developer to work on the dissemination of NOAA’s data with private industries. Plans are underway to implement precision navigation in the Lower Mississippi River Port Complex as well as in the Port of New York/New Jersey. The program is currently developing a stakeholder engagement strategy to determine needs that can be addressed by precision navigation in these ports. For more information contact
Elizabeth.Kretovic@noaa.gov for read our
blog post.
Bay Hydro II holds open house at Norfolk's 42nd Annual Harborfest
Bay Hydro II at the Harborfest in Norfolk, Virginia.
Bay Hydro II had a successful weekend of outreach at Norfolk's 42nd Annual Harborfest and Parade of Sail. Officer in Charge
Lt. j.g. Sarah Chappel,
Lt. j.g. Patrick Debroisse, and
Robb Mowery welcomed more than 550 visitors during tours of the vessel. This event is America's largest, longest-running, free maritime festival. A special thanks to
Lt. Cmdr. Haner,
Lt. Cmdr. Carrier,
Rita Bowker, and
Erin Weller for their assistance with
Bay Hydro II's open house throughout the weekend. For more information contact
Sarah.l.Chappel@noaa.gov.
NOAA hosts Republic of Korea delegation
The Republic of Korea delegation with Coast Survey’s Julia
Powell.
NOAA hosted a delegation from the Republic of Korea for the Annual NOAA-Korea Ministry of Fisheries (MOF) Joint Project Agreement Integrated Coastal Management meeting. The panel provided updates on several projects including the exchange of information on unmanned systems programs, satellite-derived bathymetry, and the S-100 charting test bed. For more information or contact
julia.powell@noaa.gov.
NOAA Ships, Navigation Response Teams and Contractor Operations
Weekly Hydro Ship Activity Report - June 10 - June 16, 2018
NRT 1 - Team is conducting ASV operations in conjunction with
Bay Hydro II's Crisfield and Vicinity, Maryland and Virginia, project.
NRT 2 - Team is processing data from Miami Intracoastal Waterway survey and performing vessel maintenance.
NRT 3 - Team is processing data from Columbia River anchorage surveys.
NRT 4 - Team is processing data from San Jacinto River survey and performing vessel maintenance.
NRT 5 - Team is processing data from Bar Harbor, Maine, project and performing vessel maintenance.
Bay Hydro II -
Bay Hydro II is surveying Crisfield and Vicinity, Maryland and Virginia
Staff Updates
Marine Chart Division welcomes
MaryRose Sheldon to Product Branch D (West Coast and Pacific Islands). MaryRose graduated from the University of Maryland with a Bachelors in Environmental Science in 2017, and has since worked as a GIS intern with the United States Department of Agriculture and as a Naturalist Interpreter with Delaware State Parks. She has a passion for the outdoors and for coastal preservation.
Marine Chart Division welcomes
Christopher Luther to Product Branch G (Gulf Coast, Puerto Rico, and Virgin Islands). Chris is a recent graduate of the University of Maryland, Baltimore County with a Masters Certificate in Geographic Information Systems. He has a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maryland, College Park. Prior to coming to NOAA, Chris worked for Department of Human and Health Services and The National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.
Marine Chart Division welcomes
Ramon Perez David to Product Branch D. Before joining NOAA, Ramon worked with the U.S. Army Center of Military History creating maps for military history books. In the past, he also worked as a federal contractor in the Defense Intelligence Agency.